Design of an Optical

Wireless Transmission
Link
Student Name: Wen Zu
Instructor: Dr.Xavier N. Fernando

Content:

Selection of wavelength
System Structure
Alignment and tracking, Adjustment
Assumptions and Calculation
Problems in the next step
References

1. Selection of wavelength:1550nm

Options of wavelength:780 nm to ~
850nm, 1300nm~1550nm and 9 micron.
Advantages of using 1550nm:
1. 50 times more transmitted power at 1550 nm
than 800 nm considering the eye safety limit.
The eye safety limit of 1550 nm is 100
mW/cm, comparing to 20 mW/cm @800nm
2. Receivers have nearly 3 dB better receiver
sensitivity at 1550nm than 850nm due to the
lower energy per photon.

3. 1550nm is the most commonly specified

wavelength range for fiber-based optical
communication. The supporting technical base for
this wavelength range is vast and growing rapidly
every year. Therefore, it will be easy to access
new cost-effective technologies to update this
design, and to keep this design on the top
performance.

2. Structure

A five beam system. Four beam are

used to transmit down. One beam is
used to transmit up, and used in
Alignment and tracking, Adjustment
systems.

Figure 1. The function parts of this design

Figure 2. The function parts of this design(2)

Figure 3.The working of transmitters and receivers.

3. Alignment and tracking, Adjustment

Alignment and tracking system is designed to coalign the transmit and receive optical axes when
settle these devices, and to keep the alignment of
transmitters and receivers in the future. Buildings
could bend, vibrate, or move slightly in wind or
uneven thermal loading, e.g. sunshine on one
side. This system receives dictations from a micro
processor system, and operate a 2D mechanical
structure- servo system. Figure 5,6 show
tracking systems use in CANON Optical Wireless
Communication designs .

Figure 5. Auto-Tracking System

Figure 6. Effect of Beam Diameter on Receiver

 Adjustment system operates transmit optics to

fulfill the function showing in figure 3
depending on the real BER in different
weathers, and to maintain an acceptable
system performance.

4. Assumptions and Calculation

Assumptions:

Transmitter: Laser (1550nm) x 5

Average Laser Power: 1000mw/30dBm
Transmit Divergence: 0.5 mrad(1/e^2 )
Transmit aperture: 4cm
Receiver: InGaAs APD (1550nm) x 5
Receiver Sensitivity: -37 dBm
Receive Aperture: 15cm
Max. Data Rate: 1000Mbps x 4

Maximum Range at -220dB/km atmosphere

attenuation
Figure 3 shows the main atmosphere
attenuation - Mie scattering, varies with
wavelengths.
The max. atmosphere attenuation @
1550nm is -220dB/km, and atmospheric
loss is 62dB:
Max. Range = 281m.

BER: 1.00E-12
Transmit Optics Degradation: -1dB
Receive Optics Attenuation: -1dB

Calculation

Eye safety
Transmit power/Transmit area
=79.6mw/cm < 100 mW/cm (Eye safety
limit @1550nm)
Beam spread @500m=7.9cm < Receive
Aperture: 15cm
Max. link power margin= Transmit Power x
4 (36dBm)-Receiver Sensitivit (-30dBm)Geometric Range Loss(1)-Transmit Optics
Degradation(1)-Receive Optics
Attenuation(1)-Filter Loss(1)= 62dB

Figure 4. Mie scattering attenuation in dB/km for

the various fog distribution models

5.Problems in the next step

Design of transmit optic and receive optic.

Completing design of alignment and tracking
system
Completing design of adjustment system

References:

Z.Ghassemlooy, Optical Wireless Communications - Our

Contribution
J.R. Barry, Wireless Infrared Communication, Kluwer
Academic Press, Boston, 1994, 1st edn.
Chaturi Singh, Y.N.Singh, J.John, K.K.Tripathi, High-Speed
Power-Efficient Optical Wireless System
Scott Bloom, Seth Hartley, THE LAST-MILE SOLUTION :
HYBRID FSO RADIO
Scott Bloom, THE PHYSICS OF FREE-SPACE OPTICS
Isaac I. Kim, Eric Korevaar, Availability of Free Space
Optics (FSO) and hybrid FSO/RF systems
Jim Alwan, EYE SAFETY AND WIRELESS OPTICAL
NETWORKS
fSONA Communications Corp. WAVELENGTH SELECTION
FOROPTICAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS