The paper discusses a low power consumption, light weight and low cost 10MHz free-space optical communication (FSO). The system is designed for mounting on mobile platforms, with effective range of at least 50 meters. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Laser diodes (LDs) are used in the transmitter for comparison for their relative performance in the system. The receiver features a beam splitter that feeds part of the data link optical signal to a quadrant photodetector and controls a tracking/stabilization system using microcontroller. Since almost all commercial FSO systems are mounted on fixed positions such as buildings, the paper explores the possibility and challenges of designing a FSO system for a mobile system such as remotely operated-vehicles or between ships.

Date Published: 13 February 2008
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 6877, Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XX, 687706 (13 February 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.763275

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6877:
Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XX
Steve Mecherle, Editor(s)