📡 Electromagnetic Spectrum Dashboard
Our entire civilization depends on the electromagnetic spectrum. From submarine communication in the ELF band to satellite internet in the SHF band, every wireless technology operates within this fundamental framework of nature. Click on any band below to explore its properties and applications.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
ELF
SLF
ULF
VLF
LF
MF
HF
VHF
UHF
SHF
EHF
Infrared
Visible
Ultraviolet
Lower Frequency ← Radio Waves | Microwaves | Infrared | Visible | UV → Higher Frequency
Longer Wavelength ← → Shorter Wavelength
Submarine Communication
Submarines use ELF/VLF for deep underwater communication
- • ELF (3-30 Hz): Penetrates hundreds of meters underwater
- • VLF (3-30 kHz): Penetrates 10-20 meters
- • Blue-green lasers: Experimental optical communication
- • Floating antennas: Surface for satellite communication
- • Sound waves (SONAR): Primary underwater communication
LoRa & LoRaWAN
Long Range, low power wireless protocol
- • Frequency: 868 MHz (EU), 915 MHz (US), 433 MHz (Asia)
- • Range: 2-15 km urban, up to 40 km rural
- • Data rate: 0.3-50 kbps
- • Use cases: IoT sensors, smart cities, agriculture
- • Chirp Spread Spectrum modulation for interference resistance
Mesh Networks
Decentralized networks where each node relays data
- • Protocols: Zigbee (2.4 GHz), Thread, BLE Mesh
- • Self-healing: Routes around failed nodes
- • Applications: Smart homes, emergency communication
- • Meshtastic: LoRa-based off-grid messaging
- • GoTenna: UHF mesh for phones without cell service
Satellite Communication
Space-based communication systems
- • Geostationary (GEO): 35,786 km altitude, fixed position
- • Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 500-2000 km, Starlink constellation
- • Starlink: 10.7-12.7 GHz (Ku band), ~40ms latency
- • GEO satellites: 4-8 GHz (C band), 12-18 GHz (Ku band)
- • Deep space: X-band (8-12 GHz) for Mars rovers
🔑 Key Insights
Lower Frequencies
- • Travel farther
- • Penetrate materials better
- • Lower data rates
- • Larger antennas needed
Higher Frequencies
- • Shorter range
- • Blocked by materials
- • Higher data rates
- • Smaller antennas
Trade-offs
- • Range vs Bandwidth
- • Penetration vs Data Rate
- • Antenna Size vs Portability
- • Power vs Distance