Co-interference between military radars and 802.11a WLAN networks

The 802.11a wireless local area network standard allocates the frequency ranges of 5150 to 5350 and 5470 to 5725 MHz for wireless communication between the computer and components such as LAN hubs, printers and cameras. Unfortunately these frequencies overlap the C band military radar frequency range of 5250 to 5925 MHz. This can lead to degraded performance in the WLAN network and also possibly interfere with the radar´s ability to detect weak echoes. It is shown in this paper how the WLAN network can be accurately modeled and simulated. Its simulated performance is then compared with measured results to verify the accuracy of the simulation model. Once this is done the radar signal can be applied to the WLAN network either by simulated signal sources, measured signal data or a combination of these. The effects on the WLAN performance can be quickly evaluated for a large number of conditions such as frequency, power level, hopping parameters, etc. In addition, radiated RF signals from the WLAN network can be measured. This collected signal data can be used by the military to see what effect it may have on radar operation.