Wireless

Communicatio
n

Introduction, Types and Applications

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introduction-types-applications/#What_is_Wireless_Communication
Wireless
Connection
Wireless Communication is the
fastest growing and most vibrant
technological areas in the
communication field. Wireless
Communication is a method of
transmitting information from
one point to other, without using
any connection like wires, cables
or any physical medium.
Wireless
Connection
Generally, in a communication
system, information is transmitted
from transmitter to receiver that are
placed over a limited distance. With
the help of Wireless Communication,
the transmitter and receiver can be
placed anywhere between few
meters (like a T.V. Remote Control)
to few thousand kilometers (Satellite
Communication).
Wireless
Connection
We live in a World of
communication and Wireless
Communication, in particular, is a
key part of our lives. Some of the
commonly used Wireless
Communication Systems in our
day – to – day life are: Mobile
Phones, GPS Receivers, Remote
Controls, Bluetooth Audio and Wi-
Fi etc.
Wireless
Communication
Communication Systems can
be Wired or Wireless and the
medium used for
communication can be
Guided or Unguided. In Wired
Communication, the medium
is a physical path like 1.Co-
axial Cables, Twisted Pair
Cables and Optical Fiber
Links etc. which guides the
signal to propagate from one
point to other.
Wireless
Connection
Such type of medium is called
Guided Medium. On the other
hand, 2.Wireless Communication
doesn’t require any physical
medium but propagates the signal
through space. Since, space only
allows for signal transmission
without any guidance, the medium
used in Wireless Communication is
called Unguided Medium.
Wireless
Connection
If there is no physical medium, then how does
wireless communication transmit signals? Even
though there are no cables used in wireless
communication, the transmission and reception
of signals is accomplished with Antennas.
Antennas are electrical devices that transform
the electrical signals to radio signals in the form
of Electromagnetic (EM) Waves and vice versa.
These Electromagnetic Waves propagates
through space. Hence, both transmitter and
receiver consists of an antenna.
What is
Electromagnetic Wave?
Electromagnetic Waves carry the
electromagnetic energy of
electromagnetic field through space.
Electromagnetic Waves include Gamma
Rays (γ – Rays), X – Rays, Ultraviolet Rays,
Visible Light, Infrared Rays, Microwave
Rays and Radio Waves.7. Electromagnetic
Waves (usually Radio Waves) are used in
wireless communication to carry the
signals.
What is Electromagnetic
Wave?
An Electromagnetic Wave consists of both
electric and magnetic fields in the form of time
varying sinusoidal waves3.. Both these fields are
oscillating perpendicular to each other and the
direction of propagation of the Electromagnetic
Wave is again perpendicular to both these fields.
What is
Electromagnetic Wave?
Mathematically, an Electromagnetic
Wave can be described using Maxwell’s
equations. Pictorial representation of an
Electromagnetic Wave is shown in the
figure, where the Electric Field is acting
in the Y – axis, magnetic field is acting
in the Z – axis and the Electromagnetic
Wave propagates in X – axis.
What is
Electromagnetic
Wave?
Mathematically, an
Electromagnetic Wave can be
described using Maxwell’s
equations. Pictorial
representation of an
Electromagnetic Wave is shown
in the figure, where the Electric
Field is acting in the Y – axis,
magnetic field is acting in the Z
– axis and the Electromagnetic
Wave propagates in X – axis.
A Brief History of
Wireless Communication
Since the use of smoke signals, flags
and flashing mirrors in the pre – historic
period, Wireless communication has
been a part of human life and it is
continuously evolving. Modern Wireless
Communication i.e., using electrical
signals and radio waves for
communication has been around us for
more than 100 years.
A Brief History of
Wireless Communication
In the year 1897 8., Guglielmo Marconi 9. successfully
demonstrated the Wireless Telegraphy by sending EM
Waves for a short distance of 100 meters. This
demonstration paved way for Radio Communication
and the term Radio is derived from Radiant Energy. By
early 1900’s, Trans – Atlantic radio transmission had
been established, where Marconi successfully
transmitted messages in the form of Morse code.
Since then, the technology related to wireless
communication and wireless system has advanced
rapidly and thus enabling transmissions over longer
distances at low cost with cheaper devices.
A Brief History of
Wireless Communication
Throughout the development of wireless
communication, there are many wireless
systems and methods that flourished, and
many got disappeared. The best example
for this is Telephone Communication and
Television Transmission. Initially, all
telephone related communication was
carried out (and still is) using wired
network, which we call it as Landline
Telephone.
A Brief History of
Wireless Communication
But the rapid growth of Mobile Communication
started to replace the complex wired telephone
system. In this scenario, the wired technology
became outdated and got replaced by wireless
communication. Another scenario where
wireless communication got replaced by wired
communication is Television broadcasting. In
the early days, television signals were
broadcasted using wireless radio transmitters.
But this setup got replaced by cable television.
Why Wireless
Communication?
When wired communication can do most of the
tasks that a wireless communication can, why do
we need Wireless Communication? The primary
and important benefit of wireless communication
is mobility. Apart from mobility, wireless
communication also offers flexibility and ease of
use, which makes it increasingly popular day – by
– day. Wireless Communication like mobile
telephony can be made anywhere and anytime
with a considerably high throughput performance.
Why Wireless
Communication?
Another important point is infrastructure. The
setup and installation of infrastructure for wired
communication systems is an expensive and
time-consuming job. The infrastructure for
wireless communication can be installed easily
and low cost.
In emergency situations and remote locations,
where the setup of wired communication is
difficult, wireless communication is a viable
option.
Advantages of Wireless
Communication
There are numerous advantage of Wireless
Communication Technology, Wireless
Networking and Wireless Systems over Wired
Communication like Cost, Mobility, Ease of
Installation, and Reliability etc.
Advantages of Wireless
Communication : Cost
The cost of installing wires, cables and other infrastructure
is eliminated in wireless communication and hence
lowering the overall cost of the system compared to wired
communication system. Installing wired network in
building, digging up the Earth to lay the cables and
running those wires across the streets is extremely
difficult, costly and time-consuming job.
In historical buildings, drilling holes for cables is not a best
idea as it destroys the integrity and importance of the
building. Also, in older buildings with no dedicated lines for
communication, wireless communication like Wi-Fi or
Wireless LAN is the only option.
Advantages of Wireless
Communication : Mobility
As mentioned earlier, mobility is the main
advantage of wireless communication system.
It offers the freedom to move around while
still connected to network.
Advantages of Wireless
Communication : Ease of Installation
The setup and installation of wireless
communication network’s equipment and
infrastructure is very easy as we need not
worry about the hassle of cables. Also, the
time required to setup a wireless system like a
Wi-Fi network for example, is very less when
compared to setting up a full cabled network.
Advantages of Wireless Communication :
Reliability

Since there are no cables and wires involved

in wireless communication, there is no chance
of communication failure due to damage of
these cables, which may be caused by
environmental conditions, cable splice and
natural diminution of metallic conductors.
Advantages of Wireless Communication : Disaster Recovery
14.

In case of accidents due to fire, floods or other

disasters, the loss of communication
infrastructure in wireless communication
system can be minimal.
Disadvantages of Wireless
Communication
Even though wireless communication has a
number of advantages over wired
communication, there are a few
disadvantages as well. The most concerning
disadvantages are Interference, Security and
Health.
Disadvantages of Wireless Communication :
Interference

Wireless Communication systems use open space as

the medium for transmitting signals. As a result, there
is a huge chance that radio signals from one wireless
communication system or network might interfere
with other signals.

The best example is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (WLAN). Both

these technologies use the 2.4GHz frequency for
communication and when both of these devices are
active at the same time, there is a chance of
interference.
Disadvantages of Wireless Communication : Security

One of the main concerns of wireless

communication is Security of the data. Since
the signals are transmitted in open space, it is
possible that an intruder can intercept the
signals and copy sensitive information.
Disadvantages of Wireless Communication :
Health Concerns. 17

Continuous exposure to any type of radiation

can be hazardous. Even though the levels of
RF energy that can cause the damage are not
accurately established, it is advised to avoid
RF radiation to the maximum.
Basic Elements of
a Wireless
Communication
System

Introduction, Types and Applications

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introduction-types-applications/#What_is_Wireless_Communication
Basic Elements of a
Wireless
Communication System

A typical Wireless
Communication System
can be divided into three
elements: the
Transmitter, the Channel
and the Receiver. The
following image shows
the block diagram of
wireless communication
system.
The Transmission Path

A typical transmission path of a Wireless

Communication System consists of Encoder,
Encryption, Modulation and Multiplexing. The
signal from the source is passed through a
Source Encoder, which converts the signal
into a suitable form for applying signal
processing techniques.
The Transmission Path

The redundant information from signal is

removed in this process in order to maximize
the utilization of resources. This signal is then
encrypted using an Encryption Standard so
that the signal and the information is secured
and doesn’t allow any unauthorized access.
The Transmission Path

Channel Encoding is a technique that is applied

to the signal to reduce the impairments like
noise, interference, etc. During this process, a
small amount of redundancy is introduced to
the signal so that it becomes robust against
noise. Then the signal is modulated using a
suitable Modulation Technique (like PSK, FSK
and QPSK etc.) 20. , so that the signal can be
easily transmitted using antenna.
The Transmission Path

The modulated signal is then multiplexed with

other signals using different Multiplexing
Techniques like Time Division Multiplexing
(TDM) or Frequency Division Multiplexing
(FDM) to share the valuable bandwidth.
The Channel

The channel in Wireless Communication

indicates the medium of transmission of the
signal i.e. open space. A wireless channel is
unpredictable and also highly variable and
random in nature. A channel maybe subject to
interference, distortion, noise, scattering etc.
and the result is that the received signal may
be filled with errors.
The Reception Path

The job of the Receiver is to collect the signal

from the channel and reproduce it as the
source signal. The reception path of a Wireless
Communication System comprises of
Demultiplexing , Demodulation, Channel
Decoding, Decryption and Source Decoding.
From the components of the reception path, it
is clear that the task of the receiver is just the
inverse to that of transmitter.
The Reception Path

The signal from the channel is received by the

Demultiplexer and is separated from other
signals. The individual signals are
demodulated using appropriate Demodulation
Techniques and the original message signal is
recovered. The redundant bits from the
message are removed using the Channel
Decoder.
The Reception Path

Since the message is encrypted, Decryption of

the signal removes the security and turns it
into simple sequence of bits. Finally, this
signal is given to the Source Decoder to get
back the original transmitted message or
signal.
The Reception Path

Since the message is encrypted, Decryption of

the signal removes the security and turns it
into simple sequence of bits. Finally, this
signal is given to the Source Decoder to get
back the original transmitted message or
signal.
Types of Wireless
Communication
Systems

Introduction, Types and Applications

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introduction-types-applications/#What_is_Wireless_Communication
Types of Wireless
Communication Systems
Today, people need Mobile Phones for many
things like talking, internet, multimedia etc.
All these services must be made available to
the user on the go i.e. while the user is
mobile. With the help of these wireless
communication services, we can transfer
voice, data, videos, images etc.
Types of Wireless
Communication Systems
Wireless Communication Systems also provide
different services like video conferencing,
cellular telephone, paging, TV, Radio etc. Due
to the need for variety of communication
services, different types of Wireless
Communication Systems are developed. Some
of the important Wireless Communication
Systems available today are:
Wireless Communication
System
Television and Radio Broadcasting Satellite Communication

Radar Mobile Telephone System (Cellular

Communication)
Global Positioning System (GPS) Infrared Communication

WLAN (Wi-Fi) Bluetooth

ZigBee Paging

Cordless Phones) Radio Frequency Identification

(RFID
Types of Wireless
Communication Systems
There are many other system with each being
useful for different applications. Wireless
Communication systems can be again
classified as Simplex, Half Duplex and Full
Duplex.27 Simplex communication is one way
communication. An example is Radio
broadcast system.
Types of Wireless
Communication Systems
Half Duplex is two-way communication but not simultaneous one. An
example is walkie – talkie (civilian band radio). Full Duplex is also
two-way communication and it is a simultaneous one. Best example
for full duplex is mobile phones.
The devices used for Wireless Communication may vary from one
service to other and they may have different size, shape, data
throughput and cost. The area covered by a Wireless Communication
system is also an important factor. The wireless networks may be
limited to a building, an office campus, a city, a small regional area
(greater than a city) or might have global coverage.
We will see a brief note about some of the important Wireless
Communication Systems.
Television and
Radio
Broadcasting

Introduction, Types and Applications

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Television and
Radio Broadcasting

Radio is considered to be
the first wireless service
to be broadcast. It is an
example of a Simplex
Communication System
where the information is
transmitted only in one
direction and all the users
receiving the same data.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Satellite
Communication

Satellite Communication System is an important type

of Wireless Communication. Satellite Communication
Networks provide worldwide coverage independent
to population density.
Satellite Communication Systems offer
telecommunication (Satellite Phones), positioning and
navigation (GPS), broadcasting, internet, etc. Other
wireless services like mobile, television broadcasting
and other radio systems are dependent of Satellite
Communication Systems.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Mobile Telephone
Communication System

Perhaps, the most used wireless communication

system is the Mobile Phone Technology. The
development of mobile cellular device changed the
World like no other technology. Today’s mobile
phones are not limited to just making calls but are
integrated with numerous other features like
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and FM Radio.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Mobile Telephone
Communication System

The latest generation of Mobile Communication

Technology is 5G (which is indeed successor to the
widely adapted 4G). Apart from increased data
transfer rates (technologists claim data rates in the
order of Gbps), 5G Networks are also aimed at
Internet of Things (IoT) related applications and
future automobiles.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is solely a subcategory of satellite

communication. GPS provides different wireless
services like navigation, positioning, location, speed
etc. with the help of dedicated GPS receivers and
satellites.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Bluetooth

Bluetooth is another important low range wireless

communication system. It provides data, voice and
audio transmission with a transmission range of 10
meters. Almost all mobile phones, tablets and
laptops are equipped with Bluetooth devices. They
can be connected to wireless Bluetooth receivers,
audio equipment, cameras etc.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Paging

Although it is considered an obsolete technology,

paging was a major success before the widespread
use of mobile phones. Paging provides information
in the form of messages, and it is a simplex system
i.e., the user can only receive the messages.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN (Wi-Fi) is an

internet related wireless service. Using WLAN,
different devices like laptops and mobile phones can
connect to an access point (like a Wi-Fi Router) and
access internet.
Wi-Fi is one of the widely used wireless network,
usually for internet access (but sometimes for data
transfer within the Local Area Network). It is very
difficult to imagine the modern World without Wi-Fi.
Television and Radio Broadcasting: Infrared
Communication. 24

Infrared Communication is another commonly used

wireless communication in our daily lives. It uses
the infrared waves of the Electromagnetic (EM)
spectrum. Infrared (IR) Communication is used in
remote controls of Televisions, cars, audio
equipment etc.