Performance Optimisation for Underwater Acoustic Chirp Communication

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things has been powered by the swift evolution of wireless communication technologies. In terrestrial networks, electromagnetic waves are the dominant transportation method. Comparatively, in underwater implementations, where the physical properties of the channel present severe obstacles to radio propagation, acoustic communication may be a viable alternative. This paper presents a framework for capturing the performance of chirp spread spectrum for underwater acoustic communication. The framework considers underwater acoustic transducer properties and channel attenuation, fading and noise characteristics. In addition, the paper presents an adaptive selection method of the carrier frequency and the spreading factor to maximise the communication range. Based on this adaptive scheme, results indicate that communication in moderate underwater conditions can be effective for ranges of up to tens of kilometres using practical transmitter pressures.