Physical Layer Design of a 5G NR Base Station

The Fifth Generation (5G) systems are being used across the world to provide better connectivity and data rates. These systems are complex and involve several interactions between various components. Building a full 5G stack requires significant software and hardware resources and a great deal of understanding of the various layers involved. In this paper, we look at some of the high-level design aspects of the 5G physical layer that we have implemented in our 5G testbed. In particular, wehighlight the various procedures and debugging strategies including the simulation level checks, standalone transmitter and receiver testing, integrated design testing, initial attach procedures and the directions of control, data, and timing flows.