Design of Free-space Optical Communication Terminal Considering for Korean Domestic Weather Conditions

Abstract

Modern military operations rely heavily on broadband communication and data transmission. Recently, the rising use of intelligent unmanned technology necessitates more frequencies. Free-space optical(FSO) communication can offer high-data-rate communications with high security and no need for licensing. Therefore, the FSO communication holds significant interest and potential in the defense industry. In this paper, we present design of a FSO communication terminal taking Korean domestic weather conditions into account. The domestic atmospheric attenuation is analyzed using several models and two-year meteorological information for a city in Korea, and this analysis is utilized to design the FSO communication terminal. The design results were verified using an FSO communication test bed, and we achieved an Ethernet bandwidth of approximately 1.86 Gbps at a distance of 1.3 km with the optical amplifier output power of the test bed set to about 20 dBm.