802.11ay MAC Functions
=========================


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        **What are the primary responsibilities of the MAC layer in 802.11ay?**

        The MAC layer manages frame delimiting, addressing, error detection, medium access control, and retransmissions.

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        **How does the MAC layer handle directional communication in 802.11ay?**

        It coordinates beamforming training, antenna selection, and directional frame transmission to optimize link quality.

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        **What access method does the MAC use in 802.11ay?**

        Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) adapted for directional transmissions and beamforming.

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        **Does the MAC support multi-user communication?**

        Yes, 802.11ay MAC includes mechanisms to schedule and coordinate multi-user MIMO and multi-link operation.

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        **How are retransmissions handled at the MAC layer?**

        Lost or corrupted frames are detected via ACK/NACK and retransmitted following the backoff and timing rules.

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        **What frame types does the MAC manage?**

        It handles management, control, and data frames, supporting association, authentication, and QoS.

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        **How does MAC support power saving in 802.11ay?**

        MAC coordinates sleep/wake cycles and manages buffering notifications to conserve device power.

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        **Is fragmentation supported by the MAC?**

        Yes, the MAC supports fragmentation and reassembly to improve transmission reliability for large packets.

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        **How does MAC ensure data integrity?**

        It uses Frame Check Sequence (FCS) for error detection and requests retransmission when errors occur.

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        **How does the MAC layer handle QoS?**

        It implements Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) and traffic prioritization for latency-sensitive applications.

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        **Does the MAC layer support multi-link operation?**

        Yes, MAC manages communication across multiple frequency channels or links to boost throughput.

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        **How is device association managed at the MAC?**

        MAC handles association requests and responses, maintaining connection state and credentials.

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        **How are collisions avoided in the MAC?**

        Using CSMA/CA with directional sensing and backoff timers adapted for mmWave characteristics.

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        **Does the MAC handle beam training signaling?**

        Yes, MAC controls and sequences the beam training frames to align directional antennas.

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        **How does MAC manage frame sequencing?**

        It uses sequence numbers to ensure ordered delivery and detect duplicates.

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        **Are acknowledgments mandatory in MAC?**

        Yes, ACK frames confirm successful frame reception for reliability.

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        **How does MAC handle broadcast and multicast frames?**

        It manages delivery using specific timing and buffering mechanisms optimized for group communication.

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        **Can MAC functions be updated via firmware?**

        Yes, MAC protocol behavior can be enhanced or fixed through firmware updates, within standard compliance.


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        Topics in this section,

                * :ref:`Learnings in this section <mac_functions_step1>`

                * :ref:`Terminology <mac_functions_step2>`

                * :ref:`Version Info <mac_functions_step3>`
 
                * :ref:`mac_functions Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <mac_functions_step18>`

                * :ref:`Reference links <mac_functions_step17>`

.. _mac_functions_step1:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section

        * In this section, you are going to learn

.. _mac_functions_step2:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Terminology

       * Terminology


.. _mac_functions_step3:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Version Info

         * Version Info


.. _mac_functions_step18:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: mac_functions Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4

       * setup

 
.. _mac_functions_step17:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Reference links

       * Reference links