Chapter 18. Flashcards
The benefits of using MIMO?
Increased throughput and range
What is mandatory for 802.11n and is used to reduce MAC layer overhead?
Support for A-MPDU and A-MSDU in receive mode.
Support for A-MPDU in transmit mode.
How does Support for Block ACK work on 802.11n?
Required for all devices. Sends a single Block ACK frame to acknowledge multiple received frames.
What is a Greenfield preamble?
Greenfield preamble cannot be interpreted
by legacy stations. The Greenfield preamble improves efficiency of the 802.11n networks with no legacy devices.
What is HT Duplicate mode?
Allows an AP to send the same data simultaneously on each 20 MHz channel within a bonded 40 MHz channel.
What is MIMO
MIMO requires the use of multiple radios and antennas, called radio chains. MIMO radios transmit multiple radio signals at the same time to take advantage
of multipath.
What is multipath?
Multipath is a propagation phenomenon that results in two or more paths of the same signal arriving at a receiving antenna at the same time or within nanoseconds of each other. Due to the natural broadening of the waves, the propagation behaviors of reflection, scattering, diffraction, and refraction will occur. A signal may reflect off an object or may scatter, refract, or diffract. These propagation behaviors can each result in multiple paths of the same signal.
Why are high multipath environments beneficial to MIMO?
Because the onboard digital processor will have an easier time differentiating between the unique data streams carried on the multiple RF signals
What is spatial multiplexing?
Transmitting multiple streams of data.
At a high level what are Space-time block coding (STBC) and cyclic shift diversity (CSD)?
They are transmit diversity techniques where the same transmit data is sent out of multiple antennas.
What is transmit beamforming?
Transmit beamforming (TxBF) is a technique where the same signal is transmitted over multiple antennas and the antennas act like a phased array.
What is a radio chain?
a single radio and all of its supporting architecture, including mixers, amplifiers, and analog/digital converters.
What do the numbers mean in 3x3
In a MIMO system, the first number always references the transmitters (TX), and the second number references the receivers (RX).
What is a spatial stream? Detailed.
A MIMO radio also has the ability to send independent unique data streams. Each independent data stream
is known as a spatial stream, and each unique stream can contain data that is different from the other streams transmitted by one or more of the other radio chains. Each stream will also travel a different path, because there is at least a half-wavelength of space between
the multiple transmitting antennas.
What is spatial diversity?
Occurs when multiple data streams follow different paths to the receiver because of the space between the transmitting antennas.
What is spatial multiplexing?
Sending multiple independent streams of unique data using spatial diversity.
What is the benefit of sending multiple unique data streams? Explain.
Throughput is drastically increased. If a MIMO access point sends two unique data streams to a MIMO client station that receives both streams, the throughput is effectively doubled. If a MIMO access point sends three unique data streams to a MIMO client station that receives all three streams, the throughput is effectively tripled.
What is the :3 in 3x3:3 mean?
How many independent special streams there are. a 3×3:2 MIMO system would use three transmitters and three receivers, but only two unique data streams are utilized. A 3×3:3 MIMO system would use three
transmitters and three receivers with three unique data streams.
What happens when a 2x2: client connects to a 3x3:3 access point?
3×3:3 access point and a 2×2:2 client device are communicating with each other, only two spatial streams will be used for unicast transmissions. When a
client radio joins a basic service set (BSS), the access point is advised about the client radio MIMO capabilities
What is the max amount of streams in 802.11n?
4x4:4
Why do mobile devices usually have 1x1:1 or at most 2x2:2 radio chains?`
Because having more would drain the battery to much.
Can each spatial stream use different modulations? Is this available on the market?
Yes, Multiple spatial streams can be sent with the same (equal) modulation or they can be sent using different (unequal) modulation. For example, a 3×3:3 MIMO radio can transmit three data streams using the same 64-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) technique. No vendor has ever implanted this. Ever.
MIMO takes advantage of multipath using what technology, INSTEAD of antenna diversity?
Spatial multiplexing to increase data capacity.
What is maximal ratio combining (MRC)?
When receive diversity is used, the signals may also be linearly combined by using a signal processing technique called maximal ratio combining (MRC). MRC algorithms are used to combine multiple received signals by looking at each unique signal and optimally combining the signals in a method that is additive as opposed to destructive.
What is Space-time block coding?
a method where the same information is transmitted
on two or more antennas. It is a type of transmit diversity. STBC can be used when the number of radio chains exceeds the number of spatial streams.
How does Space-Time block coding work?
By sending copies of the same information on multiple antennas, the actual rate of the data transmitted does not increase as transmit antennas are added. STBC does, however, increase the receiver’s ability to detect signals at a lower SNR than would be otherwise possible. The receive sensitivity of the radio system improves.
What is transmit diversity?
Transmit diversity techniques where the same transmit data is sent out of multiple antennas.
What is Cyclic shift diversity (CSD) and how does it differ from Space Time Block coding?
is another transmit diversity technique specified in the 802.11n standard. a signal from a transmitter that uses CSD can be received by legacy 802.11g and 802.11a devices.
What is transmit beamforming?
Can be used when there are more transmitting antennas than there are spatial data streams.