WIRELESS INFRARED FACTORY NETWORK FOR HAND-HELD TERMINALS

An experimental wireless infrared network with ISDN compatibility is d escribed. This factory network has been studied in a European project: ''FCPN'' (Factory Customer Premises Network). The architecture of the network is a cellular one. Infrared cells are connected together by a high-speed optical fiber backbone. Hand-held terminals communicate vi a an infrared (IR) channel based on a diffusion technique. The communi cation protocol on the infrared channel is based on the ISDN protocol with standard ISDN rate (2 x 64 kbits/s + 16 kbits/s). Measurements of diffusion properties of standard construction materials are presented . These properties are in good agreement with the requirements of an i ndoor IR diffuse transmission. Architectural choices for the IR transc eiver are discussed with special emphasis on consumption reduction for mobile-terminals autonomy improvement. Key elements of the IR transce iver implementation are described. Experimental results for an LR diff use channel are presented, showing the suitability of such a transmiss ion technique for indoor hand-held terminals. Performances of the syst em are described in term of Bit Error Rate measurements.