Output pacing in a cellular communications system serving as a time-sensitive networking (tsn) node

A boundary node at a boundary between a Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, network and a cellular communications system that operates as a virtual TSN node in the TSN network, the boundary node adapted to:

• obtain TSN information, from a Centralized Network Configuration, CNC, or from a Central User Configuration, CUC, or from both the CNC and the CUC, wherein the TSN information includes at least one of a size of user plane traffic, time duration of the user plane traffic, and a time gap between packets within the user plane traffic;
• receive user plane traffic from a node in the cellular communications system, the user plane traffic being user plane traffic received by the cellular communications system from a previous hop TSN node;
• and
• perform output pacing for the user plane traffic when outputting the user plane traffic to a next hop TSN node in accordance with the TSN information from the CNC, the CUC, or both the CNC and the CUC, such that the user plane traffic is output to the next hop TSN node at a rate that matches a desired rate at the next hop TSN node.

A boundary node at a boundary between a Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, network and a cellular communications system that operates as a virtual TSN node in the TSN network, the boundary node comprising:

• at least one receiver or a network interface;
• and
• processing circuitry associated with the at least one receiver or the network interface, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the boundary node to:
• obtain TSN information, from a Centralized Network Configuration, CNC, or from a Central User Configuration, CUC, or from both the CNC and the CUC, wherein the TSN information includes at least one of a size of user plane traffic, time duration of the user plane traffic, and a time gap between packets within the user plane traffic;
• receive user plane traffic from a node in the cellular communications system, the user plane traffic being user plane traffic received by the cellular communications system from a previous hop TSN node;
• and
• perform output pacing for the user plane traffic when outputting the user plane traffic to a next hop TSN node in accordance with the TSN information from the CNC, the CUC, or both the CNC and the CUC, such that the user plane traffic is output to the next hop TSN node at a rate that matches a desired rate at the next hop TSN node.