802.

11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
Joseph Zaloker, Director of Technical Marketing, Arrow Electronics
Steve Weeres, M2M Business Development Manager, Arrow Electronics
Wi-Fi or the wireless standard IEEE 802.11 allows you easily connect your embedded, mobile or fixed
asset device to each other wirelessly, via the Internet, without wires or cables. 802.11 allows the user to
connect devices easily, quickly and securely, without worrying about finding a wired network
connection. Wi-Fi is the most prevalent wireless connectivity technology in use today for connecting
devices to the Internet.

What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliancean industry association promoting the standardization and
interoperability of wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity based on the IEEE 802.11 series of
standards. Wi-Fi wireless technology allows devices to connect and access the Internet directly or
through a router without any physical association with a wired network.
The 802.11 standards are a group of evolving specifications defined by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Now commonly referred to as Wi-Fi, the 802.11 standards define a
through-the-air interface between a wireless client and an access point or between two or more
wireless clients. All 802.11 Wi-Fi standards use the unlicensed radio spectrum.

Description of the technology

Wi-Fi utilizes unlicensed portions of the RF spectrum, and the various implementations utilize spread
spectrum wireless communication techniques to insure reliable operation in challenging RF
environments. Three spreading or modulation techniques commonly used in Wi-Fi spread spectrum
radios are Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), Complementary Code Keying (CCK) and Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). The various standards insure that the connections between
the physical layers operate properly and are not of concern to the application.
Two types of connections are possible between two Wi-Fi devices. Devices can connect in infrastructure
mode or ad-hoc mode. In infrastructure mode one or more wireless devices will connect to a wireless
access point to connect to a local area network or to a router to connect to the Internet. In ad-hoc mode
two wireless devices connect directly without an intervening broader network connection.
The 802.11 standard provides provisions for maintaining the security of wireless data transmissions. The
standard specifies a security protocol known as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). The new standard, WPA2,
uses a completely new form of encryption called AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). The government
previously used AES as a replacement for the DES (Data Encryption Standard) to protect all of the
governments wirelessly transmitted information.

What is the difference between Wi-Fi Options?

The IEEE 802.11 standard defines several versions of WLAN connectivity, and continues to evolve as
needs advance and technology evolves. Currently available Wi-Fi options are as follows.

802.11a
802.11a was the first standard aimed at enterprise-class wireless LAN technology, offering many
advantages over previous options. At speeds of up to 54 Mbps, 802.11a provides higher throughput over
the entire coverage area. The 5 GHz band that 802.11a operates in is not highly populated, so there is
less congestion to cause interference or signal contention. 802.11a is a reliable and efficient medium for
accommodating high-bandwidth applications for numerous users.
Devices utilizing 802.11a are required to support speeds of 6, 12, and 24 Mbps. Optional speeds go up to
54 Mbps and include 48, 36, 18 and 9 Mbps throughput rates. These differences are the result of
implementing different modulation techniques and Forward Error Correction (FEC) levels. As an 802.11a
client device travels farther from its Access Point (AP), the connection remains intact but speed
decreases or falls back.
Pros: Fast maximum speed and regulated frequencies prevent interference from other devices.
Cons: Higher cost, shorter range and a signal that is easily obstructed.
802.11b
The IEEE established 802.11b in 1999 to improve the data rate of the original 802.11 standard defining
rates up to 11 Mbps. 802.11b devices suffer from interference from other products operating in the
2.4 GHz band. Devices operating in the 2.4 GHz range include microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices,
baby monitors and cordless telephones.
Pros: Low cost, good signal range.
Cons: Slowest maximum speed, interference with other home appliances on the unregulated frequency
band.
802.11g
802.11g works in the 2.4 GHz band (like 802.11b), but additionally includes the same OFDM based
transmission scheme as 802.11a. It operates at a maximum physical layer bit rate of 54 Mbit/s, exclusive
of forward error correction codes, providing about 22 Mbit/s average user-level data throughput.
802.11g hardware is fully backwards compatible with 802.11b hardware.
Pros: Fast maximum speed, good signal range and is not easily obstructed.
Cons: More expensive than 802.11b and home appliances may interfere with this unregulated
frequency.
802.11n
802.11n is a recent amendment that improves upon the previous 802.11 standards by adding multipleinput multiple-output antennas (MIMO) and many other newer features. Two-stream (or two antenna)
MIMO defines data rates up to 300 Mbps, three-stream up to 450 Mbps and four-stream up to 600
Mbps.
Pros: Fastest maximum speed, best signal integrity, resistant to signal interference from outside sources.
Cons: More expensive than 802.11g and use of multiple channels may interfere with other 802.11 b/g
networks.

Listed below is a summary of the various Wi-Fi offerings

802.11 Network Standards

802.11 Protocol Frequency (GHz)
a
5
b
2.4
g
2.4
n

2.4/5

Data Rate
Typical
Maximum
23 Mbit/s
54 Mbit/s
4.5 Mbit/s
11 Mbit/s
19 Mbit/s
54 Mbit/s
300 Mbit/s
74 Mbit/s
(2 streams)

Approximate Indoor
Range
Meters
Feet
35
115
38
125
38
125
70

230

Approximate Outdoor
Range
Meters
Feet
120
390
140
460
140
460
250

820

What are typical Wi-Fi applications?

In most M2M applications there will be two situations that will require a wireless link to connect two
devices. In the first case a wirelessly enabled device will connect to another device such as a gateway or
bridge. In the second case a wireless device/bridge/gateway will connect to a WAN to communicate
with a remote location typically over the Internet.
Connecting wireless devices to a bridge have historically used ZigBee, Bluetooth or ANT to form these
networks, as these technologies typically are less expensive to implement and require lower power to
operate. New Wi-Fi devices are challenging this domain and will increasingly need to be considered for
applications where nodes that may frequently send large amounts of data and the node is not battery
powered.
The primary advantage of Wi-Fi is the ability to move data at high speeds and this makes it attractive for
providing the link to a remote host. The Wi-Fi link will have the ability of higher bandwidth and a lower
recurring cost than a cellular connection. To use a Wi-Fi link however the device must have access to a
router with Internet access within transceiver range, which will typically be less than 200 meters.
Cellular links have much greater range and take advantage of existing infrastructure. There may be
applications where implementing both cellular and Wi-Fi connections in a bridge applies as this provides
optional access that can be selected during installation or by the application at run time. This dual mode
bridge also provides a redundant path for uplink if the preferred connection is not available.

What form factors are Wi-Fi interfaces available in and how is a solution chosen?
Wi-Fi interfaces are available from Arrow in chipset level, module level and box level form factors.
Whether you choose a fully certified Wi-Fi module, design your own solution using an embedded
module from one of our suppliers, or seek a chipset solution, please speak to an Arrow representative to
discuss which solution is right for your application.
Chipset Wi-Fi interface design is for very high volume applications, typically 300K or greater Estimated
Annual Usage (EAU). Chipset designs provide the smallest footprint solution, lowest Bill Of Materials
(BOM) cost, but also has the highest Non-Reoccurring Engineering (NRE) cost and the highest
compliance testing cost of the three solutions listed above. Chipset designs also have the greatest design
risk and the longest project schedule. Only the most advanced companies with expertise in wireless

design should attempt a chip level design. To help clients with little to no experience in this discipline,
Arrow has design services partners who are experts in chip level design.
One of the most common approaches to adding Wi-Fi connectivity to your product is through the use of
a certified module. Certified modules offer a small footprint solution, a low BOM cost and a moderate
NRE and compliance testing cost. Time to market is generally faster with a certified module, as the
design risk is lower than a chip level design, and compliance testing is a subset of what is required in a
chipset design. Implementing an FCC/CE certified module is easier than a chipset, but it is not as easy as
simply connecting power and antenna to the module. When exploring a module solution chose a
module vendor who offers technical support and good and complete design documentation to ensure
success.
Arrow offers third party design service companies that are experts at wireless system design and
certification testing services. For those who wish to proceed independently, setting up a consulting
arrangement with a design service firm is a good way to have a technical expert on speed dial. This is
especially important if the product will employ multiple radios such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular
concurrently in the product design.
A box level Wi-Fi solution provides the quickest time to market for implementing Wi-Fi connectivity.
Most terminal box solutions can connect to a device via a serial UART or USB connection. Box level
solutions are the highest cost solution of the three listed, but are the fastest time to market and lowest
design risk solution. There will not be any wireless certification test required for the box level solution, if
the selected product is pre-certified. Box level solutions are also ideally suited for updating legacy
hardware deployed in the field where the cost to retrofit existing hardware is cost prohibitive or
impossible.

What types of interfaces are needed for a Wi-Fi module?

The Wi-Fi module will require DC power, a bi-directional digital interface and an antenna connection.
The digital interface is typically a serial UART connection, Secure Digital (SDIO), Serial Peripheral
Interface (SPI) or USB. The SDIO, SPI or USB connection will be required to support high data throughput
applications. The digital interface will be connected to the system processor in the device. Driver
software, provided by the module manufacturer, will be required to be built in the system processor
firmware to provide data and command processing. If the module does not have an integrated antenna,
a coaxial cable connection is provided to connect the module to the external antenna.

What certification tests are typically required for a Wi-Fi module level implementation?
Most commercially available Wi-Fi modules are certified for operation in the US, Canada and the
European Union. If the module is implemented per the manufacturers recommendations including the
antenna connection, and there are no other radios in the device, the module manufacturers
certification can likely be used at the product level. Certification testing would be only necessary as
directed by the remainder of the design. If radios other than the Wi-Fi interface are used in the device, a
unique FCC identification will be required and a customized certification test plan will be required. FCC
Part 15.247 is the predominant test specification used for US certification of a Wi-Fi module. Arrow,
through its certification partner-experts can assist on identifying certification requirements early in the
development process.

With several 802.11 communication standards available (a/b/g/n), which is recommended for
M2M applications?
Most available modules support b/g/n standards and several supports 802.11 a/b/g/n, so from a
hardware perspective the module itself will work with all possible, available routers. 802.11 b/g is the
most common protocol used with 802.11n also increasing in availability. The data rates supported with
b/g will be sufficient for most M2M applications. 802.11n provides operational advantages of higher
data throughput, greater range and robust link quality, and enables greater network utilization. Using
multiple antennas further increases data rate and range.

Arrow Machine-to-Machine Solutions

Arrow's M2M Solutions offer wireless expertise, a vast selection of products from world-class suppliers,
unmatched M2M engineering support, comprehensive services and renowned supply chain
management capabilities. Arrow's Solutions can be tapped at any point, from concept to production,
and at each step of your design cycle to maximize efficiencies and streamline your journey to market.

Contact Us Today!
Call 1-800-833-3557 to speak with your local Arrow M2M representative, or visit
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