Wireless Personal Area Networks (Classmates Post)

W4:

Post 1

Jeffrey Degnon posted

Hello Everyone,

For our fourth-week discussion, we analyzed wireless personal area networks (WPAN) and high-rate wireless personal area networks. PAN, the Personal Area Network based on the acronym, are interconnected devices centered around a person’s workspace while connected through a wireless medium. In addition, it is also known as Person’s centered short-range wireless connectivity, which typically ranges within 10 meters. In contrast, the high-rate wireless personal area network can transfer data between computers and peripherals at speeds up to 28 Gbps, ranging from 30 meters. Nonetheless, the topic would aid in understanding the different standards and applications while also characterizing required of 802.15.3 applications.

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Topic 1

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) two leading technologies developed for WPANs include 802.15.1 for Bluetooth and 802.15.4 for ZigBee, yet both carry their unique purpose along with Infrared Data Association (IrDA), which was mainly used in the first wireless technologies. (Olenewa, 2013) However, each standard was designed and labeled to categorize low and high-rate WPAN. IrDA compromises a set of protocols supporting computing, communication devices, and much more. Although the protocol for this standard focal point delivers high speed, transmitting data in low ranges, using point-to-point connectivity at a maximum speed of 115, 200 bps. (Olenewa, 2013) Bluetooth is globally used to enable devices such as our cellphones, laptops, computers, cars, printers, and others. However, it does require levels to connect and operate to send and receive data transmitted through radio waves successfully. In addition, Bluetooth requires the sender to be close because its connection is short in range, yet depending on the Bluetooth power classes, it can determine the ranges between devices. For instance, there is Power Class 1 100 mW reaching up to 100 meters (330 ft), Power Class 2 2.5 mW reaching 10 meters (33ft), and Power Class 3 1 mW reaching 1 meter (3ft). (Olenewa, 2013) ZigBee is a standard that enables users to transmit data wirelessly between a stationary device; however, because the connectivity requires less data transmission and power, it can be mainly used in remote controls. The power consumption rate is low and can transmit data ranging between 10-50 meters. ZigBee also aids in reducing the implementation cost compared to other standards, for it utilizes a more straightforward communication protocol hence why it is considered the only true global standard.

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Topic 2

Characteristics of 802.15.3 are the IEEE standards to High Rate WPANs designed to provide sufficient quality of service using real-time distribution to connect to music or videos. Characteristics required for the 802.15.3 applications include but not limited to are passive scanning, channel energy detection, the ability to request channel quality information, transmit power control, two modes of super frame transmission, and a maximum data frame length of 8,388,608 octets. (Olenewa, 2013) The original standards utilized a traditional carried-based 2.4Ghz as the physical transmission layer, but the 802.15.3a is a follow-on standard to define an alternative physical layer. For instance, it provides more than 110Mbit/sec. at a 10-meter distance and a 480Mbit/sec at a 2-meter distance (Kay, 2006). If you enjoy your streaming of high-definition videos and high-definition monitors, it is thanks to the 802.15.3a.

Post 2

hunter hyman posted

Topic 1: Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR WPANs)

Low-rate WPANs—LR WPANs—are designed to support applications that have a low power consumption and short-range communication requirement, such as personal devices and smart home systems. The major standards under LR WPAN are Bluetooth, Infrared Data Association, IrDA, and ZigBee; each standard serves different applications and has specific mechanisms.

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1): Bluetooth is the most widely used LR WPAN standard that allows short-range wireless communication between devices. It has been largely applied in the connection of peripherals such as headsets, keyboards, and speakers with computers and smartphones (Olenewa, 2013). Bluetooth operates on low-power radio frequency in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and transmits data based on frequency hopping to minimize interference and provide stable connections.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association): IrDA was one of the main standards for short-range wireless data transfer before Bluetooth. It uses infrared light to transfer data and hence requires direct, line-of-sight positioning between devices. IrDA has largely become less widespread in modern times, though it is still used with remote controls and some legacy devices. Its data rates are lower than Bluetooth or ZigBee, though IrDA is very secure and ideal for close-range, point-to-point data transfer.

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4): ZigBee is intended for use in applications requiring reliable, low-power connectivity and the possibility of mesh networking. It has been applied in the area of smart home automation, industrial control systems, and security systems. In addition, ZigBee operates on low-data-rate radio frequencies operating at a maximum of 250 Kbps; the standard is mostly implemented in mesh networks where multiple devices communicate through each other to extend both the range and reliability of the network (Olenewa, 2013).

Topic 2: High-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (HR WPANs)

High-rate WPANs: The HR WPANs support multimedia capable wireless devices. Mostly operating in the 2.4 GHz band, the data speed of HR WPANs ranges from 11 Mbps to 55 Mbps. The standard for HR WPANs is IEEE 802.15.3. This offers a much higher rate of data transfer together with low latency and a reliable connection; this satisfies the demand for fast data transmissions like video streaming, gaming, and multimedia applications.

The characteristics required by the IEEE 802.15.3 applications include:

High Data Rates: HR WPANs are designed to find applications in data-intensive operations, like streaming high-definition video and audio. The potential to deliver up to 55 Mbps in data rate makes HR WPANs suitable for real-time multimedia content delivery (Olenewa, 2013).

Low Latency: The real-time applications, such as video conferencing and gaming, require low latency. HR WPANs ensure low latency to prevent lag and provide smooth communication between devices.

QoS: HR WPANs include QoS mechanisms to prioritize data packets, especially in multimedia transmissions. This ensures that the connection remains stable and of consistent quality, even when multiple devices are connecting to the network.

With their support for these characteristics, HR WPANs are instrumental in environments where high-speed, low-latency, and quality-controlled data transfer is a must, since the performance of multimedia and other data-intensive applications depends on such transfer.

References: Olenewa, J. (2013). Guide to Wireless Communications (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781285700267