After the read, you will learn about:
What is Wi-Fi 7?
Comparison of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7 improvements
WI-FI 7 for the RF front-end market
Is WIFI7 really reliable?
Why?
Wi-Fi 7 is coming soon after 5G is used?
There is no fastest, only faster. As soon as WIFI 6 became popular, WIFI 7 came.
Following the launch of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), the new 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput) standard was proposed, and the WIFI Alliance will name the 802.11be standard WIFI 7.
What is Wi-Fi 7?
The seventh-generation Wi-Fi 7 wireless network has a speed of up to 30 Gbits per second, which is three times the maximum rate of Wi-Fi 6 at 9.6Gbps. Compared to Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 will introduce CMU-MIMO technology to support up to 16 data streams;
Wi-Fi 7 will support the traditional 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, and will also add support for the 6 GHz frequency band, and three frequency bands can work simultaneously.
1. Comparison of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7
The development of the technology circle is getting faster and faster. While we are still waiting for Wi-Fi 6 terminals to become widely available, the seventh-generation Wi-Fi 7 technology has been arranged, and the maximum rate of Wi-Fi 7 can reach 30Gbps.
The main improvement of Wi-Fi6 is that its QAM modulation accuracy is doubled, which makes a single device faster, and introduces OFDMA technology, which can accommodate more device connections; in addition, Wi-Fi6 also introduces BSS coloring technology, which can reduce signal interference between routers;
At the same time, because the protocol introduces a target wake-up time design, it can reduce Wi-Fi power consumption. Compared with the Wi-Fi5 routers that most families are using, the maximum potential speed of Wi-Fi6 will be 40% higher than the former, which greatly improves the data transmission speed.
Take the home network hub router as an example. Wi-Fi6 allows the router to communicate with more devices at the same time and also allows the router to transmit data to multiple devices in the same broadcast, which makes the interaction between smart homes smoother and smarter.
At the same time, because Wi-Fi 6 supports the latest security protocol WP3, it is more difficult for hackers to decipher, which greatly improves the security level of Wi-Fi.
2. Wi-Fi7 improvements
The most likely to become Wi-Fi 7 is the IEEE 802.11be standard under development. Compared with Wi-Fi6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi7 is expected to have the following improvements:
2.1 More data flow
Wi-Fi7 supports more data streams and introduces CMU-MIMO. Wi-Fi6 supports up to 8 data streams, and the introduction of MU-MIMO is a major upgrade, allowing multiple devices to simultaneously use multiple data streams to communicate with access points. Wi-Fi7 will double this number, and the device can support 16 data streams. Supporting more data streams will also bring more powerful features CMU-MIMO.
Among them, C stands for Coordinated, which means that 16 data streams may not be provided by one access point, but by multiple access points at the same time.
CMU-MIMO is a new feature that caters to the development direction of multiple access points in wireless networks.
In order to expand the coverage of the Wi-Fi network, Mesh networking is often used, which actually increases the number of access points; and CMU-MIMO allows users to make full use of the extra access points and divert 16 data streams to Work at the same time in different access points.
2.2 Three frequency bands work simultaneously
Wi-Fi7 also introduces a new 6GHz frequency band, and the three frequency bands work simultaneously. As we all know, Wi-Fi6 can use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands at the same time, and another upgraded version of it, namely Wi-Fi 6E, introduces a new 6GHz frequency band.
Wi-Fi7 will continue to use this new frequency band, and strive to achieve the goal of using three frequency bands for communication at the same time, so as to obtain a larger communication bandwidth to increase its own rate, and will also expand the width of a single channel, starting from Wi-Fi6 The 160MHz is doubled to 320MHz.
2.3 Greater data capacity
Wi-Fi7 upgraded the signal modulation method to 4096QAM to have a larger data capacity. Wireless technology will of course involve signal modulation.
In 802.11ax, the standard uses 1024-QAM modulation. Wi-Fi7 is expected to continue to upgrade the modulation method and directly use 4096-QAM to further expand the transmission data capacity, which is the highest Lay a good foundation for the 30Gbps.
2.4 More comfortable and smart connected experience
On the application level, if the transmission speed of Wi-Fi7 can really reach 30Gbps, it can bring users a smoother and faster transmission experience, because it has a larger coverage area and effectively reduces transmission congestion. More powerfully boost the popularization of 8K products.
From the user’s point of view, Wi-Fi7 makes 8K video online playback no longer a dream, and users will get a better audio-visual experience.
In addition, faster transmission speeds will definitely extend more smart product functions and experiences, such as artificial intelligence interaction and home smart control, to solve the current consumer pain points in these areas and obtain a more comfortable smart experience.
In the WI-FI 7 standard, the 6G frequency band will be added to broaden the bandwidth of network transmission. WI-FI 7 can work in 2.4G, 5G, and 6G at the same time. Combined with CMU-MIMO technology, WIFI 7 can theoretically reach up to 30Gbps network transmission. Speed the highest network transmission speed of WiFi 6 are only 9.6Gbps.
In 802.11ax, which is WI-FI 6, the standard uses 1024-QAM modulation, while 802.11be (WI-FI 7) is expected to continue to upgrade the modulation method and directly use 4096-QAM, which will expand the transmission data capacity to a maximum rate of 30Gbps Lay the foundation.
However, WI-FI 7 is not perfect. For example, the 320MHz ultra-high frequency bandwidth of WI-FI 7 can only be achieved with the help of the new 6 GHz wireless frequency band. This means that in the frequency band compatible with WiFi 6, 802.11be cannot achieve the maximum speed; and in the wireless frequency band where the 802.11be technology is truly full-speed, it is actually not backward compatible with previous WiFi standards.
And if you want to really enjoy the network bandwidth that the technology claims is up to 30Gbps, you need a super wireless network card with 16 antennas, and secondly, you need to buy a wireless router with 16 antennas.
The reason for the need for such high-spec equipment is that 802.11be doubles the number of concurrent data streams (MIMO) from the current generation’s 8 to 16 at most. The second is that 802.11be has added collaborative multi-user multiple inputs and multiple outputs (CMU). -MIMO) function.
3. WI-FI 7 for the RF front-end market
Different wifi technologies have different requirements for RF products. The more you go to WIFI 6, WIFI 7, the higher the requirements for the RF front-end, and the higher the requirements for the process.
WI-FI 4, 802.11n:
2.4G routers have entered thousands of households, and the opportunity for RF front-end is 2.4G FEM, which is mainly due to the demand for high power. Low and medium power have been integrated. Skyworks and Qorvo no longer update this standard product. Early products use arsenic. Gallium process.
WI-FI 5, 802.11ac:
This standard introduced the 5.8GHz frequency band and turned on 2.4G and 5.8G dual-band routers. There are 2.4G FEM and 5.8G FEM for RF front-end opportunities.
2.4G FEM, each router will add it at the beginning, and then the output power of the RF front-end integrated into the router platform can reach 19-20dBm, basically not adding it. Skyworks has provided 2.4G FEM with gallium arsenide and 2.4G FEM with silicon-germanium (SiGe) process. Qorvo adheres to the gallium arsenide process.
5.8G FEM, 7 years ago Skyworks first launched the 5.8G FEM with a gallium arsenide process, with an output power of 20dBm@EVM-35dB. Later, I made a 2*2 packaged silicon-germanium (SiGe) process 5.8G FEM, which looked unsuccessful, the cost was good, and the performance was worse. Qovor insists on making gallium arsenide process 5.8G FEM. Later, the MTK platform adopted the DPD function to achieve 19dBm integrated 5.8G FEM output power, and the chance of adding 5.8G FEM was less.
WI-FI6, 802.11ax:
2.4G FEM, Skyworks, and Qorvo have all switched to the silicon-germanium (SiGe) process, and the performance tests are not bad. The best silicon-germanium (SiGe) process is GF, which is also the foundry chosen by foreign manufacturers. The silicon-germanium (SiGe) process has a high R&D cost and is difficult to design.
Domestic R&D talents familiar with this process are scarce. The advantage is that the simulation at the design stage is more accurate and the product consistency is high, but the cost is similar to that of gallium arsenide.
The FEM current developed by the silicon-germanium (SiGe) process is better. The gallium arsenide WI-FI 6 FEM developed by Sanwuwei is compared with the latest SKY FEM. The operating current of Sanwuwei FEM is 150mA@3.3V@DVM-43dB, while SKY FEM works The current is 135mA@3.3V@DVM-43dB, the difference is 15mA.
5.8G FEM, Skyworks, and Qorvo all use the gallium arsenide process. The experience of foreign research and development of these two processes is that both processes can be done, but the silicon-germanium (SiGe) process is always worse than the gallium arsenide process a little bit. With the higher requirements for design and performance, the silicon-germanium (SiGe) process becomes more inadequate and the gallium arsenide process has to be adopted.
In terms of the WIFI6 main chip technology, especially the underlying software protocol, MTK still has a gap with Qualcomm and Broadcom. The gap between domestic chip manufacturers is even greater. It is already very good that the domestic WI-FI 6 main chip can be mass-produced in 2 years.
The advantages of MTK are also obvious. The technology is balanced. It is very good in baseband chips, software protocols, radio frequency transceivers, radio frequency front-end technologies, etc., especially in the world’s leading RF front-end technology.
Therefore, the MTK WI-FI 6 low-end solution does not need to use 2.4G WI-FI 6 FEM and 5.8G WI-FI 6 FEM, and the RF front-end is fully integrated to achieve power output. Qualcomm and Broadcom cannot do it, nor can other domestic manufacturers.
Of course, with the advent of WI-FI 6, the frequency bands of different countries have changed. China remains unchanged, and it is estimated that it will not change in the future. However, the United States and Brazil have expanded the WI-FI frequency band to 7.2GHz, and Japan may follow suit. Europe raised the frequency band to 6GHz.
Due to the change of frequency band, the WI-FI FEM front-end chip also needs to be changed. The higher the frequency, the wider the bandwidth, and the higher the design and process requirements. The process choice is still gallium arsenide. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the RF front-end to be integrated.
WI-FI 7, 802.11.be:
2.4G FEM, silicon germanium (SiGe) process and gallium arsenide process will all exist. 5.8G FEM, I personally think that it can only be a gallium arsenide process. It is more difficult for the main chip to integrate the RF front-end, and the FEM plug-in will be the mainstream.
The higher the frequency, the wider the bandwidth, and the faster the speed, the more difficult it is to develop the chip. The gallium arsenide process is relatively advantageous, so gallium arsenide will be the mainstream process and future direction of WIFI FEM.
Although MTK is very powerful and continues to challenge the integration of RF front-ends, the fact is that the market demand for WIFI FEM is not getting smaller, but larger. For the router market, the integration will not be mainstream.
With the continuous development of WIFI technology, market applications are becoming wider and wider, and the requirements for RF front-end are getting higher and higher, and there are many opportunities for RF front-end FEM.
Is WIFI7 really reliable?
Although from the current description, WI-FI 7 is an exciting technology, the question is, is it really Wi-Fi 7?
Please note that we do not deny that the next-generation WiFi standard will have a bandwidth specification of 30Gbps or even higher, but the next-generation WiFi standard and Wi-Fi 7 may not be directly equated.
Why?
Because there is more than one WiFi standard in the next era, Wi-Fi 7 is just a commercial symbol used by the WiFi Alliance to promote ordinary consumers. Which future standard will be used for Wi-Fi 7, at least for now is still inconclusive.
Even if Wi-Fi 7 is born, at the price of 11be, I am afraid that few people can afford it.
Speaking of WI-FI 6, which is equivalent to 5G, Wi-Fi 6 will become a must-have label for various mobile phone manufacturers to release new phones in 2020.
According to statistics, almost all domestic mobile phone manufacturers have released new products equipped with Wi-Fi 6 functions in the past three months. In the field of smart homes, Samsung’s world’s first Wi-Fi 6 TV has already come out, and more devices, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, are expected to add this label in the future.
Some people say that 2020 is the first year of Wi-Fi 6 commercialization. This technology, which has had no sense of existence for a long time, has begun to frequently appear on Weibo hot searches. On February 8, Lei Jun emphasized that Mi 10 is the first mobile phone that supports 8×8 MU-MIMO. MU-MIMO is a new feature of Wi-Fi 6, which can greatly accelerate the transmission speed.
It is worth mentioning that in order to enjoy the new network speed brought by Wi-Fi 6, the router must also be upgraded with the terminal equipment. Routers supporting Wi-Fi 6 will be intensively listed in the second half of 2019, but the price is as high as two to three thousand yuan.
By the first half of 2020, the price has dropped to a reasonable range of three to four hundred yuan, and the choices are becoming more and more diverse. Consumers want to experience the high speed of the new Wi-Fi standard, and the cost is already very low.
There is still a long way to go for WI-FI 7 to enter our lives.
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