Meeting Industrial 5G Requirements for High Uplink Throughput and Low Control Latency in UGV Scenarios

As Industry 4.0 advances, emerging use cases demand 5G NR networks capable of delivering high uplink throughput and ultra-low downlink latency. This study evaluates a 5G link between a LiDAR-equipped unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and its control unit using a configurable industrial testbed. Based on 3GPP standards and related literature, we identified latency and uplink throughput as key factors for real-time control. Experiments were conducted across different gNB configurations and attenuation levels. The results show that tuning parameters such as CSI, TRS, and SSB significantly improves performance. In this study, we provide a practical analysis of how these parameters influence key metrics, supported by real-world measurements. Furthermore, adjusting the Scheduling Request period and PDCCH candidate settings enhanced uplink reliability. Several configurations supported high LiDAR uplink traffic while maintaining low control latency, meeting industrial 3GPP standards. The configurations also met throughput requirements specified in UAV-related 3GPP standards. In favorable radio link conditions, selected configurations were sufficient to also enable cooperative driving or even machine control. This work highlights the importance of fine-tuning parameters and performing testbed-based evaluations to bridge the gap between simulation and deployment in Industry 4.0.