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Optical OFDM for SiPM-Based Underwater Optical Wireless Communication Links
Taha Essalih1, Mohammad Ali Khalighi1, Steve Hranilovic2
1Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, 13013 Marseille, France.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 29, 2020
Summary
This study compares three optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (O-OFDM) schemes for underwater wireless optical systems using silicon photo-multipliers. Asymmetrically clipped O-OFDM (ACO-OFDM) and layered ACO-OFDM (LACO-OFDM) offer superior energy efficiency compared to DC-biased O-OFDM (DCO-OFDM).
Area of Science:
- Optical Wireless Communications
- Underwater Optical Systems
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Underwater optical wireless systems require high data rates and long ranges despite scattering and attenuation.
- Silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) offer high sensitivity for underwater optical receivers.
- Optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (O-OFDM) is a promising signaling scheme for these systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the advantages and limitations of three O-OFDM schemes (DCO-, ACO-, and LACO-OFDM) with SiPM receivers.
- To evaluate their performance considering transmitter/receiver dynamic range and transmit power constraints.
- To determine the most energy-efficient and flexible scheme for underwater optical wireless communication.
Main Methods:
- Performance analysis of DC-biased (DCO-), asymmetrically-clipped (ACO-), and layered asymmetrically-clipped (LACO-) O-OFDM schemes.
- Consideration of a light-emitting diode (LED) transmitter and SiPM receiver.
- Evaluation under constraints of transmit electrical power (PTxe) and required DC bias.
Main Results:
- ACO-OFDM and LACO-OFDM demonstrate significant energy efficiency advantages over DCO-OFDM, reducing required transmit power by up to 10 mW.
- DCO-OFDM provides the largest operational link range when transmit power is not a limiting factor.
- LACO-OFDM offers a balanced trade-off between energy efficiency and operational range flexibility, despite higher computational complexity and latency.
Conclusions:
- ACO-OFDM and LACO-OFDM are more energy-efficient for underwater optical wireless systems using SiPMs and LEDs.
- DCO-OFDM is suitable for applications prioritizing maximum link range over energy consumption.
- LACO-OFDM presents a practical compromise for diverse underwater communication scenarios.
