Introduction
Since the last update to the Wi-fi standard, IEEE 802.11n, and the buzz about Wimax (IEEE 802.16), there seems to have been a lull in the development of new standards in the wireless space; but this quietude is misleading. There is significant activity taking place with respect to the framing and finalizing new standards that allow mobile users to access multiple HD-quality video streams on their digital devices. This brief will examine a few upcoming standards that offer the potential to allow the deployment of multi-megapixel video surveillance cameras on wireless networks.
What’s driving the move to new standards?
The nature of mobile device usage has changed dramatically, since the IEEE 802.11n Wireless LAN (WLAN) standard was ratified. Mobile users today demand the capability to stream multiple HD (High-Definition) video streams to and from their digital device. The change in the usage pattern has accelerated in the past couple of years thanks to the popularity of devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Tablets and smartphones support 3G/4G communications as well as Wi-fi connectivity. Given the steep charges for data usage over 3G/4G networks, users prefer to tether their devices to a Wi-fi network, wherever available, for Web-surfing. Given such a practice, the needs for additional bandwidth, longer range, and better wall-penetration, from Wi-fi networks, are driving the move to new standards.
The broad outlines of the quantitative norms for a new standard are as follows:
- Gigabit throughput
- Â Greater range and fewer dead spots
- Â Lower power consumption
There are three standards under finalisation that aim to meet the above norms (one or more of them):
- 5G WiFi – IEEE 802.11ac
- WiGig – IEEE 802.11ad
- TV White Space Frequencies – IEEE 802.22
5GÂ WiFi
5G WiFi will be the successor to IEEE 802.11n and is seen as the fifth generation of standards in Wi-Fi.
It differs from it in several key areas, in order to deliver the benefits of higher throuhput and greater range.
What is interesting is that several features that were designated optional in 802.11n – features that were included as 802.11n evolved, and were mandatory for the High-Throughput (HT) version of 802.11n – are mandatory in 802.11ac.
The maximum bandwidth per spatial stream, in 5G WiFi is 433 Mbps (as compared to 150 Mbps in 802.11n), and with a 3×3 antenna configuration (typically used in notebooks), 5G WiFi can deliver up to 1.3 Gbps of raw bandwidth: significantly higher than 802.11n. On-field data rates may end up being ½ or â…“ of that figure.
The first 5G WiFi devices are expected to debut in the second half of this year, and widespread adoption will happen over the next three years.
WiGig
Unlike 5G WiFi, WiGig is a line-of-sight wireless standard delivering multi-giagbit wireless throughput to PCs, handheld digital devices, consumer electronics, and aimed at the consumer’s living room or any room with multimedia devices. It is expected complement the 5G WiFi standard; with digital devices using WiGig over short distances, indoors (within a room), and 5G WiFi over longer distances, indoors and outdoors.
WiGig uses the 60 GHz band of the spectrum to deliver a throughput of up to 7 Gbps. The advantage of the 60 GHz band is that it has much more bandwidth available (6 – 7 GHz) and it is a lot less crowded than the lower bands. The disadvantage is that higher band frequencies do not propogate as well as the lower band frequencies; meaning that range is significantly lower. WiGig is designed to be backward compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Like 5G WiFi, WiGig supports beam-forming, thereby enabling communications up to distances of 10 metres.
The use-cases for WiGig are summarised in the schematic below and, as can be seen, the standard plans to cover a variety of digital devices.
The IEEE 802.11ad standard is expected to get ratified early next year, but the first chipset supporting WiGig was released at the just concluded CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Las Vegas (USA), a couple of weeks back. Most WiGig solutions will support a tri-band radio, to allow the device to connect at either WiGig speeds or to a traditional Wi-Fi network.
TV White Space Frequencies or Super Wi-fi
IEEE 802.22 is a standard for Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN) using unused or white spaces in the TV frequency spectrum (VHF/UHF). The standard exploits Cognitive Radio techniques to ensure that no interference is caused to TV services when the white spaces are used. IEEE 802.22 is the first wireless standard based on the cognitive radio concept.
A cognitive radio is a type of two-way radio that automatically changes its transmission or reception parameters – radio frequency spectrum, user behaviour, network state – through active monitoring, so that the wireless communication network, of which it is a node, communicates efficiently; while avoiding interference with licensed and license-exempt users. The two main types of cognitive radios are Full Cognitive Radio and Spectrum-Sensing Cognitive Radio, and IEEE 802.22 uses Spectrum-Sensing Cognitive Radio concepts in its implementation.
In the USA, IEEE 802.22 is targeted at providing broadband wireless access in rural and remote areas; but this may not be the case in other geographies. For example, in India there is still a search going on for a cost-effective broadband wireless solution in cities and towns. IEEE 802.22, potentially, looks like a standard that has the potential to address broadband wireless requirements over a wide range of user requirements.
Conclusion
The three standards covered above – WiGig, 5G Wi-Fi, and Super Wi-Fi –offer wireless connectivity over the area of a room, a house, and a city, respectively; at higher data rates or lower power consumption. These new standards hold a lot of promise for the wider adoption of wireless networks for video-intensive applications; one of which is multi-megapixel IP video surveillance. It will be a couple of years before these standards become mainstream, but that should not be a deterrent to potential users, today, to looking at evaluating these technologies.
Mistral offers a wireless IP video surveillance camera solution, based on the IEEE 802.11n standard. As and when devices based on the above standards become commercially available, Mistral will offer its IP video surveillance solution them.
