mmWave ns-3 module

This is an ns-3 mmWave module for the simulation of 5G mmWave cellular networks. A description of this module can be found on IEEExplore (open access).

The mmWave module for ns-3 can be used to simulate 5G cellular networks at mmWave frequencies. This module builds on top of the LTE one, and currently includes features such as:

• Support of a wide range of channel models, including the model based on 3GPP TR 38.901 for frequencies between 0.5 and 100 GHz. Ray tracing and measured traces can also be used.

• Custom PHY and MAC classes supporting the 3GPP NR frame structure and numerologies. They support dynamic TDD, and are parameterized and highly customizable in order to be flexible enough for testing different designs.

• Custom schedulers for the dynamic TDD format

• Carrier Aggregation at the MAC layer

• Enhancements to the RLC layer with re-segmentation of packets for retransmissions

• Dual Connectivity with LTE base stations, with fast secondary cell handover and channel tracking

• Simulation of core network elements (with also the MME as a real node)

The following papers describe in detail the features implemented in the mmWave module:

• End-to-End Simulation of 5G mmWave Networks is a comprehensive tutorial with a detailed description of the whole module. We advise the researchers interested in this module to start reading from this paper;

• Integration of Carrier Aggregation and Dual Connectivity for the ns-3 mmWave Module describes the Carrier Aggregation implementation;

• Implementation of A Spatial Channel Model for ns-3 describes the integration of the spatial channel model based on the 3GPP specifications TR 38.901 V15.0.0;

• Performance Comparison of Dual Connectivity and Hard Handover for LTE-5G Tight Integration describes the Dual Connectivity feature.

These other papers describe features that were implemented in older releases:

• ns-3 Implementation of the 3GPP MIMO Channel Model for Frequency Spectrum above 6 GHz describes the implementation of the 3GPP channel model based on TR 38.900;

• Multi-Sector and Multi-Panel Performance in 5G mmWave Cellular Networks describes the multi-sector addition to the 3GPP channel model;

If you use this module in your research, please cite M. Mezzavilla, M. Zhang, M. Polese, R. Ford, S. Dutta, S. Rangan, M. Zorzi, "End-to-End Simulation of 5G mmWave Networks," in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 2237-2263, thirdquarter 2018. bibtex available here

Future work

We are actively developing new features for the mmWave module, including:

• 3GPP NR beam tracking

• 3GPP NR Integrated Access and Backhaul feature (see this repo for more details)

About

This module is being developed by NYU Wireless and the University of Padova. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology through the Project “An End-to-End Research Platform for Public Safety Communications above 6 GHz” under Award 70NANB17H16.