802.11ay MAC Functions

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.

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.

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.

Does the MAC support multi-user communication?

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

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.

What frame types does the MAC manage?

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

How does MAC support power saving in 802.11ay?

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

Is fragmentation supported by the MAC?

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

How does MAC ensure data integrity?

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

How does the MAC layer handle QoS?

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

Does the MAC layer support multi-link operation?

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

How is device association managed at the MAC?

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

How are collisions avoided in the MAC?

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

Does the MAC handle beam training signaling?

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

How does MAC manage frame sequencing?

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

Are acknowledgments mandatory in MAC?

Yes, ACK frames confirm successful frame reception for reliability.

How does MAC handle broadcast and multicast frames?

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

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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