A 5G multi-gNodeB simulator for ultra-reliable 0.5–100 GHz communication in indoor Industry 4.0 environments

Industry 4.0 is evolving towards new challenging applications with tight reliability constraints. While simulation tools for the characterization of the physical and radio features of production environments would be very useful, there is a lack of awareness about radio propagation in the presence of 5G technologies. In this context, this paper presents a simulator, based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TR 38.901 report, able to describe the physical layer, channel model, and channel modulation applied in 5G. The simulator takes as input the physical characteristics of the considered area and the objects inside of it and provides, with a two-layered approach, the time series of Block Error Rate (BLER) values according to the simulated propagation paths in the presence of moving objects followed by a reliability analysis of the gNodeBs with respect to the user position computed through statistical and geometrical calculations. Through our simulator, we have discovered that the current 5G technology systems may not be sufficient to meet the high reliability demands in safety applications in Industry 4.0 systems. This finding emphasizes the need for additional solutions to enhance the reliability of 5G technology in industrial settings.