IEEE 802.11ad: directional 60 GHz communication for multi-Gigabit-per-second Wi-Fi [Invited Paper]

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONWith the worldwide availability of a large swath of spectrum at the 60 GHz band for unlicensed use, we are starting to see an emergence of new technologies enabling Wi-Fi communication in this frequency band. However, signal propagation at the 60 GHz band significantly differs from that at the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Therefore, efficient use of this vast spectrum resource requires a fundamental rethinking of the operation of Wi-Fi and a transition from omnidirectional to directional wireless medium usage. The IEEE 802.11ad amendment addresses these challenges, bringing multi-gigabit-per-second throughput and new application scenarios to Wi-Fi users. These new uses include instant wireless synchronization, high-speed media file exchange between mobile devices without fixed network infrastructure, and wireless cable replacement (e.g., to connect to high definition wireless displays).The most significant difference in 60 GHz propagation behavior is increased signal attenuation. At a typical IEEE 802.11ad range of 10 m, additional attenuation of 22 dB compared to the 5 GHz band is predicted by the Friis transmission equation, resulting from the frequencydependent difference in antenna aperture. In contrast, oxygen absorption plays a minor role over short-range distances, even though it peaks at 60 GHz [1]. Furthermore, 60 GHz communication is characterized by a quasi-optical propagation behavior [2] where the received signal is dominated by the line of sight (LOS) path and first order reflections from strong reflecting materials. As an example, metallic surfaces were found to be strong reflectors and allow non-LOS (NLOS) communication [2]. Concrete materials, on the other hand, cause additional large signal attenuation and can easily create a blockage. Thus, 60 GHz communication is more suitable to in-room environments where sufficient reflectors are present.This article discusses the design assumption resulting from the millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) propagation characteristics and related adaptation to the 802.11 architecture. We further present typical device configurations, an overview of the IEEE 802.11ad physical (PHY) layer, and the newly introduced personal basic service set network architecture. This is followed by an in-depth description of the IEEE 802.11ad beamforming (BF) mechanism and hybrid medium access control (MAC) design, which are the central elements to facilitate directional communication. DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONThe IEEE 802.11ad amendment to the 802.11 standard defines a directional communication scheme that takes advantage of beamforming antenna gain to cope with increased attenuation in the 60 GHz band [1]. With quasi-optical propagation behavior, low reflectivity, and high attenuation, beamforming results in a highly directional signal focus. Based on this behavior, the standard introduces a novel concept of "virtual" antenna sectors [3] that discretize the antenna azimuth. IEEE 802.11ad sectors can be implemented either using precomputed antenna weight vectors for a phased antenna arr...

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