Experimental characterization of the body-coupled communications channel

T.C.W. Schenk, Nafiseh Seyed Mazloum, L. Tan, P. Ruttan

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingPaper in conference proceedingpeer-review

Abstract

Body-coupled communications (BCC), in which the human body is used as a communications channel, has been shown to be a promising solution for wireless body-area networks (WBANs). For successful deployment of these BCC-based WBANs, it is necessary to develop a clear understanding of the channel behavior. Therefore, this paper presents the key characteristics of the capacitively-coupled on-body channel used for BCC. This is based on an experimental study, which was carried out with a specifically designed measurement system. The goal of the study was to reveal the influence of electrode design, electrode position and body motion on the propagation loss and to characterize the experienced interference. It is concluded that the maximum propagation loss for the whole body channel is below 80 dB. Moreover, the frequency dispersion and the influence of body movement on channel attenuation are shown to be much smaller than for radio frequency (RF) WBAN channels. From the results we conclude that BCC can result in a simpler, more robust, and lower-power WBAN than what is achievable with traditional RF solutions.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2008 IEEE International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems
PublisherIEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages234-239
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)978-1-4244-2488-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
EventIEEE International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems ISWCS - Reykjavík, Iceland
Duration: 2008 Oct 212008 Oct 24

Conference

ConferenceIEEE International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems ISWCS
Country/TerritoryIceland
CityReykjavík
Period2008/10/212008/10/24

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

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