Solid-state tracking integrated optical wireless transceivers for line-of-sight optical links

O'Brien, Dominic C., Faulkner, Grahame E., Edwards, David J., Parry, Gareth, Bellon, Jacques A., Sibley, Martin J.N., Lalithambika, Vinod A., Joyner, Valencia M., Samsudin, Rina J., Holburn, David M., Mears, Robert J. and Stavrinou, Paul N. (2004) Solid-state tracking integrated optical wireless transceivers for line-of-sight optical links. Proceedings of SPIE, 5160. pp. 153-160. ISSN 0277-786X

Abstract

Most free-space line-of sight systems require tracking in order to keep links aligned, and in order to achieve this a number of disparate optical, optoelectronic and electronic components are required. A key factor in determining the performance of these systems is the ability to integrate these in a scalable compact fashion, and to optimise components for the somewhat distinct requirements of free-space links.A number of UK universities have been involved in a consortium that has fabricated integrated transceivers that use fully custom components optimised for an indoor free-space link application. The transmitters use arrays of Resonant Cavity LED (RCLED) devices integrated with custom CMOS driver circuitry and the necessary beamshaping optics, so that operating a particular LED in the array transmits light at a particular angle. A similar approach is taken at the receiver; light from a particular angle illuminates one element of a PIN photodiode array. This is integrated with an array of custom CMOS receivers and the necessary optics, creating a compact receiver subsystem. In this paper the components and subsystems are detailed and their application to long-distance links discussed

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