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The advancement of technology has led to an increase in the demand for ultra-low end-to-end network latency in real-time applications with a target of below 10ms. The IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of standards that supports the required low-latency wired communication with ultra-low jitter for real-time applications. TSN is designed for fixed networks thus it misses the flexibility of wireless networks.To overcome this limitation and to increase its applicability in different applications, an integration of TSN with other wireless technologies is needed. The fifth generation of cellular networks (5G) supports real-time applications with its Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) service. 5G URLLC is designed to meet the stringent timing requirements of these applications, such as providing reliable communication with latencies as low as 1ms. Seamless integration of TSN and 5G is needed to fully utilize the potential of these technologies in contemporary and future industrial applications. However, to achieve the end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of a TSN-5G network, a significant effort is required due to the large dissimilarity between these technologies.

This thesis presents a comprehensive and well-structured snapshot of the existing research on TSN-5G integration that identifies gaps in the current research and highlights the opportunities for further research in the area of TSN-5G integration. In particular, the thesis identifies that the state of the art lacks an end-to-end mapping of QoS requirements and traffic forwarding mechanisms for a converged TSN-5G network. This lack of knowledge and tool support hampers the utilisation of ground-breaking technologies like TSN and 5G. Hence, the thesis develops novel techniques to support the end-to-end QoS mapping and traffic forwarding of a converged TSN-5G network for predictable communication.Furthermore, the thesis presents a translation technique between TSN and 5G with a proof-of-concept implementation in a well-known TSN network simulator. Moreover, a novel QoS mapping algorithm is proposed to support the systematic mapping of QoS characteristics and integration of traffic flows in a converged TSN-5G network.

The rising demand for real-time applications with ultra-low end-to-end network latency has driven advancements in communication technologies. The IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of standards that enable low-latency wired communication, meeting the stringent timing requirements of real-time applications. TSN uses wired communication and lacks the mobility of wireless networks. To overcome this limitation and broaden the applicability of TSN across diverse use cases, the integration of TSN with wireless technologies is essential. The fifth generation of cellular networks (5G) supports real-time applications by providing reliable communication with latencies as low as 1~ms. Seamless integration of TSN and 5G is needed to fully utilize the potential of these technologies in many contemporary and future industrial applications. However, achieving this integration presents significant challenges due to the fundamental differences between TSN and 5G, particularly in ensuring the applications requirements on end-to-end Quality of Services (QoS).

This thesis addresses the challenges of integrated TSN-5G networks, focusing on ensuring end-to-end QoS, traffic forwarding, and real-time scheduling. It presents a systematic literature survey of the existing research on TSN-5G integration that identifies gaps in the current research, including the need of a dedicated TSN-5G gateway to ensure seamless integration. To bridge this gap, the thesis proposes novel techniques to ensure end-to-end QoS and traffic forwarding, validated through a proof-of-concept implementation in a private 5G setup. Moreover, the thesis tackles the challenge of scheduling 5G radio resources for real-time TSN flows with diverse timing requirements. It introduces flow-based radio resource scheduling approaches that adapt to dynamic channel conditions and ensure latency guarantees for the transmission of TSN flows over 5G. These contributions enable real-time communication in integrated TSN-5G networks, paving the way for advanced real-time applications across various industrial domains.