Methods and apparatuses for graphically indicating station efficiency and pseudo-dynamic error vector magnitude information for a network of wireless stations
Methods and apparatuses providing a visual metric of the efficiency of a network of devices communicating through a wireless access point (AP). These apparatuses and methods may also determine and display pseudo-dynamic error vector magnitude (EVM) information for a network of wireless stations, including displaying a pseudo-dynamic constellation diagrams using EVM information. These methods and apparatuses may transmit a plurality of sounding packets from each of one or more radio devices different modulation types (e.g., BPSK, QPSK, 16 QAM, 64 QAM, 256 QAM and 1024 QAM), and receiving at least some of the sounding packets at a second radio device (e.g., an access point) and determining EVM information from the received sounding packets, and displaying (or providing for display) a constellation diagram including pseudo-dynamic EVM information that is a constrained approximation of actual EVM information.
1 . A method for providing connectivity information associated with two or more wireless stations, the method comprising:
receiving, from a spectrum analyzer at each of the wireless stations, a description of power in a plurality of frequencies at one or more times to determine an ambient noise floor for each frequency in the plurality of frequencies;
weighting each ambient noise floor by a weight factor specific to each frequency, wherein the weighting comprises determining an achievable data rate for each of the plurality of frequencies;
determining pseudo-error vector magnitude (EVM) data points based on sounding packets transmitted between the two or more wireless stations, wherein the pseudo-EVM data points are random valued data points within a constrained range of previously determined EVM data; and
displaying, on a graphical display, at least one of the weighted ambient noise floors and signal to noise data based on the pseudo-EVM.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sounding packets have a predetermined modulation type.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on the graphical display, a pseudo EVM histogram based on the determined pseudo-EVM data points.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a constellation diagram associated with the sounding packets, wherein the constellation diagram includes a cloud of pseudo-EVM points around ideal points; and
displaying, on the graphical display, the constellation diagram.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the previously determined EVM data is based on a plurality of received sounding packets.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pseudo-EVM data points are constrained within a standard deviation of the previously determined EVM data.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the achievable data rate is based on the ambient noise floor for each frequency in the plurality of frequencies and a carrier to interference noise ratio (CINR) associated with a channel frequency.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the CINR is based, at least in part, on a received signal strength associated with the channel frequency.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the CINR is based on a difference between the received signal strength and the ambient noise floor.