MOBILE AND SATELLITE LASER COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

O. Wilfert, H. Henniger, Z. Kolka

wilfert@feec.vutbr.cz, hennes.henniger@dlr.de kolka@feec.vutbr.cz

Brno University of Technology

Prague, July 2008

Outline

1 Introduction (definition) 2 Satellite optical links 2.1 Earth orbits 2.2 Satellite optical link projects 3 Terrestrial mobile optical links 3.1 Basic characteristics of the mobile optical links 3.2 Mobile optical link projects 4 Conclusion

1 Introduction Definition
Mobile and satellite optical link works as a Free-Space optical link (FSO link) which

transmits an optical signal through the atmosphere or deep space. Optical power is concentrated to one or more narrow beams. Optical wave can be divided into several optical channels. (Their application is suitable in situations where the use of optical cable is impossible and desired bit rate is too high for a microwave link.)

1 Introduction

(1.VIDEO-Acquisition; turbulence)

Photodetektor

Regarding power budget of the link small divergence is required which means strict demands on APT (acquisition, pointing and tracking) system.

Optical transceivers with azimuthally and elevation assembly

Laser beam (without atmosphere)

Johan Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777 1855) Wave Helmhotz equation is starting point Gaussian beam (laser beam) is one of its solutions Beam width vs. range
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2 E ( x , y , z ) + k 2 E ( x, y , z ) = 0
w0 E ( x, y, z ) = E0 e w( z)
x2 + y 2 jk j kz + ( z ) 2 q( z ) 2

Radius curvature of wavefront vs. range

5 4.5 4 3.5

w/w0

R/z0

2.5 2

1.5

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

1 0.5 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

z/z0

z/z0

Optical wave

Optical intensity

Optical power
P( z, t ) = I ( x, y, z , t )dxdy
S

E (r , t ) H (r , t )

time

= I ( r ) = I ( x, y , z )

Fast optical changes in time

Slow (modulation) changes in time

Optical intensity distribution in Gaussian beam

1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6

w0 2 w2 ( z ) I ( x, y , z ) = I 0 e w( z )
1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6

x2 + y 2

I/I0

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

I/I0

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2

z/z0

e-2

0.1 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

x/w0

z/z0

Laser beam
I/I0

1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4

Optical intensity distribution in Gaussian beam

0.3 0.2 0.1 0 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

e-2

x/w

laser diode beam

Speckles in beam spot

Fresnel diffraction on lens socket 7

Basic characteristics of laser radiation

high directivity high concentration of optical power Laser diode

TX TX

103 rad

high monochromatic wave high concentration of information g()

< 103

possibility of transmission of quantum state of photons leads to high degree of security during transmission 8

Advantages
The narrow beams guarantee high spatial selectivity so there is no interference with other links. High bit rate enables them to be applied in all types of networks. Optical band lies outside the area of telecommunication offices, therefore, a license is not needed for operation. The utilization of quantum state transmission promises long-term security for high-value data. Short size and small weight corresponds to easy integration to the satellite body. 9

Disadvantages:
availability of FSO link depends on the weather FSO link requires a line of site between transceivers birds and scintillation cause beam interruptions For reliability improvement number of new methods is applied: 1. Photonic technology 2. Multi beam transmission 3. Wavelength and space division 4. Beam shaping 5. Auto-tracking system 6. Microwave backup 7. Adaptive optics 8. Polygonal (mesh) topology 10

Perspective of FSO communication

The last mile solution (in the frame of access networks) Quantum states of photons transmission (long-term security transmission for high-value data) UV atmospheric communication Mobile optical communication Non-diffractive Bessel beams utilization Optical communication between satellites Utilization of LED for both illumination and communication 11

Optical wireless links division according to their location and work conditions.

indoor stationary OWL outdoor working in near space (using Earth satellites) satellite working in deep space (using Moon, Mars satellites etc.) atmospheric mobile

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Visualization of atmospheric layers and transceiver carriers

(min. 200km)

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Atmospheric phenomena
Transmission of clear atmosphere measured at sea level L12 = 1km; = 1,5nm

Areas applied

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Atmospheric phenomena
Components of atm 1. Absorption, scattering and refraction on gas molecules and aerosols (fog, snow, rain) (slow variations) ( = 785 nm)
visibility [km] < 0.05 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 10 - 23 attenuation [dB.km-1] > 340 85 34 14 7.0 7.0 3.0 1.0 0.5 State of the atmosphere Heavy fog Middle fog Weak fog or heavy rain Haze Clear

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Atmospheric phenomena
Components of atm 2. Beam deflection (diurnal variations) (temperature or mechanical deformation of consoles) 3. Short-term interruptions of the beam (short pulses) caused by birds, insect, .....

1e4

1e3

1e2 errors 10

(7th floor, filmed from a distance of 750m)

0 00:00

16
06:00 12:00 29/09/2000 18:00 00:00

Atmospheric phenomena
Components of atm 4. Fluctuation of optical intensity (noise-like) caused by air turbulence

f [Hz]

time of day 5. Background radiation

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Demonstration of integration of the optical wireless links into global communication network
(2.VIDEO_SatNetwork)

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2. Satellite optical links

Earth orbits
MEO (5000 -15000 km)

LEO (ISL) Inter-Satellite-Link

MEO (ISL) Inter-Satellite-Link Inter-Orbit-Link (IOL)

GEO (35786 km)

GEO (ISL) Inter-Satellite-Link

LEO (< 2000 km)

Inter-Orbit-Link (IOL)

GEO Geostationar Earth Orbit (36 000 km; 24 hour) MEO Medium Earth Orbit (1 200 km 35 000 km; 4x 6x per day) LEO Low Earth Orbit (200 km 1 200 km; 80 min 130 min)

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Satellite optical link projects

1. Project SILEX supported by ESA European Space Agency (Semiconductor-laser Inter-satellite Link Experiment)
November 2001 Tx: LD GaAlAs (800 nm), Rx: APD; 50 Mb/s @ 10-9 SPOT-4, LEO, 832 km (Satellite Pour lObservation de la Terre) ARTEMIS, GEO (Advanced Relay and Technology Mission Satellite)
ARTEMIS (GEO) vka 31000km optick psmo (800 nm) SPOT-4 (LEO) vka 832km psmo S (2 GHz) pozemsk stanice

psmo Ka (23/26 GHz)

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Satellite optical link projects

2. Project Kirari OICETS supported by ESA and Japanese JAXA (Optical Inter-orbit Communication Engineering Test Satellite)

Kirari OICETS LEO, 610 km

December 2005 Parameters of experiment see SILEX ARTEMIS GEO, 36 000 km

JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

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Satellite optical link projects

3. Common project Japanese institutions JAXA a NICT (National Institute of Information and Communication Technology)
Kirari OICETS LEO, 610 km March 2006; The first time in the world: sat. LEO Earth station

(APT system confirmation)

Terrestrial stationary station in Koganei, Tokio

Laser beam 22

Satellite optical link projects

4. LOLA project Optical communication between ARTEMIS (GEO) and airplane
(perfect system APT) December 2006; A world first: satellite airplane

French airplane Mystre 20; altitude 6 km and 10 km

ARTEMIS results as a whole : ARTEMIS stationary station, ARTEMIS satellite (LEO), ARTEMIS airplane.

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3. Terrestrial Mobile Optical Links

Mobile optical link (M-FSO) works partly or totally in atmospheric conditions. Mutual position of transceivers changes during transmission.
M-FSO links use space, air and terrestrial platform for communication. Terrestrial station can be placed on a moving vehicle or on a ship. Satellites of Earth, stratospheric HAPs (High Altitude Platform), UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), classical airplanes and terrestrial stationary or mobile stations can be used as carriers of transceivers .

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Mobile optical link projects

1. EU-FP6 project CAPANINA (13 partners including 2 Japanese) (Communications from Aerial Platforms Providing High Bandwidth Communications for All)
August 2005 Optical power of 100 mW (Tx on the HAP); Altitude of 22 km, range of 60 km; Bit rate of 622Mb/s, bandwidth of 1,25 Gb/s; Modulation used is IM/DD, OOK; Bit error rate of 10-9; Wavelength of 1550 nm. Laser beacon: 986 nm; 200 mW Base ESRANGE (European Space Range), in Kiruna, Sveden 25

Arrangement of CAPANINA experiment

FELT, Freespace Experiment Laser Terminal (DLR)

TOGS, Transportable Optical Ground Station (DLR) 26

Overview of the APT system

Weight: 17.54 kg Pointing Acquisition and Tracking Computer Signal electronic Gyroscopes TMTC Optical Amplifier

(CAPANINA project)
Laser Driver Electronics and beacons Pointing Assembly

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APT system on the stratospheric balloon in details (CAPANINA project)

APT system (DLR) Resolution: 9 rad

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Mobile optical link projects

2. Common project JAXA and DLR: KIODO (Kirari Optical Downlink to Oberpfaffenhofen)
(3. VIDEO_KT7)

June 2006 Duplex communication 50 Mb/s @ BER=10-6 Kirari OICETS LEO, 610 km

Mobile OGS, Optical Ground Station Wessling, Germany

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Mobile optical link projects

3. Common project DLR (Wessling) and Carl-Zeiss Optronics (Oberkochen): MOND (Mobile Optical Near-Ground Demonstrator) (4. VIDEO_ATENAA)
Moving vehicle was equipped by inertial navigation sensor (supported by GPS) providing APT system by needed information. Wavelength of 1550 nm was used and video signal in HDTV quality was transmitted with bit rate of 1,5 Gb/s. A special canal coding ARQ and FEC ensuring immunity of transmission quality against beam interruption by accidental obstructions was used.

Eye diagram and laser beam transmitted by stationary terrestrial station

February 2007 Terminal placed on moving vehicle

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Mobile optical link projects

4. Project Terra-SAR-X (German satellite LEO, altitude 510 km)
Coherent optical link works with bandwidth of 7 GHz at the wavelength of 1064 nm. Signal from the satellite is received by two stationary terrestrial stations in Spain. Investigation of influence of turbulent atmosphere on coherent transmission from the satellite is the goal of this experiment.

June 2007

Space terminal for coherent optical communication was developed by DLR in conjunction with TesatSpacecom 31

Activity in the area of terrestrial FSO links

ORCAVE FSO link of the Czech company Miracle Group 2 laser beams auto-tracking system range 2.0 km @ BER = 10-9 wavelength 1550 nm management system monitoring system etc.

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Monitoring of atmospheric phenomena in selected sites

Selected sites: Brno (950m)
FSI

Czech Republic Prague (750m)

Milesovka hill (Donnersberg)

FEKT

- Long-term monitoring of optical power and BER - Meteorological sensors

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4. Conclusion
FSO technology is ready for utilization as terrestrial links, mobile links and satellite links.
Importance of high bit rate and security for high-value data. Possibility of integration in global wireless communication network. Optical communication in deep space between Mars satellite and Earth station is in preparation (MTO, Mars Telecommunication Orbiter). Terrestrial links are a suitable technology for the last mile solution in the frame of access network. The utilization of the FSO links is requested namely in situations where the use of an optical cable is impossible and desired bit rate is too high for a microwave links. FSO links are flexible, simple and full-value (in terms of quality of transmission) license-free instrument of network communication technologies.

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References
[1] TOLKER-NIELSEN, T., OPPENHAEUSER, G. Orbit Test Results of an Operational Optical Intersatellite Link between ARTEMIS and SPOT4, SILEX. In Preceedings of the SPIE, Vol. 4635, 2002. [2] G. Oppenhuser A world first: Data transmission between European satellites using laser light. ESA news, European Space Agency, 22 November 2001. (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ESASGBZ84UC_index_0.html) [3] T. Jono, Y. Takayama, K. Ohinata Demonstrations of ARTEMIS-OICETS InterSatellite Laser Communications. 24th AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference, AIAA-2006-5461, San Diego, California, June 2006. [4] Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Successful Optical Communication Experiment between the NICT Optical Ground Station and the Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite, April 2006. (http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2006/04/20060407_kirari_e.html) [5] HORWATH, J., KNAPEK, M., EPPLE, B., BRECHTELSBAUER, M., WILKERSON, B. Broadband Backhaul Communication for Stratospheric Platforms: The Stratospheric Optical Payload Experiment. In Proceedinds of the SPIE, Vol. 6304, 2006. [6] HENNIGER, H., EPPLE, B., GIGGENBACH, D. Mobil FSO activities in Europe and fading mitigation approaches. In Proceedings of the RADIOELEKTRONIKA 2007. Brno: VUT v Brn, FEKT, 2007. http://www.kn.dlr.de/freespaceoptics/papers/2007_KIODO_SPIE_NP.pdf [7] HORWATH, J., DAVID, F., KNAPEK, M., PERLOT, N. Coherent Transmission Feasibility Analysis. In Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XVII. Edited by Mecherle, G. Stephen. Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 5712, pp. 13-23 (2005).

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