Source: https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/

Private 5G · Research & teaching

# A mobile lab for private 5G.

5G on Wheels combines real radio hardware, an open-source core and an integrated observability environment into a research platform at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.

The goal: a mobile laboratory on a wagon. Today, the antenna uses a tripod and the small cell connects to a stationary campus core.

[Explore the platform →](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/platform#model)[Find a use case](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/use-cases)

Hardware · Connections · Wagon

Today: a speaker tripod carries the antenna through a metal adapter. The SC-418 sits nearby. This view reconstructs the photographed setup; the bracket and tripod dimensions are approximate.

The existing adapter uses a top plate and perforated angle brackets. The antenna is 600 mm tall and 89 mm in diameter according to its mechanical drawing.

The lower-left SFP slot is used with an RJ45 transceiver for N2 signalling and N3 user traffic. The lower-right copper Ethernet port is for management. These roles follow the actual project cabling.

Proposed next step: a wheeled platform with a hand-cranked telescopic mast, upright mast-mounted small cell and managed cable slack. This is a spatial concept, not a completed build or a mechanical load assessment.

N2 / N3: SFP → RJ45

Management: Copper Ethernet

From setup to mobile lab

## Working today. Designed to go further.

The mobile platform grows out of the thesis implementation. Its network and its mechanical concept are at different stages.

In operation

### Current setup

SC-418, tripod-mounted antenna, campus Open5GS core and instrumented test devices. Direct Ethernet and a separate router-backed path have been exercised.

Concept

### The wagon goal

A shared rolling base, adjustable crank mast, upright small-cell mounting and organised power and cabling.

Next steps

### Next validation

Build the wagon with an adjustable mast and test deployment at multiple prepared sites. Use repeatable experiments to compare backhaul and application behaviour.

Research, teaching, applications

## More than a connected phone.

Use the platform to ask a question and observe the answer across the network.

01

### Understand 5G in a lab

Follow registration, authentication and PDU-session setup using actual devices and core events.

02

### Run comparable experiments

Measure an end-to-end path and relate its behaviour to device, backhaul and workload.

03

### Connect campus sensing

The campus weather station sends sensor data through the RUT976 and private 5G network to the existing application.

[Find a use case →](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/use-cases)[Open the campus weather station ↗](https://wetterstation.cs.hs-rm.de/)

Monitoring

## See the network state.

[Explore live timelines →](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/live)

Current network observations are available from /api/monitoring. This Markdown page contains no live measurements. Timestamps, units and missing values are documented in the public monitoring API.

[Monitoring snapshot (JSON)](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/api/monitoring)[Public monitoring API](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/api-docs)

Architecture

## From device to campus service.

The radio site is relocatable. Signalling and user traffic reach the stationary core over a campus backhaul connection.

1.  01
    
    ### Device
    
    Phone, modem or 5G router
    
2.  02
    
    ### SC-418
    
    5G radio and gNB
    
3.  03
    
    ### Backhaul
    
    Campus Ethernet or router
    
4.  04
    
    ### Open5GS
    
    AMF, SMF and UPF
    
5.  05
    
    ### Service
    
    Campus application
    

[Understand the paths →](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/platform)

## What would you explore with a private 5G network?

Connect new devices, try different backhaul paths or develop an application for the campus. The platform is a starting point for the next project.

[Explore research opportunities →](https://open5g.cs.hs-rm.de/research)