Method and apparatus for generating a physical layer (PHY) data unit for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ)

A wireless communication device, comprising:

• a network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device is implemented on one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices, and wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:
• determine that the PHY data unit is to be transmitted according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, and
• generate a PHY data portion of the PHY data unit, wherein generating the PHY data portion comprises, for each of a plurality of PHY protocol service data units (PSDUs) to be included in the PHY data unit and in response to determining that the PHY data unit is to be transmitted according to the HARQ process:
• selecting a segment boundary within a last-occurring orthogonal frequency division (OFDM) symbol from among a set of multiple segment boundaries,
• adding pre-forward error correction (pre-FEC) padding bits to the PSDU such that, after encoding the PSDU according to a forward error correction (FEC) code, coded bits of the PSDU end at the selected segment boundary, and
• individually encoding the PSDU according to the FEC code;
• and
• adding post-forward error correction (post-FEC) padding bits to only a last PSDU of the plurality of PHY PSDUs such that the PSDU ends on an OFDM symbol boundary;
• wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to generate a PHY preamble, wherein generating the PHY preamble comprises, in response to determining that the PHY data unit is to be transmitted according to the HARQ process:
• generating the PHY preamble to include a plurality of indications of a plurality of durations of the respective PSDUs within the PHY data portion.