802.

11 Wi-Fi Physical Layer and Transmitter Measurements

802.11b (HR/DSSS)
2.4 GHz

ch2 ch3 ch4 ch5

ch6

ch7 ch8 ch9 ch10

ch11

ch12 ch13

802.11n (HT)

ch14

802.11ac (VHT)

Channel # / Center Frequency

2.4 GHz

2.4 GHz
Channel
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Primary Channel
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2nd Channel
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Center Channel
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Center Frequency 2422 2427 2432 2437 2442 2442 2452 2457 2462

2.412 GHz

2.437 GHz

2.462 GHz
802.11
IEEE Channel Number 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64

100 104 108 112 116 120 124 128 132 136 140

149 153 157 161 165

5 GHz

Channel Allocation

ch1

802.11a and 802.11g (ERP)

Spectral
Shape and
Emission Mask

5170 MHz

5330 MHz

5490 MHz

5710 MHz

5735 MHz

Unfiltered Sinx/x
-20 dBr
-28 dBr

-30 dBr
-50 dBr

A
9 MHz
19 MHz
39 MHz
79 MHz

B
11 MHz
21 MHz
41 MHz
61 MHz

C
20 MHz
40 MHz
80 MHz
160 MHz

D
30 MHz
60 MHz
120 MHz
240 MHz

-40 dBr

Packet
Information

Bits:
Preamble

Header

Payload Data

144 or 72 bits

48 bits

N bits

DSSS1M
Mod (1:11)*

Mod

DSSS1M (1:11)*
or
DSSS2M (2:11)*

Preamble

Mod

STF

2 symbols

IQ:
DBPSK

DBPSK or
DQPSK

DBPSK or DQPSK or CCK5.5M or CCK11M

1584 or 792 chips 528 or 264 chips

Legacy (a/g)

Preamble

DSSS1M (1:11)* or DSSS2M (2:11)

or
CCK5.5M (4:8) or CCK11M (8:8)

LTF

2 symbols

8 usec
8 usec
(160 chips) (160 chips)

SIGNAL

L-STF

Data

1 symbol

N symbols

4 usec
(80 chips)

N * 4 usec
(N*80 chips)

L-LTF

HT

L-STF

HT-SIG HT-STF HT-LTF

Subcarriers
(20/40/80/160 MHz)

Preamble

Subcarriers
(20-40 MHz)

Legacy (a/g)

L-STF

Data

L-LTF

Data

L-SIG VHT-SIGA VHT-STF VHT-LTF VHT-SIGB

N*K chips
(N*K) / 11* 10e-6 usec

192 usec (Long) or 96 usec (Short)

Transmitter Measurements

Data Rates and

Modulation Types

* (N:M) = (Nbits:Mchips), K= M / N

802.11b
Signal Field
HEX

Data Rate

0A
14
37
6E

1 Mbps
2 Mbps
5.5 Mbps
11 Mbps

Type of
Measurement
Transmit Power
Transmit Spectral

Transmit Frequency

Based on IEEE802.11-2012 standard.

www.tektronix.com/mdo4000

Spreading/
Coding
Scheme
11 chip barker code
11 chip barker code
CCK
CCK

802.11a/g (20 MHz Bandwidth)

DBPSK
DQPSK
DQPSK
DQPSK

Measurement

Transmit Power
Transmit Power On/Off Ramp
Transmit Spectrum Mask
RF Carrier Suppression
Center Frequency Leakage
Transmit Spectral Flatness
Transmission Spurious
Out-of-band Spurious Emission
Transmit Center
Frequency Tolerance
Symbol Clock Frequency Tolerance

Rate
1101 (13)
1111 (15)
0101 (5)
0111 (7)
1001 (9)
1011 (11)
0001 (1)
0011 (3)

Modulation

Modulation
BPSK
BPSK
QPSK
QPSK
16QAM
16QAM
64QAM
64QAM

802.11
DSSS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

b
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

a
Yes
Yes

g
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes

n
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

MCS
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Modulation
BPSK
QPSK
QPSK
16QAM
16QAM
64QAM
64QAM
64QAM
256QAM
256QAM

Type of
Measurement

802.11ac

FEC Rate
20 MHz
7.2 Mbps
14.4 Mbps
21.7 Mbps
28.9 Mbps
43.3 Mbps
57.8 Mbps
65.0 Mbps
72.2 Mbps

3/4
1/2
3/4
1/2
3/4
2/3
3/4
5/6
3/4
5/6

Yes
Yes

Country Dependent
(10% - 90%) 2 us
Standard Mask
-15 dB
-15 dBc or +2 dB w.r.t. averages subcarrier power
-20 dBc or +0 dB w.r.t. averages subcarrier power
4 dBc, + 4/-6 dB (various BWs, 20 - 160 MHz)
Country Dependent
Country Dependent
25 ppm (DSSS, b, g)
20 ppm (20 MHz and 10 MHz), 10 ppm (5 MHz)
20 ppm (5 GHz band), 25 ppm (2.4 GHz band)
same specifications as above

Transmit
Modulation

Data Rate (SISO: 1 Stream, Short Guard Interval)

40 MHz
20 MHz
40 MHz
80 MHz
15.0 Mbps
7.2 Mbps
15.0 Mbps
32.5 Mbps
30.0 Mbps
14.4 Mbps
30.0 Mbps
65 Mbps
45.0 Mbps
21.7 Mbps
45.0 Mbps
97.5 Mbps
60.0 Mbps
28.9 Mbps
60.0 Mbps
130 Mbps
90.0 Mbps
43.3 Mbps
90.0 Mbps
195 Mbps
120.0 Mbps
57.8 Mbps
120.0 Mbps
260 Mbps
135.0 Mbps
65.0 Mbps
135.0 Mbps
292.5 Mbps
150.0 Mbps
72.2 Mbps
150.0 Mbps
325 Mbps
86.7 Mbps
180.0 Mbps
390 Mbps
200.0 Mbps
433.3 Mbps

Measurement

ac

20 MHz
40 MHz

Yes

Data Rate
6 Mbps
9 Mbps
12 Mbps
18 Mbps
24 Mbps
36 Mbps
48 Mbps
54 Mbps

IEEE Standard Limit

Yes
Yes

FEC Rate
1/2
3/4
1/2
3/4
1/2
3/4
2/3
3/4

802.11n

Transmit Modulation Accuracy

802.11
DSSS
Yes

ac
Peak EVM<0.35%
Peak EVM<0.36%

Yes
Transmitter Constellation Error
Modulation Type
Coding Rate
BPSK
BPSK
QPSK
QPSK
16-QAM
16-QAM
64-QAM
64-QAM
64-QAM
256-QAM
256-QAM

1/2
3/4
1/2
3/4
1/2
3/4
2/3
3/4
5/6
3/4
5/6

Limits in dB
-5
-8
-10
-13
-16
-19
-22
-25

160 MHz
65 Mbps
130 Mbps
195 Mbps
250 Mbps
390 Mbps
525 Mbps
585 Mbps
650 Mbps
780 Mbps
866.7 Mbps

IEEE Standard Limit

n

-5

-5

-10
-13
-16
-19
-22
-25
-27

-10
-13
-16
-19
-22
-25
-27
-30
-32

Europe
(ETSI)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Japan

ROW

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
802.11b only

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

5 GHz

Spectral Mask for 20, 40, 80, and 160 MHz Channels
Channel Size
20 MHz
40 MHz
80 MHz
160 MHz

North America
(FCC)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

5835 MHz

0 dBr

Transmit
Spectrum
Mask

Center
Frequency
2412
2417
2422
2427
2432
2437
2442
2447
2452
2457
2462
2467
2472
2484

Channel
Number
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
52
56
60
64
100
104
108
112
116
120
124
128
132
136
140
149
153
157
161
165

Center
Frequency
5180
5190
5200
5210
5220
5230
5240
5260
5280
5300
5320
5500
5520
5540
5560
5580
5600
5620
5640
5660
5680
5700
5745
5765
5785
5805
5825

U.S.

Europe

Japan

China

Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
No
No
No
DFS
DFS
DFS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Indoors
No
Indoors
No
Indoors
No
Indoors
Indoors/DFS/TPC
Indoors/DFS/TPC
Indoors/DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
SRD
SRD
SRD
SRD
SRD

Yes
Client Only
Yes
Client Only
Yes
Client Only
Yes
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
No
No
No
No
No

Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

5 GHz
Channel
Number
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
52
56
60
64
100
104
108
112
116
120
124
128
132
136
140
149
153
157
161
165

Center
Frequency
5180
5190
5200
5210
5220
5230
5240
5260
5280
5300
5320
5500
5520
5540
5560
5580
5600
5620
5640
5660
5680
5700
5745
5765
5785
5805
5825

Korea

Australia

Brazil

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
No
No
No
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
DFS/TPC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
DFS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

DFS = Dynamic Frequency Selection

TPC = Transmit Power Control
SRD = Short Range Devices 25 mW max power