Link-level simulator for 5G localization

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive link-level simulator for 5G localization, enabling detailed physical-layer modeling and evaluation of localization algorithms across sub-6GHz and mmWave bands.

Contribution

It provides the first unified platform supporting detailed physical-layer simulation for 5G localization, including new channel models and hardware impairment functions.

Findings

Simulator supports sub-6GHz and mmWave bands.

Performance varies with physical impairments.

Evaluated three localization application cases.

Abstract

Channel-state-information-based localization in 5G networks has been a promising way to obtain highly accurate positions compared to previous communication networks. However, there is no unified and effective platform to support the research on 5G localization algorithms. This paper releases a link-level simulator for 5G localization, which can depict realistic physical behaviors of the 5G positioning signal transmission. Specifically, we first develop a simulation architecture considering more elaborate parameter configuration and physical-layer processing. The architecture supports the link modeling at sub-6GHz and millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands. Subsequently, the critical physical-layer components that determine the localization performance are designed and integrated. In particular, a lightweight new-radio channel model and hardware impairment functions that significantly limit the parameter estimation accuracy are developed. Finally, we present three application cases to evaluate the simulator, i.e. two-dimensional mobile terminal localization, mmWave beam sweeping, and beamforming-based angle estimation. The numerical results in the application cases present the performance diversity of localization algorithms in various impairment conditions.