Let's go over new terms with 5G NR assuming you are familiar with 4G or LTE.
- 5G: The 5th generation cellular communications.
- 5G NR: 5G New Radio.
- 5GC: 5G Core Network.
- 5QI: 5G QoS Identifier, which can be allocated to a QoS Flow.
- AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function - It handles NAS communications and mobility.
- ARP: Allocation and Retention Priority - NG-RAN can allocate its resources relatively per QoS flow compared to others by using Allocation and Retention Priority IE.
- BA: Bandwidth Adaptation - BWP (Bandwidth Parts) is a subset of channel bandwidth and Bandwidth Adaptation would be done by configuring the UE with BWP(s) and telling the UE which of the configured BWPs is currently the active one.
- BWP: Bandwidth Parts - It is a subset bandwidth of the total cell bandwidth of a cell.
- CFRA: Contention Free Random Access - Random Access procedure when a dedicated resource is decided. It would be used for adding PSCell to PCell.
- CORESET: Control Resource Set.
TS 38.300 Figure 4.1-1 Overall Architecture |
- en-gNB: Variant Next Generation Node B - Node provides NR user plane and control plane protocol to the UE. It would act as Secondary Node in EN-DC.
- EN-DC: EUTRA-NG Dual Connectivity - It would work with eNB as a Master Node and (en-)gNB as a Secondary. This term is officially used in 3GPP Technical Specifications replacing deployment option 3 family (3/3a/3x) 3GPP Technical Report.
- gNB: Next Generation Node B - Node provides NR user plane and control plane protocol to the UE, and connected via the NG interface to 5GC. It would act as Secondary Node in NGEN-DC.
- I-RNTI: Inactive RNTI.
- INT-RNTI: Interruption RNTI.
- LDPC: Low Density Parity Check - It would be used to decode NR PDSCH.
- MCG: Master Cell Group in MR-DC - A group of serving cells associated with the Master Node (PCell - Primary Cell) and optionally one or more SCells.
- MN: Master Node - Radio access node to provide the control connection to the core network. It can be a MeNB (Master eNB) in EN-DC, a Mng-eNB (Master ng-eNB) in NGEN-DC, or a MgNB (Master gNB) in NE-DC or NR-DC.
- MICO: Mobile Initiated Connection Only.
- MFBR: Maximum Flow Bit Rate.
- MR-DC: Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity - Dual Connectivity between E-UTRA and NR nodes, or between two NR nodes.
- NCGI: NR Cell Global Identifier.
- NE-DC: Next Generation EUTRA Dual Connectivity. This term is officially used in 3GPP Technical Specifications replacing deployment option 4 family (4/4a) 3GPP Technical Report.
- NGEN-DC: NG Core compatible EN-DC - It would work with ng-eNB as a Master Node and gNB as a Secondary. This term is officially used in 3GPP Technical Specifications replacing deployment option 7 family (7/7a/7x) 3GPP Technical Report.
- ng-eNB: NG interface connected eNB - Node provides LTE user plane and control plane protocol to the UE, and connected via the NG interface to 5GC. It would act as Master Node in EN-DC, or Secondary in NE-DC.
- NG Interface: Interface between gNB and 5GC.
- NG-RAN: Either a gNB or an ng-eNB.
- NR: New Radio Access for 5G.
- Numerology: One subcarrier spacing in the frequency domain.
- Deployment Options: Various different network deployment options were proposed in 3GPP Technical Report. The most smooth deployment path is going to be Option 3 family (3/3a/3x), and it goes to option 7 (7/7a/7x), and then it goes to option 4 (4/4a).
- PCell: SpCell of a master cell group.
- PSCell: SpCell of a secondary cell group.
- QFI: QoS Flow ID, which is marked with a 5QI.
- RANAC: RAN-based Notification Area Code.
- RMSI: Remaining Minimum System Information.
- RNA: RAN-based Notification Area.
- RNAU: RAN-based Notification Area Update.
- SD: Slice Differentiator.
- SFI-RNTI: Slot Format Indication RNTI.
- SCG: Secondary Cell Group in MR-DC - A group of serving cells associated with the Secondary Node (PSCell - Primary Secondary Cell) and optionally one or more SCells.
- Slot Format: Symbol DL/UL structure based on a Slot for NR.
- SMF: Session Management Function.
- S-NSSAI: Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information.
- SpCell: Primary cell of a master or secondary cell group.
- Split bearer: A radio bearer with RLC bearers both in MCG and SCG, which share the same PDCP in common.
- Split SRB: A SRB between the MN and the UE with RLC bearers both in MCG and SCG, which share the same PDCP in common.
- SRB3: A direct SRB between the SN and the UE in EN-DC, NGEN-DC, and NR-DC.
- SUL: Supplementary Uplink - Uplink only frequency band defined for 5G.
- UPF: User Plane Function.
- URLLC: Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications.
- Xn: Interface among gNBs.
# References
- TS 38.300 NR and NG-RAN Overall Description
- TS 38.413 Physical layer procedures for control - 8.2.1 PDU Session Resource Setup
- TS 38.213 Physical layer procedures for control - 11.1.1 UE procedure for determining slot format