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Transmit-Receive Chain

WLAN Toolbox™ functionality includes elements of a standard transmitter–channel–receiver processing chain.

Flowchart showing transmit-receive processing chain. The flowchart contains blocks specific to the transmitter, channel, and receiver.

  • Transmitter functions enable simulation of the various IEEE® 802.11™ 1 formats. The simulated waveform includes preamble and data fields of the PPDU. You can use this waveform in link-level simulations. You can also use it as a test signal for test devices and equipment.

  • Channel functions model various types of AWGN, fading, or moving channel environmental effects.

  • Receiver functions recover the transmitted signal.

Transmit Processing Chain

WLAN Toolbox functions enable you to generate waveforms for a complete PPDU or for the individual fields of VHT, HT-mixed, and non-HT format PPDUs.

VHT Data Transmit Processing Chain

As described in IEEE 802.11ac™-2013 [4], Section 22 specifies the PHY entity for a very high throughput (VHT) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system. A VHT STA must be capable of transmitting and receiving HT-PHY and non-HT-PHY-compliant PPDUs. Specifically, the VHT PHY is based on the HT PHY defined in Section 20, which in turn is based on the OFDM PHY defined in Section 18. The VHT PHY extends the maximum number of space-time streams supported to eight and provides support for downlink multi-user (MU) transmissions. A downlink MU transmission supports up to four users with up to four space-time streams per user, with the total number of space-time streams not exceeding eight.

IEEE Std 802.11ac-2013 [4], Section 22 defines requirements for physical layer processing associated with each PPDU field for the VHT format.

Structure of the PPDU field for the VHT format

HT Data Transmit Processing Chain

IEEE 802.11-2012 [3], Section 20 defines requirements for physical layer processing associated with each PPDU field for the HT-mixed format.

Non-HT Data Transmit Processing Chain

IEEE 802.11-2012 [3], Section 18 defines requirements for physical layer processing associated with each PPDU field for the OFDM modulation scheme. IEEE 802.11-2012 [3], Section 17, and Section 19 define requirements for physical layer processing associated with each PPDU field for the DSSS modulation scheme.

Receiver Processing Chain

WLAN Toolbox functions enable you to recover transmitted VHT, HT-mixed, and non-HT format PPDUs. The receive processing chain includes synchronization, OFDM demodulation, channel estimation, equalization, and signal and data recovery.

VHT Data Receive Processing Chain

This figure shows the receiver elements used to process the VHT Data field. The Signal Reception category includes a list of all receiver functions in the WLAN Toolbox.

Processing elements and the workflow at the receiver that is used to process the VHT data field

HT Data Receive Processing Chain

This figure shows the receiver elements used to process the HT Data field. The Signal Reception category includes a list of all receiver functions in the WLAN Toolbox.

Non-HT Data Receive Processing Chain

This figure shows the receiver elements used to process the non-HT Data field. The Signal Reception category includes a list of all receiver functions in the WLAN Toolbox.

References

[1] IEEE 802.11™: Wireless LANs. http://standards.ieee.org/about/get/802/802.11.html

[2] IEEE Std 802.11™-2016 IEEE Standard for Information technology — Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Local and metropolitan area networks — Specific requirements — Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications.

[3] IEEE Std 802.11™-2012 IEEE Standard for Information technology — Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Local and metropolitan area networks — Specific requirements — Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications.

[4] IEEE Std 802.11ac™-2013 IEEE Standard for Information technology — Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Local and metropolitan area networks — Specific requirements — Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications — Amendment 4: Enhancements for Very High Throughput for Operation in Bands below 6 GHz.

[5] IEEE Std 802.11ad™-2012 IEEE Standard for Information technology — Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Local and metropolitan area networks — Specific requirements — Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications — Amendment 3: Enhancements for Very High Throughput in the 60 GHz Band.

[6] Perahia, E., and R. Stacey. Next Generation Wireless LANs: 802.11n and 802.11ac. 2nd Edition. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2013.

See Also

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1 IEEE Std 802.11-2016 Adapted and reprinted with permission from IEEE. Copyright IEEE 2016. All rights reserved.