What is Infrared communication?
Infrared communication (IR) is a wireless mobile technology used for device communication over short ranges. Unguided infrared and millimeter waves are widely used for short-range communication.
How it works?
IR light-emitting diodes (LED) are used to transmit IR signals, which pass through a lens and focus into a beam of IR data. The beam source is rapidly switched on and off for data encoding.
The IR beam data is received by an IrDA device equipped with a silicon photo-diode. This receiver converts the IR beam into an electric current for processing. Because IR transitions more slowly from ambient light than from a rapidly pulsating IrDA signal, the silicon photo diode can filter out the IrDA signal from ambient IR.
Characteristics of IR Communication
- They are relatively directional, cheap, and easy to build. but, have a major drawback is that they do not pass through solid objects (try standing between your remote control and your television and see if it still works).
- In general, as we go from long-wave radio toward visible light, the waves behave more and more like light and less and less like radio.
- On the other hand, the fact that infrared waves do not pass through solid walls well is also a plus.
- It means that an infrared system in one room of a building will not interfere with a similar system in adjacent rooms or buildings.
- Furthermore, security of infrared systems against eavesdropping is better than that of radio systems precisely for this reason.
- Therefore, no government license is needed to operate an infrared system, in contrast to radio systems, which must be licensed outside the ISM bands.
- Ex:
- The remote controls used on televisions, VCR, and stereos
- Mobile Infrared are used for short distance data transmission.
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