A Comparison of HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11A Physical and MAC Layers
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Doufexi, A. , Armour, SMD., Nix, AR., & Bull, DR. (2000). A comparison of HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a physical and MAC layers. In IEEE Symposium of Communications and Vehicular Technology (SCVT 2000), Leuven, Belgium (pp. 14 - 20). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). https://doi.org/10.1109/SCVT.2000.923334 Peer reviewed version Link to published version (if available): 10.1109/SCVT.2000.923334 Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/red/research-policy/pure/user-guides/ebr-terms/ A Comparison of HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a Physical and MAC Layers Angela Doufexi, Simon Armour, Andrew Nix, David Bull Centre for Communications Research, University of Bristol, UK E-mail: A.Doufexi@ bristol.ac.uk, [email protected] Keywords: HIPERLAN/2, IEEE 802.1 1, Wireless LANs, OFDM Abstract This paper compares the HIPERLAN/2 and 802.11a standards and identifies their similarities and differences. At present, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) The two standards differ primarily in the Medium Access supporting broadband multimedia communication are Control (MAC) [6,7] but some differences also occur in being developed and standardized. Two such standards are the physical layers. HIPERLAND, defined by ETSI BRAN and the IEEE’s 802.11a. These WLAN standards will provide data rates up The HIPERLh/2 radio network is defined in such a to 54 Mbps (in a channel spacing of 20 MHz) in the way that there are core independent Physical (I“)and 5.2GHz band. In this paper an overview of the two DLC layers as well as a set of convergence layers (CL)for standards is presented together with sofhvare simulated interworking with Ethemet, PPP-E’, Am, UMTS, and physical layer peflormance results for each of the JEEE 1394 infrastructure [3,4]. IEEE 802.11a defines transmission modes defined in the two standards. similarly independent PHY and MAC layers (with the Furthermore, the differences between the standards (PDU MAC common to multiple PHYs within the 802.11a size, upper protocol layers etc.) and the effects on standard) and a similar approach to network protocol applications are discussed. convergence is expected. This paper is organized as follows: In Section 2, the 1. Introduction MACS specified by the two standards are presented. In Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) provide Section 3, the Physical Layers (PHY) of HPERLAN/2 wideband wireless connectivity between PCs, laptops, and and IEEE 802.11a are described and compared. The other equipment within a building. WLANs also offer an channel models that have been specified for evaluation of easy way of setting up computer networks by avoiding the both standards are presented in Section 4. Simulation need for cable installation. results are given in Section 5, which show BER and PER performances against Eb/No for the different channels and The two standards HIPERLAN/2 [l] defined by ETSI transmission modes. These results will facilitate an BRAN and the IEEE’s 802.11a [2] will each support examination and comparison of the performance of the multiple transmission ‘modes’, providing data rates up to two standards. Section 6 discusses the results and 54 Mbps where channel conditions permit. Thus, both concludes the paper. standards will offer the throughput that is necessary to meet the requirements for multimedia applications, as well 2. Medium Access Control as high speed Intemet and Intranet access. The main differences between IEEE 802.11a (at Close cooperation between ETSI and JEEE has ensured 5GHz) and HIPERLAN/2 occur in the MAC [6,7]. In that the physical layers of the two standards are HPERLAN/2 the medium access is based on a harmonized to a large extent. The large scale US and TDDITDMA approach using a MAC frame with a period European markets and the harmonization of the physical of 2 ms [7]. The control is centralized to an ‘Access layers should facilitate low cost production of devices Point’ (AP)which informs the ‘Mobile Terminals’ (IvlTs) conforming to either standard. As a result, both standards at which point in time in the MAC frame they are allowed have received considerable industrial backing (e.g. the to transmit their data. Time slots are allocated dynamically HIPERLAN/2 Global Forum [91) and look set to dominate depending on the need for transmission resources. IEEE the future of WLAN technology in the 5GHz band. 802.11a uses a distributed MAC protocol based on Carrier 0-7803-6684-0/00/$10.00 ’ 2000 14 Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMNCA) [2,6]. Preamble PDU Train The HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a MAC layer are discussed in more detail in sections 2.a and 2.b respectively. Figure 3: HIPERLANM Physical Burst Format 2.a. HIPERLANl2 MAC [71 2.b. IEEE 802.11 MAC [2] The MAC frame structure (Figure 1) comprises time As stated earlier IEEE 802.11 uses a distributed MAC slots for broadcast control (BCH), frame control (FCH), protocol based on Carrier Sense Multiple Access with access feedback control (ACH), and data transmission in Collision Avoidance (CSMNCA). A mobile terminal must downlink (DL), uplink (a),and directlink (DiL) phases, sense the medium for a specific time interval and if the which are allocated dynamically depending on the need for medium is idle it can start transmitting the packet [2,6]. transmission resources [1,4]. An MT first has to request Otherwise the transmission is deferred and a backoff capacity from the AP in order to send data. This can be process begins, which means that the terminal has to wait done in the random access channel (RCH), where for a time interval. Once the backoff time has expired, the contention for the same time slot is allowed [ 11. terminal can access the medium again [lo]. Because a 2ms collision in a wireless environment is undetectable, a positive acknowledgement is used to notify that a frame Mac Frame Mac Frame Mac Frame has been successfully received. If this acknowledgement is not received the terminal will retransmit the packet. Figure 4 shows the format of a complete packet (PPDU) in 802.11% including the preamble, header and Physical Layer Service Data Unit (PSDU or payload). Figure 1. The HIPERLAW2 MAC frame Downlink, uplink and directlink phases consist of two types of PDUs: long PDUs and short PDUs. The long LENGTH Parity Tail SERVICE PSDU Tail Pad PDUs (Figure 2) have a size of 54 bytes and contain (12 bits) (1 bit) (6 bits) (16 bits) (6 bits) Bits control or user data. The payload is 49.5 bytes and the remaining 4.5 bytes are used for the PDU Type (2 bits), a sequence number (10 bits, SN) and cyclic redundancy check (CRC-24). Long PDUs are referred to as the long transport channel (LCH). PREAMBLE SlGNAL DATA 12 symbols One OFDM symbol Variable number of OFDM symbols 54 bytes PDU SN CRC Figure 4: PPDU Frame Format [2] Type (2 bits) (10 bits) Pay'oad (49'5 bytes) (3 bytes) The header contains information about the length of the payload and the transmission rate, a parity bit and six zero Figure 2: Format of the long PDUs tail bits. The header is always transmitted using the lowest rate transmission mode in order to ensure robust reception. Short PDUs contain only control data and have a size of Hence, it is mapped onto a single BPSK modulated OFDM 9 bytes. They may contain resource requests, ARQ symbol. messages etc. and they are referred to as the short transport channel (SCH). The rate field conveys information about the type of modulation and the coding rate used in the rest of the Traffic from multiple connections to/from one h4T can packet. be multiplexed onto one PDU train, which contains long and short PDUs. A physical burst (Figure 3) is composed The length field takes a value between 1 and 4095 and of the PDU train payload and a preamble and is the unit to specifies the number of bytes in the PSDU. be transmitted via the physical layer [l]. The parity bit is a positive parity for the fist seventeen bits of the header. 15 PDU 'A Rate PHY Scrambling + Convolutional + Puncturing + Interleaving + Mapping + OFDM from DLC code Bursts Figure 5: HIPERLAW2 & IEEE 802.1 laTransmitter The six tail bits are used to reset the convolutional The coded data is interleaved in order to prevent error encoder and to terminate the code trellis in the decoder. bursts from being input to the convolutional decode process in the receiver. The fist 7 bits of the service field are set to zero and are used to initialize the descrambler. The remaining nine The interleaved data is subsequently mapped to data bits are reserved for future use. symbols according to either a BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM or 64-QAM scheme. The OFDM modulation is implemented The pad bits are used to ensure that the number of bits by means of an inverse 48 data symbols and 4 pilots in the PPDU maps to an integer number of OFDM FFT. are transmitted in parallel in the form of one OFDM symbols. symbol. 3. Physical Layer (PHM of HIPERLAN/2 Numerical values for the OFDM parameters are given and IEEE 802.11a in Table 2. In order to prevent ISI, a guard interval is implemented by means of a cyclic extension. Thus, each The physical layers of both standards are very similar OFDM symbol is preceded by a periodic extension of the and are based on the use of Orthogonal Frequency symbol itself.