RRH Controlling Software Development

Project background

As of today, 5G, or the fifth generation wireless is the most advanced mobile broadband technology standard. It hit the market in 2019 and took over 4G/LTE technology.  

According to the latest statistics, 5G connections will make over half of total mobile connections in North America, Asia Pacific, and China in 2025. Moreover, in 2025, automotive applications and consumer electronics are predicted to make up about 21.7 % of the global 5G infrastructure market, while industrial apps will account for just over 20 %.

Our client’s radio network automation platform allows end users to rapidly address evolving radio telecommunication technologies, including 5G solutions, and to significantly reduce time-to-market and time-to-revenue. 

Our client required RadioHead software integration to facilitate rapid development of Remote Radio Unit (RRU) wireless transceivers, used to convert from wireless to wireline communications.

Business needs

Our client required a platform to facilitate rapid development of Remote Radio Unit (RRU) wireless transceivers, used to convert from wireless to wireline communications. 

Leveraging RRH software solutions allows the end-users of our client to rapidly address evolving radio telecommunication technologies (including 5G communication solutions), and to significantly reduce time-to-market and time-to-revenue. 

Our client was looking for: 

– Senior developers with strong C/C++ expertise, experience with embedded applications development, legacy code support, Linux user-space, YANG, and acquainted w/RFC documentation, NETCONF, and git; 

– An RRH software development team able to work flexible hours to provide EST time zone support (at least up to 9pm EST);  

– Experts with a degree in radio technologies; 

– Developers with hands-on embedded experience, deep understanding of client-server interactions, strong debugging abilities, Unit Testing, and Multi-threading.

Product features

1. Configuration. Free configuration support (variability of tasks, physical power, and completeness)
2. Sensors control. Support of control for more than 1500 sensors with configurable parameter ranges and a quick adequate response to their changes for maximum efficiency and prevention of physical damage
3. Command line interface. Support for managing both the classical method (self-written command line interface (CLI) and the promising ORAN standard
4. Protection. Development and testing of protection against configurations that are dangerous for the equipment
5. Autonomous operation. Support for fully autonomous operation in both network repeater and classic modes
6. Logging system. The presence of a complex, customizable logging system for all possible events
7. Units and integrations. Availability of more than 4500 units and more than 1500 integration tests to ensure quality control of new software versions
8. RRU management. The presence of more than 20 scripts for practical demonstration, training control mechanisms, and remote radio unit (RRU) management

Solution

We developed modular remote RadioHead control package (OS, launcher, watchdog, main application, and test systems) for setting up, operating, and detecting errors in a radio tower with support for all promising, and existing communication standards.

– Provision of feature content and bug fixes according to specifications.

– On-demand support to other teams (mostly EST time zone), which may include, but is not limited to, facilitation of debugging efforts, supplying guidelines, and providing walkthrough demos.

Our technology stack

• C++
• Boost
• Xilinx Software Development Kit

Key achievements delivered

1. We gathered the required radio network software development team with the needed skill set fast, within only a few weeks.
2. We are working on a solution that allows the end-users of our client to respond more rapidly to evolving markets and to reduce the duration of product development lifecycles.
3. Our remote RadioHead management solution helps reduce time-to-market and time-to-revenue through the use of 5G technology.
4. We provide our client with an easily configurable and extensible platform to facilitate the development of RRU’s for the distinct hardware solutions of a varying range of customers.