Enhancing the Fiber Capacity Via Packet Multiplexing with Time-Sensitive Networking

November 08, 2021

Blog

With the development of 4G LTE networks along with the ramping up of 5G and Ethernet services, the industries are compelled to enhance the RAN transport and access architectures.

The HFR Networks’ flexiHaul Packet M6424 TSN switch works on the principle of Time-Sensitive Networking, Radio over Ethernet (RoE) RAN xHaul solution, providing flexible front haul and backhaul solutions. Packet multiplexing enhances the fiber capacity with the help of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). This is also termed Ethernet multiplexing as it allows for deterministic messaging over conventional Ethernet. 

Time-sensitive mobile services are merged with regular Ethernet services utilizing Radio over Ethernet with preemption. HFR Networks has created a TSN-based solution to meet critical xHaul needs, such as offering greater performance and cost-effective access services via a converged Ethernet access network. 

The HFR Networks’ flexiHaul Packet M6424 TSN Switch with its state-of-art high-performance design in combination with TSN enabled advanced mobile networking architectures and applications in absolutely no time. It is a highly cost-effective and efficient TSN switch that makes the combination of RAN transport and Ethernet services possible. 

The M6424 can connect radios in less than a few nanoseconds with the help of Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) and eCPRI, bridging mobile networks and traditional Ethernet services. Further, the M6424 uses IEEE 1914.3 compliant Radio over Ethernet mappers with integrated synchronization to encapsulate CPRI traffic, resulting in improved performance, easier operations, and considerable cost savings.

Credit: HFR Networks

With packet multiplexing with the TSN, the fleciHaul solution supports up to 800 GBPS-scale performance. Preemption permits the coexistence of mixed Ethernet and mobile traffic. 

The M6424 is employed in both central office and distant hardened situations because of its versatile network deployment choices. This includes the ability to centralize radio fronthaul aggregation to baseband units (BBUs) and cloud topologies feeding virtualized baseband units with a top-of-rack (TOR) architecture (vBBUs). With CPRI aggregation at the remote radio head (RRH) and the addition of RRH small cell eCPRI traffic and Ethernet services  enable service mixing.

HFR Networks' M6424 extends fiber capacity, faster time to market, assures a seamless transition to 5G, generates new income streams by enabling new services, and lowers total cost of ownership (TCO). 

Complete, Flexible, and Efficient xHaul Solution 

The flexiHaul M6424 enhances the fiber capacity by packet multiplexing with the aid of TSN in combination with the Ethernet Services. It significantly lowers the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and reduces deployment and operations expenses by simplifying and converging the network while concurrently supporting various services including 4G LTE, 5G, and Ethernet. Further, it allows numerous carriers to be isolated utilizing a common infrastructure with separate carrier services and a structure-agnostic mapping mechanism for radio traffic encapsulation and transmission. 

The M6424 also ends vendor lock-in and eliminates interoperability issues in mixed CPRI systems by providing an open, standards-based solution to standardize operations across prominent 3rd party RAN vendors. Additionally, it allows for more efficient use of current fiber infrastructure for remote radio head communication, lowering costs and delays associated with new fiber expenditures. 

FlexiHaul M6424 offers packet multiplexing to enhance the existing fiber capacity of Ethernet services as it combines 4G CPRI utilizing IEEE 1914.3 RoE, 5G eCPRI, and Ethernet high-speed data services on a single compact 1RU protected TSN platform, greatly reducing footprint. 

You can download the datasheet of HFR’s flexiHaul M6424 TSN Switch for more information.