Comments: (pdf)
Ref.: Underwater Communications and Network Conf., Lerici (Italy), September 2022
Abstract:
This study shows the underwater communication performance using an acoustic pressure-gradient vector
sensor. Combining the estimated particle velocity channels with the pressure measure results in a
cardioid-like beam steered output, which is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. A shallow-water
field experiment was carried out using a single vector sensor as a receiver and a ship-suspended sound
source, transmitting the frequency-hopped JANUS signal at several ranges and directions. Bit error rate
analyses demonstrate how performance can be enhanced through vector sensor channel combining. Firstly,
by relating the error with beam pattern varying the azimuth steering angle. Second, by relating the
error with transmitting stations, where individual channels of the vector sensor can be compared. Besides
such findings, this study also presents tools for better understanding the directional characteristic,
such as the design factor to combine the particle velocity to the pressure sensor and azigrams. Finally,
results show that the JANUS bit error rate can be reduced up to five percent compared to the pressure
sensor by combining the vector sensor channels.