ISO/IEC TR 30167:2021

ISO/IEC TR 30167
Edition 1.0 2021-06
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Internet of things (IoT) – Underwater communication technologies for IoT

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ISO/IEC TR 30167
Edition 1.0 2021-06
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Internet of things (IoT) – Underwater communication technologies for IoT

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 33.020 ISBN 978-2-8322-9865-7

– 2 – ISO/IEC TR 30167:2021  ISO/IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 6
5 Enabling/driving technologies of underwater communication . 7
5.1 General . 7
5.2 Acoustic communication. 8
5.2.1 Technical overview . 8
5.2.2 Trend of technology (modern communication trends) . 14
5.3 Optical (wire/wireless) communication . 21
5.3.1 Technical overview . 21
5.3.2 Trend of technology (modern communication trends) . 24
5.4 Very Low Frequency (VLF)/Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) . 28
5.4.1 Technical overview . 28
5.4.2 Trend of technology (modern communication trends) . 31
5.5 Magnetic fusion communication (MFC). 39
5.5.1 Technical overview . 39
5.5.2 Trend of technology (modern communication trends) . 42
Bibliography . 54

Figure 1 – Example of underwater acoustic sensor network system . 8
Figure 2 – Path loss of sound wave . 10
Figure 3 – Multipath of sound wave . 10
Figure 4 – Terrestrial/underwater interworking gateway . 13
Figure 5 – Underwater cable structure . 21
Figure 6 – Fibre-optic wired communication system overview . 21
Figure 7 – Current underwater cable map . 23
Figure 8 – Optical wired communication system overview . 25
Figure 9 – Optical wired communication system based on WDM technology . 25
Figure 10 – Trideco antenna tower array used in the US Navy's Cutler station . 29
Figure 11 – Valley-span antenna type used by the US navy station, Jim Creek . 29
Figure 12 – Aerial photograph of Clam Lake ELF facility in Wisconsin, USA (1982) . 34
Figure 13 – Cutler VLF transmitter's antenna towers . 36
Figure 14 – Cutler antenna array . 36
Figure 15 – VLF transmission centre in Japan . 38
Figure 16 – Trideco-type antenna placement in Harold E. Holt . 38
Figure 17 – Australian VLF transmitter (1979) . 39
Figure 18 – Shape of envelope . 40
Figure 19 – BPSK modulated signal . 41
Figure 20 – Magnetic field communication and Zigbee communication comparison
experiment . 42

Figure 21 – Experimental water tank for comparing magnetic field communication
characteristics according to medium and distance . 43
Figure 22 – Experimental water tank filled with water and soil . 43
Figure 23 – Strength of magnetic field due to distance in air, water, and soil . 44
Figure 24 – Physical layer packet format. 45
Figure 25 – Preamble area type . 45
Figure 26 – Header area type . 45
Figure 27 – Encoding circuit of header check cyclic redundancy code . 46
Figure 28 – Payload area format . 46
Figure 29 – Definition of Manchester coding . 47
Figure 30 – Definition of NRZ-L coding . 47
Figure 31 – Scrambler block diagram . 48
Figure 32 – ASK modulation diagram . 49
Figure 33 – BPSK modulation diagram . 49
Figure 34 – Preamble coding and modulation process . 49
Figure 35 – Process of coding and modulating headers . 50
Figure 36 – Process of coding and modulating the payload . 50
Figure 37 – Magnetic fusion communication super frame structure . 50
Figure 38 – Magnetic field communication network structure . 51
Figure 39 – Magnetic fusion (power transfer) communication network super-frame
structure . 52
Figure 40 – Magnetic fusion (power transfer) communication network structured
diagram . 53

Table 1 – Envelope parameters . 40
Table 2 – Intensity of magnetic field due to distance in air, water, and soil . 44
Table 3 – Definition of data rate and coding . 46
Table 4 – Definition of frame check cyclic redundancy code . 47
Table 5 – Data rate and coding details . 48

– 4 – ISO/IEC TR 30167:2021  ISO/IEC 2021
INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) –
UNDERWATER COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES FOR IoT
FOREWORD
1) ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission)
form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC
participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the
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2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC and ISO on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
from all interested IEC and ISO National bodies.
3) IEC and ISO documents have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC and
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ISO/IEC TR 30167 has been prepared by subcommittee 41: Internet of Things and Digital Twin,
of IEC joint technical committee 1: Information technology. It is a Technical Report.
The text of this Technical Report is based on the following documents:
DTR Report on voting
JTC1-SC41/183/DTR JTC1-SC41/203A/RVDTR

Full information on the voting for the approval of this Technical Report can be found in the
report on voting ind
...