In the digital era, wireless communication has become an indispensable part of our lives. With the advent of Wi-Fi 7, we usher in a new era of wireless connectivity. The upgrade to this standard completely revolutionizes our expectations for speed, efficiency, and connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 represents the next generation of Wi-Fi standards, corresponding to the upcoming release of the new revision standard IEEE 802.11be – Extremely High Throughput (EHT). Building upon Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 introduces technologies such as 320MHz bandwidth, 4096-QAM, Multi-RU, multi-link operation, enhanced MU-MIMO, and multi-AP coordination. These advancements enable Wi-Fi 7 to provide higher data transfer rates and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi 6. The theoretical throughput of Wi-Fi 7 is expected to support up to 46Gbps, roughly more than four times that of Wi-Fi 6.
Analysis of Key Features of WIFI 7:
Maximum 320MHz bandwidth：
The 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, being unlicensed spectra, are limited and congested. Existing Wi-Fi encounters inevitable low Quality of Service (QoS) issues when running emerging applications such as VR/AR. In order to achieve a maximum throughput goal of no less than 46Gbps, WIFI 7 will continue to introduce the 6GHz frequency band. It will also add new bandwidth modes, including continuous 240MHz, non-continuous 160+80MHz, continuous 320MHz, and non-continuous 160+160MHz. This represents more than a fourfold increase compared to the previous generation, providing robust support for high-demand applications such as 4K and 8K video (with potential transmission rates of up to 20Gbps), VR/AR, gaming (with latency requirements below 5ms), remote work, online video conferencing, and scenarios involving cloud computing.
Multi-RU Mechanism:
In WIFI 6, each user can only send or receive frames on the specific RU (Resource Unit) assigned to them, significantly limiting the flexibility of spectrum resource scheduling. To address this issue and further enhance spectrum efficiency, WIFI 7 defines a mechanism that allows the allocation of multiple RUs to a single user. Of course, to balance the complexity of implementation and spectrum utilization, the protocol imposes certain restrictions on the combination of RUs. Specifically, small-sized RUs (less than 242-Tone RUs) can only be combined with other small-sized RUs, and large-sized RUs (242-Tone RUs and above) can only be combined with other large-sized RUs. Mixing small-sized RUs and large-sized RUs is not allowed.
4096-QAM modulation technology：
The 4096-QAM modulation technology of WiFi 7 opens up a new frontier in transmission, with each modulation symbol carrying 12 bits of information. Under the same encoding, compared to WiFi 6's 1024-QAM, it achieves a 20% increase in speed. This means that more data can be transmitted in the same amount of time, providing you with a faster and more stable connection experience.
Multi-Link Mechanism：
WiFi 7 not only supports a wider spectrum but also introduces the Multi-Link mechanism to maximize the utilization of available spectrum resources. The working group has defined technologies related to Multi-Link aggregation, including enhanced Multi-Link aggregation MAC architecture, Multi-Link channel access, and Multi-Link transmission. These technologies aim to provide a more reliable and efficient wireless connection.
Support for more data streams, enhanced MIMO functionality：
The powerful MIMO capabilities of WiFi 7 propel your connection to new heights. Supporting more data streams, from 8 to 16, theoretically doubling the physical transmission rate. Additionally, the introduction of distributed MIMO enables multiple access points to collaborate, delivering a more robust and stable wireless connection.
Support for collaborative scheduling among multiple Access Points (APs)：
Currently, within the 802.11 protocol framework, there is limited collaboration among Access Points (APs). WiFi 7 not only focuses on the performance of individual access points but also introduces collaborative scheduling among multiple APs. The collaborative scheduling in WiFi 7 includes coordinated planning in both time and frequency domains within cell boundaries, interference coordination within cell boundaries, and distributed MIMO. This can effectively reduce interference among APs, greatly enhancing the utilization of air interface resources.
The launch of WiFi 7 signifies a leap forward in the field of wireless communication, providing stronger and more efficient support for digital living and innovative applications. As experts in the wireless communication domain, Shenzhen Ofeixin Technology Co., Ltd. has successfully developed the WiFi 7 module. Our O7851PM WiFi 7 module, based on the independently developed WCN7851 chip from Qualcomm, is a significant innovation, encompassing all the functionalities of WiFi 7. Stay tuned for our latest achievements!
