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Introduction#

../_images/arc-ota-overview.png

NVIDIA Aerial Testbed (ATB) is a highly capable and versatile platform for cellular research and commercial applications. It is a 3GPP- and O-RAN-compliant RAN and Core Network platform that interoperates with commercial UEs in cabled or OTA environments. Its software is comprised of Aerial CUDA-Accelerated RAN (ACAR) for O-DU-low and OpenAirInterface (OAI) for O-DU-high, CU, and the Core Network.

Key Features

  • Powerful Hardware: Supports both Grace Hopper and DGX Spark, allowing developers to test and validate their solutions across different-sized platforms.

  • Open Source, Software-Defined: ACAR and OAI are open source, allowing developers to understand and modify functionality to fit their needs.

  • GPU-Accelerated Stack: Full inline acceleration of all PHY functions and select MAC functions provide high performance.

  • AI-native Architecture: Allows NVIDIA’s vast AI software offerings to be combined with RAN functionality, providing a powerful AI-RAN platform.

  • O-RAN Compliance: Enables interoperation with different O-RUs and Test and Measurement equipment.

  • Versatile: Can be operated fully OTA with commercial O-RUs and UEs, RF cabled in shielded environments or over eCPRI to O-RU/UE emulators. Supports soft-UEs for two-sided experimentation.

  • Data Collection: Data Lake enables real-time collection of data from the RAN for offline analysis, training of AI models, or real-time usage by dApps.

  • dApps: dApps (distributed Apps) extend the functionality of the RAN, allowing developers to add custom, real-time, and AI-powered functionality.

Software Release Manifest#

The following table outlines the software versions used for ATB 1.0.

Component

Version

Aerial CUDA-Accelerated RAN

26-1

OAI (gNB, CN)

2026.w14

WNC 1220 O-RU (n78 and CBRS n48)

v1.9.0.

OAI artifacts can be found in the ATB1.0_integration branch.