Sandstorm effect on experimental optical camera communication

Area of Science:

• Optical Wireless Communications
• Optical Camera Communications
• Environmental Effects on Communication Systems

Background:

• Sandstorms significantly degrade visibility, posing a challenge to outdoor optical wireless communications (OWC).
• The impact of sandstorms on optical camera communications (OCC), a subset of OWC, remains less explored.
• Traditional OWC links using photodetectors are typically hampered by atmospheric conditions like sandstorms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the performance of optical camera communications (OCC) links during a real sandstorm.
• To assess the feasibility of using a cost-efficient telescope-based camera setup for OCC.
• To investigate the influence of sandstorm-induced scattering on OCC data rates and reliability.

Main Methods:

• Two OCC links with ranges of 100 m and 200 m were established using commercial LEDs and a telescope-based camera.
• On-off keying modulation was employed to transmit data.
• The signal-to-noise ratio was optimized by adjusting the camera's analog amplifier gain, achieving up to a 9 dB increase.

Main Results:

• Achieved data rates of 1035 bps (100 m) and 630 bps (200 m) with low error probabilities (9.14⋅10^-5 and 4.1⋅10^-3, respectively).
• Sandstorm-induced scattering unexpectedly increased the region of interest dimensions by 33% compared to clear air conditions.
• This scattering effect proved beneficial for OCC, enhancing data rates, contrary to expectations for photodetector-based OWC.

Conclusions:

• Optical camera communications (OCC) can maintain and even improve performance during sandstorms due to enhanced scattering.
• The cost-efficient telescope-camera setup demonstrates practical viability for OCC in challenging atmospheric conditions.
• Sandstorm-induced scattering presents a unique advantage for OCC, expanding its operational potential in dusty environments.