A technology that expands the range of Wi-Fi connections by more than 60 meters will be developed.


by

mohamed hassan

A research group at Brigham Young University (BYU) announced that it has developed software-based technology that significantly extends the communicable distance of Wi-Fi enabled devices. According to the experimental results, the distance that can be installed from the Wi-Fi access point has been extended by more than 60m.

BYU-created software could significantly extend Wi-Fi range for smart-home devices
https://news.byu.edu/byu-created-software-could-significantly-extend-wi-fi-range-for-smart-home-devices

BYU researchers extend WiFi range by 200 feet with a software upgrade | Engadget
https://www.engadget.com/2019/10/22/wifi-onpc-protocol/

In order for a device to connect to Wi-Fi, it is necessary to receive a beacon signal sent from an access point. The beacon signal contains information such as the speed supported by the SSID and access point, and the communication rate is at least 1 Mbps. For this reason, the range within which Wi-Fi connection is possible is the range where communication with an access point at 1 Mbps or higher is possible.


by

MIKI Yoshihito

However, according to Philip Landligan, an associate professor who studies computer engineering at BYU, many Wi-Fi compatible devices that only require on / off information, such as door sensors, air quality monitors, and sprinkler systems, are at least 1-bit information. It is said that it is enough just to communicate. The research team devised a new Wi-Fi protocol called ' On-Off Noise Power Communication (ONPC)'.

In addition to data communication, the ONPC protocol transmits wireless signals from Wi-Fi compatible devices. Since the ONPC protocol signal is a combination of 1 and 0 in a specific pattern, it can be easily identified from the wireless noise emitted by other electronic devices such as computers and televisions. Even if the device is not communicating data, the access point receives the 1 and 0 signals sent from the device, and the device's Wi-Fi connection is maintained.

The minimum communication rate required to maintain Wi-Fi is 1 bps, which is 1 / 1,000,000. “The ONPC protocol basically sends and receives 1-bit information that the device is alive,” says Neil Patauri of the University of Washington who is participating in the research.

The research team reports that it has succeeded in extending the range of Wi-Fi communication of commercial devices by 67m from the past by implementing an application to manage the ONPC protocol on the device.



Researchers believe that the innovation of the ONPC protocol may further expand the range of Wi-Fi and LoRa communication. “The really great thing about the ONPC protocol is that everything is software-based,” says Landrigan. “Theoretically, with a simple software update, almost every Wi-Fi enabled device Protocol can be implemented. '

However, the research team clearly states that the ONPC protocol is not a replacement for long-range wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi and LoRa, but rather complements Wi-Fi communication. Note that even if the range of Wi-Fi expands, the communication speed itself does not increase.

in Software, Posted by log1i_yk