WBAN PHY Layer: IEEE 802.15.6 Physical Layer Basics

This page describes the IEEE 802.15.6 Physical Layer (PHY) basics for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs). It explains three WBAN PHY layers: NB (Narrowband), HBC (Human Body Communication), and UWB (Ultra Wideband).

The Physical Layer performs the following tasks in a WBAN:

• Activation and deactivation of the radio transceiver.
• Clear channel assessment (CCA) within the current channel.
• Data transmission and reception.
• Incorporates forward error correction and modulation of the data to be transmitted.

Based on different frequency bands, WBAN supports different physical layer versions, including Narrowband (NB), Ultra Wideband (UWB), and Human Body Communication (HBC). The rate-dependent parameters are configured based on various frequency bands, as mentioned below:

• 402 MHz to 405 MHz
• 420 MHz to 450 MHz
• 863 MHz to 870 MHz
• 902 MHz to 928 MHz
• 950 MHz to 958 MHz
• 2360 MHz to 2400 MHz
• 2400 MHz to 2483.5 MHz

NB (Narrowband) Physical Layer

Figure 1 depicts the WBAN Physical layer according to the Narrowband specifications.

Figure 2 depicts the PPDU (PLCP Protocol Data Unit) structure of the NB WBAN PHY.

UWB (Ultra Wideband) Physical Layer

Figure 3 depicts the WBAN Physical layer as per UWB specifications.

HBC (Human Body Communication) Physical Layer

Figure 4 depicts the WBAN PHY layer as per HBC specifications.