Power Saving Mechanisms in IEEE 802.11ay protocol

Does IEEE 802.11ay support power saving mechanisms?

Yes, 802.11ay enhances traditional power saving methods with improvements for directional communication and beamforming.

What types of power saving modes are supported in 802.11ay?

It supports legacy Power Save Mode (PSM), Unscheduled and Scheduled Service Periods, and Beamforming-Aware Power Save.

How does directional communication affect power saving?

Beamformed links reduce idle listening and allow targeted wake-ups, improving energy efficiency.

Is Target Wake Time (TWT) used in 802.11ay?

Yes, 802.11ay leverages TWT to allow devices to sleep until scheduled transmissions, minimizing power use.

How do scheduled access periods support power efficiency?

Devices can enter sleep mode outside their allocated transmission periods, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

What is Beamforming-Aware Power Save in 802.11ay?

Devices can coordinate sleep cycles around beam training and transmission schedules for maximum energy savings.

Can 802.11ay devices enter deep sleep states?

Yes, if there is no expected traffic, devices can enter deep sleep until their next scheduled wake-up.

Does 802.11ay use DTIM or TIM like earlier standards?

Yes, similar mechanisms exist but are enhanced with directional awareness and scheduling granularity.

How is multicast handled in power save mode?

APs buffer multicast data and deliver it during designated Delivery Traffic Indication Message (DTIM) intervals.

Do all devices in a BSS follow the same power save schedule?

No, TWT enables per-device power save scheduling, allowing more flexibility and efficiency.

What challenges exist for power saving in 60 GHz band?

High path loss and beam alignment overhead make efficient scheduling and sleeping critical for power conservation.

Is there support for power save in Point-to-Multipoint topologies?

Yes, 802.11ay supports power saving coordination even in P2MP setups using sectorized scheduling.

Can power save mechanisms be applied to high-throughput applications?

Yes, TWT and beam scheduling allow high-speed devices to sleep when idle, balancing performance and power.

How does sleep signaling work in 802.11ay?

Devices indicate power save status through control frames and follow negotiated TWT schedules.

Are there energy efficiency gains over 802.11ad?

Yes, 802.11ay introduces more advanced and flexible power saving mechanisms, particularly with TWT and beam control.

Do client devices need to support all power saving modes?

No, support depends on device capabilities and negotiated features with the AP.

What is the role of the AP in coordinating power save?

The AP manages buffered traffic, TWT schedules, and beamforming sessions to optimize network-wide power usage.

Can TWT improve battery life in IoT devices?

Yes, especially for devices with predictable low-duty-cycle traffic, TWT significantly reduces energy use.

How does 802.11ay balance performance and power save?

By enabling fine-grained scheduling, directional transmissions, and intelligent sleep strategies without sacrificing throughput.

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