Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

Written By: Xiang Lee, Wireless Product Manager, Keysight Technologies

Wi-Fi 7 represents a significant leap in wireless technology. It is engineered to triple the speeds of its predecessor, Wi-Fi 6, supporting a vast array of connected devices, from smart home systems to industrial IoT applications. The transformative power of this innovation lies in its ability to handle multiple high-bandwidth applications simultaneously.

All these technical advancements will drastically increase network complexity, which will lead to more challenges for tests and measurements. Wi-Fi clients and access point manufacturers need a solution that is capable of testing Wi-Fi 7 standards within complex network conditions.

Advancements in Wi-Fi 7 for Enhanced Connectivity

Previous Wi-Fi technologies relied on a maximum of 160 MHz channels at 5GHz, as seen in Figure 1. This limits its ability to support a higher amount of IoT devices in the network. Wi-Fi 7 raises that limit by doubling the channel bandwidth to 320 MHz and adding the 6 GHz band.

Fig. 1.  Wi-Fi 7’s maximum channel bandwidth in the 6 GHz band versus the 5 GHz band of Wi-Fi 6

In addition, Wi-Fi 7 employs 12-bit 4096 modulation instead of 10-bit 1024 modulation from Wi-Fi 6, as shown in Figure 2. For the first time, Wi-Fi will support Multi-Link Operation (MLO) which means devices can use all available bands and channels to transmit data simultaneously rather than relying on a single-channel operation, as shown in Figure 3. All these features enable Wi-Fi 7 to improve speed, latency, and capacity.

Fig. 2. Wi-Fi 6 1024 QAM modulation scheme vs. Wi-Fi 7 4096 QAM

Fig.3.  Single-link operation of Wi-Fi 6 versus MLO of Wi-Fi 7

RF Testing with signaling: Essential for Wi-Fi 7 Performance

The more advanced Wi-Fi 7 capabilities will enable growth in IoT adoption in both enterprise and household conditions. Higher IoT adoption will lead to more complex network conditions that will have a negative impact on network performance, hence worsening user experience. This is an inevitable fact of wireless technology evolution. With cellular, we have gone through this already.

One of the most effective solutions to ensure device performance under these conditions is to run RF testing with signalling. Data throughput testing is essential to confirm that devices can sustain sufficient data rates in a complex network condition. This testing is particularly vital in densely populated areas, such as stadiums, offices, factories, airports, and hospitals. The list goes on. Those places have numerous devices and different types of applications, which can lead to RF signal interference, making the identification and mitigation of such issues crucial for ensuring adequate performance.

As mentioned earlier, Wi-Fi 7 supports faster data rates, wider band channels, higher modulations, and MLO. RF tests can verify your devices and networks truly achieve and maintain these higher rates in real-world conditions. This ensures that Wi-Fi 7 devices can maintain consistent and reliable connectivity even when operating in multi-band scenarios. Additionally, Wi-Fi 7 devices need to comply with international standards and regulations for signal strength, spectrum usage, and non-interference with other services. This underscores the importance of RF testing with signalling in ensuring that Wi-Fi 7 fulfils its potential for faster, more efficient, and reliable wireless communication.

Another critical aspect of RF test with signalling in Wi-Fi 7 is managing network capacity and latency. These tests assess how the network copes with increased data loads, essential for maintaining low-latency communication in bandwidth-intensive applications like extended reality (XR) which includes augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR). Furthermore, in environments with dense wireless signals, Wi-Fi 7 devices must perform optimally without interference from other devices and networks. RF testing with signaling plays a key role in assessing devices’ ability to mitigate interference.

Impacts of Wi-Fi 7 Across Industries and Consumer Experiences

Fig. 4.  Interoperability Industrial IoT of the factory floor

Wi-Fi 7 promises significant improvements for both industries and consumers. For industries, it provides the necessary resources for tasks like real-time data analytics and the operation of autonomous systems, crucial in sectors like manufacturing and logistics. Many types of machines can be integrated into the Wi-Fi network to improve efficiency, productivity, and security, as shown in Figure 4.

Consumers will enjoy enhanced daily internet experiences, with reduced buffering times and faster download speeds. Household users can add more smart devices such as switches, locks, security cameras, and home appliances to their networks without experiencing a performance decline.

With Wi-Fi 7 and 5G technologies, the adoption of customer premises equipment (CPE) may drastically increase. CPEs convert 5G cellular signals to Wi-Fi signals. With them, there will be no more wires and drilling holes around your house to get the internet to your home anymore. They will deliver a seamless transition between cellular and Wi-Fi connections. For those types of scenarios, there will be additional tests to ensure excellent performance in cellular and Wi-Fi interworking.

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