When it comes to wireless technology, there are a lot of options. You can use cordless telephones, cellular phones or Bluetooth technology, which is commonly used in small consider devices like speakers and fitness trackers to communicate data between your phone and these pieces of hardware.
One of the most popular wireless technologies is OFDM, which stands for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing. OFDM works by using a large spectrum and splitting it into many smaller channels. These channels are called sub-carriers and they can carry different types of information, including RF signals, audio or video data. This is an efficient and effective way to transmit data because it allows for higher-speed transmissions and increased spectral efficiency.
As the number of sub-carriers is increased, the signal becomes more robust to interference. This is because only the sub-carriers experiencing multipath are affected and data loss is minimal. Additionally, the fact that each sub-carrier carries redundant copies of sent symbols means that even with poor channel conditions, it is possible to recover the original data stream.
OFDM is also more resilient to narrow-band interference than traditional CDMA systems. This is because OFDM divides the signal into numerous sinusoidal, closely spaced signals that are orthogonal to each other. As a result, it is simpler to perform channel equalization for OFDM transmitters and receivers than for single-carrier systems that don't use orthogonality.
As a result of these innovations, OFDM has become a key component in the development of WiFi 6. To learn more about what is OFDM and how it's being used to improve WiFi 6, check out this excellent explainer video from Devin Akin at Extreme Networks.
