Agilent 5991-3239EN Testing WLAN Devices According to the 802.11x Standards - Application Note c20131021 [15 free download

File name 5991-3239EN Testing WLAN Devices According to the 802.11x Standards - Application Note c20131021 [15

Testing WLAN Devices According to IEEE 802.11 Standards Application Note Table of Contents The Evolution of 802.11 ... 4 Frequency Channels and Frame Structures ... 5 Frame structure: 802.11a... 5 Frame structure: 802.11b... 6 Frame structure: 802.11g... 7 Frame structure: 802.11n... 8 Frame structure: 802.11ac... 9 Transmitter Test ... 10 Receiver Test ... 13 Conclusion... 14 Related Information ... 14 2 Introduction Wireless local area networking (WLAN) capabilities are being integrated into an increasing number of products: smartphones, digital cameras, printers, tablets, HDTVs, Blu-ray players and more. This trend is leading to a greater number of simultaneous connections to any given network in a home, school or business environment. Even though each individual connection may not require a high data rate, the cumulative demand results in higher requirements for total data throughput. To keep pace with these trends, every new generation of the various IEEE 802.11 standards--a, b, g, n, and ac--supports increased data capacity by providing greater throughput and wider bandwidths. As the standards evolve, backward compatibility remains a fundamental requirement. For example, modulation tech- niques used in older standards, such as DSSS and FHSS, have carried forward into newer standards of OFDM and MIMO. The continuing evolution of 802.11 standards and products has important implications for those who test WLAN or Wi-Fi transmitters, receivers, and transceivers from R&D, through design verification and manufacturing. The testing of receivers and transceivers requires the use of vector signal generators capable of producing the complex modulated signals used by the 802.11 wire- less connectivity standards. Software such as Agilent Signal Studio can be used to create test signals--with or without impairments--and then download the waveforms to a vector signal generator. Testing transmitters and transceivers requires a signal analyzer configured with sufficient frequency coverage and analysis bandwidth. Standard-specific measurement and analysis capabilities are available in the Agilent N/W9077A WLAN measurement applications that can ru