Case Study: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology achieves low-latency multi-UE 5G prototyping with National Instruments SDR solutions

Building a Test Bed for New 5G Technology Using NI Software Defined Radio

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) faced the challenge of developing and proving a new 5G wireless method that could significantly reduce latency while simultaneously connecting multiple mobile devices to a single base station. They needed to build a high-performing test bed for real-world signals within a very short timeframe, which was not feasible with a fully custom hardware design.

National Instruments provided the solution by supplying its COTS software defined radio (SDR) products. NICT used USRP RIO devices to emulate user equipment and a combination of PXI products and FlexRIO hardware to emulate the base station. With support from an NI partner, they developed a functional prototype in just two to three months, enabling them to successfully verify simultaneous connections for five devices with less than 5 ms latency and conduct crucial field tests.

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)

Masayuki Ohdo

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)