EARS: Enhancing Spectrum Efficiency of Autonomous and Agile Hybrid FSO/RF Systems

本项目的目标是基于前向纠错编码、调制和交换技术，开发一种高带宽效率和自主的混合自由空间光/射频（FSO/RF）系统。智力优势：智力优势在于开发了一种超快速、高实用性和高频谱效率的双脉冲脉冲位置调制（D-PPM）结构;提出了一种新的迭代解码/解调方法，有效地利用D-PPM和强速率兼容的FEC码实现自适应编码和调制，并设计了灵活的监测和切换技术。该研究涉及理论、算法和仿真活动，将信息和通信、信号处理、网络和光学的各个方面结合到自主和敏捷的FSO/RF系统的内聚框架中。更广泛的影响：RF频谱是一种迅速变得稀缺的宝贵商品，FSO为过度拥挤的RF频谱提供了一种有效的替代方案。FSO提供了许多独特的优点，包括免许可访问高带宽，无干扰和电磁污染，高数据速率，高安全性，以及易于安装，拆卸和重新配置。由于采用了备用射频技术来提供电信级的可用性，并采用了有效的通信、信号处理和光学技术来进一步提高其带宽/功率效率和鲁棒性，混合FSO/RF有可能在从金融到医疗保健、政府、军事、教育和企业连接等广泛的垂直市场中提供应用。

The objective of this project is to develop a highlybandwidth-efficient and autonomous hybrid free-space optical/radiofrequency (FSO/RF) system based on several innovative and agiletechnologies in forward error correction (FEC) coding, modulation, andswitching.Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit lies in the development ofa solid construction for super fast, highly practical, and highlyspectrum efficient dual-pulse pulse position modulation (D-PPM); theproposition of a novel iterative decoding/demodulation method that caneffectively explore D-PPM with powerful rate-compatible FEC codes toachieve adaptive coding and modulation; and the design of autonomousand agile monitoring and switching technologies. The research entailstheoretic, algorithmic, and simulation activities, that will combinethe various aspects of information and communication, signalprocessing, networking, and optics into a cohesive framework ofautonomous and agile FSO/RF systems.Broader Impacts: RF spectrum is a precious commodity that is rapidlybecoming scarce, and FSO presents an effective alternative to theovercrowding RF spectrum. FSO offers many unique advantages includingunlicensed access to high bandwidth, interference-free andelectromagnetic pollution-free, high data rates, high security, andeasiness to set-up, tear-down and re-configure. With the backup RF toprovide a carrier grade availability, and with effectivecommunication, signal-processing and optical technologies to furtherenhance its bandwidth-/power-efficiency and robustness, hybrid FSO/RFhas the potential to provide applications in a wide range of verticalmarkets, from finance to healthcare, government, military, education,and enterprise connectivity.