Level 3

5G Radio Access Network

Deep dive into the 5G NR radio layer — physical layer numerology, channels and signals, gNB architecture with CU/DU/RU splits, massive MIMO and beamforming, initial access procedures, and scheduling.

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5G NR Physical Layer

0/8

Master CP-OFDM, the flexible numerology system, frame structure, resource grids, and Bandwidth Parts that make 5G NR adaptable to any use case.

OFDM with cyclic prefix (CP-OFDM) in 5G

Visualize how CP-OFDM works in 5G NR — subcarriers, cyclic prefix, and why it handles multipath.

animation3 min

Numerology: subcarrier spacing (15–240 kHz)

Select a subcarrier spacing and watch how slot duration, symbol count, and use cases change.

animation3 min

Frame structure: 10ms frame, 1ms subframe, slots

Explore the 5G NR frame hierarchy — frames, subframes, slots, and symbols with interactive timing.

lesson3 min

Flexible slot formats and mini-slots

See how 5G NR uses flexible DL/UL/flexible symbols and mini-slots for ultra-low latency.

animation3 min

Resource grid: RE, RB, BWP

Zoom into the NR resource grid — Resource Elements, Resource Blocks, and Bandwidth Parts.

lesson3 min

Bandwidth Parts (BWP) — dynamic bandwidth adaptation

Watch how BWP switching lets a UE save power and adapt to traffic demands dynamically.

animation3 min

Lab: Calculate RBs for bandwidth and SCS

Given a channel bandwidth and subcarrier spacing, calculate the number of Resource Blocks.

lab5 min

Quiz: NR physical layer

Test your knowledge of CP-OFDM, numerology, frame structure, resource grids, and BWP.

quiz3 min

5G NR Channels & Signals

0/8

Learn all downlink and uplink channels, reference signals, the SSB beacon, CORESET, and how logical channels map to physical ones.

Downlink channels: PDSCH, PDCCH, PBCH

Explore the three key downlink physical channels — data, control, and broadcast.

lesson3 min

Uplink channels: PUSCH, PUCCH, PRACH

Understand the uplink channels — shared data, control feedback, and random access.

lesson3 min

Reference signals: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, SSB

See where each reference signal sits in the resource grid and what it measures.

animation3 min

SS/PBCH Block (SSB) — the 5G beacon

Visualize SSB burst sets in the time-frequency grid — PSS, SSS, PBCH, and DMRS.

animation3 min

CORESET and search spaces

Configure a CORESET — control resource set size, duration, and frequency location.

lesson3 min

Channel mapping: Logical → Transport → Physical

Follow the mapping from logical channels through transport channels to physical channels.

animation3 min

Lab: Identify channels in a resource grid

Color-code the correct channels and signals in a 5G NR resource grid capture.

lab5 min

Quiz: NR channels

Test your knowledge of NR channels, reference signals, SSB, and CORESET.

quiz3 min

gNB Architecture

0/8

Understand the 5G base station — CU/DU/RU functional split, fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul, split options, and the NR protocol stack.

gNB: the 5G base station explained

The gNB replaces the eNB — see its interfaces, capabilities, and role in 5G SA.

lesson3 min

Functional split: CU, DU, RU

Visualize which functions run on the CU, DU, and RU — and why this split matters.

animation3 min

CU-CP and CU-UP separation

See how the CU splits into control plane (CU-CP) and user plane (CU-UP) for scalability.

lesson3 min

Fronthaul, midhaul, backhaul interfaces

Map the transport network — F1 (midhaul), eCPRI (fronthaul), and backhaul bandwidth needs.

lesson3 min

Split options (option 2, 7.2x) and why they matter

Compare high-layer split (option 2) vs low-layer split (7.2x) and their tradeoffs.

animation3 min

Protocol stack: RRC, SDAP, PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY

Click each protocol layer to explore its role — from RRC signaling to PHY transmission.

lesson3 min

Lab: Build gNB with CU/DU/RU split

Drag CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU onto the canvas and connect with F1-C, F1-U, and fronthaul.

topology5 min

Quiz: gNB architecture

Test your understanding of gNB components, split options, and the NR protocol stack.

quiz3 min

Massive MIMO & Beamforming

0/8

From 4x4 to 64T64R antenna arrays — learn analog, digital, and hybrid beamforming, beam management procedures, MU-MIMO, and beam simulation.

Massive MIMO: from 4x4 to 64T64R

Watch antenna arrays scale from basic MIMO to massive MIMO — more antennas, more capacity.

animation3 min

Analog vs digital vs hybrid beamforming

Compare three beamforming approaches — see beam patterns, hardware, and use cases.

animation3 min

Beam management: SSB beams and CSI-RS beams

Visualize beam sweep patterns for initial access (SSB) and refined tracking (CSI-RS).

animation3 min

Beam selection, refinement, and recovery

Follow the beam management flow — P1 sweep, P2 refinement, P3 UE-side, and beam failure recovery.

animation3 min

MU-MIMO: serving multiple users simultaneously

See how MU-MIMO uses spatial multiplexing to serve multiple UEs on the same time-frequency resource.

animation3 min

Real-world: Massive MIMO at a stadium

Case study — how massive MIMO boosted throughput 10x at a major sporting event.

lesson3 min

Lab: Adjust beam tilt and width

Adjust electrical tilt and beamwidth — watch coverage footprint and signal strength change in real time.

lab5 min

Quiz: MIMO & beamforming

Test your knowledge of MIMO arrays, beamforming types, beam management, and MU-MIMO.

quiz3 min

Initial Access & Cell Search

0/8

How a UE finds and connects to a 5G cell — PSS/SSS synchronization, MIB/SIB reading, 4-step and 2-step RACH procedures.

How a UE finds a 5G cell (cell search)

Step through the cell search procedure — SSB detection, PBCH decode, SIB reading.

animation3 min

PSS and SSS synchronization

Visualize how PSS provides timing and SSS provides cell ID — together identifying the cell.

animation3 min

MIB and SIB reading

Decode the Master Information Block and System Information Blocks — what each field tells the UE.

lesson3 min

RACH: 4-step (Msg1 → Msg4)

Watch the contention-based random access — preamble, RAR, Msg3, and contention resolution.

animation3 min

RACH: 2-step (MsgA/MsgB)

See the simplified 2-step RACH for low-latency scenarios — MsgA and MsgB exchange.

animation3 min

Contention-based vs contention-free RACH

Compare CBRA and CFRA side-by-side — when each is used and how contention is resolved.

lesson3 min

Lab: Walk through initial access logs

Parse initial access protocol logs — identify each step from SSB detection to RRC setup.

lab5 min

Quiz: Initial access

Test your understanding of cell search, synchronization, RACH procedures, and MIB/SIB.

quiz3 min

NR Scheduling & Resource Allocation

0/7

DCI formats, dynamic and configured grants, HARQ, modulation schemes, CQI/MCS link adaptation, and MCS selection.

DCI formats and scheduling grants

Break down DCI format 0_0, 0_1, 1_0, 1_1 — what each field controls in the scheduling grant.

lesson3 min

Configured grant vs dynamic grant

Compare configured (Type 1, Type 2) grants vs dynamic scheduling — when URLLC uses each.

lesson3 min

HARQ process in 5G NR

Visualize the HARQ ACK/NACK cycle — incremental redundancy, max retransmissions, and timing.

animation3 min

Modulation: QPSK to 256QAM

See constellation diagrams for each modulation — QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM — and their tradeoffs.

animation3 min

CQI, MCS, and link adaptation

Watch how the scheduler adapts MCS based on CQI feedback — balancing throughput vs reliability.

animation3 min

Lab: Select the right MCS for channel conditions

Given SINR, select appropriate CQI, MCS, and modulation — validate against expected throughput.

lab5 min

Quiz: Scheduling & resource allocation

Test your knowledge of DCI, grants, HARQ, modulation schemes, and link adaptation.

quiz3 min