Bit Error Rate Performance on Passive Alignment in Free Space Optical Links Using Large Core Fibers

Schoenholz, Bryan ; Tedder, Sarah ; Millican, Patrick ; Berkson, Joel

关键词: BIT ERROR RATE;    FREE-SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION;    FIBER OPTICS;   

RP-ID  :  GRC-E-DAA-TN52134

学科分类：航空航天科学

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

A 20-meter free-space optical link (FSOL) is proposed for data transmission between external ISS payload sites and the main cabin at a target rate of 10 Gbps (gigabits per second). Motion between a payload site and the main cabin is predicted to cause up to 5 cm in lateral misalignment and 0.2 degrees of angular misalignment. Due to the harsh environment of space it is advantageous to locate the optical transceivers inside the spacecraft or in a controlled environment. With the optical components and transceivers in separate locations, a fiber optic cable will be required to carry light between the two. In our past work we found that the use of large-core fibers provide an increased misalignment tolerance for such systems and could eliminate the need for active control of the optics. In that work, it was shown that a 105 m core diameter fiber optic cable offered a viable low SWaP (size, weight, and power) solution for the ISS application; however, the effects of modal dispersion were not investigated. This paper will present bit error rate performance of the FSOL using these large-core fibers.