Application Notes
Wireless Local Area Networks allow mobile computer users to remain connected to a network, and access resources, while on the move or physically disconnected from the network. Over the past several years, different Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies and standards have been developed. Two of the major driving forces behind these standards are the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). From these organizations have emerged two of the most successful WLAN standards, IEEE 802.11 and ETSI HIPERLAN. Recent advances in technology have enabled the production of affordable and reliable networking hardware for use in wireless LANs.
The acronyms used in this document are either defined at their first usage or in the glossary on page 38.
This application note looks at the modulation technology behind several WLAN standards and the measurement techniques that can be used to troubleshoot and quantify their RF performance. The emphasis will be on 802.11b, 802.11a, and HIPERLAN Type 1 and Type 2. The principal focus of this document is the physical RF layer of WLAN signals, as opposed to the MAC layer or higher layers of a WLAN signal. This includes time-, frequency-, and modulation-domain analysis and trouble-shooting, as well as the basic modulation theory behind these standards.
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