PAPER PRESENTATION ON LASER COMMUNICATION

AUTHORS: CHETAN NAIK.J, RANJAN KUMAR SHETTY.

VITH SEM, ECE Department, VTU Belgaum, PESIT&M, SAGAR ROAD, SHIVAMOGGA.
E-mail:-chetan_naik2012@yahoo.com E-mail:-ranjanecshetty.com

ABSTRACT Laser communication systems have the potential to provide flexible, high-speed connectivity suitable for long, intersatellite and deep-space links. For these applications, power-efficient transmitter and receiver designs are essential for cost-effective implementation. State-of-the-art designs can leverage many of the recent advances in optical communication technologies that have led to global wide-band fiber-optic networks with multiple Tbit/s capacities. While spectral efficiency has long been a key design parameter in the telecommunications industry, the many THz of excess channel bandwidth in the optical regime can be used to improve receiver sensitivities where photon efficiency is a design driver. Furthermore, the combination of excess bandwidth and average-power-limited optical transmitters has led to a new paradigm in transmitter and receiver design that can extend optimized performance of a single receiver to accommodate multiple data rates. This paper discusses state-ofthe-art laser transmitter and receiver designs that are particularly well suited for average-power-limited photonstarved links where channel bandwidth is readily available. For comparison, relatively simple direct-detection systems used in short terrestrial or fiber optic links are discussed, but emphasis is placed on mature high-performance photon-efficient systems and commercially available technologies suitable for various operation. The fundamental characteristics of optical sources, modulators, amplifiers, detectors, and associated noise sources are reviewed along with some of the unique properties that distinguish laser communication systems and components from their RF counterparts. Also addressed is the interplay between modulation format, transmitter waveform, and receiver design, as well as practical tradeoffs and implementation considerations that arise from using various technologies.

commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. Communication is a process whereby information is enclosed in a package and is channeled and imparted by a sender to a receiver via some medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. All forms of communication require a sender, a message, and a receiver. Lanham wrote, If words matter too, if the whole range of human motive is seen as animating prose discourse, than rhetoric analysis leads us to the essential questions about prose style. This is saying that rhetoric and style are fundamentally important, the process which we construct and deconstruct meaning deserves analysis. Because communication theory remains a relatively young field of inquiry and integrates itself with other disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Communication studies focus on communication as central to the human experience, which involves understanding how people behave in creating, exchanging, and interpreting messages. Mechanistic: This view considers communication as a perfect transaction of a message from the sender to the receiver. Psychological: This view considers communication as the act of sending a message to a receiver, and the feelings and thoughts of the receiver upon interpreting the message 1. Systemic: This view considers communication to be the new messages created via through-put, or what happens as the message is being interpreted and reinterpreted as it travels through people. Critical: This view considers communication as a source of power and oppression of individuals and social groups.

Introduction: Currently, many definitions of communication are used in order to conceptualize the processes by which people navigate and assign meaning. Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Communication is 2.

I. laser communication Among this wide area of optical communication, we have chosen LASER COMMUNICATION because it is one of the most developing branches in information transmission. In laser communication we can exchange informations without any loss in signals even for long distance transmission. Its initial cost is low, any damages in channels can be easily traced, less chances of any loss in signals etc due to these advantages Laser communication is the best choice.

Fig 1: A basic communication system

A communication system is going to have following components which are very necessary to perform information transfer operation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. An information source, which produces a message. A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission A receiver, which decodes the message from the signal. A destination, where the message arrives.

Fig 2: A laser beam.

communication revolution: It can be classified into three revolutions In first communication revolution, the first written communication began with pictograph. Basic step in communication revolution. In second information communication revolution, writing began to appear on various things like paper, papyrus etc. In third revolution to transfer information various means of propagations are invented. Now information can be transferred via controlled waves and electronic signals. types of communication On the basis of various modes of exchanging the information communication can be classified as follows; 1) Visual communication 2) Electric signal communication 3) Controlled wave communication 4) Optical communication.

Optical fibres are necessary for laser communication. An optical fibre is a coaxial cylindrical arrangement of two homogeneous dielectric materials such as silica-glass, plastics, graded index fibre etc. This fibre consists of a central core of refractive index n1. The core is surrounded by a cladding region having a refractive index n2 (n2<n1). This configuration is called a step-index fibre due to the fact that the cross sectional profile of refractive index has a step function at interface between the core and the cladding. The essential characteristics of laser for communication purposes are, 1. The laser should be capable of being pulsed with accurate time control. 2. It should perform diffraction-limited operation for narrow bandwidth generation. 3. High power efficiency. 4. high peak power, short pulses and high repetition rates. 5. there should be a considerable variation in interpulse spacing, from pulse to pulse. 6. There should be no wastage of energy between short pulses. Any communication system mainly includes two parts, 1. Transmitter and 2. Receiver. Similarly the laser communication system needs the transmitter and receiver part. A simple laser communication system for experimental purpose can be designed just by using laser pen pointers and a few parts from radio shack. For the transmitter we need to have following components;

1. A laser pen pointer.

2.

3. 4.

5.

6.

A battery holder that holds the same number of batteries as the laser pointer (often 3 cells). The batteries can be any size, but they must be the same voltage as the laser batteries. We need to get one that holds two cells, and another that holds one cell, and wire them together in series. Radio Shack has a decent selection. A transistor radio. Later we will use a microphone and an amplifier but at first we will send one of radio station over the laser beam. An earphone jack that will fit our transistor radio a transformer of the type known as an audio output transformer. It consists of an 8 ohm coil and a 1000 ohm coil. The one we used is the Radio Shack #273-1380. Some clip leads to put it all together. At least one of the clip leads should be the type with a long slender point to connect to the inside of the laser pointer. We can substitute regular wire and solder but the clip leads are fast and simple. Radio Shack has a wide selection of clip leads. A two-lead bicolor light emitting diode, to protect the laser from high voltage spikes. For the receiver we need following components:

Connect the bicolor light emitting diode to the two outside wires of the transformer on the 1,000 ohm side. We are using this part (the bicolor LED) as a protection device to prevent the laser from getting high voltage spikes from the transformer. We didn't need to do this with the old-style lasers that had protection circuits built into them, but there are a lot of lasers being sold lately that have no protection, and need the bicolor LED to absorb any extra high voltage the transformer may produce when it is connected or disconnected. If we see the LED flash when we connect the battery, we will be seeing it absorb a high voltage spike that might have otherwise damaged the laser. Test the laser by attaching the battery. The laser should operate normally at this point. Connect the earphone jack to the 8 ohm side of the transformer.

1. A small solar cell .we has to solder our own wires to it if

it doesn't come with wires attached.

2. A microphone jack that will fit the phono input of our

3. stereo. Instead of a stereo, we can use the small amplifiers that Radio Shack sells (#277-1008). It may be hard to find a battery holder that holds three batteries. You can use two battery holders, one that holds two batteries, and one that holds a single battery and connect them in series. Remove any batteries from the laser. procedure for connections: Connect a clip lead to the inside of the laser pointer where the battery touched. Usually there is a small spring to which we can attach the clip lead. The other end of the battery usually connects to the case of the laser. Since there are many different styles of laser pointer, we may have to experiment with clip lead placement to get the laser to work with the new external battery pack. We may also have to hold down the laser's push button switch by wrapping a rubber band or some wire around it. We have to test the connection before attaching the transformer, to make sure the laser works with the new battery pack. Connect the 1,000 ohm side of the transformer between the battery and the laser. The 1,000 ohm side of the transformer has three wires coming from it. We only use the outside two wires. The inside wire is called a center tap and we do not use it in this circuit.

4.

Fig 3: The schematic diagram of the transmitter.

The transformer modulates the power going to the laser. The signal from the radio is added to and subtracted from the battery power and the laser gets brighter and dimmer along with the volume of the music or voice in the signal. The receiver is the simplest part. We simply connect the solar cell to the microphone jack, and plug it into the amplifier or stereo phono input. It does not matter which way the wires are connected to the solar cell.

Fig 4: The schematic diagram of the receiver.

setup and testing Make sure the transistor radio is turned off, and the laser is on. Plug the earphone jack of the laser into the earphone socket of the radio. Connect the solar cell to the amplifier or stereo, and increasing the volume up until we hear a hissing noise, and then turn it down slightly until the hiss isn't noticeable. The volume control should be fairly high, corresponding to an ear splitting level. Aim the laser across the room so it hits the solar cell. We will hear clicks or pops coming from the stereo or amplifier as the laser beam passes over the solar cell. This indicates that everything is working fine at this point.

To send our voice over the laser beam, we simply replace the transistor radio with a microphone and amplifier. Radio Shack sells small amplifiers that have sockets for microphones and earphones. But we must be very careful with the volume control to prevent damage to the laser. new receiver: The solar cell receiver has some drawbacks. It is expensive and fragile. A cheaper, sturdier alternative is to use a cadmium sulphide photo resistor instead of the silicon photocell. A cadmium sulphide photo resistor is shown below. It does not produce electricity from light the way the solar cell did. Instead, the light that falls on it changes its resistance to electricity. If we connect a battery and a photo resistor together, they can act like the solar cell. As the intensity of the light changes, the amount of electricity output changes in response.

Fig 6: Cadmium sulphide photoresistor.

Fig 5: After connection the transmitter part.

Now carefully turn on the radio and slowly adjust the volume until you hear the radio station voices or music coming from the amplifier across the room. If we can't hear the sound from the amplifier across the room, we have to make sure that the laser is shining on the solar cell, and then try increasing the volume of the amplifier before we increase the volume of the radio. At this point we should be hearing the radio station coming in loud and clear in the amplifier across the room. Keeping our hand in front of the laser beam to break the connection, we can notice that the music stops. Your laser communicator is ready for the next step.

Fig 7: The simple new receiver using photoresistor.

working of laser transmitter and receiver

II. Improvisation The invention provides improved transmitter and receiver units for use in spatial measurement systems that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture while providing a high degree of reliability. Specifically, a laser transmitter unit for a spatial measurement system is disclosed that includes a laser emitter, a bearing/motor assembly coupled to the laser emitter, the bearing/motor assembly including a rotatable hollow spindle shaft through which a laser beam generated by the laser emitter passes and a motor for driving the spindle shaft, a prism assembly coupled to the spindle shaft, wherein the prism assembly divides the laser beam generated by the laser emitter into a pair of fanned laser beams, and reflecting means for reflecting the fanned laser beams generated by the prism assembly as counter-rotating fanned laser beams. The receiver unit preferably includes at least one optical receiver coupled to an extension member, a processing unit coupled to the optical receiver, and a receiver interface coupled to the processing unit.

Fig 8: The working way of transmitter and receiver unit.

In all of the laser communicators, the laser light is amplitude modulated. This simply means that the amount of light the laser emits varies over time. To understand what is going on, it helps to consider how a loudspeaker makes sound. A loudspeaker is a paper cone attached to a coil of wire that sits in a magnetic field from a strong permanent magnet. When an electric current flows in the loudspeaker coil, the coil becomes an electromagnet, and it moves toward or away from the permanent magnet. As it moves, the paper cone pushes on the air around it, compressing the air in front of it, and expanding the air behind it. Waves of compressed and expanded air travel to our ear, and cause our eardrum to move in time to the movements of the paper cone. The laser communicator adds two components to the loudspeaker concept. We take the electrical signal that goes to the loudspeaker, and connect it instead to the laser, so the laser gets brighter and dimmer as the electric current varies. The second component is the receiver, which converts the light back into an electric current. This current varies in time with the first current, because the amount of light that it receives is varying in time. This second electric current is used to move the paper cone of a loudspeaker, just as before. However, now the loudspeaker can be quite a distance away from the original electric current, without any wires connecting the two. Whatever we discussed till now is just a simple way of designing laser communication system mainly transmitter and receiver. In the same way by making use of this basic designing knowledge we can apply this method to improvise the laser for spatial measurements also.

Explanation: A spatial position measurement system, in accordance with the invention, preferably includes a minimum of two laser transmitter units 100 mounted on tripods and arranged at points in an environment to be modeled. At least one portable receiver unit 200 is used to determine the location of particular points or structures within the environment. Each laser transmitter unit 100, which constitutes a fixed referent station, produces counter-rotating fanned laser beams, which sweep over an angle (A) shown in a top view of a laser transmitter unit 100 at a constant angular velocity. The portable receiver unit 200 generates position data based on the detection of the fanned laser beams emitted from the laser transmitter units 100. The position data generated by the portable receiver unit 200 is used to model an environment.

prism assembly, such that the spin axis of the bearing/motor assembly and the optical axis of the laser emitter are coaxially arranged. The bearing/motor assembly includes a drive motor coupled to a hollow spindle shaft which is supported by a hydrodynamic gas bearing. A collimated laser beam, generated by the laser emitter, passes through the center of the spindle shaft and into the spinning prism assembly, which generates a pair of fanned laser beams. A 90 degree fold mirror, preferably a single piece that is kinematically mounted onto the end of the bearing/motor assembly to surround the spinning prism assembly, diverts the fanned laser beams out through the cylindrical exit window shown in. Two pairs of counter-rotating fanned output beams are generated by the transmitter unit, as the two fanned beams emitted by the prism assembly sweep across a top surface of the fold mirror in one direction to generate the first pair of output beams, and then sweep across a bottom reflective surface of the fold mirror in an opposite direction to generate the second pair of output beams.

Fig 9: The setup of laser transmitter and receiver part for spatial measurement Fig 10: Various prisms and FSMs placed at different angles.

The laser transmitter unit 100 preferably includes a scanner module provided within a transmitter housing having a preferably cylindrical exit window attached thereto. The center of the cylindrical exit window is aligned with the virtual rotation axis of a spinning prism assembly of the scanner module. The exit window is potted into a bezel which is then mounted to the transmitter housing with an o-ring seal. The use of the cylindrical window reduces the size of the housing required for a given sweep angle, and also allows the emitted fanned laser beams to pass through with a minimum amount of beam distortion. The transmitter housing is preferably hermetically sealed utilizing a positive pressure of dry gas (preferably nitrogen), which allows the laser transmitter unit to operate satisfactorily under virtually all weather conditions without fogging or other degradation of performance. Hermetic connectors are used for power and communications interfaces. The scanner module includes a laser emitter coupled to a bearing/motor assembly that drives the scanning rotating

The hydrostatic gas bearing provides a near frictionless bearing surface and essentially eliminates cogging torque. In addition, the small clearances and large contact areas inherent in the hydrodynamic bearing design limit susceptibility to damage from handling shock when the unit is not operating, as opposed to traditional ball or roller bearings which suffer from "brinneling" of bearing surfaces when subjected to shock. Brinneling degrades the bearing surface over time and can significantly limit rotational stability. The scanning prism assembly preferably includes two prism cubes each split at 45 degrees that are bonded together one on top of the other. The first prism cube includes a beamsplitter 90 degree fold. The reflected portion of the collimated laser beam received from the spindle shaft exits through a cylindrical lens, bonded to a first side of the prism cube, which spreads the beam into a fan in one plane to generate a first fanned beam. A dummy cylindrical lens is bonded to a second side of the prism cube, opposite to the side having the

cylindrical lens, to restore balance. The transmitted portion of the beam then enters the second prism cube, which is optically cemented on top of the first prism cube, is reflected through a cylindrical lens bonded on a first side of the second prism cube to generate a second fanned beam. A dummy cylindrical lens is also provided on the second prism cube to restore balance. The second prism cube is rotated through an angle phi relative to the first prism cube in the plane in which they are bonded to offset the first fanned beam from the second fanned beam. The first cylindrical lens is rotated an angle gamma preferably 45 degrees relative to the axis of rotation in order to slant the second fanned beam with respect to the first fanned beam. The completed scanning prism assembly is cemented and mechanically fixed to a stainless steel mount which is rigidly anchored directly to the hollow spindle shaft. Experimentation has demonstrated that a system using the transmitter units 100 to determine position can function properly using only three emitted fanned laser beams instead of four. Thus, a portion of the 90 degree fold mirror can be made non-reflective, or a different shape can be used, to eliminate one of the beams, preferably a slanted beam, from the output of the transmitter unit 100. The elimination of the slanted beam reduces the amount of timing data which must be processed by the portable receiving unit 200 to determine position. The modular approach to the transmitter system design effectively removes the transmitter housing from the optical alignment of the system. The scanning module can therefore be independently assembled and aligned prior to installation within the transmitter housing, where it is kinematically mounted to a cradle. The portable receiver unit 200 is preferably configured in a first embodiment, to include two optical receivers 500, a processing unit 204, an extension member or rod 203, a tool 205 removably coupled to the rod 203, a communications link 202, and a receiver interface 201. The illustrated embodiment, however, utilizes the attachment of the processing unit 204 between the two optical receivers 500 to unify the majority of the mass of the receiver system into a single rigid unit. Alternatively, the portable receiver unit 200 may employ only a single optical receiver 500. Again, the spatial position of the optical receiver 500 is determined as described in prior referenced applications. However, in the implementation, the position of the tool is calculated by the processing unit using a mathematical algorithm which projects a vertical line from the optical receiver through the tool. In order to determine the position of the tool correctly, the optical receiver must be positioned vertically above, or below, the tool. The proper positioning of the optical receiver with respect to the tool is accomplished using a level, which indicates to the operator of portable receiver unit when the optical receiver is positioned vertically with respect to the tool. This implementation has the advantage of a reducing the processing required to calculate the position of the tool. Hence, a lighter, less expensive, less

power consumptive processing unit detached from the rod may be employed. The purpose of the optical receiver is to detect the fan laser beams emitted by the laser transmitter units. The position measurement system described in the above patents and applications incorporated by reference employ an optical receiver that can receive light over 360 degrees in azimuth and a more limited angle in elevation. A simple embodiment of a preferred optical receiver uses a reflective cone, a compound parabolic collector and a single photodiode detector. The reflective cone directs incoming light into the CPC. They in turn direct the incoming light of a limited entrance onto the photodiode. This embodiment of the optical receiver works well in environments where ambient light is at low levels and does not contribute significantly to system noise levels. If ambient noise is of a level which will begin to degrade range performance (e.g., operation in sunlight), the structure of the optical receiver can be modified to maintain performance. An optical band pass filter, selected to match the wavelength of the emitted fanned laser beams, may be placed before the. The use of a bandpass filter reduces the level of ambient light entering the and hence increases the signal-tonoise ratio over a similar non-filtered optical receiving system. Additionally, multiple photodiodes may be used together in the design to overcome noise from ambient light. A circular array of photodiodes and may be used to reduce the field of view of any one photodiode and hence reduce the ambient noise. Finally, the reflective cone can also be replaced with a parabolic reflector located within a spherical lens. A complete optical receiver that utilizes a circular array of compound parabolic collectors, a narrow band width optical filter, and array of PIN photodiodes, and a reflective cone. Reflective plates extending from the reflective cone to the optical filter are also preferably used to reflect light of the received laser beams into the individual CPCs of the circular array. Hence, the reflective plates increase the optical receivers sensitivity and increase the usable range of the portable receiver unit. The array of photodiodes preferably in employs twelve photodiodes, the output of each is coupled to a low noise preamplifier provided on a circuit board located beneath the array. The signal from each preamplifier is supplied to a threshold circuit which has a variable threshold level. The purpose of the threshold circuit is to ensure that only pulses from the preamplifier corresponding to a laser beam striking a segment of the optical receiver are sent to the processing unit for analysis. The threshold is set so that the peaks of electronic noise from the preamplifier do not cross the threshold, and thus false pulses caused by noise are eliminated. The threshold is variable so that under conditions of unusually low noise, for example when the receiver is operated in very low ambient

light levels; the threshold can be lowered to increase the sensitivity of the receiver and therefore the measurement range of the system. Under conditions of unusually high noise, for example when sunlight enters directly into a receiver segment, the threshold can be raised to prevent excess noise from that segment from swamping the system with false pulses. The twelve outputs from the threshold circuits are added together in a summing circuit. These effects an "OR" that any segment of the detector which is hit by a laser beam sends a pulse to the output of the summing circuit. The pulses are then taken to the input of a timing circuit which records the start and end time of each pulse. Under normal operating conditions there will be typically six separate pulses in a given time period, defined by the mean rate of rotation of the output laser beams from the transmitter units 100. The start and end times of the pulses are used to establish the center point of the pulse and then calculate the intervals between pulses; the calculations are performed by the processing unit. The intervals between pulses are used to establish the actual rotation rate of the beams received from each laser transmitter 100 and the relative timing between these beams, as observed by the portable receiver unit at its particular location. The angles subtended by the optical receiver are then calculated and used to compute the position of the portable receiver unit in the appropriate coordinate system. In alternative implementations of the optical receiver, only one photodiode is utilized. The single photodiode may receive light pulses from a preferred direction or it may receive light from all directions using suitable optics to direct the light to a single receiver. In these implementations, only one photodiode, preamplifier and threshold circuit are required and there is no summing circuit. The output of the threshold circuit is taken directly to the input of a timing circuit such as described above. The prior systems disclosed in the above incorporated patents and patent applications utilize portable receiving units that have optical receivers for which receive input from 360 degrees. A portable receiver unit based on an optical telescope that accepts light from one preferred direction, however, can be used to improve the range over which accurate position measurement can be made. The telescope receiver requires a photodiode in place of the conventional eye piece, or by use of a half silvered mirror can incorporate a photodiode which receives part of the light entering the telescope. Additionally, the telescope may be a conventional transit or theodolite or electronic distance measuring device commonly use in surveying. for example fig 9, illustrates a telescope based receiver mounted that includes a laser signal receiving telescope mounted on a support arm with a horizontal pivot and a

vertical pivot. The laser signal receiving telescope includes an optical system that focuses incoming radiation onto a photodetector. The output of the photodetector is supplied to signal processing electronics , similar to the electronics described above, which in turn is coupled to a position calculating computer that calculates the position of the laser signal receiving telescope based on the output signal supplied by the processing electronics . An optical targeting telescope is preferably provided to allow the user to properly aim the telescope at a transmitter unit 100. To perform position location measurements with a telescope based receiver, the telescope is pivoted at one laser transmitter unit, and the time of arrival of light from those transmitters rotating beams is recorded. The telescope is then pointed at a second laser transmitter unit 100 and similar recordings are made. The position calculating computer, as used in other implementations of prior systems, converts the recorded time arrival of light from each transmitted beam into coordinates for the location of the telescope based receiver. A variation on the basic systems employing the abovedescribed transmitter units 100 can be implemented using two transmitter units 100 which that rigidly fixed together through a mounting device . The mounting device precisely fixes distance between the transmitters 100 and their relative orientation to one another. This implementation eliminates the need for calibration of the position measurement system to determine the relative locations and orientations of the transmitters. Hence, the receiver system 200 may operate immediately to perform position measurement without the initial delay of calibration. The mounting device is fixed to a rotation device which can be mechanically controlled to turn a specified vertical or horizontal angle, or given a reorientation in the vertical or horizontal angle; the device must be able to measure the turned angles. The system is preferably automatically controlled to turn a specific angle, or at least to turn an angle in a specific direction. The system can also be a manual system whereby an individual can manually turn a horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle and an electronic system will measure and record the turned angle. The measured angles or changes in vertical and horizontal can then be transmitted to a receiver unit 200. Transmission of this information can be accomplished by manual data transfer and any data transfer mechanism including but not limited to packet radios, and encoded information on the emitted fanned laser beams. The invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof. It will be understood, however, that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

usage and technologies

Free Space Optics is additionally used for communications between spacecraft. The optical links can be implemented using infrared laser light, although low-data-rate communication over short distances is possible using LEDs. Maximum range for terrestrial links is in the order of 2-3 km but the stability and quality of the link is highly dependent on atmospheric factors such as rain, fog, dust and heat. Amateur radio operators have achieved significantly farther distances using incoherent sources of light from high-intensity LEDs. However, the low-grade equipment used limited bandwidths to about 4 kHz. In outer space, the communication range of free-space optical communication is currently in the order of several thousand kilometers, but has the potential to bridge interplanetary distances of millions of kilometers, using optical telescopes as beam expanders. IRDA is also a very simple form of free-space optical communications. Secure free-space optical communications have been proposed using a laser N-slit interferometer where the laser signal takes the form of an interferometric pattern. Any attempt to intercept the signal causes the collapse of the interferometric pattern. Although this method has been demonstrated at laboratory distances in principle it could be applied over large distances in space. applications

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

LAN-to-LAN connections on campuses at Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet speeds. Lasers are used in industries for drilling holes, cutting, and welding process. LAN-to-LAN connections in a city. Example, Metropolitan area network. To cross a public road or other barriers which the sender and receiver do not known. Speedy service delivery of high-bandwidth access to optical fiber networks.

Fig 13: Laser cutters used in industries.

Fig 11: Two solar-powered satellites communicating optically in space via lasers.

6.

Fabrication of electronic components, LIDAR, circuit manufacturing etc... 7. Converged Voice-Data-Connection. 8. Temporary network installation. 9. In holography it is used. 10. Reestablish high-speed connection quickly.

Fig 12: Use of laser beam in LAN connection at a building.

Fig 14: Target designators used in military.

11. As an alternative or upgrade add-on to existing wireless technologies. 12. Laser simulators, RADARS, sea skimming the missiles, as target designators in military field. 13. As a safety add-on for important fiber connections. 14. For communications between spacecraft, including elements of a satellite constellation. 15. For inter- and intra-chip communication. 16. In bloodless surgery, Lasik, medicine testing etc The light beam can be very narrow, which makes FSO hard to intercept, improving security. In any case, it is comparatively easy to encrypt any data traveling across the FSO connection for additional security. FSO provides vastly improved EMI behavior using light instead of microwaves. advantages 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Ease of deployment License-free operation High bit rates Low bit error rates Immunity to electromagnetic interference Full duplex operation Protocol transparency Very secure due to the high directionality and narrowness of the beam.

limited laser power density and support laser classes 1 or 1M. Atmospheric and fog attenuation, which are exponential in nature, limit practical range of FSO devices to several kilometers. CONCLUSION This short review has shown the existence of several serious uncertainties on actual possibilities of long-distance laser communication systems. We must however point out that lasers only appeared a few years ago and that notwithstanding the great effort going on in many laboratories, many aspects of the problems concerning the application of laser to communication have not been adequately examined yet. The possibility and the extent of laser application to communication depend on the outcome of research in many fields, some of which, as those concerning modulation and detection, are not, strictly speaking, limited to lasers. There are such enthusiasm and vigour of research in the laser field that it is likely that, in a near future, it will be possible to have a better knowledge of the actual possibilities of laser application to communication in traditional schemes or in new ones which may develop using particular properties of laser beams.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to acknowledge Mr.Theodre Jesudas and Mr.premanand, lecturers in ECE department at PESITM for their great encouragement and guidance in preparing paper on Laser communication. REFERENCE

disadvantages 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Beam dispersion, Atmospheric absorption Rain, Fog (10..~100 dB/km attenuation) Snow Scintillation Background light Shadowing Pointing stability in wind Pollution / smog loss of signals due to attenuation If the sun goes exactly behind the transmitter, it can swamp the signal. 11. degradation of signal due to waveguide dispersion and material dispersion. These factors cause an attenuated receiver signal and lead to higher bit error ratio (BER). To overcome these issues, vendors found some solutions, like multi-beam or multi-path architectures, which use more than one sender and more than one receiver. Some state-of-the-art devices also have larger fade margin (extra power, reserved for rain, smog, fog). To keep an eye-safe environment, good FSO systems have a

[1]. A.K.Maini, Electronics projects for beginners, pustak

mahal publications, new delhi. [2]. K.R.Nambiar,Lasers principles and applications,new age international publishers,new delhi. [3]. Springerlink journal,applications of laser article on may 16th 2005,Bordoni foundation,university of rome, Rome,Italy. [4]. Bryan.p.Bergeron,Laser communications,article,Garden road,Brookline. [5].Pratt,Timothy,Dombush,Andrew.w,Sweeney,Michael,Lundberg,Erric.J,Sp atial positioning system developments,1995. [6]. Wikipedia and internet as source of information.