Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1313794
16 Designing for Next Gen Wi-Fi Applications Have you ever wondered why your phone has three radios (LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®), while your tablet and computer typically have two (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®)? For that matter, why do you know names like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® and LTE? What about 5G or Zigbee? At the same time that wireless data-communication technology and standards are still in development, new standards and proprietary technologies (like Zigbee) are clamoring for attention. How do we separate the noise from what is real and important? Should consumers care about any of this? Figure 1 offers an impression of the variety of wireless technologies that play a role in our daily lives. Despite all the marketing chatter, it is relatively easy to look at the bigger picture and understand where things are going. And as it is often the case, it can be helpful to remind ourselves how we got to where we are today. Maybe a Little Bit of Technology First There are only three things of overriding importance in radio technology, and we experience them all in our daily lives. These three things are range, data rate, and power. We experience range as our phone is connected to a base station (or not), or when our laptop is connected to the router at home, or when our headset is connected to our phone. And we all know from experience what happens if a device gets "out of range." We are also quite familiar with data rate, particularly when we watch videos or listen to music. Wi-Fi has been the king of data rate until now, but we have been able to receive similar data rates with LTE and 5G—though perhaps at a higher price. Finally, while we have grown accustomed to regularly recharging our phones and laptops, we are reminded of the importance of power consumption in those annoying moments when we discover that our smaller devices, like headsets or Fitbits, are not charged when we are ready to use them. These three items fit together in an interesting way, a sort of basic law of physics. Try to improve one, and the two others must give way. Of course, general overall improvements have been made over time on all three, but the relationship between them is the same. For instance, if you want increased data rate, then you must either lose range or increase the output power. Wi-Fi today, with its higher speeds (data rate), has less range than in 5G or .11ax? Cees Links GM of Qorvo Wireless Connectivity Business Unit, Formerly Founder & CEO of GreenPeak Technologies Qorvo at CES 2020: Wi-Fi 6 is enabling the smart home ▲