Incremental Joint Scheduling and Routing for 5G-TSN Integration

Integrating 5G-TSN is crucial for demanding applications such as smart medical devices and industrial communication. These applications require low-latency deterministic communication to meet control loop deadlines and to facilitate seamless interaction with the real world. Generally, Time- Sensitive Networking (TSN) via the utilization of TSN standards for time synchronization and the Time-Aware Shaper (TAS) can address such strict requirements in the wired domain and provide deterministic communication. Nonetheless, extending the network to the wireless domain increases the uncertainty. In this article, we begin by providing an overview of the scheduling mechanism utilized for configuring the TAS and its extensions within the context of TSN and 5G-TSN. Our examination reveals a gap in the existing literature regarding scheduling mechanisms specifically tailored for 5G-TSN, focusing on achieving faster configuration speeds. Furthermore, we propose the novel Incremental Joint Scheduling and Routing (IJSR) framework for 5G-TSN integration, which combines scheduling and routing in 5G-TSN systems. The proposed approach offers a heuristic solution for establishing deterministic communication, considering the application-specific delay budget and network resource availability. Ultimately, we conclude by discussing the complexity of the IJSR framework.