Assignment #2 (RF Engineering and MAC layer I)

1. What is the purpose of a beacon in a BSS (2 marks)

2. Explain (with a diagram) why the Free-Space Power Loss is an inverse function of distance
squared (3 marks)
a. Give the formula for received power density after transmission by an isotropic antenna.
(1 mark)
b. How does this change if the antenna has directionality? (2 marks)
3. Where does the 6dB rule get its name from and why isnt it called the 3dB rule instead? (2
marks)
4. Jim gets paid 6dB above the noise floor (which Ill define as the average salary of everyone in
the company) but Jane gets paid 10dB more than Jim (she is the CEO and economic times are
good!). After Jims promotion, he is given a 3dB increase. Because of new harder economic
times and cost-cutting measures, Janes salary has to be attenuated 6dB, after Jims raise. What
are the approximate (within a few dollars) final salaries of both employees, if the average salary,
taken over all employees in the company, is $30,000 per year? What is the difference in their
new salaries now (in dB)? (4 marks)

5. A new 5.8GHz quarter-wave whip (resonant monopole with a length chosen as 0.25 times the
carrier frequency wavelength) antenna is designed with a strong directional component (see
diagram above showing an isotropic antenna in green and the new arrangement in red). This is
done by taking an isotropic monopole antenna (pointing straight upwards) and combining it
with a special parabolic reflector. With the new reflector in place, the antenna gain is
maximized in the horizontal plane at 0 degrees (aligned with due North). If the new antenna
and reflector are located in the dead centre of Ottawa (45.4214 N, 75.6919 W).
a. What are the exact co-ordinates of the location where the signal is the strongest?
Specify latitude, longitude and height above the ground. (2 marks)
b. What is the signal strength of a signal (transmitted into the antenna at a level of 0dBm)
at 10m due South of the antenna? (4 marks)

c. If the sugary surface of the donut (image taken from www.tripadvisor.ca Tim Hortons)
in the picture represents an approximation of the signal strength from the antenna,
draw the orientation of the whip/monopole antenna relative to the donut/toroid shape.
(2 marks)
6. You have been assigned to work on the disaster relief team in Japan at a recent volcano
eruption site. Your job is to establish a WLAN for the emergency personnel who must work all
around the volcano. The winds shift often, requiring teams to move away from dangerous
sulphur gas emissions. Therefore, full 360 degree internet access is required around the
mountain (which you can model as a cone-shaped pyramid with a maximum height of 300m).
You brought a big bag full of IEEE 802.11g 2.4GHz access points (Cisco Aironet 1200 devices)
with you, but it turns out that only one can be connected to a DSL landline to provide WAN
access. Assume that the diameter of the mountain at the base is 750m and there is a single
dense (roughly semi-circular and impenetrable) wooded area occupying 300m of the
circumference of a part of the mountain. This forest does not require coverage and RF signals
are attenuated 200dB during signal propagation by the trees and their leaves.
a. Draw a diagram of your proposed network and explain the network deployment details
(i.e. locations of APs). Give a detailed link budget for a representative link in your
network, including all suitable factors. You can assume that ash in the air behaves like
rain and that there are no other obstacles involved. You can also make (and state)
reasonable assumptions about transmitted power and antenna configurations (e.g. use
the Cisco Aironet 1200 specifications; see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-1200-access-
point/product_data_sheet09186a00800937a6.html ). (4 marks)
b. How many access points do you need and how are they all configured (i.e. what
topology modes)? (2 marks)
c. Estimate the theoretical throughput, assuming a single user is downloading data at the
access point located furthest from the root device (i.e. the one attached to the WAN).
(2 marks)
d. Would you expect to get this throughput? Under what conditions? (2 marks)
e. Suggest something that you can you do to improve performance and explain any
required trade-offs (2 marks)
Note: This question, like many real-life situations, has multiple answers. I want to see evidence
that you can create a link budget properly and that you understand what weve been doing in
the labs too. It is not necessary to find the optimal design, but placing Access points every 2m
around the mountain will not be acceptable as a solution either. That would be a very big bag of
devices to bring with you on the plane to Japan!
7. Explain the hidden node problem and how it might arise.
a. Explain two different ways that such a problem could be solved. (2 marks)
b. Explain how the RTS/CTS solution works as well as the advantages and disadvantages of
the method. The RTS/CTS approach is often only used when longer wireless packets are
being transmitted. Why only then? (3 marks)
8. When downloading a 4.7GB video movie over a WLAN, why is fragmentation required or
advantageous? What are the disadvantages of fragmentation? Why is fragmentation important
in a wireless network? (3 marks)

9. Consider the diagram above.
a. What is the received power level (in mW) at the IR point of the receiver? (2 marks)
b. If the distance between the receiver and the wall is quadrupled, what is the new
received power (in dBm) (2 marks)
c. If a margin of 10dB is required, what is the required sensitivity of the receiver (in dBm)?
(2 marks)

10. Draw a protocol diagram like the one above (with time going down the page, taken from
http://www.faqs.org/patents/img/20090216898_04.png) for an IEEE 802.11 wireless data
transfer between two parties, illustrating five different inter-frame spacing parameters. Define
these parameters in words, explaining the role that they play in resolving contention issues (7
marks).