Bridging TSN and 5G: Synchronization and Flow Mapping for Smart Manufacturing

The increasing demand for real-time industrial applications demands deterministic communication across networked devices. Time-sensitive networking (TSN) offers reliable performance to meet these requirements, compatible with the current Real-Time Ethernet (RTE) solutions applied in the industry. While TSN ensures determinism inside Ethernet networks, its integration with 5G/6G wireless technologies can overcome flexibility limitations. This paper explores key challenges in integrating TSN with mobile networks, focusing on device synchronization and flow mapping. We introduce a tool aligned with the 3GPP specifications that covers time synchronization across TSN domains via 5G and implements flow mapping based on application-specific quality of service (QoS) requirements. We evaluate these features under various scenarios, including a use case for an industrial production line use case. Our solution is developed as an open-source framework for the OMNeT++ simulator, supporting reproducibility and continuous updates and paving the way for customizable network solutions.