Beyond 5G Wireless IRT for Industry 4.0: Design Principles and Spectrum Aspects

Abstract

We present our vision for a Beyond 5G Wireless Isochronous Real Time (WIRT) system for industrial control networks, designed for supporting fast closed loop control applications. WIRT aims at ultra-reliable short range wireless links with ∼0.1 ms latencies and a wired-like 10−9 reliability. The usage of a large spectrum and frequency/interference diversity are considered fundamental components for WIRT. Ultrawideband (UWB) spectrum access and unlicensed transmission at millimeter-waves (60 GHz band) are identified as possible solutions towards ultra-reliable ultra-low latency communication. The suitability and challenges of both approaches are extensively discussed, along with the way forward for WIRT design.