Frame padding for wireless communications

An apparatus comprising:

• processor electronics configured to generate a physical layer frame, the physical layer frame comprising (i) spatially steered length fields and (ii) spatially steered frames that respectively include aggregated medium access control data units (A-MPDUs) that encapsulate data, wherein the steered length fields respectively indicate lengths of the A-MPDUs in number of four-octet units, wherein the processor electronics are configured to include after an A-MPDU of the A-MPDUs in a steered frame of the steered frames, (i) a medium access control layer pad and (ii) a physical layer pad, wherein a length of the medium access control layer pad and a length of the physical layer pad are based on the physical layer frame;
• and
• circuitry to transmit the physical layer frame.

An apparatus comprising:

• processor electronics configured to generate a physical layer frame, the physical layer frame comprising spatially steered frames that respectively include aggregated medium access control data units (A-MPDUs) that encapsulate data for transmission to respective wireless communication devices, wherein the processor electronics are configured to include after an A-MPDU of the A-MPDUs in a steered frame of the steered frames, (i) a medium access control layer pad having a length that is based on a number of symbols associated with the physical layer frame and (ii) a physical layer pad having a length that is based on a remainder of available bits in the steered frame, wherein ends of the steered frames are aligned to have a same length;
• and
• circuitry to transmit the physical layer frame to the wireless communication devices.