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Multiple Input Multiple Output


aliases:

  • MIMO

An extension of the 3G cellular network technology, which uses smart antennas to improve the performance of radio systems.

MIMO uses multiple reception and transmission antennae to boost bandwidth via spatial multiplexing to boost range and improve signal reliability using spatial diversity.

Multiuser MIMO

This is the use of spatial multiplexing to connect multiple MU-MIMO capable stations simultaneously, providing the stations aren't on the same directional path.

MU-MIMO was developed to address the issue of packet queuing that results from the usage of CSMA-CD. Wifi 5 and Wifi 6 solve this issue using Multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO).

This allows access points to use its multiple antennae to process a spatial stream of signals in one direction separately from other streams. This means groups of stations on a different alignment can connect simultaneously to one AP, increasing bandwidth.

In small words, if I have four stations aligned east, west, north, and south of my station, each of those directions will be allowed to connect with speeds close to the maximum speed. However, if I have two stations that are aligned in the northern direction, they will share the available bandwidth along that path.

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