LED Backhaul Project Engineer Blog

Installation of LiFiMAX Small Area

Last Update: May 24th, 2022

Introduction

The LiFi devices described in the previous article are directional devices, not omni-directional like Wi-Fi devices, due to the fact that they emit light, so care must be taken in how they are installed. This article describes the installation method we are using in our proposal to our customers using the OLEDCOMM LiFiMAX Small Area demo device.

Product standard fixing method

The main body of the Small Area Access Point is a thin cylinder with a single RJ45 jack on the side. Since the main unit alone does not have a fixing function, it is fitted into a hole in the ceiling via a dedicated ring-shaped bracket. The two clips attached to the bracket are spring-tensioned in the direction of the flange, so that they sandwich the ceiling plate and hold it in place.

fig.1
 Image1:Access Point
fig.2
 Image2:Dedicated bracket
fig.3
 Image3:Installation image

## Fixing method for temporary installation When fixing without using the dedicated brackets, the flat surface of the ceiling side of the main unit allows you to use double-sided tape to attach your own brackets. (To prevent damage due to dropping, we recommend using tape that can be fixed for a long period of time.) In our own demo unit, we have attached hook and loop fastener tape so that it can be attached to a flexible movable arm for a camera.
fig.4
 Image4:Hook and loop fastener attachment part
fig.5
 Image5:Image of camera arm attachment

As a side note, we originally attached a bracket made by a 3D printer to the camera fixture, but the bond between the layers was weak because the parts were manufactured by FDM (thermal melting lamination) method, and they could not withstand long-term operation and broke, so we settled on the current hook and loop fastener method. Although we have not been able to test it, we believe that a bracket made by powder sintering or MJF method would have been strong enough to withstand long-term operation.

Summary

This is an explanation of how to install the OLEDCOMM LiFiMAX Small Area. Since LiFiMAX is still in its early stages of commercialization, there may be many cases of experimentation with LiFi itself, such as verification and application study, rather than immediate permanent installation and fixation. We hope this article will be of some help to such people.

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