Exploratory Analysis of Wi-Fi 6 Dynamic Resource Unit Sharing in Small-Scale Network Scenarios

2026-06-10

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge that static resource unit (RU) scheduling fails to meet the deterministic communication requirements of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) under dynamic traffic conditions. To overcome this limitation, the authors propose a dynamic RU allocation algorithm that, for the first time, maps TSN traffic classes to Wi-Fi 6 quality-of-service (QoS) mechanisms—such as Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)—and enables coordinated scheduling with the Ethernet TSN domain to achieve cross-domain deterministic communication. Experimental evaluation using the ns-3 DetNetWiFi simulation framework demonstrates that, compared to static allocation, the proposed approach significantly reduces latency, jitter, and packet loss, thereby substantially improving the transmission efficiency and reliability of time-sensitive traffic in hybrid industrial networks.

Abstract

This paper investigates dynamic Resource Unit (RU) allocation strategies for Wi-Fi~6 (IEEE 802.11ax) networks integrated with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), targeting the limitations of static RU scheduling under dynamic traffic conditions. We propose a dynamic RU allocation algorithm that maps TSN traffic classes to Wi-Fi~6 Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, including Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) and aligns TSN control with Ethernet-based TSN domains. The proposed solution is evaluated using the ns-3 DetNetWiFi framework developed by fortiss, focusing on time-sensitive traffic. Simulation results demonstrate improved network efficiency with reductions in latency, jitter, and packet loss compared to static RU allocation schemes. These findings highlight the potential of dynamic RU allocation to support deterministic communication requirements in Wi-Fi~6-based TSN deployments and to enhance the reliability of hybrid industrial networks.

Problem

• Wi-Fi 6
• Resource Unit allocation
• Time-Sensitive Networking
• dynamic traffic
• deterministic communication

Innovation

• Dynamic Resource Unit Allocation
• Wi-Fi 6
• Time-Sensitive Networking
• QoS Mapping
• Deterministic Communication