WLAN PPDU Structure

WLAN Toolbox™ enables you to model various 802.11™ versions. Each version of the standard uses a different format for data transmission.

IEEE® 802.11is a packet-based protocol, which means that it transmits data in discrete units. The units are called packets or physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs). Each PPDU contains preamble and data fields. The preamble fields contain the transmission vector format information. The data field contains the user payload and higher layer headers, such as medium access control (MAC) fields and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The transmission vector format and the PPDU structure vary between 802.11 versions.

The table shows 802.11 versions that WLAN Toolbox supports, along with the supported TXVECTOR options and associated modulation formats.

802.11 Version

Transmission Vector Format

Modulation Format

Bandwidth/MHz
802.11bn™ (Wi-Fi 8)UHROFDMA

20, 40, 80, 160, 320

802.11be™ (Wi-Fi 7)

EHT

OFDMA

20, 40, 80, 160, 320

802.11ba™WURMC-OOK20, 40, 80

802.11ax™ (Wi-Fi 6)

HE

OFDMA

20, 40, 80, 160

802.11ad™

DMG

Single carrier and OFDM

2640

802.11ah™

S1G

OFDM only

1, 2, 4, 8, 16

802.11ac™ (Wi-Fi 5)

VHT

OFDM only

20, 40, 80, 160

802.11n™ (Wi-Fi 4)

HT

OFDM only

20, 40

802.11g™

Non-HT

OFDM

20

Non-HT

DSSS/CCK

11

802.11p™

Non-HT

OFDM only

5, 10

802.11j™

Non-HT

OFDM only

10

802.11a™

Non-HT

OFDM only

5, 10, 20

802.11b™

Non-HT

DSSS/CCK

11

For more detailed information about the PPDU structures for different 802.11 versions, see these topics:

References

[1] 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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