Online Asynchronous Flow Scheduling Mechanism for 5G-TSN Networks

The integration of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) with 5G technology provides Industrial IoT (IIoT) systems with essential low latency, high flexibility, and reliability. However, a key challenge in combining 5G and TSN is the deterministic scheduling of cross-domain flows, which requires precise time synchronisation and the ability to handle unpredictable changes in wireless channels. To address this challenge, we propose an online asynchronous scheduling mechanism. This mechanism is implemented at the 5G-TSN gateway, dynamically allocating TSN network time slot resources to enhance the network's deterministic scheduling capability in the presence of time asynchrony and network fluctuations. Extensive simulations on the OMNeT++ platform demonstrate that our online asynchronous algorithm effectively utilises network resources, reduces delays caused by wireless fluctuations and time asynchrony, and improves network throughput.