Cave fish inspired JAR system offers solution to limited bandwidth

With the ever-increasing use of wireless Gadgets and mobile devices, there is a high potential for the signal interference and possible jamming when they function in low bandwidth. To avoid potential jamming, the operators have to shell out additional amount to reserve for additional bandwidth. Hence this indirectly puts a financial burden on the customers, but now the scientists have found out a way to avoid signal interference. The team took inspiration from the Jamming avoidance system adopted by the cave-dwelling glass knife fish Elgenmannia that lives in darkness.

To communicate with the nearby fish and move around the fish emits an electrical signal. But when these signals emitted by both fishes match, it leads to jamming and thereby the scrambled signal. To avoid the potential jamming, the fish uses a neural algorithm dubbed Jamming avoidance response (JAR). By using this algorithm, the knife fish detects the electrical signals emitted by the other fish around. If the frequency of the signal emitted by the other knife fish looks closer, then it immediately adjusts its frequency to a higher or lower to avoid jamming.

Based on this concept, the researchers developed a light-based photonic Jamming avoidance response (JAR). The system uses an optical component known as Semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) similar to the JAR of knife fish. The system identifies the potential of other signals to cause a potential signal interference and jamming. Further, it identifies whether the emitted signal is of higher or lower frequency and moves its signal in the opposite direction. Since the system is light-based, it functions on a wide range of frequencies with minor adjustments.

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The researchers have successfully tested the photonic JAR by using various types of jamming signals in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum used for local wireless networks such as Bluetooth. So, this system aids in bringing down the spectral costs of bandwidth, which indirectly benefits the customers. So the developing countries can opt for affordable mobile technology that could revolutionise the field of telemedicine or distance learning. The researchers are now working to improve the efficiency of the system so that it responds to more than one Jamming signal. Further, they intend to make the system portable and user-friendly for even non-technical users.

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