Millimeter-wave radio signals, high-data through plastic media
What is H-link?
- H-Link is the first system that guides radio waves both in the air and through a flexible plastic tube. This low-cost hybrid technology allows the transmitter to perform 360° rotations, avoiding cable kinking. Initially designed for robotics, H-Link ensures broadband in confined areas (eg. glove boxes).
- H-Link can transfer information over distances up to ten meters at a speed of 15 Gbits/s. With an average data transmission speed of 6 Gbits/s over a little more than two meters, the system can transfer a 4K video, eliminating the data compression/decompression.
Applications:
H-link has been designed for robotics, enabling high data rate communication to perform:
- Remote chemistry in confined volume
- Remote biology in glove box: viruses and bacteria
- Remote micro-nano technology development
- Remote nuclear material manipulation, etc.
H-link can also be used for e-health, such as remote medical visits/check-up, and surgical intervention (dentistry).
What's new?
H-link offers significant advantages over copper and fiber optic cable: - It uses a tenth of the energy required to transmit a signal
- It is less sensitive to vibration and electromagnetic waves
- Because the system uses millimeter waves rather than nanometer waves (optical fiber), it does not need to be heat spliced or welded—it can be connected by hand with a piece of tape.
- Plastic is much lighter in weight than copper
H-Link's emitter transform digital SDI in mmW modulated signal. The signal is radiated through either a plastic wave guide or an antenna free space link to the receiver which delivers digital SDI. In terms of technical performance, H-Link offers:
- Full duplex, multi channels
- No additional conversion (vs. optics), no equalization ( vs. copper)
- No micron-level alignment (vs. optic), no electrical contact (vs. copper)
- Low loss versus copper and wireless
- High energy efficiency (around 1pJ/bit/m)
- Freedom of movement including tilt, angle and misalignment
- Help ensure flexibility by transferring signal through specific materials
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What's next?
- CEA-Leti is currently working towards the development of customer ad-hoc solution using STMicrolectronics' 60ghz transceiver and Radiall's antena horn interface.
- The team is improving the interface and developing a multi-channels transceiver within the 100-150 GHz band. They also try to enhance the plastic coupling structures.