Telecommunications Journal | Performance Testing of Composite Dielectric Patch Antenna

The IUP Journal of Telecommunications

Free Space Optical Communication: A Study

Article Details

Pub. Date	: May, 2019
Product Name	: The IUP Journal of Telecommunications
Product Type	: Article
Product Code	: IJTC21905
Author Name	: Rashmi Singh and Akhilesh Kandariya
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Science & Technology
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 18

Price

Download

Abstract

The paper explorers Free Space Optical (FSO) communication with its flashes and corns. FSO technology is useful where the physical connection is impractical due to high cost or other considerations, and in most cases, optical data transmission is done via optical fibers, because it allows transmission over relatively large distances without alignment issues and relatively very less disturbing influences of atmosphere. But optical data transmission using fiber has also many limitations. Some limitations are removed by FSO technology, such as it provides high data rates, low power consumption, low installation cost and easily upgradable. FSO performance parameters, i.e., internal and external parameters, and some modulation techniques used in FSO technology are also discussed.

Description

In most cases, optical data transmission on the Earth is done via optical fibers, because it allows transmission over relatively large distances without alignment issues, excessive power losses and relatively very less disturbing influences of the atmosphere. However, it is also possible to transmit data optically via free space (or similarly, through water), not exploiting any kind of waveguide structure. This kind of optical communication has early origin, e.g., the ‘photo phone’ patent by Alexander Graham Bell in the 1870s.

Free Space Optical (FSO) communication is an optical communication technology that uses light propagating in free space to transmit data for telecommunication or computer networking. ‘Free space’ means air, outer space, vacuum, or something similar. The theory of FSO is essentially the same as that of fiber optic transmission. The difference is that the energy beam is collimated and sent through clear air or space from the source to the destination rather than guided through an optical fiber, so this technology is useful where the physical connections are impractical due to high costs or other considerations.