Avoiding contention between synchronization packets and in-phase and quadrature (IQ) packets communicated over fronthaul of a radio access network

1. A radio access network (RAN) system comprising:

a plurality of nodes, at least some of which are communicatively coupled to each other via a fronthaul network;

wherein the RAN system is configured to wirelessly communicate with user equipment (UE); and

wherein the system is configured so that, while at least one of the nodes of the RAN system receives synchronization packets transmitted from a timing master over the fronthaul network at a synchronization packet transmission rate and synchronization packet phase, said at least one of the nodes discovers the synchronization packet transmission phase of the synchronization packets being transmitted from the timing master and selectively delays, using the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase, transmission of at least some in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network.

2. The RAN system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes comprises:

a distributed unit (DU); and

a plurality of remote units (RUs) communicatively coupled to the DU via the fronthaul network.

3. The RAN system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one of the nodes comprises the DU.

4. The RAN system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a centralized unit (CU) that is communicatively coupled to the DU.

5. The RAN system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one of the nodes discovers the synchronization packet transmission phase of the synchronization packets being transmitted from the timing master by:

tracking the times at which at least some of the synchronization packets are received; and

determining the synchronization packet transmission phase from the tracked times.

6. The RAN system of claim 5 , wherein said at least one of the nodes selectively delays, using the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase, transmission of at least some IQ data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network by:

using the slot rate, the synchronization packet transmission rate, and the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase to determine the transmission time offset for each synchronization packet transmitted during a given second;

using the transmission time offsets to determine if at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network will experience contention with IQ packets transmitted from said at least one of the nodes over the fronthaul network; and

in response to determining that at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network will experience contention with IQ packets transmitted from said at least one of the nodes over the fronthaul network, delaying transmission of at least some IQ data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master.

7. The RAN system of claim 1 , wherein the fronthaul network comprises a switched Ethernet fronthaul network.

8. The RAN system of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization packets comprise Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization packets.

9. The RAN system of claim 8 , wherein the timing master comprises a PTP grandmaster.

10. The RAN system of claim 1 , wherein the RAN system is configured to wirelessly communicate with the user equipment using a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless protocol.

11. A method of operating a radio access network (RAN) comprising a plurality of nodes, at least some of which are communicatively coupled to each other via a fronthaul network, wherein the RAN is configured to wirelessly communicate with user equipment (UE), the method comprises:

while at least one of the nodes of the RAN system receives synchronization packets transmitted from a timing master over the fronthaul network at a synchronization packet transmission rate and a synchronization packet transmission phase,

discovering, by said at least one of the nodes, the synchronization packet transmission phase of the synchronization packets being transmitted from the timing master; and

selectively delaying, by said at least one of the nodes using the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase, transmission of at least some in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein discovering, by said at least one of the nodes, the synchronization packet transmission phase of the synchronization packets being transmitted from the timing master comprises:

tracking the times at which at least some of the synchronization packets are received; and

determining the synchronization packet transmission phase from the tracked times.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein selectively delaying, by said at least one of the nodes using the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase, transmission of at least some IQ data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network comprises:

using the slot rate, the synchronization packet transmission rate, and the discovered synchronization packet transmission phase to determine the transmission time offset for each synchronization packet transmitted during a given second;

using the transmission time offsets to determine if at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network will experience contention with IQ packets transmitted from said at least one of the nodes over the fronthaul network; and

in response to determining that at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master over the fronthaul network will experience contention with IQ packets transmitted from said at least one of the nodes over the fronthaul network, delaying transmission of at least some IQ data over the fronthaul network in order to avoid contention with at least some of the synchronization packets transmitted from the timing master.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fronthaul network comprises a switched Ethernet fronthaul network.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the synchronization packets comprise Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization packets.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the timing master comprises a PTP grandmaster.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RAN is configured to wirelessly communicate with the user equipment using a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless protocol.