What are the advantages and limitations of an infrared wireless system?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Infrared wireless systems have several advantages. Infrared light neither interferes with other types of communications signals (such as radio signals) nor is it affected by other signals, except light. In addition, because infrared light does not penetrate walls, the signals are kept inside a room. This makes it impossible for someone elsewhere to listen in on the transmitted signal.
However, there are several serious limitations to infrared wireless systems. The first limitation involves the lack of mobility. Directed infrared wireless systems use a line-of-sight principle, which makes it challenging for mobile users because the alignment between the emitter and the detector would have to be continually adjusted. The second limitation is the range of coverage. Directed infrared systems, which require line of sight, cannot be placed in an environment where there is the possibility that anything could get in the way of the infrared beam (think of someone standing in front of your remote control while you are trying to change TV channels). This means that devices using infrared transmissions must be placed close enough to one another to eliminate the possibility of something moving between them. Due to the angle of deflection, diffused infrared can cover a range of only 50 feet (15 meters). And because diffused infrared requires a reflection point, it can only be used indoors. These restrictions limit the range of coverage.
Another significant limitation of an infrared system is the speed of transmission. Diffused infrared can send data at maximum speeds of only 4 Mbps. This is because the wide angle of the beam loses energy as it reflects. The loss of energy results in a weakening signal. The weak signal cannot be transmitted over long distances, nor does it have sufficient energy to maintain a high transmission speed, resulting in a lower data rate.