An SDR-Based Test Platform for 5G NTN Prototyping and Validation

IF 6.3 Q1 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society Pub Date : 2025-09-19 DOI:10.1109/OJCOMS.2025.3610869

Lu Hou;Kan Zheng;Jie Mei;Cheng Huang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The integration of satellite communication into 5G has been formalized in 3GPP Release 17 through the specification of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), marking a significant step toward achieving global connectivity. However, the early-stage maturity of 5G NTN standards and the lack of commercial NTN-capable equipment hinder extensive performance validation and system prototyping. To address this gap, this paper proposes a software-defined radio (SDR) test platform with General-Purpose Processor (GPP) processing, leveraging Amarisoft’s 5G NTN protocol stack software while performing custom system integration and adaptation for real satellite operation. The platform supports bidirectional communication between an SDR-based NTN gNB and UE emulator through a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite link, with full compliance to 3GPP NTN specifications. We provide detailed insights into the system architecture, SDR hardware–software co-design, and satellite gateway adaptations. Through field trials, we evaluate the performance metrics including downlink throughput and round-trip time. Results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of SDR-based platforms for NTN testing, and highlight their potential in bridging current implementation gaps before widespread commercial deployment.

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基于sdr的5G NTN原型与验证测试平台

在3GPP第17版中，通过非地面网络（NTN）规范正式确定了卫星通信与5G的集成，标志着朝着实现全球连接迈出了重要一步。然而，5G NTN标准的早期成熟和商用NTN设备的缺乏阻碍了广泛的性能验证和系统原型设计。为了解决这一差距，本文提出了一个具有通用处理器（GPP）处理的软件定义无线电（SDR）测试平台，利用Amarisoft的5G NTN协议栈软件，同时执行自定义系统集成和适应实际卫星运行。该平台通过地球静止轨道（GEO）卫星链路支持基于sdr的NTN gNB和UE模拟器之间的双向通信，完全符合3GPP NTN规范。我们对系统架构、SDR软硬件协同设计和卫星网关适配提供了详细的见解。通过现场试验，我们评估了包括下行链路吞吐量和往返时间在内的性能指标。结果验证了基于sdr的NTN测试平台的可行性和有效性，并强调了它们在广泛商业部署之前弥合当前实施差距的潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society Multiple-

CiteScore

13.70

自引率

3.80%

发文量

审稿时长

10 weeks

期刊介绍： The IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (OJ-COMS) is an open access, all-electronic journal that publishes original high-quality manuscripts on advances in the state of the art of telecommunications systems and networks. The papers in IEEE OJ-COMS are included in Scopus. Submissions reporting new theoretical findings (including novel methods, concepts, and studies) and practical contributions (including experiments and development of prototypes) are welcome. Additionally, survey and tutorial articles are considered. The IEEE OJCOMS received its debut impact factor of 7.9 according to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2023. The IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society covers science, technology, applications and standards for information organization, collection and transfer using electronic, optical and wireless channels and networks. Some specific areas covered include: Systems and network architecture, control and management Protocols, software, and middleware Quality of service, reliability, and security Modulation, detection, coding, and signaling Switching and routing Mobile and portable communications Terminals and other end-user devices Networks for content distribution and distributed computing Communications-based distributed resources control.