As the radio frequency spectrum becomes crowded for local and personal area networks, optical wireless communications becomes a more and more necessary technology to meet increasing bandwidth needs. With this second, updated version, this book—which is in a field with only a handful of similar titles—continues to provide a wide and deep coverage of the topic.
The book starts with the very basics of device and channel issues, and moves on to modulation technologies for both indoor and outdoor applications. In terms of updates, a new final chapter on relay-assisted free-space optics has been added in this edition. As in the earlier edition, the book includes mathematical formulas, charts (some in color), and extensive, clearly updated references at the end of each chapter.
Although otherwise suitable as a textbook, the book lacks problems and exercises. Much of the book’s attraction is in its use of Matlab simulations, with the source code published in the print edition, but not readily available for downloading. Considering both pros and cons, this is a well-written, updated book, useful primarily for professionals, and possibly as a textbook if supplemented with suitable assignments.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, a professor of management information systems at the University of Alaska Anchorage, USA.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.