5G Masterclass: Architecture, NR RAN, Core and Call flows

Explore the g.a.p protocol stack, contrasting user plane and control plane layers from physical to sdp, and explain quality of service, segmentation, ciphering, and arq.

Explore how 5g uses quality of service to differentiate traffic with guaranteed bitrate, non-guaranteed bitrate, and delay-critical flows, and how SDP maps IP flows to QoS flows and radio bearers.

Learn how the pdcp layer handles header compression, ciphering, integrity protection, and the routing and duplication of split bearers for in-sequence delivery.

Explore the RLC layer’s segmentation and ARQ, including transparent, unacknowledged, and acknowledged modes; learn how SDUs become PDUs, sequencing, and retransmission with status reports, including NR behavior.

Explore how the Mac layer handles logical channel multiplexing, hybrid ARQ, retransmissions, scheduling, and multiplexing and demultiplexing data, and how it maps logical channels to transport channels, including carrier aggregation.

Discover how the MAC scheduler dynamically allocates downlink and uplink resources, using channel conditions, buffer status, CSI, SRS, and preemption to optimize transmissions.

Learn how the physical layer maps transport blocks to channels using ldpc and polar coding, modulation, scrambling, precoding, and multi-antenna resource block mapping for efficient 5g nr transmission.

Examine the 5g nr physical layer, focusing on modulation trade-offs, and compare OFDM with DFT precoded OFDM, plus subcarrier spacing and mini slots for low-latency scheduling.

Learn the RRC and NAS control plane roles in 5G, including authentication, security, paging, IP address assignment, and mobility across idle, connected, and inactive states with suspend and resume.

Discover how the 5G initial access procedure finds and camps on a cell via cell search, synchronization signals, ssb, and mib/sib exchange to prepare for random access.

Explore how the random access procedure lets a device move from idle to connected via contention based four-step or contention free three-step methods, with preambles, responses, timing, and collision resolution.

Explore how virtualization and cloud technologies enable on-demand, scalable resources for 5g architecture. Understand challenges of server-based provisioning and how IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offer metered, rapid elasticity.

Explore 5G identifiers, distinguishing device identifiers (Pi, IMEI, IMEI SV) from subscription identifiers (IMSI, network access identifier), and explain how subscription concealed identity and globally unique temporary identifier enhance security.

Explore service based architecture for the 5g core, using microservices and virtual network functions, with the network repository function enabling service registration and discovery via rest.

Explore how the 5G access and mobility management function (AMF) handles registration, connection, and mobility management in the core network, including NAS/N1 signaling, RRC, handovers, and path switching.

Explore the four main AMF services—communication service, empty (mobile termination) service, location service, and event exposure service—and their operations, context transfer, and subscribe-notify patterns in 5G core networks.

Explore how the SMF manages PDU sessions in 5G to connect devices to data networks, including IP-based, Ethernet, and unstructured types, session continuity modes, and IP address allocation.

Explore the 5G session management function with SMF's two services—the PDU session service and the event exposure service—covering roaming, session context, notifications, and event filtering.

Learn how unified data management and the unified data repository support cloud-native, stateless 5G deployments, storing subscription, policy, exposure, and application data with access via UTM and NE.

Explore the unified data management (UDM) services, including subscriber data management, authentication data management, context management, parameter provision, and event exposure.

The user plane function (UPF) provides connectivity between the 5G network and data networks, acts as the mobility anchor, and handles buffering, QoS, and usage reporting with packet detection rules.

Explore how the policy control function governs 5G policy management, detailing session-related and non-session-related policies, PCC rules, SDF templates, QoS profiles, and how SMF and UPF implement them.

Explore the 5G registration procedure from registration request through AMF handover, including RAN, context transfer, authentication, PDU session updates, and policy-driven subscription updates for emergency registration.

Learn the 5G de-registration procedure as a device deregisters, triggering AMF to tear down PDU sessions, release UPF resources, and update PCF and UTM policies.

Explore the PDU session establishment procedure in the 5g network, from device-initiated requests to AMF, SMF, UPF coordination, QoS policy, and GTP tunnel setup for new sessions or handovers.

Explain the 5g service request procedure, including device-triggered and network-triggered flows, idle-to-connected transitions, PDU session activation, and tunnel endpoint setup to enable uplink and downlink data.

Explore how 5G network slicing creates multiple logical networks on a single physical system across device, radio access, and core networks, with customization, isolation, and security for diverse use cases.

Trace the evolution of radio access networks from distributed to centralized and cloud ran. Understand fronthaul and backhaul, baseband pooling, and desegregation with du/cu splits enabling cran and vran.

Explore how open RAN standards enable multi-vendor hardware and software through open fronthaul and the O-RAN alliance and TIP collaboration.

Discover the 5g masterclass overview, from system architecture and spectrum to radio access networks, new radio protocols, core network functions, and call flows.