Ieee 802.11 N Wireless Local Area Networks Standard:
Tokunbo Ogunfunmi · 2020
The IEEE 802.11n is a currently emerging Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard capable of providing dramatically increased throughput, as well as improved range, reduced signal fading, over the existing IEEE 802.11a/gWLAN standards.These benefits are achieved through use of MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology.The latest draft for IEEE 802.11n describes rates up to 600Mbps, exceeding the maximum rate with the 11a/g standards by more than ten times.In addition, techniques such as space-time block coding and beamforming provide the potential of increasing signal strength at the receiver with optimal efficiency, based on the diversity order used.In this paper, we present a brief historical narrative of the development of the standard, then we describe the three main proposals for the physical (PHY) layers in the original main proposals for the 11n amendment (the TGn Sync, WWiSE and TGn Joint proposals).The Joint Proposal was adopted and it reflects the current PHY layer architecture described in Draft 3.0 for the 11n amendment.Several design choices were made in the TGn Joint proposal regarding the areas of channel estimation (considering the use of beamforming, channel smoothing), bit interleaving techniques (for maximizing coding gain under channels with high frequency diversity), space-time block coding (STBC) options (designed in an effort to achieve a good balance between achieving high diversity gain and low receiver design complexity), and pilot tone selection (for a reasonable tradeoff of robustness and link-level performance).We have implemented a simulation model for the IEEE 802.11n standard using MATLAB/SIMULINK.Performance curves (based on simulation models) can be used for design exploration and for teaching purposes.This simulation model is a potentially great teaching tool for evaluating various aspects of the PHY layer of the IEEE 802.11n standard.We present examples of such exploration.Our simulation model has since been made available for free download on Mathworks MATLAB Central.This simulation model is applicable for design space exploration for classroom/laboratory teaching of wireless communication courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.