5G and Wi-Fi are communication technologies developed to address different application needs. While they seem to target different markets and requirements, they actually possess complementarity. If 5G and Wi-Fi technologies can be combined, they can leverage the respective strengths of each to expand their application areas and markets. This article will introduce the latest developments in 5G and Wi-Fi technologies, the application models of 5G CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), and the related solutions offered by companies like Arrow Electronics and Nordic.
The complementary combination of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 wireless communications
Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technology primarily used for indoor local area networks (LANs). It operates in unlicensed frequency bands to create dedicated networks and is a common wireless technology. Cellular networks, on the other hand, are used by major carriers and function as wide area networks (WANs) that can be used both indoors and outdoors, typically for long-distance communication.
Currently being widely promoted, Wi-Fi 6 is based on the IEEE 802.11ax standard. It offers four times the capacity of the previous generation, reduces latency by 75%, and provides almost triple the speed of its predecessor, Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6 also introduces mesh networking capabilities for local roaming and its low-power features make it suitable for battery-powered devices. Wi-Fi networks are the simplest and most prevalent form of networking technology, found in almost every household and office, connected to broadband services.
However, Wi-Fi 6 devices need to be used with access points that adhere to the Wi-Fi 6 standard to fully benefit from the speed, latency, and capacity improvements. There are currently two standards in the market: Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Both are based on the same 802.11ax standard, differing only in their operating frequency bands. Wi-Fi 6 operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 6 GHz band. The latest standard, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), is expected to be commercially available starting from 2024.
5G, on the other hand, is the latest cellular technology, offering speeds 50 times faster than 4G/LTE, 10 times lower latency, and 1,000 times higher capacity. This means that 5G will be able to connect more devices and transfer more data, resulting in fast connections and significantly enhanced user experiences.
Both Wi-Fi and 5G technologies offer complementary features. In terms of user experience, both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 can provide gigabit speeds and low latency. Due to the lower deployment, maintenance, and expansion costs of Wi-Fi (especially when access points need to serve more users), it will continue to dominate in home and enterprise environments. It provides strong support for numerous data-intensive devices such as personal computers, tablets, smartphones, streaming devices, TVs, and printers, all of which need to be connected to networks. Since 5G offers longer coverage, it will be used for mobile connections, such as smartphones. It will also be employed for applications like connected cars, smart city deployments, and even large-scale manufacturing operations.
Source: Infiniti HK
Powering the Future of IoT and Edge Devices
5G and Wi-Fi are two technologies that handle network management in distinct ways. Wi-Fi operates in unlicensed spectrum, allowing anyone to have their own Wi-Fi network without requiring a license. However, this can result in Wi-Fi performance being impacted by the number of other users on the same channel. In office and enterprise settings, Wi-Fi is often tightly managed to meet performance goals. On the other hand, 5G and LTE networks are typically managed by carriers and use licensed spectrum that requires subscription fees for access. Similar to LTE, 5G performance is also influenced by signal strength index, indicating your distance from the base station.
Given the substantial performance enhancements of 5G, service providers can offer consumers an alternative to bring broadband into homes through wireless broadband via 5G. In this realm, 5G may compete with cable or fiber-optic products. Nevertheless, Wi-Fi will continue to be the most effective way to connect the growing number of devices in homes, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, smart speakers, home security cameras, thermostats, and appliances.
Exciting applications of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 will involve the Internet of Things (IoT), allowing enterprises to choose the wireless technology that best suits their needs while still achieving the required high capacity, fast speed, and low latency for reliable data sharing among devices. Machine-to-machine communication, for instance, plays a crucial role in factory automation. While Wi-Fi 6 might be suitable for managing manufacturing operations, 5G could enhance manufacturing environments in large, campus-wide industrial parks.
A 5G CPE is a client device equipped with a 5G radio frequency module that converts 5G/4G signals into Ethernet or Wi-Fi connections. It's a powerful combination for wireless devices. By using a 5G CPE to convert signals, it becomes easier to apply and connect a diverse range of existing devices to the more convenient 5G network. These devices could include configuration screens, cameras, programmable logic controllers (PLC), industrial instruments and meters, laptops, tablets, robots, sensing devices, data collectors, and servers.
The 5G CPE will trigger demand for "low-power WiFi 6" in end nodes by building an ecosystem. Wi-Fi 6 brings a series of features that make Wi-Fi devices more energy-efficient during communication, such as "Target Wake Time" (TWT). This feature allows Wi-Fi routers and IoT devices to schedule communications in advance, reducing the time spent in unnecessary idle listening mode and consequently reducing power consumption. It also means that Wi-Fi IoT devices' radios can take advantage of one of the most mature ultra-low-power strategies in wireless IoT – staying in sleep mode as much as possible. In this way, Wi-Fi 6, combined with higher channel bandwidth, more efficient signal transmission, and multiple antennas, can deliver better performance in crowded wireless environments.
Highly integrated 5G CPE reference design
To expedite the development of 5G CPE products, Arrow has introduced the 5G CPE reference design. It is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X62 5G modem and Wi-Fi 6 chipset. The main CPU IPQ5018 chip features two 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores running at up to 1GHz, integrated with Wi-Fi subsystem 802.11ax. This solution utilizes a low-cost AX3000 speed router design along with a Qualcomm X62 5G module to achieve bidirectional signal conversion between Wi-Fi 6 and 5G.
Key components of the 5G CPE include the Qualcomm IPQ5018, Qualcomm QCN6012, Qualcomm QCA8337A and Qualcomm X62 5G Sub 6 GHz module designed for IoT applications.
The Qualcomm X62 5G can deliver a maximum downlink rate of up to 3.5 Gbps and an uplink rate of 900 Mbps, making it suitable for IoT applications demanding high data throughput. The 5G CPE can be widely applied in households, offices, outdoor tourism, events, factories, campuses, and more.
Wi-Fi 6 solutions that support the Matter protocol
In fact, Wi-Fi is an essential component of the smart home Matter protocol advocated by companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and hundreds of other consumer IoT companies. Wi-Fi 6 can easily form a smart home/building ecosystem and, when combined with 5G CPE for cloud connectivity, integrate Wi-Fi into their product lineup.
Nordic has introduced the nRF7002 companion IC supporting its dual-band Wi-Fi 6. This IC supports the use of Wi-Fi 6 protocol in the Matter protocol and can be used in various high-speed wireless networks and low-power IoT sensors and devices. Nordic supports all three wireless protocols used in Matter: Bluetooth LE (used for debugging), Thread (used for low-power mesh networks), and Wi-Fi (used for high-speed wireless networks and low-power IoT sensors and devices).
The nRF7002 is the first device in Nordic's unique Wi-Fi product lineup, seamlessly integrating with Nordic's existing ultra-low-power technology. Nordic is bringing decades of expertise in ultra-low-power wireless IoT and chip design into Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi 6 brings additional advantages to IoT applications, including increased efficiency and support for long-lasting battery-powered Wi-Fi operations.
The nRF7002, as a "companion IC," can provide seamless Wi-Fi connectivity and Wi-Fi-based positioning (SSID sniffing of local Wi-Fi hubs) when used alongside Nordic's existing products. This includes the nRF52® and nRF53® series multiprotocol System-on-Chips (SoCs), as well as the nRF91® series cellular IoT System-in-Package (SiPs). To communicate with the host, SPI or QSPI interfaces can be used, and additional coexistence features allow seamless coexistence with other protocols like Bluetooth, Thread, or Zigbee. The nRF7002 can also be used with non-Nordic host devices, maximizing flexibility and ease of use for applications and networks.
Nordic has also introduced the nRF7002 DK development kit for the nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 companion IC. This kit includes everything needed to start development on a single board. The development kit uses the nRF5340 multiprotocol SoC as the host processor for the nRF7002, supporting the development of low-power Wi-Fi applications and features Wi-Fi 6 functions such as OFDMA, beamforming, and Target Wake Time.
Conclusion
The combination of 5G and Wi-Fi 6, facilitated by 5G CPE for signal reception and conversion, allows each technology to leverage its respective advantages, offering a low-power solution for a wide range of IoT applications. The 5G CPE reference design from Arrow Electronics and the Nordic Wi-Fi 6 nRF7002 companion IC, as presented in this article, will accelerate the development of customer-related products. For more details and information, please feel free to contact Arrow Electronics directly.