Performance analysis of modulation schemes for wireless optical in-cabin aircraft networks

One of the major tasks in the future of aircraft inflight entertainment is to provide wireless connectivity throughout the cabin. In this work an optical OFDM modulation scheme for cellular network architecture is investigated in comparison to other conventional optical modulation techniques (PPM, OOK). An analysis of efficient cabin link layout with respect to seat rows per cell and available data rates, allowing high quality services for specific application (e.g. Video, data transfer), is presented for an implemented minimum of 10Mbit/s per cell. A wireless optical OFDM communication prototype has also been implemented in a laboratory experiment and compared to a conventional diffuse optical 2PPM, achieving 17.2Mbit/s data transmission, thus doubling the previously achieved performance, but being based on line of sight links in the laboratory only. Both implementations prove the usefulness of the investigated modulation schemes.