I'm looking to relay some fairly basic information such as Temperature, Humidity (and some other basic float values) along with a single Boolean value. The problem I have is that the location I wish to relay this information is approximately 2km away. The information only needs to be send periodically say every 2/5/10mins.
However, I have a single - single mode fibre optic cables that I can use that run this entire distance.
One idea I had was to use an Arduino Ethernet Shield, then connect this into a fibre optic media converter to transmit the data down the fibre cable and eventually to a switch - before going out to the internet say.
However, I am quite limited by size as I have my Arduino in a small fibre enclosure at the far end. I came up with the thought of perhaps using a Laser Transmitter module (for example this one here).
I was thinking perhaps I could use the Arduino to transmit the data using this Laser down my fibre optic cable. I could make some form of basic binary code that could be transmitted and interpreted by another Arduino using a photodiode at my house end of the system - which I could then relay to a local server or the internet via an Ethernet module.
I'm curious to see what some thoughts are regarding this - firstly would it be possible? I see no reason why a 610nm wavelength laser could not travel down my fibre.
My issue lies with communication. Since I am transmitting on one side using a laser and I only have a single fibre available - I don't have two-way communication possible. I could use some from of Real Time Clock module on the far-end of this system to help synchronize the data transmission somehow. So I'm not sure what method would be best here in terms of communication protocol. Again the data is fairly simple, so it does not need to be complex.
Any thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated - fairly ambitious project here!
Do You have a transmitter as well as a receiver for it?
That looks like a side step. Look at the reply above. Ethernet is used for bus communication but You need a point to point communication.
Search and learn how to use fiber optics and see if that's still interesting.
Don't build the project just for exercising a fiber. Or, maybe do that....
The fibre I have is a single fibre left from a 12 fibre cable. The other 11 are being used with SFP's into switches, cameras etc.
I would be using the laser on the Arduino as a transmitter, and Photodiode as a receiver on the far end.
I could create some basic communication protocol similar to that of i2c (with the exception of having no ack/nack bit as I don't have two way communication) to transmit the data. It would just need to be decoded on the far end. My main concern would be reliability/missed packets - but I wouldn't think there should be any reason for these to occur.
Hi,
single mode fiber optic fiber has a core of just 6 to 9 microns.
This core is too thin to use with the basic Laser Transmitter module emitter.
Single-mode fiber optics need specialized emitter and receiver.
"Fiber-coupled Single Emitter Diode Lasers BWT Beijing"
IIRC, Single mode fiber is difficult to work with on an "amateur" basis, and expensive to work with using professional equipment (in that it tends to be designed for multi-gigabit links.)
Unfortunately I cannot touch any of the other 11 fibres.
I'll look into the SFP-Experimenter as this looks like it may be useful. It really is a shame that there is no Arduino/Microcontroller shield available to send data via a fibre, would be perfect for my situation!
