Multiple input multiple output wireless local area network communications

1. A wireless local area network (WLAN) transmitter having high data throughput, the WLAN transmitter comprises:

a Medium Access Control (MAC) module operably coupled to convert a MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU) into a MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) in accordance with a WLAN protocol;

a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Module operably coupled to convert the MPDU into a PLCP Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) in accordance with the WLAN protocol; and

a Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) module operably coupled to convert the PPDU into a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with one of a plurality of operating modes of the WLAN protocol, wherein the plurality of operating modes includes multiple input and multiple output combinations, wherein the PMD module includes:

an error protection module operably coupled to restructure the PPDU to reduce transmission errors producing error protected data, wherein the error protection module includes:

a scramble module operably coupled to scramble the PPDU to produce scrambled data;

a channel encoding module operably coupled to encode the scrambled data to produce encoded data; and

an interleaving module operably coupled to interleave the encoded data to produce interleaved data, wherein the interleaved data represents the error protected data;

a demultiplexing module operably coupled to divide the error protected data into a plurality of error protected data streams; and

a plurality of symbol mappers coupled downstream from the demultiplexing module, in which each symbol mapper of the plurality of symbol mappers is coupled to receive respective one of the error protected data streams for conversion to digital baseband signals;

wherein the PMD module further includes:

a plurality of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, each operably coupled to respective one of the symbol mappers to convert symbol mapped error protected data streams from a frequency domain to a time domain to produce a plurality of tones;

a plurality of cyclic prefix modules, each operably coupled to respective IFFT modules to add a cyclic prefix to each of a plurality of tones to produce a plurality of subcarriers;

a space time encoding module operably coupled to the cyclic prefix modules to space- time encode the plurality of subcarriers to produce a plurality of space-time encoded subcarriers; and

a plurality of digital modules operably coupled to the space time encoding module to filter the plurality of space-time encoded subcarriers to produce the digital baseband signals.

2. The WLAN transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the IFFT modules function to convert symbols from a time domain to a frequency domain to produce a plurality of tones by:

utilizing coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with sixty-four or one hundred twenty eight point IFFT.

3. The WLAN transmitter of claim 1 , further including a RF front-end, wherein the RF front-end includes:

an analog to digital conversion module operably coupled to convert the digital baseband signals into analog baseband signals;

an in-phase/quadrature modulator operably coupled to mix the analog baseband signals with a local oscillation to produce up converted RF signals; and

a power amplifier module operably coupled to amplify the up converted RF signals to produce the RF signals for transmission.

4. The WLAN transmitter of claim 3 , wherein the power amplifier module functions to:

transmit signal components of the up converted RF signals at a substantially equal transmit power level to achieve a desired maximum bit rate, wherein the signal components correspond to the plurality of tones produced by the IFFT modules.

5. The WLAN transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operating modes includes at least one of:

20 MHz channels for a 2.4 to 2.5 GHz frequency band;

20 and 40 MHz channels for a 4.9 to 5.850 GHz frequency band;

Multiple MIMO (multiple input multiple output) transmit modes utilizing two, three, or four transmit paths;

data rates up to at least 480 Megabits per second (Mbps); and

frames including at least 4096 octets.

6. The WLAN transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the MAC module produces the MPDU by at least one of:

utilizing EDCA (enhanced distributed control access);

blocking immediate acknowledgement;

enabling request to send (RTS) and clear to send (CTS) at the data rate; and

having an average collision rate at 1/CWMIN (minimum contention window).

7. Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) module for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmitter, the PMD module comprises:

an error protection module operably coupled to restructure a PPDU (PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure) Protocol Data Unit) to reduce transmission errors producing error protected data, wherein the error protection module includes:

a scrambler module operably coupled to scramble the PPDU to produce scrambled data;

a channel encoding module operably coupled to encode the scrambled data to produce encoded data; and

an interleaving module operably coupled to interleave the encoded data to produce interleaved data, wherein the interleaved data represents the error protected data;

a demultiplexing module operably coupled to divide the error protected data into a plurality of error protected data streams; and

a plurality of symbol mappers coupled downstream from the demultiplexing module, in which each symbol mapper of the plurality of symbol mappers is coupled to receive respective one of the error protected data streams for conversion to digital baseband signals

a plurality of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, each operably coupled to respective one of the symbol mappers to convert symbol mapped error protected data streams from a frequency domain to a time domain to produce a plurality of tones;

a plurality of cyclic prefix modules, each operably coupled to respective IFFT modules to add a cyclic prefix to each of a plurality of tones to produce a plurality of subcarriers;

a space time encoding module operably coupled to the cyclic prefix modules to space- time encode the plurality of subcarriers to produce a plurality of space-time encoded subcarriers; and

a plurality of digital modules operably coupled to the space time encoding module to filter the plurality of space-time encoded subcarriers to produce the digital baseband signals.

8. The PMD module of claim 7 , wherein the IFFT modules function to convert symbols from a time domain to a frequency domain to produce a plurality of tones by:

utilizing coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with sixty-four or one hundred twenty eight point IFFT.

9. The PMD module of claim 7 , further comprising a RF front-end, wherein the RF front-end includes:

an analog to digital conversion module operably coupled to convert the digital baseband signals into analog baseband signals;

an in-phase/quadrature modulator operably coupled to mix the analog baseband signals with a local oscillation to produce up converted RF signals; and

a power amplifier module operably coupled to amplify the up converted RF signals to produce the RF signals for transmission.

10. The PMD module of claim 9 , wherein the power amplifier module functions to:

transmit signal components of the up converted RF signals at a substantially equal transmit power level to achieve a desired maximum bit rate, wherein the signal components correspond to the plurality of tones produced by the IFFT modules.