IEEE 802.11ac

IEEE 802.11ac is a wireless networking standard in the 802.11 family (which is marketed under the brand name Wi-Fi), developed in the IEEE Standards Association process,[1] providing high-throughput wireless local area networks (WLANs) on the 5 GHz band.[1] The standard was developed from 2008 (PAR approved 2008-09-26) through 2013 and published in December 2013 (ANSI approved 2013-12-11).[1][2]

The specification has multi-station throughput of at least 1 gigabit per second and single-link throughput of at least 500 megabits per second (500 Mbit/s). This is accomplished by extending the air-interface concepts embraced by 802.11n: wider RF bandwidth (up to 160 MHz), more MIMO spatial streams (up to eight), downlink multi-user MIMO (up to four clients), and high-density modulation (up to 256-QAM).[3][4]

New technologies

New technologies introduced with 802.11ac include the following:[4]

Features

Mandatory

Optional

New scenarios and configurations

The single-link and multi-station enhancements supported by 802.11ac enable several new WLAN usage scenarios, such as simultaneous streaming of HD video to multiple clients throughout the home, rapid synchronization and backup of large data files, wireless display, large campus/auditorium deployments, and manufacturing floor automation.[5]

With the inclusion of USB 3.0 interface, 802.11ac access points and routers can use locally attached storage to provide various services that fully utilize their WLAN capacities, such as video streaming, FTP servers, and personal cloud services.[6] With storage locally attached through USB 2.0, filling the bandwidth made available by 802.11ac was not easily accomplished.

Example configurations

All rates assume 256-QAM, rate 5/6:

Scenario Typical client
form factor
PHY link rate Aggregate
capacity
(speed)
One-antenna AP, one-antenna STA, 80 MHz Handheld 433 Mbit/s 433 Mbit/s
Two-antenna AP, two-antenna STA, 80 MHz Tablet, laptop 867 Mbit/s 867 Mbit/s
One-antenna AP, one-antenna STA, 160 MHz Handheld 867 Mbit/s 867 Mbit/s
Three-antenna AP, three-antenna STA, 80 MHz Laptop, PC 1.27 Gbit/s 1.27 Gbit/s
Two-antenna AP, two-antenna STA, 160 MHz Tablet, laptop 1.69 Gbit/s 1.69 Gbit/s
Four-antenna AP, four one-antenna STAs, 160 MHz
(MU-MIMO)
Handheld 867 Mbit/s to each STA 3.39 Gbit/s
Eight-antenna AP, 160 MHz (MU-MIMO)
  • one four-antenna STA
  • one two-antenna STA
  • two one-antenna STAs
Digital TV, Set-top Box,
Tablet, Laptop, PC, Handheld
  • 3.39 Gbit/s to four-antenna STA
  • 1.69 Gbit/s to two-antenna STA
  • 867 Mbit/s to each one-antenna STA
6.77 Gbit/s
Eight-antenna AP, four 2-antenna STAs, 160 MHz
(MU-MIMO)
Digital TV, tablet, laptop, PC 1.69 Gbit/s to each STA 6.77 Gbit/s

Data rates and speed

Modulation and coding schemes
MCS
index[lower-alpha 1]
Spatial
Streams
Modulation
type
Coding
rate
Data rate (in Mbit/s)[7][lower-alpha 2]
20 MHz channels 40 MHz channels 80 MHz channels 160 MHz channels
800 ns GI 400 ns GI 800 ns GI 400 ns GI 800 ns GI 400 ns GI 800 ns GI 400 ns GI
0 1 BPSK 1/2 6.5 7.2 13.5 15 29.3 32.5 58.5 65
1 1 QPSK 1/2 13 14.4 27 30 58.5 65 117 130
2 1 QPSK 3/4 19.5 21.7 40.5 45 87.8 97.5 175.5 195
3 1 16-QAM 1/2 26 28.9 54 60 117 130 234 260
4 1 16-QAM 3/4 39 43.3 81 90 175.5 195 351 390
5 1 64-QAM 2/3 52 57.8 108 120 234 260 468 520
6 1 64-QAM 3/4 58.5 65 121.5 135 263.3 292.5 526.5 585
7 1 64-QAM 5/6 65 72.2 135 150 292.5 325 585 650
8 1 256-QAM 3/4 78 86.7 162 180 351 390 702 780
9 1 256-QAM 5/6 N/A N/A 180 200 390 433.3 780 866.7
0 2 BPSK 1/2 13 14.4 27 30 58.5 65 117 130
1 2 QPSK 1/2 26 28.9 54 60 117 130 234 260
2 2 QPSK 3/4 39 43.3 81 90 175.5 195 351 390
3 2 16-QAM 1/2 52 57.8 108 120 234 260 468 520
4 2 16-QAM 3/4 78 86.7 162 180 351 390 702 780
5 2 64-QAM 2/3 104 115.6 216 240 468 520 936 1040
6 2 64-QAM 3/4 117 130.3 243 270 526.5 585 1053 1170
7 2 64-QAM 5/6 130 144.4 270 300 585 650 1170 1300
8 2 256-QAM 3/4 156 173.3 324 360 702 780 1404 1560
9 2 256-QAM 5/6 N/A N/A 360 400 780 866.7 1560 1733.4
0 3 BPSK 1/2 19.5 21.7 40.5 45 87.8 97.5 175.5 195
1 3 QPSK 1/2 39 43.3 81 90 175.5 195 351 390
2 3 QPSK 3/4 58.5 65 121.5 135 263.3 292.5 526.5 585
3 3 16-QAM 1/2 78 86.7 162 180 351 390 702 780
4 3 16-QAM 3/4 117 130 243 270 526.5 585 1053 1170
5 3 64-QAM 2/3 156 173.3 324 360 702 780 1404 1560
6 3 64-QAM 3/4 175.5 195 364.5 405 N/A N/A 1579.5 1755
7 3 64-QAM 5/6 195 216.7 405 450 877.5 975 1755 1950
8 3 256-QAM 3/4 234 260 486 540 1053 1170 2106 2340
9 3 256-QAM 5/6 260 288.9 540 600 1170 1300 2340 2600
0 4 BPSK 1/2 26 28.8 54 60 117.2 130 234 260
1 4 QPSK 1/2 52 57.6 108 120 234 260 468 520
2 4 QPSK 3/4 78 86.8 162 180 351.2 390 702 780
3 4 16-QAM 1/2 104 115.6 216 240 468 520 936 1040
4 4 16-QAM 3/4 156 173.2 324 360 702 780 1404 1560
5 4 64-QAM 2/3 208 231.2 432 480 936 1040 1872 2080
6 4 64-QAM 3/4 234 260 486 540 1053.2 1170 2106 2340
7 4 64-QAM 5/6 260 288.8 540 600 1170 1300 2340 2600
8 4 256-QAM 3/4 312 346.8 648 720 1404 1560 2808 3120
9 4 256-QAM 5/6 N/A N/A 720 800 1560 1733.2 3120 3466.8

Several companies are currently offering 802.11ac chipsets with higher modulation rates: MCS-10 and MCS-11 (1024-QAM), supported by Quantenna and Broadcom. Although technically not part of 802.11ac, these new MCS indices are expected to become official in the 802.11ax standard (2017-2019), the successor to 802.11ac.

Advertised

Type 2.4 GHz band[lower-alpha 3]
(Mbit/s)
config
[all 40 MHz]
5 GHz band
(Mbit/s)
config
[all 80 MHz]
AC600 150 1 stream @ MCS 7 433 1 stream @ MCS 9
AC750 300 2 streams @ MCS 7 433 1 stream @ MCS 9
AC1200 300 2 streams @ MCS 7 867 2 streams @ MCS 9
AC1300 400 2 streams @ MCS 9 867 2 streams @ MCS 9
AC1300[8] - - 1,300 3 streams @ MCS 9
AC 1350[9] 450 3 streams @ MCS 7 867 2 streams @ MCS 9
AC1450 450 3 streams @ MCS 7 975 3 streams @ MCS 7
AC1600 300 2 streams @ MCS 7 1,300 3 streams @ MCS 9
AC1750 450 3 streams @ MCS 7 1,300 3 streams @ MCS 9
AC1900 600[lower-alpha 4] 3 streams @ MCS 9 1,300 3 streams @ MCS 9
AC2200 450 3 streams @ MCS 7 1,733 4 streams @ MCS 9
AC2350 600[lower-alpha 4] 4 streams @ MCS 7 1,733 4 streams @ MCS 9
AC2600 800 4 streams @ MCS 9 1,733 4 streams @ MCS 9
AC3000 450 3 streams @ MCS 7 1,300 + 1,300 3 streams @ MCS 9 x 2
AC3150 1000[lower-alpha 5] 4 streams @ 1024-QAM 2,167 4 streams @ 1024-QAM
AC3200 600[lower-alpha 4] 3 streams @ MCS 9 1,300 + 1,300[lower-alpha 6] 3 streams @ MCS 9 x 2
AC5000 600[lower-alpha 4] 4 streams @ MCS 7 2,167 + 2,167 4 streams @ 1024-QAM x 2
AC5300[12] 1000[lower-alpha 5] 4 streams @ 1024-QAM 2,167 + 2,167 4 streams @ 1024-QAM x 2

Products

Commercial routers and access points

Quantenna released the first 802.11ac chipset for retail Wi-Fi routers and consumer electronics on November 15, 2011.[13] Redpine Signals released the first low power 802.11ac technology for smartphone application processors on December 14, 2011.[14] On January 5, 2012, Broadcom announced its first 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips and partners[15] and on April 27, 2012, Netgear announced the first Broadcom-enabled router.[16] On May 14, 2012, Buffalo Technology released the world’s first 802.11ac products to market, releasing a wireless router and client bridge adapter.[17] On December 6, 2012, Huawei announced commercial availability of the industry's first enterprise-level 802.11ac Access Point.[18]

Apple Inc. is selling 802.11ac versions of its AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule products.[19] Motorola Solutions is selling 802.11ac access points including the AP 8232.[20] In April 2014, Hewlett-Packard started selling the HP 560 access point in the controller-based WLAN enterprise market segment.[21]

Commercial laptops

On June 7, 2012, it was reported that Asus had unveiled its ROG G75VX gaming notebook, which would be the first consumer-oriented notebook to be fully compliant with 802.11ac[22] (albeit in its "draft 2.0" version).

In June 2013, Apple announced that the new MacBook Air features 802.11ac wireless networking capabilities,[23][24] later announcing in October 2013 that the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro also featured 802.11ac.[25][26]

As of December 2013, Hewlett-Packard incorporates 802.11ac compliance in laptop computers.[27]

Commercial handsets

Commercial tablets

Chipsets

See also

Notes

  1. MCS 9 is not applicable to all channel width/spatial stream combinations.
  2. A second stream doubles the theoretical data rate, a third one triples it, etc.
  3. 802.11ac only specifies operation in the 5 GHz band. Operation in the 2.4 GHz band is specified by 802.11n.
  4. 1 2 3 4 With 802.11n, 600 Mbit/s in the 2.4 GHz band can be achieved by using four spatial streams at 150 Mbit/s each. As of December 2014, commercially available devices that achieve 600 Mbit/s in the 2.4 GHz band use 3 spatial streams at 200 Mbit/s each.[10][11] This requires the use of 256-QAM modulation, which is not compliant with 802.11n and can be considered a proprietary extension.[11]
  5. 1 2 With proprietary extension to 802.11n, using 40MHz channel in 2.4GHz, 400ns guard interval, 1024-QAM, and 4 spatial streams.
  6. As of December 2014, commercially available AC3200 devices use two separate radios with 1,300 Mbit/s each to achieve 2,600 Mbit/s total in the 5 GHz band.

References

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  3. Kassner, Michael (2013-06-18). "Cheat sheet: What you need to know about 802.11ac". TechRepublic. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
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