Multiple-subcarrier modulation for nondirected wireless infraredcommunication

We examine multiple-subcarrier modulation (MSM) schemes for wireless infrared digital communication in the indoor environment. Intensity modulation with direct detection (IM/DD) is employed, which results in equivalent baseband channels with a nonnegativity constraint on the input. The power efficiencies of modulation schemes are compared at 30 Mb/s and 100 Mb/s over an ensemble of experimentally determined multipath channels. Carrier selection and power shaping are examined as methods for improving MSM performance. It is found that MSM schemes can allow operation at higher data rates than single-carrier modulation schemes without equalization. Moreover, MSM schemes can be more bandwidth-efficient and also can provide a simple and flexible method for multiple access to the channel. However, they are not as power efficient as single-carrier schemes, and this will limit their use to applications which are not power limited     

无线光通信中PPM的RS级联编码调制研究

在脉冲位置调制(PPM)直接检测光通信系统中插入RS级联编码构成一种新的PPM光通信系统(RS-PPM),该方式对PPM直接检测光通信系统进行了改进,并用Matlab对编码系统和未编码系统的误比特率进行了仿真比较,仿真结果表明,基于RS级联编码的PPM系统具有较好纠错和抗干扰能力.     

Capacity of wireless optical communications

We consider the ergodic capacity and capacity-versus-outage probability of direct-detection optical communication through a turbulent atmosphere using multiple transmit and receive apertures. We assume shot-noise-limited operation in which detector outputs are doubly stochastic Poisson processes whose rates are proportional to the sum of the transmitted powers, scaled by lognormal random fades, plus a background noise. In the high and low signal-to-background ratio regimes, we show that the ergodic capacity of this fading channel equals or exceeds that for a channel with deterministic path gains. Furthermore, knowledge of these path gains is not necessary to achieve capacity when the signal-to-background ratio is high. In the low signal-to-background ratio regime, path-gain knowledge provides minimal capacity improvement when using a moderate number of transmit apertures. We also develop expressions for the capacity-versus-outage probability in the high and low signal-to-background ratio regimes, by means of a moment-matching approximation to the distribution for the sum of lognormal random variables. Monte Carlo simulations show that these capacity-versus-outage approximations are quite accurate for moderate numbers of apertures.     

Guest editorial: optical wireless communications

Over the last two decades, wireless communications has gained enormous popularity, offering attractive options for many personal and organizational communication needs due to major intrinsic characteristics such as flexibility, cost effectiveness, and mobility.     

Trellis-coded multiple-pulse-position modulation for wireless infrared communications

We present new trellis codes based on multiple-pulse-position modulation (MPPM) for wireless infrared communication. We assume that the receiver uses maximum-likelihood sequence detection to mitigate the effects of channel dispersion, which we model using a first-order lowpass filter. Compared to trellis codes based on PPM, the new codes are less sensitive to multipath dispersion and offer better power efficiency when the desired bit rate is large, compared with the channel bandwidth. For example, when the bit rate equals the bandwidth, trellis-coded (17 2)-MPPM requires 1.4 dB less optical power than trellis-coded 16-PPM having the same constraint length.     

Single-channel imaging receiver for optical wireless communications

A novel and simple single-channel imaging receiver for high-speed portable wireless infrared communications is proposed. The receiver is able to aim automatically at the ceiling areas with better signal-to-noise ratio. The self-orienting capability, together with the very narrow field of view employed, drastically reduces the path loss, background noise and multipath distortion. Moreover, its single-channel structure minimizes hardware complexity in contrast to conventional angle diversity receivers. Our simulation results indicate that the proposed receiver, operating in a multispot diffusing configuration, offers significant gains in power requirements and channel bandwidth compared to angle diversity receivers.     

Digital pulse interval modulation for optical communications

This article presents a study of digital pulse interval modulation (DPIM) for optical wireless communications using intensity modulation with direct detection. The DPIM code properties are discussed, and expressions for the transmission capacity, power spectrum, and error probability are presented. We show that for a given number of bits per symbol, DPIM has a higher transmission capacity, a similar spectral profile, and only a marginally inferior error probability performance compared with pulse position modulation, and is rather less complex to implement. Finally, problems associated with the nonuniform symbol length characteristics of DPIM together with possible solutions are discussed     

Adaptive multicarrier modulation: a convenient framework fortime-frequency processing in wireless communications

A historical perspective of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is given with reference to its literature. Its advantages and disadvantages are reviewed, and its performance is characterized over highly dispersive channels. The effects of both time- and frequency-domain synchronization errors are quantified, and a range of solutions proposed in the recent literature are reviewed. One of the main objectives of this review is to highlight the recent thinking behind adaptive bit allocation and turbo coding in the context of OFDM. This paper concludes with a wide-ranging throughput comparison of the schemes discussed herein under the unified constraint of a fixed target bit error rate of 10^-4     

Angle diversity and rate-adaptive transmission for indoor wireless optical communications

The main degrading factor in indoor wireless optical communication systems for bit rates up to several megabits per second is the shot noise induced by ambient light (sunlight and artificial light produced by incandescent and fluorescent lamps). Due to the directional nature of both signal and ambient light noise, the spatial distribution of the signal-to-noise ratio in indoor environments can show large variations. This article compares techniques that are able to mitigate the effect of such SNR variations: rate-adaptive transmission and angle diversity. In the first technique, the effective data rate is adjusted to the local SNR conditions by introducing different levels of redundancy. The second technique explicitly explores the directionality of the SNR by combining signals collected from different observation angles. We address the performance of rate-adaptive transmission and angle diversity techniques, and compare them based on experimental results obtained in a typical indoor environment.     

Differential space-frequency modulation via smooth logical channel for broadband wireless communications

In this letter, a differential space-frequency modulation (DSFM) scheme is proposed for multiple input multiple-output (MIMO)-orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems in broadband wireless communications. We assume that the fading channels keep constant only within each OFDM block, and may change independently from one OFDM block to another. The differential schemes proposed for MIMO-OFDM systems in the literature cannot successfully decode with such a rapidly fading channel, since the successful decoding of the previously existing schemes relies on the assumption that the fading channel keeps constant within a period of several OFDM blocks, and it changes slowly from a period of several OFDM blocks to another. In our proposed DSFM scheme, the transmitted signals are differentially encoded in the frequency domain within each OFDM block. Thus, the differential decoding can be performed over subcarriers within each single OFDM block. Furthermore, if a statistical channel power-delay profile (PDP) is known at the transmitter, we propose to create a smooth logical channel to improve the performance of the DSFM scheme. We obtain the smooth logical channel by sorting the channel frequency responses over subcarriers from a statistical point of view. If the logical channel is not smooth enough, we further consider a pruning process in which we use only the "good" part of the channel and get rid of the "bad" part of the channel. Simulation results show that the proposed DSFM scheme over a smooth logical channel (with pruning, if necessary) performs well for various channel PDPs.     

Rate-adaptive transmission schemes in the context of runlength-limited-codes for optical wireless communications

In this letter, the performance evaluation of rate-adaptive transmission schemes for indoor unguided optical links has been analyzed in the context of runlength-limited (RLL) sequences. Here, the superiority of on-off keying (OOK) formats with runlength constraints based on silence periods has been corroborated in terms of code efficiency and peak-to-average optical power ratio (PAOPR) compared to a hybrid HHH (1,13) code, variable-rate signalling technique obtained by modifying the RLL (1,13) code specified in the very fast infrared (VFIr) standard by the infrared data association (IrDA). Additionally, the use of very simple decoding schemes based on Boolean logic has been proposed.     

无线光通信中的脉冲宽度间隔调制方案

提出一种新的脉冲调制方案——脉冲宽度间隔调制(PWIM),给出了PWIM的符号结构,分析了其在平均发射功率、带宽需求和传输容量等方面的性能,并在加性高斯白噪声信道模型的基础上推导了PWIM的误包率。理论分析与仿真验证表明,PWIM不但在功率利用率和差错性能方面优于OOK和PWM,而且带宽效率和传输容量比PPM和DPIM的更高。     

OWLS: a ten-year history in optical wireless links for intra-satellite communications

The application of Optical Wireless Links to intra- Spacecraft communications (OWLS) is presented here. This work summarizes ten years of developments, ranging from basic optoelectronic parts and front-end electronics, to different inorbit demonstrations. Several wireless applications were carried out in representative environments at ground level, and on in-flight experiments. A completely wireless satellite will be launched at the beginning of 2010. The benefits of replacing standard data wires and connectors with wireless systems are: mass reduction, flexibility, and simplification of the Assembly, Integration and Tests phases (AIT). However, the Aerospace and Defense fields need high reliability solutions. The use of COTS (Commercial-Off-The- Shelf) parts in these fields require extensive analyses in order to attain full product assurance. The current commercial optical wireless technology needs a deep transformation in order to be fully applicable in the aforementioned fields. Finally, major breakthroughs for the implementation of optical wireless links in Space will not be possible until dedicated circuits such as mixed analog/digital ASICs are developed. Once these products become available, it will also be possible to extend optical wireless links to other applications, such as Unmanned Air and Underwater Vehicles (UAV and UUV). The steps taken by INTA to introduce Optical Wireless Links in the Space environment are presented in this paper.     

Trellis coded polarization shift keying modulation for digital optical communications

The application of the well-known technique of trellis coded modulation to coherent optical communications using polarization shift keying (POLSK) is described and analyzed. The resulting receiver is formed by a front-end which performs the heterodyne detection and the Stokes parameter extraction, cascaded with an electronic Viterbi processor operating the maximum likelihood estimate of the transmitted sequence. Results in terms of the error event probability using optimum as well as a simpler suboptimum branch metric show power gains of the order of 3-4 dB, at the expense of a reasonable increase in complexity, only concerning the processing in the electronic domain. These coding gains are not lost even in the presence of high levels of phase noise, to which POLSK in general is highly insensitive.<>     

Analysis of wireless optical communications feasibility in presence of clouds using markov chains

Free Space Optical (FSO) communications is a practical solution for creating a three dimensional global broadband communications grid, offering bandwidths far beyond possible in Radio Frequency (RF) range. However, attributes of atmospheric turbulence (scintillation) and obscurants such as clouds impose perennial limitations on availability and reliability of optical links. To design and evaluate optimum transmission techniques that operate under realistic atmospheric conditions, a good understanding of the channel behavior is necessary. In most prior works, Monte-Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) algorithm has been used to analyze the channel behavior. This task is quite numerically intensive. The focus of this paper is on investigating the possibility of simplifying this task by a direct extraction of state transition matrices associated with standard Markov modeling from the MCRT computer simulations programs. We show that by tracing a photon?s trajectory in space via a Markov chain model, the angular distribution can be calculated by simple matrix multiplications. We also demonstrate that the new approach produces results that are close to those obtained by MCRT and other known methods. Furthermore, considering the fact that angular, spatial, and temporal distributions of energy are inter-related, mixing time of Monte-Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) for different types of aerosols is calculated based on eigen-analysis of the state transition matrix and possibility of communications in scattering media is investigated.