An Approach for Optimal Base Station Selection in 5G HetNets for Smart Factories

Abstract

5G based heterogeneous networks (HetNets) have been attracting interest recently to support manufacturing processes in smart factory use cases. Smart factories require high performing wireless systems with high data rates and improved spectral efficiency to support mobile robots and other autonomous vehicles for example. To provide low latency, high coverage 5G deployments, comprised of multi-tier, Femto, Pico, and Macro cell networks are seen as a possible solution to meeting the required data rate requirements. This work analyzes the impact of base stations association strategies such as Maximum Received Power and Maximum Signal to Interference Plus Noise Ratio (SINR) for a 5G HetNet for Low Mobility robots and High Mobility autonomous guided vehicles in conjunction with fixed wireless sensor/actor devices. Experimental results show that our deployment scheme combined with the Maximum Received Power cell association strategy outperforms the Maximum SINR cell association strategy.