5G System Evaluation Tool
Koshiro Kitao, Anass Benjebbour, Tetsuro Imai, Yoshihisa Kishiyama, Minoru Inomata, and Yukihiko Okumura
5G Laboratory
NTT DOCOMO, INC.
3-6 Hikarino-oka Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
Abstract—We developed an evaluation tool that evaluates the
system performance of fifth generation mobile communication
systems that use multi-antenna technologies such as massive
MIMO and beamforming that compensate for the increase in
path loss due to high frequency usage in various areas based on
computer simulation. The tool calculates propagation
characteristics utilizing ray-tracing and the SINR/throughput
based on the Shannon capacity using the obtained propagation
characteristics. This report describes the tool functions and
presents evaluation results.
Keywords—5G mobile communication systems, Ray-tracing,
Beamforming, Dynamic TDD, Area evaluation
I. INTRODUCTION
Utilization of the 6 to 100 GHz bands is investigated for the
fifth generation mobile communication systems (5G) to
increase the system capacity, because these bands have
possibility of assignment of a relatively wide band [1]. In these
high frequency bands, multi-antenna technologies such as
massive MIMO and beamforming are used to compensate for
the increase in path loss due to high frequency usage [2]. We
developed a 5G system evaluation tool that evaluates the 5G
propagation characteristics and system performance in various
areas based on computer simulation. The tool calculates
propagation characteristics using ray-tracing and the
throughput based on the Shannon capacity using the obtained
propagation characteristics. This report describes the tool
functions and presents evaluation results.
II. FEATURES OF 5G SYSTEM EVALUATION TOOL
The 5G system evaluation tool features the capability to
calculate changes in the SINR and throughput due to changes
in the direction of the beamforming antenna pattern.
Throughput is calculated based on the SINR, which is
calculated based on ray-tracing simulation results of the
evaluation target area. Each function of the tool is explained in
the following sections.
A. Radio Propagation Calculation
A radio propagation model comprises a static structure
model such as a building and terrain model, which is generated
based on a map database and moving object model such as that
for cars and human bodies. The moving object model is the
same as the ITU-R channel model in which cars and human
bodies are defined as metal plates. Users can set an arbitrary
plate size to the moving objects. Basically, the tool adopts a
ray-launching method for radio propagation calculation;
however, knife edge diffraction is applied to calculate the
blockage loss due to the moving objects in the same way as the
ITU-R channel model [1].
978-1-5386-4834-6/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE
Start
Decision of connecting BS Step 1
Decision of optimum antenna pattern for BS and MS
Step 2
Selection of
evaluation type
Uplink
Downlink
evaluation
evaluation
SINR/Throughput SINR/Throughput
Step 3 calculation calculation
Output of calculation results
Fig. 1. Calculation flow of SINR/throughput.
B. System Evaluation
Functions of the system evaluation comprise generation of
the antenna pattern and calculation of the SINR/throughput.
The antenna pattern generation is prepared to evaluate the
SINR/throughput using beamforming antenna patterns that are
calculated using a set number of antenna elements and interval
between elements on a uniform planar array (UPA). Moreover,
arbitrary antenna pattern data such as measured data can be
utilized for evaluation for this tool.
Fig. 1 shows the calculation flow of the SINR/throughput.
In the following description, multiple base station (BS)
deployment is assumed and the evaluation area is divided into
an arbitrary sized mesh where a mobile station (MS) exists on
described. Furthermore, the SINR is obtained based on the
radio propagation calculation results and antenna pattern.
Step 1: Decision of connection between BS and MSx
This step decides which BS is connected to MSx In this
flow, MSx connects to BSx from which the downlink received
level is maximum. In this calculation the BS and MS antenna
patterns are static and the antenna pattern can be set by the
users.
Step 2: Selection of optimum antenna pattern
This step decides the optimum antenna patterns for BSx and
MSx when beamforming is available for the BS and MS. The
optimum beam pattern is a combination between the BS and
MS antenna patterns that generate the maximum received level.
 Step 3: SINR/throughput calculation
The SINR/throughput of the selected link is calculated.
Both the up- and downlinks can be selected. This section
describes the downlink case. After the SINR is obtained, the
throughput can be obtained by plugging the SINR into the
equation based on the Shannon capacity. Moreover, the
received level of the desired wave is given by the radio
propagation calculation results and optimum antenna pattern
selected in Step 2, and the noise level is given as a constant
with the related parameters. The calculation procedure for the
received level of an interference wave is described as follows.
First, a BS except BSx is connected to only one MS. If there is
only one BS (BSi) except BSx, the source of the interference is
BSi and MSi which is connected to BSi. MSi is selected
randomly within the meshes that are set in the first step of the Fig. 2. Evaluation results.
simulation. If beamforming is selected in the simulation
settings, users can choose two ways of beamforming direction TABLE I. EVALUATION PARAMETERS
control for BSi and MSi. One is a random direction and the Parameters Values and Types
other is the optimum direction, which is the same as in Step 2.
Moreover, dynamic TDD can also be evaluated for interference Center Frequency 28 GHz
evaluation [3]. The link status such as downlink of uplink Bandwidth 400 MHz
between BSi and MSi can be given randomly by setting the Link Type Downlink
ratio of the downlink or uplink, and the received level of the
BS/MS Beamforming BS only (Random direction)
interference wave can be calculated at MSi (BSi for the uplink
case) considering the antenna pattern and link status between BS Transmission Power 44 dBm
BSi and MSi. Number of BS Antenna
（8×16） × 2
Elements
By substituting the SINR based on the above procedure into
the following equation based on the Shannon capacity, MS Antenna Omni
MS Noise Figure 10 dB
𝑇𝑇 = 𝛼𝛼∙𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵∙𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚{log 2 (1 + 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆/𝛽𝛽) , 𝛾𝛾} (1)
Thermal Noise Level -174 dBm/Hz
throughput T (bit/s) can be obtained [4]. In this equation, α is Number of Layers 2 layers
the coefficient considering the overhead of the transmission
Max Modulation 256QAM
signal, BW is the bandwidth (Hz), β is the coefficient of the
SINR that is decided by the number of layers (MIMO streams), has three BSs is shown; however, realistic BS deployment
and γ is the maximum bit per symbol [bit] that is decided by cases will be studied in future work.
modulation method.
As described in the above, this tool generates selections of IV. CONCLUSION
interfering MSs, the direction of beamforming antenna patterns Features of the 5G system evaluation tool and evaluation
of interfering BSs and MSs, and the status of the uplink or results in Tokyo using this tool are presented. This tool
downlink of TDD as random processes. The tool evaluates evaluates the system potential when dynamic beamforming and
stochastic characteristics of the SINR and throughput by TDD are adopted; therefore, more realistic evaluation can be
iterating Steps 1 to 4 for an arbitrary link between BSx and MSx. obtained than from existing evaluation tools. However, there
Moreover, moving objects such as cars and human bodies can are differences between the evaluation methods of the tools and
be deployed as random processes; therefore, stochastic actual systems in in terms of the interfering MS selection and
characteristics can be evaluated due to changes in the beamforming control. Therefore, improvements on these points
surrounding environment. are targets of future work.
III. EVALUATION RESULTS REFERENCES
Fig. 2 shows area throughput evaluation results in Chuo-ku, [1] ITU-R M. 2412-0, “Guidelines for evaluation of radio interface
Tokyo at 28 GHz. Table I gives the evaluation parameters, technologies for IMT-2020,” Oct. 2017.
which were decided considering trends in standardization such [2] S. Satoshi, et al., “5G Multi-antenna technology,” NTT DOCOMO
Technical Journal, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 29-39, Apr. 2016.
as those by the 3GPP and ITU-R. In (1), α = 1.4, β = 2, and γ
= 8. A BS is established on three sector markers, the [3] A. Benjebbour, et al., “5G radio access technology,” NTT DOCOMO
Technical Journal, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 16-28, Apr. 2016.
throughput is expressed by a heat map, and each throughput
[4] P. Mogensen, et al., “LTE capacity compared to the Shannon bound,”
value is the average from one hundred events on each MS site. VTC2007-Spring, pp. 1234-1238, Apr. 2015.
Throughput in the line-of-sight (LOS) environment is higher
than that the non-LOS (NLOS) environment from the
calculation results. In this paper, only a simple example that

978-1-5386-4834-6/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE