Short-Range Communication With Ultraviolet LEDs

摘要

Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) ultraviolet (UV) communication appears to be a viable alternative to RF communication for many short-range applications. It exploits both atmospheric scattering and absorption to achieve modest data rates under non line-of-sight (ground-to-ground) and obstructed line-of-sight (foliage penetration) conditions. In this paper, we introduce NLOS optical communication and discuss the advantages of UV over radio (RF) for covert, short-range communication. We then discuss both line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS measurements performed outdoors in full daylight, and use these measurements to refine a propagation model developed to characterize link performance under various range and background conditions.