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(FEC)编码、调制和交换方面的几项创新和灵活的技术，开发一种高带宽高效和自主的自由空间光/射频(FSO/RF)混合系统。智力上的优势在于：为超高速、高实用和高频谱效率的双脉冲位置调制(D-PPM)开发了坚实的结构；提出了一种新的迭代译码/解调方法，可以有效地探索D-PPM，并使用强大的速率兼容的FEC码实现自适应编码和调制；以及自主和灵活的监测和交换技术的设计。这项研究包括理论、算法和仿真活动，这些活动将把信息和通信、信号处理、网络和光学的各个方面结合到一个自主和灵活的FSO/RF系统的紧密框架中。广泛的影响：RF频谱是一种宝贵的商品，但正迅速变得稀缺，而FSO为过度拥挤的RF频谱提供了一种有效的替代方案。FSO具有许多独特的优势，包括无许可访问高带宽、无干扰和无电磁污染、高数据速率、高安全性、以及易于设置、拆卸和重新配置。凭借提供运营商级可用性的备用射频，以及进一步增强其带宽/功率效率和稳健性的有效通信、信号处理和光学技术，混合FSO/RF具有在从金融到医疗保健、政府、军事、教育和企业连接的广泛垂直市场中提供应用的潜力。

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.