Review of airMAX ac, airMAX ac series of devices. AirMax technology from Ubiquiti Networks
AirMax is an in-house protocol wireless transmission data, developed by Ubiquiti Networks. Has a similar name to WiMAX,
which is probably not an accident, but a cunning marketing ploy. However, IEEE 802.16 has a very indirect relationship with the open, generally accepted wireless networking standard.
There are few materials explaining the details of the AirMax implementation, since the protocol is a closed in-house development. What does this mean? This means,
that equipment from another manufacturer cannot work using this protocol. Moreover, even within the Ubiquiti Networks product line, not all devices
support AirMax.
What benefits does a user of AirMax technology get?
1) Scalability wireless network. AirMax does not degrade channel quality in the presence of large quantity wireless network clients.
up to 120 clients to one transceiver. This is achieved by changing the principle of information transfer to physical level. If the 802.11 network is busy
channel is determined based on information about the presence of a carrier (Carrier Sensing), AirMax uses technology for polling network clients, which eliminates
from the problem of “hidden nodes”.
3)High data transfer speed. Does not belong to the unique developments of the company and is achieved through the use MIMO technologies, allowing you to increase
data transfer rate at the physical layer. The developed cross-polarization antennas with characteristics close to expensive ones are unique.
carrier-grade antennas. The antennas are specifically designed and tested to be compatible with Ubiquiti Networks devices that support AirMax,
to optimize the characteristics of radio channels.
AirMax is an in-house wireless data transfer protocol developed by Ubiquiti Networks.
What benefits does a user of AirMax technology get?
1)Wireless network scalability. AirMax does not lead to channel quality degradation in the presence of a large number of wireless network clients. In 802.11 (Wi-Fi) networks, the recommended number of clients per base station transceiver is 20; in the AirMax network, up to 120 clients can be connected to one transceiver. This is achieved by changing the principle of information transfer at the physical level. If in an 802.11 network the channel occupancy is determined based on information about the presence of a carrier (Carrier Sensing), then AirMax uses polling technology for network clients, which eliminates the problem of “hidden nodes”.
Like many teenagers of the 1990s, who today overestimate seemingly familiar and understandable things, I am increasingly faced with the absurdity of my thinking back then. I don’t deny that this is a problem of age-related rethinking and living according to the principle of common sense, and that modern teenagers are also going through something similar, and that this article will not convince them in any way... But it’s worth a try. And let's start with loud statement that Nike Air is complete nonsense. I'm not trying to prove that Nike Air technology is useless, I want to argue that the technology itself is fundamentally absurd and is just a marketing ploy that allows the company, de jure and de facto, to sell air.
Gas-filled cushioning cells revolutionized the world of running shoes when they first appeared over 30 years ago. Nike advertising that promotes the idea that air-sealed air in sneakers will make you a great athlete doesn't make sense. You just need to pay attention to the shoes that professional runners wear.
Yes, it is impossible to reinvent the sneaker, and Nike already seems to have admitted this. What does the company do? It's just trying to convince fragile minds that Nike Air technology is more than just a "gimmick" based on the consumer reflexive "wow" effect.
But it was not always so...
Early years in Oregon
In 1964, Phil Knight, a former University of Oregon runner, and his former coach Bill Bowerman founded the company to provide the running community with access to the best shoes. They called it Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), and very soon the company became a distributor for Onitsuka Tiger. In fact, Bowerman sold most of his shoes out of the trunk of his car.
Knight, who was finishing his MBA at Stanford, and Bowerman came to the conclusion that they needed to create something of their own, something more than a store on wheels. They "designed" new sneakers, which were already released by Onitsuka in 1969 under the name Tiger Cortez. And then he and Knight began collaborating with a Japanese factory, and their goal was to create their own line of sneakers. They called it Nike. And their first model was called Nike Cortez.
Onitsuka didn't realize that Bowerman had copied their design almost entirely until one of their employees visited the old BRS warehouse in Los Angeles. However, the court ruled that both companies could produce essentially the same sneakers. In reality, Knight and Bowerman were selling the same shoes to the same runners, only they replaced the Onitsuka logo with their own. A local student named Caroline Davidson designed the famous “snot” (in America it’s called a swoosh) for the brand, for which Nike paid her only $35. More than a decade later, Knight gave Davidson Golden ring in the form of a company symbol, encrusted with diamonds... and an envelope with Nike shares for her work.
This is where the history of lies began, or as it is commonly called today, marketing company Nike. Knight and Bowerman quickly realized they didn't have to sell unique product, but it’s more important to sell the idea. Public approval of athletes, slogans - all this became an integral part of the brand, which encouraged people to believe in the product (brand) itself, and not in its properties.
NASA and the birth of Nike Air
It's no surprise that Nike and NASA crossed paths in Nike's early years; at that time, almost every new invention related in one way or another to the Apollo space mission. And Nike Air was no exception.
Nike was ready to take off by the late 1970s. The company was wildly successful after receiving the endorsement of their new Waffle Trainer running shoe from long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, for whom Bowerman designed the sole by pouring rubber into his wife's waffle iron. Then in 1978 year Nike showed off something completely new called "Air Tailwind".
Originally designed for the Honolulu Marathon, the Nike Air Tailwind included new technology, developed by former NASA engineer Frank Rudy. Rudy's innovations again emphasized an aeronautics technique called rubber blow molding. The technology, once used to create helmets for astronauts on the Apollo missions, later allowed Rudy to design a midsole in which he placed polyurethane cushions filled with dense gases.
In 1979, Rudy patented this design. The idea, as well as the branding strategy, was based on the assumption that using air would provide superior cushioning and that air cushions would not lose their properties after the first use. Nike Air was initially marketed only to elite runners, but then the strategy switched to anyone willing to spend $100 or more on a shoe.
At first, consumers had to trust Nike's technology to provide superior cushioning, since the Nike Air, for the average consumer, was nothing new, unlike the original Tailwind sneaker. In fact, the first mass-produced Nike Air had no new system depreciation. In this regard, Nike came up with a new demonstration gimmick.
Nike Air Max and profitable transparency
By the 1980s, the Air Force 1 and the original Air Jordan took the basketball world by storm, giving the company an image as a rebellious brand. This began after the NBA banned the original Air Jordans for color inconsistency. Lawsuits followed, but Jordan refused to take off his sneakers, and Nike essentially paid all his fines. But the company continued to update and push Nike Air technology to new levels.
Nike became a billionaire company in 1986 when it completed a major redesign of its line of air-cushioned shoes. The following year, the company released the Air Max 1, a sneaker that featured air cushioning in a small "window" at the heel.
A little reengineering has happened. What was a thin air cushion container was redesigned into something that squished and contained "visible air." There was a thick cushion in the center that provided the bulk of the cushioning. This was a marketing ploy, not a breakthrough in the industry, as the company claimed. Not only was the air visible, you could also poke the throttle pad and feel the intense recoil.
The Air Max shoes clearly demonstrated the technology without going to great lengths to explain how it worked. Essentially, it is just a polyurethane cushion filled with an inert gas. Simplicity became key to the overall design. Ultimately, the original Nike Air Max I, designed by legendary Air Max maestro Tinker Hatfield, created a formula that allowed Nike to make billions of dollars in its first decade.
“The shoe was breathable, flexible and fit perfectly, and the fact that it had an air cushion in the sole made it very different from other shoes of the time,” Hatfield said a couple of years ago when talking about the Air Max line. .
Nike's sneakers were sold not only as air-filled sneakers, but also as quite unique and personalized products, as each model came in a huge number of colors. Nike has been changing the shape and composition over the years, selling the public fake innovations that have appeared in each subsequent generation of Air Max sneakers. However, the principle of air cushioning providing comfort and development is ingrained in marketing strategy companies.
Suddenly, sneakers were more than a mixture of synthetics and rubber that you strapped to your feet and used as a device that made you an athlete. Hatfield also claimed that the Air Max's design was inspired by the Pompidou Center in Paris, a nod to legendary architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. Indeed, technology has made sneakers look futuristic.
A short family history of Air Max and its descendants
In this article, I propose to focus on running shoes, since Nike Air technology was originally aimed at leading runners. It's also important to point out that Nike marketed the extra cushioning as something every runner needs. This assertion has become quite dubious in last years. Experts say shoe companies like Nike are to blame for this misconception.
The problem with the shoe industry as a whole is that everyone produces standardized shoes. Shoe production methods do not take into account the characteristics of each runner and do not meet their needs. And in doing so, Air Max's path to innovation boiled down to the great American ideal: bigger is better. This philosophy is clearly expressed in the now iconic Air Max commercials of the 1990s. Even the aesthetic of simple black text on a stark white background highlights this simple yet bold formula.
"[If you love] Air Max," the ad seems to say, "[You'll love] Even more Air Max."
The concept of "even more" has since developed in the most absurd way. The original Air Max of 1987 already boasted of the visibility of its technology, but in all subsequent models it was visibility, and not manufacturability, that became the main factor of promotion. In the Air Max 90, the air cushion has become a little larger and the window for admiring the “technology” has become even larger. The same goes for the Air Max IV, also known as the Air Max BW. The colloquial "BW" stands for "Big Window" as it is...really big.
From then on, everything became more and more absurd. In 1991, the same year as the Air Max BW, Nike introduced the Air Max 180, which featured air movement from the heel to the foot.
Then came the Air Max 93 with visible air, in which the air cushion was completely exposed at the heel. They look very cool, and what more does an ordinary teenager need.
What does Nike say about Air Max technology? Does the cushion really make athletes run faster and jump higher? You will be surprised, but Nike has never claimed this.
Instead, she created a vulgar commercial star out of Quincy Watts, an American runner who had just won two gold medals at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Of course, he wasn't wearing Air Max 93s when he won. But who would pay attention to such a small thing?
Nike used star athletes to promote "new technologies" without exactly explaining their benefits. The slogans in advertising have always been clear and unambiguous: “the more air, the better the shoes.” And visible air looks even cooler. Super cushioning isn't always such a good thing either.
Nike has made progress with the Air Max 95, not only in terms of technology but also in terms of design. Shoe designer Sergio Lozano made a dramatic departure from the simplicity of Hatfield's previously designed sneakers, resulting in the sneakers becoming even weirder. The Air Max 95 features a narrow air window in the toe box, as well as a new convex window in the heel. The new original combination of gray and neon green was reminiscent of the popular thriller “E.T.
In addition to the bold design, Air Max technology made the shoe a real fashion statement. However, no one paid attention to the fact that during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, not a single athlete used such sneakers. Nike-sponsored runner Michael Johnson wore custom gold spikes that had virtually no cushioning at all.
Maximum Air Max
By the late 1990s, trends in the athletic shoe industry were turning more toward the sensible rather than the sensational. New Balance and Asics emphasized quality and customization while still providing decent cushioning. Nike, on the other hand, has dived headfirst into Air Max technology.
After the Air Max 95 proved that sealed air cushions weren't just in the heel of the shoe, Nike gradually began filling the midsole with air. The Air Max 97 featured a visible air window that spanned the entire length of the sole.
Then Nike, with Air Max Plus, came up with something called Tuned Air - different types of pressure in different parts of the shoe. The trick of Tuned Air is to add mechanical elements to shoes that provide required quantity support where needed. There was also an entire line of shoes featuring Zoom Air technology, which Nike said "turns the pressure of each step into responsive energy for the next." By the time 2006 rolled around, Nike did the inevitable and released the Air Max 360, a shoe with an air window that spanned the entire sole, from heel to toe.
So we've gone from "Air Max" and "More Air Max" to "Literally maximum quantity Air Max that can fit in a shoe." Here's the whole history of development from 1987 to 2015.
If Nike's marketing teams were telling the truth, these shoes would literally make athletes fly. If Nike's desire to improve technology to turn athletes into champions was sincere, we should have seen Olympians soaring above the crowd in their magical Air Max. But that did not happen.
In fact, just the opposite is true.
Nike calls its own products bullshit
A few years after Air release Max 360 a pair of Nike sales representatives visited sponsored athletes at Stanford University to find out which latest models their sneakers they prefer. Stanford head coach Vin Lananna gave them some very interesting news: his athletes showed better results when they trained barefoot.
This situation is well described in the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougle, who preferred to run barefoot. The author has spoken with legendary runners from around the world, including the Tarahumara of Mexico, who have run hundreds of kilometers while wearing rags and thin leather sandals. After talking with experts on the human body, McDougle found that the 20th century fad for super cozy shoes actually correlated with an increase in injuries.
“A large number of foot and knee injuries that currently plague runners are caused by athletes using shoes that actually weaken the legs, cause ankle sprains, and create knee problems,” says Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a biology professor at Harvard. . "Until 1972, when modern technology was invented sport shoes"The athletes ran in shoes with very thin soles, which resulted in strong legs and very few knee injuries."
Due to big amount Similar reports, barefoot running, as well as shoes that simulate this effect, are conquering the world today. After America's top athletes told Nike they were wasting their time on useless properties, Nike decided to create new line sneakers that emphasized everything that Air Max didn't have.
So Nike did their own research and released new model: Nike Free. These are shoes with minimal cushioning and maximum flexibility. (It was as if all the air had just been sucked out of the Air Max 360.) Additionally, the design of the new sneakers included a numerical system to indicate the degree of cushioning. The Nike Free 3.0 was best suited for those who prefer to run barefoot, while the Nike Free 7.0 (which is no longer available) offered more cushioning. Now this is Nike Free 5.0 V6.
"We found a huge number of people around the world who still run barefoot, and found that during push-off and landing, their feet have more freedom to move," said Jeff Pisciotta, a senior researcher at Nike's McDougle Science Laboratory. "Their legs move through a huge amount of motion, which means they experience less pronation and the pressure is distributed over a larger area."
The first Nike Free sneaker came out in 2005, and technology became one of the cornerstones of the Nike line. Nike designers have finally admitted that the outsole is "just a piece of hard foam."
Since the advent of barefoot running, a ton of research has emerged claiming that too little cushioning is also bad, causing most runners to revert to simple, comfortable shoes.
So we have to wonder, will the air cushion pendulum continue to swing back and forth? The revolutionary idea of putting an inert gas into polyurethane cushions that soften the impact of every step still makes sense for some runners. Nike Free makes sense for other athletes. In the end, it all really depends on your foot and your gait. You want sneakers that are perfect for you, no matter what's in fashion.
Today there is simply a sea of Nike sneaker fans in the world, for whom the company’s technologies have absolutely nothing to do with sports. Their choice is just a tribute to fashion. This is what can be called the main success of the brand. People buy sneakers for a huge number various reasons, and Nike re-releases the old "right" and "wrong" Air Max models over and over again. The company is also reincorporating classic Air Max technology into new designs and even adding Air Max technology to the Nike Free midsole.
As a result, Nike designers' use of technology is similar to the fashion industry's approach to certain recurring trends. They come and go without much meaning or reason. Nike's ever-evolving footwear technologies have little scientific basis. But it seems that this does not matter to fans of the brand.
The material was prepared based on an article from the site gizmodo.com - for readers of the site site
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Is this what you were looking for? Perhaps this is something you couldn’t find for so long?
- This updated version proprietary communication protocol developed by the company Ubiquiti specifically for your equipment. From standards WiFi it is distinguished by a number of quite significant differences that technology provides AirMax serious advantages when working with a large number of subscribers located at a considerable distance from the base station.
To understand the differences AirMax And WiFi, let's look at the difference in technology using the example of how two access points, one of which uses technology AirMax, and the other WiFi 802.11.
Subscriber points WiFi access Before starting data transmission, it checks whether the airwaves are free. If the airwaves are free, the subscriber begins data transmission. Other devices, in turn, seeing that the airwaves are busy, wait their turn to send data. This is how the protocol works CSMA/CA, which the technology uses WiFi.
But, in the case of a large distance between subscribers from each other, for example, when deploying point-to-multipoint provider networks, a problem arises that the subscribers WiFi, being at a considerable distance, they cease to hear the signal from each other. As a result, client devices begin broadcasting simultaneously and so-called collisions occur - data packets overlapping each other and, as a result, inevitable errors.
For solutions similar problems technology was developed for the so-called TDMA polling, which is used AirMax. The essence of the technology is that when working with the protocol AirMax The base station itself determines the order of work of subscribers, allocating each connected device its own time slot for data transmission. Thanks to this arbitration scheme on the part of the base station, the occurrence of collisions is eliminated and the quality of data reception and transmission is significantly improved.
Protocol AirMax uses a MIMO configuration, which achieves high throughput rates of the radio channel. Also with dignity AirMax are the wide possibilities for network scaling. If when working with standards WiFi the maximum number of simultaneous connections to the access point should not exceed 20-25 devices; AirMax ensures simultaneous operation of up to 120 clients in the radio channel.
Ruler equipment AirMax, produced Ubiquiti, can be divided into several categories. These are productive access points, universal or NanoStation Loco and finally, radio bridges, for example.
All AirMax devices are controlled by proprietary operating system AirOS, which, having a wide range of settings typical for any access point, provides the user with a variety of additional utilities eg built-in spectrum analyzer AirView, which allows you to scan the air and select the least loaded range, which will be useful when using the equipment in conditions of a large number of extraneous wireless networks.
Standing apart is the recently announced series of devices, which are expected to go on sale this fall.
Compared to existing devices AirMax, equipment - e.g. Rocket M5 AC Lite, has more high speeds data transfer and increased computing power. Maximum speed data transfer when used reaches 450 Mbit/s, which is significantly more than previous versions equipment AirMax.
In addition, the series is equipped with new bandpass radio interference filters, which can significantly improve communication quality in high level interference
Along with the series of equipment, new ones were also announced, ideally suited for collaboration with access points Rocket M5 AC, these are parabolic RocketDish AC and sectoral AirMax AC Sector. Has not remained unchanged software. A series of equipment operates under the control of a new AirOS v7, which has a redesigned interface and is adapted to work with mobile devices.
Below we consider typical areas of application of different series of equipment from Ubiquiti Networks.
Access points will be an excellent choice if you need to build base stations. They have powerful processors high power radio module and are capable of supporting a large number of users, providing them with high-speed access to the network. Rocket do not have built-in sharing company with them Ubiquiti has created a special line, which includes AirMax Omni, sector AirMax Sector and with parabolic reflectors, capable of establishing connections over distances of tens of kilometers. The choice of one or the other will depend on the specific use of the access point and the location of subscribers in relation to it.
is a series of access points with built-in devices that can operate both as a low-power base station and act as clients of other networks or operate as part of point-to-point radio bridges. This versatility makes them a very popular solution on the market. wireless equipment. The junior Loco series is focused primarily on working as a powerful client for a remote base station. If necessary, Loco can also provide network access to a limited number of client devices or operate as part of a radio bridge.
And finally, radio bridges are access points equipped with highly directional parabolic reflectors, which, due to the high signal amplification factor, are capable of establishing a connection at distances of up to 30 km or more in conditions of direct visibility between the sides of the bridge.
As we see, the line of equipment supporting the proprietary protocol AirMax/ , is very extensive and includes a wide range of solutions at various levels, allowing you to select equipment for any task. Series Access Points AirMax are manufactured in durable all-weather housings and can operate in wide range plus and minus temperatures, which allows you to safely use them outdoors on radio towers or roofs of buildings at any time of the year without fear for the performance of the devices.
To summarize, we can say that access points from the company Ubiquiti working with technology AirMax, will be an excellent solution for creating provider base stations or high-performance radio bridges, avoiding collisions and providing high-quality communication over long distances.
Ubiquiti Networks' new AirMax wireless broadband technology delivers TCP/IP speeds in excess of 150 Mbps outdoors. Using this technology, you can create a network with high bandwidth, high quality voice transmission and low latency. The solution uses the TDMA protocol with hardware acceleration. Smart scheduling and use of a queue coordinator with internal VoIP packet detection avoids performance issues.
The network created using AirMax technology can be scaled to hundreds of clients per base station. For this, MIMO technology is used, a new generation of NanoStation wireless access points and Rocket base stations. Additional module Bullet can be connected to an outdoor antenna, providing a TCP/IP link with speeds of over 100 Mbps.
Nanostation M wireless access points have no analogues. They are very light in weight. An access point with an integrated 10 dB antenna weighs only 400 grams .Nanostation M are compact, simple and easy to set up. On the back panel there are indicators with which you can configure the wireless access point so that the signal reception level is maximum.
Nanostation M uses PoE, or Power over Ethernet, power supply technology. Thanks to this, no additional cables are required. Both power supply and data transmission are carried out via one cable - twisted pair. Nanostation M wireless access points can be installed in any place - in a room, on a window glass, on a wall or on the roof of a building.
After installing the device, you simply need to enable the required operating mode - client, access point, client or access point in WDS mode. After this, the device is completely ready for use. No need to connect additional antennas or cables, and also place the wireless access point in a thermal box, since all this is already included in the Nanostation. For advanced users, Nanostation M offers many features designed to optimal settings equipment.
The Nanostation M5 wireless access point with a 16 dB bipolar dual antenna is designed for the 5 GHz band. Output power is smoothly adjustable up to 27 dBm (500 mW). Nanostation M2 is designed for the 2.4 GHz band and is equipped with a 11 dB bipolar dual antenna. Output power is continuously adjustable up to 28 dBm (630 mW).
Using MIMO technology allows Nanostation M to increase transmission speeds up to 150 Mbit/s.
Wireless access points with integrated Nanostation M antennas from Ubiquiti Networks are convenient because they do not require coaxial cables, which can cause significant signal loss. In the event that it is necessary to use an antenna with a higher gain than the built-in antenna of Nanostation M (more than 20-30 dB), you can use devices specially created for this purpose - Bullet M2 HP or Bullet M5 HP.
Bullet is a compact device that weighs only 180 grams , and has Nanostation functionality. The Bullet M2 HP attaches directly to the N-type antenna connector, and thanks to its direct connection with an antenna does not cause additional signal losses caused by coaxial cables. Bullet M2 HP is equipped with a 400 MHz processor and RAM 32 Mb.
Wireless external access points Rocket M2 have been developed specifically for outdoor PtP bridges and PTMP base stations. The device has high output power and, thanks to MIMO 2x2, achieves significant performance at speeds of 150 Mbps over distances of more than 50 km .
World's first integrated antenna wireless point AirGrid M uses InnerFeed technology, which is revolutionary for broadband outdoor wireless devices. Full integration of the radio system with the antenna ensures a high price/performance ratio. The device has a simple and reliable design. AirMax technology allows high-performance PtMP networks to scale, and the AirControl application allows operators to centrally manage more than a hundred devices.
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