Overview
IEEE 802 LAN MAN Standards Committee recently finalized its work on two standards for light communications (LC). IEEE 802.15.13-2023 Standard for Multi-Gigabit per Second Optical Wireless Communications (OWC), with Ranges up to 200 meters, for both stationary and mobile devices (IEEE 802.15.13 ) introduced a new MAC and two PHY layers enabling high reliability, low latency, and low power transmission for industrial wireless applications, and IEEE P802.11bb Standard for Information Technology–Telecommunications and Information Exchange Between Systems Local and Metropolitan Area Networks–Specific Requirements – Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 7: Light Communications (IEEE 802.11bb) defines how to reuse the 802.11 MAC and OFDM-based PHYs over optical links, aiming at large-volume applications e.g., in enterprise and home scenarios.
What’s inside:
In this white paper we present major use cases and overview of the standards. Before providing the details of use cases, we would like to state some of the benefits of light communications.
- Security: LC technology is more secure than radio frequency (RF) communication, as it cannot penetrate walls or other obstacles, making it difficult to intercept the signal.
- Immunity to Radio Interference: LC technology is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can interfere with RF communication, making it a reliable communication option in environments with high levels of EMI.
- Safety: LC equipment does not create the same levels of EMI, thus safe to use around sensitive equipment.
Read on to explore more around:
- Usage Models for Light Communications
- Usage Model 1 Industrial Wireless
- Usage Model 2: Wireless Access in Medical Environments
- Usage Model 3: Enterprise Network
- Usage Model 4: Secure Home Network
- Key Considerations of the Usage Cases
- IEEE 802.15.13 Optical Wireless Communication Standard
- IEEE 802.11bb Light Communications Amendment
