Chap 17 - Wireless Signals and Modulation Flashcards
What is a Hertz?
A unit of measurement of frequencies
What range of frequencies are considered radio waves?
From 3 kHz to 300 GHz
What are 2 main frequency ranges used for wireless LAN communication?
- 2.4 GHz
- 5 GHz
What are the common names for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?
- 2.4 GHz Band
- 5 GHz Band
What frequency range does the 2.4 GHz Band encompass?
2.400 GHz to 2.4835 GHz
What is done in order to keep everything orderly when referring to frequencies?
Bands are divided up into channels each of which refers to a specific frequency.
How many channels does the 2.4 GHz band contain?
14 Channels
In the 2.4 GHz band except for channel 14 what is the channel separation or channel width?
0.005 GHz (aka 5 MHz)
What does the center for a frequency define?
Where the actual channel is located.
What 3 facts define bandwidth?
- The actual frequency range needed for the transmitted signal
- That part of the signal above and below the center frequency.
- Ex: 22 MHz bandwidth is 11 MHz above and 11 MHz below center of frequency
What does a Spectral Mask do?
Allows a wireless device to ignore that part of a signal that exceeds the bandwidth boundaries.
How is phase measured, what is in phase and what is out of phase?
- Measured in degrees - 0 to 360
- If 2 signals start and end at the exact same time are ‘in phase’
- Signals that start or end at different times are out of phase
How does phase affect a signal?
- In phase - the signals tend to add to each other
- Signals that are 180 degrees out of phase tend to cancel each other out
What is wavelength?
- A measure of the physical distance that a wave travels over one complete cycle
- As frequency increases wavelength decreases
What are the wavelengths of a 2.4 GHz signal and a 5 GHz signal?
- 2.4 GHz signal is 4.92 inches
- 5 GHz signal is 2.36 inches
What is amplitude?
- The height from the top peak to the bottom peak of the signal’s waveform
- Sometimes used in reference to RF power
What is the unit of measure for the power of RF signal, what range do wireless networks operate in, and what type of measurement is this considered to be?
- Watts
- Wireless networks range from 1 mw to 100 mw
- Considered to be an absolute measurement
In logarithmic functions what is the reference number?
The number that the mW of interest is being compared to.
What is gain?
The increase in dB resulting from the addition of an antenna to the transmitter.
What is an isotropic antenna?
- The ideal antenna
- Does not exist
- Tiny point
- Radiates RF equally in every direction
What is the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)?
The actual power radiated from the antenna calculated by adding transmitter power, antenna gain, and subtracting dB loss from the cable
What causes a signal to weaken the further away you get?
The wave has a three-dimensional curved shape that expands as it travels. It is this expansion or spreading that causes the signal strength to weaken.
How quickly does signal strength fall off?
Signal strength falls off quickly near the transmitter but more slowly farther away.
What 2 things is signal loss a function of?
- Frequency
- Distance
What is the free space loss when you are 1 meter away from the transmitter?
46 dBm
Which has a greater free space path loss, 2.4GHz or 5 GHz?
- 5GHz
- The higher the frequency the greater the loss.
On wireless LAN devices what is the EIRP level range when leaving the transmitter?
- In mW - from 100mW down to 1mW
- In dB - from +20dB to 0dB