Spatial Multiplexing

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What Does Spatial Multiplexing Mean?

Spatial multiplexing is a MIMO wireless protocol that sends separate data signals or streams between antennae to enhance wireless signal performance or functionality. It is a type of “spatial diversity” and an engineering trick that helps to increase the possibilities for various types of end-to-end transmission.

Techopedia Explains Spatial Multiplexing

In spatial multiplexing, multipath propagation involves multiple-input/multiple-output or MIMO wireless technology setups – the transmit stations use multiple transmit and receive antennas to produce sophisticated signal results. A wireless access point uses multiple radios to enable more than one unique data stream to go between the transmitter and receiver. This increases throughput and is a common technique in order to innovate with wireless setups.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.