Advancing In-Pipe Robot Communication with High-Speed OWC Transceiver Front-End Circuit: Experimental Insights and Prospects

This paper presents the design and experimentation of a high-speed optical wireless communication front-end transceiver circuit tailored for inpipe robot communication applications. The design process encompasses circuit simulation using the TINA-TI simulation program, PCB fabrication, and subsequent testing within a plastic pipe environment. Experimental findings indicate a system frequency bandwidth of 19.53 MHz for analog modulation at an HB-LED wavelength of 475nm and 300 mA, with an observed attenuation rate of 0.24 dB/cm within the in-pipe setting. Digital modulation experiments yield peak data rates exceeding 50 Mbps for OOK modulation and over 20 Mbps for the PRBS signal. These results hold significant promise for the advancement of optical wireless communication applications in robotics and future 6G communications.