The Internet of Things (IoT) has become ubiquitous in households and industrial settings, enabling "smart" device behavior. Smart devices use sensors to adapt their behavior based on environmental factors or information from data analysis.
Examples of this include smart heating and lighting systems, which have the potential to reduce waste, improve building efficiencies, and enhance quality control in manufacturing.1
Optical filters are designed to block or transmit specific frequencies of light selectively. There are various optical filters, including bandpass filters, etalon filters, and notch filters.
The design of optical filters is crucial for ensuring optimal performance in datacom and IoT applications. Key considerations include the passband range, the level of contrast between blocked and unblocked regions, and the sharpness of the filter window.
For datacom applications, considerations include compactness, preservation of data integrity, and bandwidth transmission. IoT applications require high levels of interconnectivity, making it essential to avoid cross-talk between channels while maintaining high bandwidth communication.
Optical filters play a critical role in achieving optimal performance in datacom applications by helping to filter the output of fibers, reducing noise on measurements, and ensuring that only the desired signal is detected.
Image credit: Eak sikgun/Shutterstock.com
The Role Optical Filters Play in IoT
Real-time data monitoring and analytics are essential for fully utilizing the efficiency savings offered by IoT technologies, which require the rapid transfer and processing of large data streams. The complexity of this problem increases with the number of interconnected devices.
Complex operations, such as production lines, require the integration of many sensors and feedback systems into the IoT system, making it a particularly challenging use case.
Data integrity, bandwidth capability, and transfer speeds are crucial for a highly connected IoT datacom system. In local IoT installations with data centers and exchanges, transfer speeds are often critical for achieving truly real-time feedback.
Achieving high performance in optical fiber systems for datacoms requires using a range of optical filters to shape spectral information as needed.
Wavelength multiplexing is a fundamental technology in datacoms and IoT interconnectivity, in which several signals are delivered over various wavelength ranges to enhance the quantity of data that can be sent. The wavelength spacings between channels can be quite narrow depending on the density of channels. Hence, it is critical to preserve the core wavelengths by employing filters.
Broadband optical filters are employed in wavelength division multiplexing to broadcast only the specified wavelength channels of relevance, and their center frequency is set to the specific transmission channels.
Typical frequency ranges are O, C, and L. Compactness and form factor are also some variables to consider when designing optical components for high-density data centers.
Iridian specializes in creating custom optical filters to provide premium solutions for various applications. Customers can contact the company to learn more about how its expertise in optical filters can enhance the performance of IoT devices and deliver unmatched performance and reliability.
References and Further Reading
- Jia, M., Komeily, A., Wang, Y., & Srinivasan, R. S. (2019). Adopting Internet of Things for the development of smart buildings: A review of enabling technologies and applications. Automation in Construction, 101(July 2018), 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2019.01.023
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Iridian Spectral Technologies.
For more information on this source, please visit Iridian Spectral Technologies.