WHAT IS FREE SPACE OPTICS (FSO)?

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The Technology Behind Optical Wireless | History | How It Works | FSO: Optical or Wireless? | Challenges

The Technology at the Heart of Optical Wireless

Imagine a technology that offers full-duplex Gigabit Ethernet throughput. A technology that can be installed license-free
worldwide, can be installed in less than a day. A technology that offers a fast, high ROI.

That technology is free-space optics (FSO).

This line-of-sight technology approach uses invisible beams of light to provide optical bandwidth connections. It's capable
of sending up to 1.25 Gbps of data, voice, and video communications simultaneously through the air — enabling fiber-
optic connectivity without requiring physical fiber-optic cable. It enables optical communications at the speed of light. And
it forms the basis of a new category of products — optical wireless products from LightPointe, the recognized leader in
outdoor wireless bridging communications.

This site is intended to provide valuable background and resource information on FSO technology. Whether you're a
student, an engineer, account manager, partner, or customer, this site provides the FSO insight you may require. And for
providing high-speed connections, across Enterprises and between cell-site towers, it is the best technology available.

FSO is a line-of-sight technology that uses invisible beams of light to provide optical
bandwidth connections that can send and receive voice, video, and data information.
Today, FSO technology — the foundation of LightPointe's optical wireless offerings — has
enabled the development of a new category of outdoor wireless products that can transmit
voice, data, and video at bandwidths up to 1.25 Gbps. This optical connectivity doesn't
require expensive fiber-optic cable or securing spectrum licenses for radio frequency (RF)
solutions. FSO technology requires light. The use of light is a simple concept similar to
optical transmissions using fiber-optic cables; the only difference is the medium. Light
travels through air faster than it does through glass, so it is fair to classify FSO technology
as optical communications at the speed of light.

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History

Originally developed by the military and NASA, FSO has been used for more than
three decades in various forms to provide fast communication links in remote
locations. LightPointe has extensive experience in this area: its chief scientists were
in the labs developing prototype FSO systems in Germany in the late 1960s, even
before the advent of fiber-optic cable. To view a copy of the original FSO white paper
in German, published in Berlin, Germany, in the journal Nachrichtentechnik, in June
1968 by Dr. Erhard Kube, LightPointe's Chief Scientist and widely regarded as the
"father of FSO technology," click on the link below:

"Information transmission by light beams through the atmosphere."

While fiber-optic communications gained worldwide acceptance in the

telecommunications industry, FSO communications is still considered relatively new.
FSO technology enables bandwidth transmission capabilities that are similar to fiber
optics, using similar optical transmitters and receivers and even enabling WDM-like
technologies to operate through free space.

Read more on the ultra high-speed multi-gigabit wireless laser.

View Other Historical Photos

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How it Works

FSO technology is surprisingly simple. It's based on connectivity between FSO-

based optical wireless units, each consisting of an optical transceiver with a
transmitter and a receiver to provide full-duplex (bi-directional) capability. Each
optical wireless unit uses an optical source, plus a lens or telescope that
transmits light through the atmosphere to another lens receiving the information.
At this point, the receiving lens or telescope connects to a high-sensitivity
receiver via
optical fiber.

This FSO technology approach has a number of advantages:

o Requires no RF spectrum licensing.

o Is easily upgradeable, and its open interfaces support equipment from a variety of vendors, which helps
enterprises and service providers protect their investment in embedded telecommunications infrastructures.
o Requires no security software upgrades.
o Is immune to radio frequency interference or saturation.
o Can be deployed behind windows, eliminating the need for costly rooftop rights.
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FSO: Optical or Wireless?

Speed of fiber — flexibility of wireless.

Optical wireless, based on FSO-technology, is an outdoor wireless product
category that provides the speed of fiber, with the flexibility of wireless. It enables
optical transmission at speeds of up to 1.25 Gbps and, in the future, is capable of
speeds of 10 Gbps using WDM. This is not possible with any fixed wireless or RF
technology. Optical wireless also eliminates the need to buy expensive spectrum
(it requires no FCC or municipal license approvals worldwide), which further
distinguishes it from fixed wireless technologies. Moreover, FSO technology’s
narrow beam transmission is typically two meters versus 20 meters and more for
traditional, even newer radio-based technologies such as millimeter-wave radio.
Optical wireless products' similarities with conventional wired optical solutions
enable the seamless integration of access networks with optical core networks
and helps to realize the vision of an
all-optical network.

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Challenges

While fiber-optic cable and FSO technology share many of the same attributes, they face different challenges due to the
way they transmit information. While fiber is subject to outside disturbances from wayward construction backhoes,
gnawing rodents, and even sharks when deployed under sea, FSO technology is subject to its own potential outside
disturbances. Optical wireless networks based on FSO technology must be designed to combat changes in the
atmosphere, which can affect FSO system performance capacity. And because FSO is a line-of-sight technology, the
interconnecting points must be free from physical obstruction and able to "see" each other.

All potential disturbances can be addressed through thorough and appropriate network design and planning. Among the
issues to be considered when deploying FSO-based optical wireless systems:

Fog: The primary challenge to FSO-based communications is dense fog. Rain and snow have little effect on FSO
technology, but fog is different. Fog is vapor composed of water droplets, which are only a few hundred microns in
diameter but can modify light characteristics or completely hinder the passage of light through a combination of
absorption, scattering, and reflection. The primary answer to counter fog when deploying FSO-based optical wireless
products is through a network design that shortens FSO link distances and adds network redundancies. FSO installations
in extremely foggy cities such as San Francisco have successfully achieved carrier-class reliability.

Absorption: Absorption occurs when suspended water molecules in the terrestrial atmosphere extinguish photons. This
causes a decrease in the power density (attenuation) of the FSO beam and directly affects the availability of a system.
Absorption occurs more readily at some wavelengths than others. However, the use of appropriate power, based on
atmospheric conditions, and use of spatial diversity (multiple beams within an FSO-based unit) helps maintain the
required level of network availability.

Scattering: Scattering is caused when the wavelength collides with the scatterer.
The physical size of the scatterer determines the type of scattering. When the
scatterer is smaller than the wavelength, this is known as Rayleigh scattering.
When the scatterer is of comparable size to the wavelength, this is known as Mie
scattering. When the scatterer is much larger than the wavelength, this is known
as non-selective scattering. In scattering — unlike absorption — there is no loss
of energy, only a directional redistribution of energy that may have significant
reduction in beam intensity for longer distances.

Physical obstructions: Flying birds or construction cranes can temporarily block

a single-beam FSO system, but this tends to cause only short interruptions, and
transmissions are easily and automatically resumed. LightPointe's optical wireless products use multi-beam systems
(spatial diversity) to address temporary obstructions, as well as other atmospheric conditions, to provide for greater
availability.

Building sway/seismic activity: The movement of buildings can upset receiver and transmitter alignment. LightPointe's
FSO-based optical wireless offerings use a divergent beam to maintain connectivity. When combined with tracking,
multiple beam FSO-based systems provide even greater performance and enhanced installation simplicity.

Scintillation: Heated air rising from the earth or man-made devices such as
heating ducts create temperature variations among different air pockets. This can
cause fluctuations in signal amplitude which leads to "image dancing" at the
FSO-based receiver end. LightPointe's unique multi-beam system is designed to
address the effects of this scintillation. Called "Refractive turbulence," this causes
two primary effects on optical beams.

o Beam Wander: Beam wander is caused by turbulent eddies that are

larger than the beam.
o Beam Spreading: Beam spreading — long-term and short-term — is
the spread of an optical beam as it propagates through the atmosphere.

Safety: To those unfamiliar with FSO technology, safety can be a concern because the technology uses lasers for
transmission. The proper use and safety of lasers have been discussed since FSO devices first appeared in laboratories
more than three decades ago. The two major concerns involve eye exposure to light beams and high voltages within the
light systems and their power supplies. Strict international standards have been set for safety and performance, and
LightPointe's optical wireless systems comply with these standards.

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