Coexistence Empirical Study and Analytical Model for Low-Rate WPAN and IEEE 802.11b

The IEEE 802.11 and Low Rate WPAN (LR-WPAN) wireless networks can provide complimentary services and are likely to be installed within the same environments. Coexistence between the networks would be impaired, if the probability of packet collision between the networks is sufficiently large. This paper presents the results of an empirical study examining the impact of IEEE 802.11 on the LR-WPAN. The study focused on evaluating one aspect of the probability of collision: determining the interference power at which packet retransmission is likely to be required. The results from this empirical study are used to substantiate analytical models for interference suppression versus carrier frequency offset. The empirical study and analytical model are used to provide insight into the impact of adjacent channel interference from the interfering wireless service.