Chapter 20

Optical Wireless Security

Scott R. Ellis, EnCE, RCA,    kCura Corporation

1 Optical Wireless Systems Overview

In this section, we examine the origins of using light as a means of communication, and we discuss how, over time, it developed into free space optic (FSO) technology. This section will also cover the use of the technology.

History

The use of light and optics is long standing. The ancient Greeks used their polished shields to send reflected light signals while in battle. In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Charles Sumner Tainger, jointly created a device they called a photophone, or radiophone. Using it, they could transmit sound on a beam of light. The device was based on the photovoltaic properties of crystalline ...

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