Module 01 Wireless Communication basics

Chapter 1 Overview of Wireless Standards, Organizations, and Fundamentals

History of Wireless Local Area Networks
Standards Organizations
Core, Distribution, and Access
Communications Fundamentals

Chapter 3 Radio Frequency Fundamentals

What Is a Radio Frequency Signal?
Radio Frequency Characteristics
Radio Frequency Behaviors

Chapter 4 Radio Frequency Components, Measurements, and Mathematics

RF Components
Units of Power and Comparison
RF Mathematics

Chapter 5 Radio Frequency Signal and Antenna Concepts

Azimuth and Elevation Charts (Antenna Radiation Envelopes)
Interpreting Polar Charts
Beamwidth
Antenna Types
Visual Line of Sight
RF Line of Sight
Fresnel Zone
Earth Bulge
Antenna Polarization
Antenna Diversity
Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output
Antenna Connection and Installation
Antenna Accessories
Regulatory Compliance
1. https://standards.ieee.org/standard/802_11-
2016.html
Chapter 1 Overview of Wireless Standards,
Organizations, and Fundamentals
History of Wireless Local Area Networks
Standards Organizations
Core, Distribution, and Access
Communications Fundamentals
Algeria: l'Autorité de régulation de la poste et des communications
électroniques (ARPCE)
https://www.arpce.dz/fr/doc/service/radio/formulaires/Wi-Fi%20outdoo.rar
• More than 400,000 members worldwide
• Best known for its LAN standards “EEE 802 project”
IEEE 802 is a family of IEEE standards dealing with PAN/LAN/MAN.
Only products that pass Wi-Fi Alliance tests may be referred to as Wi-Fi Certified
CWG-RF: Converged Wireless Group RF test provides detailed radio frequency
performance profile in a mixed-network (Wi-Fi and Cellular) environment.
No membership fees
Open to anyone
The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model) is a conceptual model
that characterizes and standardizes the communication functions of a
telecommunication or computing system without regard to its underlying internal
structure and technology.
The data link layer provides node-to-node data transfer, a link between two
directly connected nodes. It detects and possibly corrects errors that may occur
in the physical layer. It defines the protocol to establish and terminate a
connection between two physically connected devices. It also defines the protocol
for flow control between them.
IEEE 802 divides the data link layer into two sublayers:
Medium access control (MAC) layer – responsible for controlling how devices in a
network gain access to a medium and permission to transmit data.
Logical link control (LLC) layer – responsible for identifying and encapsulating
network layer protocols (multiplexing), and controls error checking (automatic
repeat request (ARQ)) and frame synchronization (flow control).
Chapter 3 Radio Frequency Fundamentals
What Is a Radio Frequency Signal?
Radio Frequency Characteristics
Radio Frequency Behaviors
Analog signals are continuous
Digital signals are discrete
Modem (MOdulator/DEModulator): Used when digital signals must be
transmitted over analog medium
On originating end, converts distinct digital signals into continuous analog
signal for transmission
On receiving end, reverse process performed
WLANs use digital transmissions
Transmit amplitude = initial amplitude that leaves the radio transmitter
Receive amplitude = received signal strength
Frequency: Rate at which an event occurs
Cycle: Changing event that creates different radio frequencies
When wave completes trip and returns back to starting point it has
finished one cycle
Hertz (Hz): Cycles per second
Kilohertz (KHz) = thousand hertz
Megahertz (MHz) = million hertz
Gigahertz (GHz) = billion hertz
There is an inverse relationship between wavelength and frequency
Three components of this relationship
Frequency (f), measured in hertz (Hz)
Wavelength (λ), measured in meters (m)
Speed of light (c), constant value of 300,000,000 meters/sec
λ = c / f and f = c / λ
The longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency.
Involves the relationship between two or more signals that share the same
frequency
One wavelength = 360 degrees
Typically measure in degrees when referencing 802.11 waves
Wave propagation can be
affected by:
Absorption - Reflection
Scattering - Refraction
Diffraction - Free space path
Multiplath
Most materials will absorb some amount of an RF signal
Denser materials will absorb more RF signal
A leading cause of attenuation
Directly effects the amplitude of the wave.
soaked up = absorbed
When a wave bounces off an object instead of traveling through it
Sky wave reflection can occur in frequencies below 1 GHz (large
wavelengths)
Microwave reflection occur between 1 GHz and 300 GHz (wavelengths
smaller than 30 cm)
Advantage: Can use reflection to go around obstruction.
Disadvantage: Multipath reflection – occurs when reflections cause more
than one copy of the same transmission to arrive at the receiver at slightly
different times.
Skywave or skip refers to the propagation of radio waves reflected or
refracted back toward Earth from the ionosphere.
Can also occur when a wave encounters an uneven
surface
The bending of an RF signal as it passes through a
medium with a different density
The higher the frequency, the less diffraction.
The bending of an RF signal around an object
A diffracted signal is usually attenuated so much it is too weak to provide a
reliable microwave connection.
The bending of an RF signal around an object
The bending of an RF signal around an object
Water is a major source of absorption
Attenuation of a signal as it travels in the free space
Loss of signal strength is logarithmic, not linear
FSPL = 36.6 + (20log10(f)) + (20log10(D))
FSPL = path loss in dB
f = frequency in MHz
D = distance in miles between antennas
Delay spread is a parameter used to signify
Multipath. The delay of reflected signal is
measured in nanoseconds (ns). The amount of
delay spread varies for indoor home, office, and
manufacturing environments.
The link throughput slows down because the receiver needs more time to
either separate the real signal from the multipath echoes or to wait for
missed frames to be retransmitted.
Chapter 4 Radio Frequency Components,
Measurements, and Mathematics
RF Components
Units of Power and Comparison
RF Mathematics
 Three Requirements For Successful
Communications:
1. Two or more devices want to communicate
2. Medium, means, or method to communicate
3. Set of rules to use when communicating

These rules apply to all forms of communications

Isotropic radiator = a point source that radiates
equally in all directions
Transmitter Power Output (TPO): Measure of power being delivered to
transmitting antenna. This is generally 100 milliwatts.
When using omni-directional antennas having less than 6 dB gain in this
scenario, the FCC rules require EIRP to be 1 watt (1,000 milliwatts) or
less.
In most cases, you'll be within regulations using omni-directional antennas
supplied by the vendor of your radio NICs and access points. For example,
you can set the transmit power in an 802.11b access point or client to its
highest level (generally 100 milliwatts) and use a typical 3 dB omni-
directional antenna. This combination results in only 200 milliwatts EIRP,
which is well within FCC regulations.
The highest RF signal strength that is transmitted from a particular antenna
Unit of power used to measure 802.11 RF
Derived from the term bel
1 bel = ratio of 10 to 1 between the power of two
transmitters
dB = 1/10 of a bel
rubber-encased= recouverte en caoutchouc.
3 dBd = 3 dB greater than a dipole antenna (so 3
dB greater than 2.14 dBi, i.e. 5.14 dBi)
Sensitivity is the power level of an RF signal
required to be successfully received by the
receiver radio. It is the weakest signal that the
transceiver can decode (not considering the
noise floor)
Chapter 5 Radio Frequency Signal and Antenna
Concepts
Azimuth and Elevation Charts (Antenna Radiation
Envelopes)
Interpreting Polar Charts
Beamwidth
Antenna Types
Visual Line of Sight
RF Line of Sight
Fresnel Zone
Earth Bulge
Antenna Polarization
Antenna Diversity
Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output
Antenna Connection and Installation
Antenna Accessories
Regulatory Compliance
Outer ring usually represents strongest signal
Scale of chart is in dB from outer ring inward
Therefor chart is logarithmic not linear
Note that : the chart is often misinterpreted and
misread because the dB aspect of chart is often
misunderstood
“Antenna Properties.wmv” from the book’s website
www.sybex.com/go/cwna3e presents this well
CWNA book contains additional examples
Animated explanation of the rule of 10s and 3s as
well as explanations of the examples in the
CWNA book has been created using Microsoft
PowerPoint and can be downloaded from
www.sybex.com/go/cwna3e