802.

11 AX Spec - 3

26.3 Dynamic Fragmentation and defragmentation

Multi-TID BlockAck frame
• the TID_INFO field indicates the number of TID+1 that are present in
the block ACK request. As an example – if the TID_INFO is 2 – then 3
TIDs are present. The BAR Information field indicates the Per-TID info
and the Block Ack Starting Sequence control.
 Multi-STA BlockAck frame
• Supported in uplink multi-user (UL MU).
• Since the Multi-STA BlockAck is sent til two or more non-AP STAs the
receiver address (RA) is the broadcast address.
Multi-STA BlockAck frame
• BA Control field
 Multi-STA BlockAck frame
• If we use the Starting Sequence Number as a column in Wireshark we
will see an increasing number for both AIDs.
 Level 2 fragmentation
• Level 2: An A-MPDU carries one fragment per MSDU or A-MSDU, and
only one MMPDU fragment. A recipient responds with a BA frame.
– Each bit in the bitmap of the BA frame corresponds to one MSDU (or one MSDU
fragment) or one A-MSDU (or one A-MSDU fragment).

MSDU F-MSDU AMSDU F-AMSDU MMPDU F-MMPDU

PLCP MAC MAC MAC

header header
F-MSDU header
F-AMSDU header
F-MMPDU

A-MPDU
Level 2 defragmentation
• Level 2: A Compressed BlockAck frame or Multi-STA BlockAck frame if
the received up to one fragment for each MSDU or A-MSDU, are
contained in an A-MPDU that contains an MPDU that solicits an
immediate response.
 Set to 0 the LSB of the Fragment Number subfield in the Block Ack Starting Sequence
Control subfield.
 Set to 1 each bit of the Block Ack Bitmap field that corresponds to a Sequence
Number subfield and TID subfield of a received fragment.
 The STA shall update the corresponding block acknowledgment record for an MSDU
or A-MSDU for which fragments are received only if that MSDU or A-MSDU is
successfully reconstructed.
 A recipient STA shall discard any fragments of incomplete MSDUs or A-MSDUs that
have been received during an HT-immediate block ack session for a TID if the
fragments have a Sequence Number field value that is less than the value of the
Starting Sequence Number field of the BlockAckReq frame from the originator STA
for that TID .
 Level 3 fragmentation
• Level 3: An A-MPDU carries one to four fragments per MSDU or A-
MSDU, and only one MMPDU fragment. Fragmentation level 3
improves flexibility and OFDMA transmission efficiency.

MSDU F-MSDU F-MSDU F-MSDU F-MSDU

AMSDU F-AMSDU F-AMSDU F-AMSDU F-AMSDU

MMPDU F-MMPDU

PLCP MAC MAC MAC MAC

header header
F-MSDU header
F-MSDU header
F-MSDU header
F-MSDU

A-MPDU
 Level 3 fragmentation
• Level 3: Recipients respond with two types of frames.
– When the Fragment Number subfield is not 0 in at least one received MPDU.
recipients respond with a fragment BA frame, and every four bits in the bitmap of
the fragment BA frame correspond to one MSDU (or four MSDU fragments) or one
A-MSDU (or four A-MSDU fragments).
– When the Fragment Number subfield is 0 in all the received MPDUs, recipients
respond with a BA frame, and each bit in the bitmap of the BA frame corresponds to
one MSDU (or the first MSDU fragment) or one A-MSDU (or the first A-MSDU
fragment).
 Fragment Number subfield
• MAC header