Analysis of Illumination-Fiber-to-Wireless Links

Abstract

Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) have been traditionally based on point light sources such as LED or lasers. OWC channels are generally sensitive to misalignment due to the relatively small size of the optical surfaces. On the other hand, Fiber Optics Lighting has been proposed as an alternative to traditional illumination. This technology, which is based on side-emitting fibers offers more flexibility to configure illumination levels. This paper proposes their use as linear distributed optical sources. Furthermore, the mathematical foundations of the channel model are provided. The results suggest that these fibers are suitable for OWC and could alleviate misalignment sensitivity.