Hirschmann.
Symply a good Connection
Ever since the introduction of Wireless
LAN with the standard IEEE 802.11b,
there has been a strong demand for gre-
ater bandwidth and performance. The
obvious comparison is with cabled
Ethernet. The standard 802.11b with its
11Mbps gross data rate (actual net data
rate 5.5 Mbps) is far below Ethernet
speeds. The newer standards IEE
802.11a and IEE 802.11g feature new
modulation methods and MAC protocols
to offer gross data rates of 54 Mbps.
Even these speeds (net rates of up to 20
Mbps can be achieved) may be too low
for some applications. Users wishing to
move very large files from one computer
to another, or wishing to use video stre-
aming or application sharing will soon
feel the need for higher bandwidths to
save on time and resources. This is
especially true of the professional world
where every minute of wasted time
translats into financial loss.
A range of technologies have emerged
with the aim of increasing bandwidth
and performance over those of the stan-
dard data rates. These are grouped
under the term Super A/G. This includes
the features turbo mode, compression
and bursting. These technologies are
presented and explained in the following.
Centre frequencies of each turbo mode channel
5.15
1/3
Hirschmann Technology Paper
108 MBit/s - Super A/G
Turbo Mode
The turbo mode makes use of two neighbouring channels
simultaneously. This doubles the data rate, i.e. from 54
Mbps to 108 Mbps gross, or from about 20 Mbps to 40
Mbps net.
In the 5 GHz band, 19 non-overlapping channels are avai-
lable. Turbo mode can be used without problem here as
the other WLAN networks can simply make use of the
remaining free channels.
Three turbo channels are available In the lower 5 GHz
band, and another two in the upper band.
In the 2.4 GHz band, on the other hand, just three non-
overlapping channels are available. The turbo mode is
subject to the following constraints:
The centre frequency of the bundled channel is channel 6,
i.e. 2437 MHz. A turbo channel has a bandwidth of 40
MHz. Accordingly, the useful spectrum where the signal is
at full strength ranges from 2417 MHz to 2457 MHz. Out-
side of these limits, the signal strength does not drop shar-
ply off, however. This explains why it is essential to leave
sufficient space for the signal strength to drop below the
permissible threshold values at the band edges (2400 and
2484 MHz respectively).
A single channel has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, so channel
1 which extends from 2402 MHz to 2422 MHz, for
example, overlaps with the frequency band used for turbo
mode. On the other hand, a signal on channel 11 (the
highest channel permitted for use worldwide) extends to
2452 MHz and also overlaps with the turbo-mode band. A
signal on channel 13 is theoretically unaffected by over-
lapping. As the band edges do not drop off sharply (see
explanation above), interference is still a possibility. This
means the use of turbo mode will cause interference to
any other WLAN networks operating in the area.
Operating the turbo mode in Hirschmann access points or
wireless routers is a fixed setting. Clients that do not sup-
port turbo mode cannot operate in this network.
5.18 5.20 5.22 5.24 5.26
Example of the lower/middle UNII band occup-
ancy, as used in the USA
Tested and certified
BAT54-Rail devices are tested and certified for the ETSI
standard EN 301 893 in the 5 GHz band and for the ETSI
standard 300 328 in the 2.4 GHz band. This can be read
in the CE declaration (DoC). The standard defines a WLAN
device's transmitting spectrum in the 5 GHz band or 2.4
GHz band respectively. Every one of these individual spec-
tra is subject to this standard.
BAT54-Rail devices are confirmed with the German regu-
lating authority RegTP (both technically and legally), and
with the certified independent testing company Cetecom,
so that this type of operation is both feasible and permitted
within the scope of the ETSI standard. Further regulation
for this operation is not necessary.
Even in turbo mode, BAT54-Rail devices satisfy all other
standard requirements in the 5 GHz band:
쮿 They search for a free channel, i.e. the access point
(AP) attempts to find a pair of channels that are not
occupied either by other bundling APs or by 'simple'
APs (DFS)
쮿 They watch for radar interference on one of the two
channels
쮿 TPC: Adjustment of transmission power
Data rates
BAT54-Rail devices support the auto-fallback of data rates
both in non-turbo mode and in turbo mode. The available
data rates of 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 54 Mbps are doubled
to 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 108 Mbps. This means that as
soon as the received power drops too low, for example
when the distance to a client increases, then the systems
falls back to a lower bundled data rate.
5.28 5.30 5.32 5.35 GHz
Hirschmann. Symply a good Connection
Hirschmann Technology Paper
108 MBit/s - Super A/G
Bursting
The MAC protocol mechanism has been addressed to
increase the net data rates without incurring a further 50%
loss in gross data rate through protocol overhead.
Bursting does this by sending packets more rapidly. This
technique makes use of the airtime allowed for by the
standards 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g. In normal
operation, every packet has to wait for a certain period
after the last ACK packet before it can be sent (DFIS). With
bursting, the transmitter does not wait for this period but
for the shorter SIFS instead. Consequently, this station
always wins the arbitration for the radio medium—in a
sense, it elbows its way to the front of the queue (arbitra-
tion: the decision making process to regulate which hard-
ware will use the transmitting medium next).
The gain in throughput arises from the saving in wait time
(the difference between DIFS and SIFS) as the packet
sequence can be sent in a shorter time space. Obviously
this type of burst excludes all other stations from the
medium, which is why the burst length is limited to a time
period that is defined in the configuration.
The simultaneous operation of 802.11b and 802.11g
(mixed mode) involves an additional mechanism: The
entire burst of OFDM packets (802.11g) is preceded by a
CTS (clear to send) as protection from 802.11b stations,
instead of leading every packet with a CTS frame. The gain
achieved here is greater as the time for a full (slow) 11b
packet is spared instead of just the difference between
DIFS and SIFS.
DIFS DIFS
Source
Frame 1
Time
ACK
Target
SIFS
SIFS
Source
Frame 1 Frame 2
Time
ACK
Target
SIFS
2/3
The overall performance gain from bursting is up to 10
Mbps net. Tests carried out by Hirschmann using turbo
mode plus bursting measured rates of over 50 Mbps.
As bursting is standards-compatible, devices that do not
support bursting can be used in the wireless network as
well. The data transfer in the return direction also takes
place without bursting.
Compression
All of the wireless LAN modules of the BAT54-Rail are
equipped with real-time hardware compression. This ope-
rates with the standard-based Lempel-Ziv algorithm. The
data are compressed prior to transmission and decom-
pressed after reception. The result is a significant gain in
performance. This is roughly equivalent to the difference
between transmitting ZIP compressed files instead of
standard files.
This leads to an increase in the net data rate. The effec-
tiveness is strongly related to the compressibility of the
files to be transmitted. Text and uncompressed pictures
profit highly from this feature, whereas streams that are
already compressed or Zip files remain unaffected.
DIFS
Frame 2
without
bursting
ACK
SIFS
SIFS
Frame 3
with
bursting
ACK ACK
SIFS SIFS
Hirschmann. Symply a good Connection

Hirschmann Technology Paper

108 MBit/s - Super A/G
Summary ting and compression affect only the net data rate. All of

With Super A/G, the collective name for the features turbo
mode, bursting and compression, Hirschmann offers
numerous possibilities for increasing the data rate and
performance in wireless LANs. While the turbo mode dou-
bles both gross and net data rates across the board, burs-
© 2007 Hirschmann Automation and Control GmbH and LANCOM Systems GmbH. All rights reserved. All names or descriptions used may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Subject to change
these features can be used separately. Bursting can be
used in heterogeneous WLAN environments, whereas
turbo mode and compression rely on the hardware-speci-
fic properties of Hirschmann BAT54-Rail.

Compatible with... Turbo Mode Bursting Compression

802.11b -- OK --
802.11g OK, prerequisite: Atheros chip set OK, standard compatible OK, prerequisite: Atheros chip set
802.11a OK, prerequisite: Atheros chip set OK, standard compatible OK, prerequisite: Atheros chip set

Performance (net, Mbps, Standard Turbo Mode Bursting Compression

maximum values)
802.11b 5,5 -- -- --
802.11g 20 40 50 60
802.11a 22 42 50 60

without notice. No liability for technical errors and/or omissions. Version 1.0

Hirschmann Automation and Control GmbH I Stuttgarter Str. 45-51 I 72654 Neckartenzlingen I Deutschland I hac-support@hirschmann.de I www.hirschmann-ac.com