Introduction
Wireless communication is among technology’s biggest contributions to mankind. Wireless communication involves the transmission of information over a distance without help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors. The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television’s remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication)some of the devices used for wireless communication are cordless telephones, mobiles, GPS units, wireless computer parts, and satellite television.
Types of Wireless Communication:-
1. Infrared (IR) wireless communication - Is a wireless transmission media that sends
signals using infrared light waves. Infrared transmission requires a line of
sight transmission, that is the sender and receiver must be aligned so that
nothing obstructs the path of infrared light wave. IR
wireless is used for short and medium-range communications and security
control. For IR communication to work, the systems mostly operate in line-of-sight
mode which means that there must be no obstruction between the
transmitter (source) and receiver (destination).
2. Broadcast
Radio - Basically an
audio broadcasting service, radio broadcasts sound through the air as radio
waves. It uses a transmitter to transmit radio waves to a receiving antenna. To
broadcast common programming, stations are linked to the radio networks. The
broadcast occurs either in syndication or simulcast
(simultaneous broadcast) or both. Radio broadcasting can also be done
via cable FM, the internet and satellites. A radio broadcast sends data over
long distances (across countries) at up to 2 megabits per second (AM/FM Radio).
3. Microwave Radio - Microwave
transmission involves the transfer of voice and data through the atmosphere as
super high-frequency radio waves called microwaves. Microwave transmission is
mainly used to transmit messages between ground-based stations and satellite
communications systems. Microwave
transmission mainly uses radio waves whose wavelengths are conveniently
measured in small units such as centimeters. Microwaves belong to the radio
spectrum ranges of roughly 1.0 gigahertz (GHz) to 30 GHz.
4.
Communications Satellites - A
communication satellite is an artificial satellite used specifically as a
communication transmitter/receiver in orbit. It behaves like a radio relay
station above the earth to receive, amplify, and redirect analog and digital
signals carried on a specific radio frequency. Data is passed through a satellite using a
transponder which is a signal path. Most satellites have between 24 to 72
transponders, with a single transponder capable of transmitting and receiving
155 million bits of information per second. This huge capability makes
communication satellites an ideal medium for transmitting and receiving all
kinds of content, including audios and videos.
Applications of Wireless Communication:-
- Television Remote Control – Modern televisions use wireless remote control. Currently radio waves are also used.
- Wi-Fi – This is a wireless local area network that establishes internet connection with the portable computers.
- Cellular Telephone – Radio waves are used to facilitate the operator to make phone calls from any place on the earth. CDMA, GSM, and 3G are examples of the advancement made by wireless communication in the domain.
- Computer Interface Devices– Computer hardware manufacturers had realized that having so many wires to communicate between devices would confuse the consumer. So they switched to wireless technology to facilitate their consumers, thus making it easy to mediate between a computer and other peripherals including mouse and keyboard. Earlier, such units required bulky, highly limited transceivers but recent generations of computer peripherals use compact and high-quality wireless devices such as Bluetooth for communication.
