Advance to Ultra-High Reliability with Wi-Fi 8

Why Do We Need Wi-Fi 8?

Consumer demand for wireless data access and throughput continues to grow. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) first became popular with the adoption of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard in 1997. Today’s consumers expect widespread availability of high-quality WLAN connections to support applications such as streaming, gaming, and Extended Reality (XR). These types of always-on, data intensive applications require high reliability to prevent interruptions or disruptions in connectivity.

Wi-Fi provides cost and flexibility advantages to consumers over the singular use of cellular networks for connectivity. Thus, Wi-Fi continues to evolve as a complement to 5G and newly developing 6G technologies. Adoption of each new Wi-Fi standard brings consistent growth to the market with estimates topping 4 trillion dollars of contribution to the global economy over the last 25 years.

Improve Reliability with Wi-Fi 8

Differing from the most recent Wi-Fi introductions that improved data rates and throughput; Wi-Fi 8 intends to improve the reliability of wireless connections – an increasingly important requirement for today’s always-on applications. Wi-Fi 8 does not include any bandwidth, modulation, or MIMO increases.

Today’s consumers expect their Wi-Fi networks to provide:

• Seamless integration with cellular networks
• Reliable connectivity and throughput
• Continuation of the existing cost model to complement cellular access costs

As Wi-Fi evolves, it continues to address the demands of its end users with the introduction of new capabilities. Wi-Fi 8 introduces methods of coordinating multiple APs through coordinated Spatial Re-Use (SR), Beamforming (BF) and enhanced Restricted Target Wake-Up Time (R-TWT) to optimize overall network performance. New methods of handling interference include Dynamic Subband Optimization (DSO), and Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA). New features such as Distributed-Tone Resource Units (dRU), new Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS), Unequal Modulation (UEQM), Longer Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) block code lengths, and new Enhanced Long Range (ELR) Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) use allocated spectrum and power more efficiently providing more reliable performance over varying channel conditions.

Testing Challenges for Wi-Fi 8

Every evolution of Wi-Fi requires seamless integration with previous Wi-Fi versions and with cellular networks. So, inter-technology co-existence and Wi-Fi legacy interoperability testing is always vital. New Wi-Fi 8 features introduce new challenges during design and test.

Signaling

Testing Wi-Fi with signaling simulates real-world scenarios most closely. The evolution to Wi-Fi 8 includes increased MAC capabilities with coordinated operation between APs making testing with signaling even more important. Verifying accurate communication between APs and their STAs ensures the increased efficiency promised by Wi-Fi 8.

Interference

Testing under simulated conditions in a lab ensures correct operation of new interference-handling features especially in a network with coordinated operation between APs.

Complex test configurations and numerous combinations

Verifying NPCA requires sophisticated test configurations that include radio switching delay. Characterizing AP and STA performance with the many subchannel and subband combinations with DSO requires complex test configurations. Numerous UEQM combinations also add to test requirements. Deciding what to test is important to efficiently meet time-to-market and cost goals.

Power management

dRU allow higher power in the data field of the PPDU causing the preamble and data fields to have potentially significant differences in power levels especially as the spreading bandwidth increases. Achieving these different power levels in the extremely brief time between preamble and data fields requires the Wi-Fi receiver to adjust its gain very quickly. Verifying the AP achieves the expected power levels with the necessary timing is essential.

Keysight’s Solutions Address the Challenges

The Keysight E7515W UXM Wireless Connectivity Test Platform extends Keysight’s network emulation solutions portfolio to support extensive associated Wi-Fi testing. The system verifies the RF and functional performance of Wi-Fi STAs and APs and characterizes Wi-Fi-to-cellular interworking.

The standalone E7515W simplifies the testing by offering industry-leading capabilities with powerful automation, extensive yet easy-to-use configuration, and repeatable results. The front-panel Graphical User Interface (GUI) or Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) controls the embedded Wi-Fi and cellular software applications. Simultaneous Wi-Fi client emulation and cellular backhaul simplify testing Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) devices such as CPE (Customer-Premises Equipment).

Also used for Wi-Fi 8 signaling verification are Keysight’s WaveJudge solutions. The combination of WJ5900A WaveJudge wireless analyzer hardware and SJ001A WaveJudge wireless analyzer toolset software captures and analyzes Wi-Fi 8 IQ data providing decodes, channel coding information, and powerful visualizations. The Messages List identifies errors for quick troubleshooting. RF chart results are correlated with messages, so thorough investigation of issues with specific message performance and timing is easy. WaveJudge captures, analyzes, and decodes all messages received regardless of source making it a powerful tool for signaling analysis.

For channel modeling of Wi-Fi signals, Keysight’s PROPSIM solutions are ideal. Keysight’s F8800B PROPSIM F64 RF Channel Emulator enables users to perform benchmarking of Wi-Fi 8 APs and STAs early in the development cycle. Testing in a realistic lab environment optimizes time to market with improved maturity and reduces costs.

For testing PHY and RF without signaling, Keysight’s PathWave software provides insights on Wi-Fi 8 performance. The N7617EMBC PathWave signal generation for WLAN 802.11 with waveform playback software flexibly creates waveforms to verify Wi-Fi 8. Playing back the waveforms with Keysight signal generators or transceivers provides RF signals simulating AP or STA transmission. The N9077EM2E PathWave X-series WLAN 802.11be and 802.11bn measurement application analyzes Wi-Fi 8 RF signals providing RF results to compare with expected performance.

Get Ready for Wi-Fi 8

The IEEE 802.11bn standard introduces new features to improve WLAN reliability and range while optimizing performance. Features such as UEQM, DSO, and NPCA increase the number of configurations and test scenarios required to validate a device thoroughly. In addition to physical-layer testing, test engineers need to emulate signaling to verify interactions between APs and STAs and their performance using the new features of Wi-Fi 8 under real-world conditions.

Keysight leads the market in testing WLAN designs across the product lifecycle enabling testing during device development, device acceptance, and deployment. Rely on Keysight to provide industry-leading performance, accuracy, and functionality as required to validate the wireless networks of today and tomorrow.