NR+
Overview
NR+ is designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern industrial and enterprise applications. It leverages proven techniques from the cellular marketplace to deliver robust, reliable, and efficient communication for data and audio. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved NR+ as the first and only non-cellular 5G technology for both Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) and massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC). This allows anyone to build their own private 5G networks with a versatile radio stack that can support low point-to-point, star and mesh network topologies.
NR+ is designed to support low latency – down to 1ms between devices. This enables critical IoT and professional audio applications to utilise a standard radio technology for the first time, and in use cases only previously realised by more custom and costly technologies. NR+ also opens up applications that were previously only possible with wires.
From the outset, NR+ was designed for large-scale deployments, and its affordability in terms of infrastructure, installation and maintenance costs is unprecedented. Infrastructure connectivity costs are
minimise by subscription-free radio and sharing the back-end connection costs between all devices. Installation is streamlined for zero-touch automatic network joining. Maintenance is minimised by self-
organising mesh networking. In parallel, enterprises benefit from the independence of a reliable private network operating in a license-exempt, dedicated spectrum. With its self-healing and self-organising properties, NR+ networks can avoid congestion issues and single points of failure.
cThis unique combination of features sets NR+ apart from other proprietary and standardised radio technologies, offering a future-proof solution that scales across various industrial needs.
Applications
Initial implementations focus on smart metering, building automation, professional audio and industrial applications.
NR+ can also support audio, video, data and a combination of these, so it is inherently fit for a wide range of application use cases.
Technical description
The physical layer employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) as the modulation scheme. It allows for operation with different channel bandwidths by using multiple numerologies with different subcarrier spacings. Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) and advanced channel coding (Turbo coding) ensure ultra-reliable connections. Operation in a dedicated spectrum greatly lowers interference that increasingly hinders the congested ISM spectrums. The physical layer is suited for frequency bands below 6 GHz.
There are 24 time-divided slots for transmission and reception in a single radio frame. Beacon periods can vary between 10ms up to 32 seconds.
In mesh operation there is no network wide synchronisation . The nodes synchronise to the parent router node beacon. Over multiple hops, there is delay to the root node clock and beacon. In a star network, if the parent node is synchronised to an external master clock, the child nodes achieve very good synchronisation to that master clock.
Beacons offer the chance for low-power optimised operation. With long beacon periods, the nodes can sleep long periods, only waking up for the beacon. The beacon informs the node if there is a message awaiting delivery to the node. ETSI standard release 2 improves this even further, allowing nodes to sleep over beacon periods. Device sleep possibilities are a compromise, with the application latency needs allowing NR+ devices to achieve very low average power as for other non-latency focused radio standards.
The high transmission power enables long range. At the same time, the transmission power can be dynamically controlled to be down to –40 dBm, minimizing the power and radio interference when the peer device is close by. In this way, NR+ provides both long range, extended by the mesh technology, and dense networks.
Design continuity
NR+ applies some of the same design principles as legacy DECT, like automatic interference management, which allows for deployments without extensive frequency planning. Features like transmission power control minimise TX power use and provide the capability to detect and measure transmission from other systems. It is designed to enable coexistence with legacy DECT, DECT Evolution, and other NR+ systems operating on the spectrum.
Internet Protocol (IP)
NR+ supports IPv6 networking, removing the need for complex and application-dependent edge gateways. IP connectivity can utilise standardised and state-of-the-art security, such as public key cryptography and provides a secure way for device management and firmware updates. The image below shows an example of protocol architecture employing mesh topology and routing with IPv6 applications (left and right nodes) and non-IPv6 applications (middle).
In summary, NR+ is designed for very low latency, mission critical communications, previously only possible with more costly, proprietary solutions or wired networking.
Other DECT technologies
Other DECT technologies
DECT ULE
DECT ULE takes the technology’s into the Smart Home and is designed for home automation, including battery-powered devices. DECT ULE has been instrumental in providing energy-efficient solutions for real-time monitoring and control.
Classic DECT
DECT is the global standard for cordless telephony communication – trusted for its reliability, interference-free performance, and easy deployment. From homes to enterprises, it also powers everything from smart audio devices to professional headsets and microphones.
DECT Evolution
DECT Evolution delivers higher data rates and ultra-low latency, making it the perfect fit for real-time, high-quality audio in pro microphones, intercoms, gaming headsets, and controllers.
FAQ
Lorem ipsum dolor
The DECT technology has evolved over time in order to address needs across different industries.
Lorem ipsum sed ac nulla magna?
Lorem ipsum dolor
Lorem ipsum sed ac nulla magna lorem urna nunc?
Lorem ipsum sed?
