Optical space communications employing pulse position modulation

Author

Cryan, R.A. ; Unwin, R.T.

Author_Institution

Div. of Electron. & Commun., Polytech. of Huddersfield, UK

fYear

1992

fDate

33630

Firstpage

42552

Lastpage

42556

Abstract

The authors review optical technologies for space communications. Initially the advantages of this technology are described and the tradeoffs between direct detection and coherent detection explained. As a model for deep space communications, the ideal photon counting channel is used and it is illustrated that the most efficient modulation format is pulse position modulation (PPM). They go on to consider optical sources and photodetectors and explain the reasoning that has led to the selection of GaAlAs semiconductor lasers and avalanche Si photodiode detectors. The channel configurations that are currently being pursued by NASA and ESA are described

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; elemental semiconductors; gallium arsenide; optical links; photodetectors; photodiodes; photon counting; pulse position modulation; semiconductor junction lasers; silicon; space communication links; ESA; GaAlAs semiconductor lasers; NASA; PPM; avalanche Si photodiode detectors; channel configurations; coherent detection; deep space communications; direct detection; laser diodes; optical sources; optical space communication; photodetectors; photon counting channel; pulse position modulation;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

iet

Conference_Titel

Advanced Modulation and Coding Techniques for Satellite Communications, IEE Colloquium on

Conference_Location

London

Type

conf

Filename

167750