Title

Hybrid Optical RF Airborne Communications

Authors

Authors

L. B. Stotts; L. C. Andrews; P. C. Cherry; J. J. Foshee; P. J. Kolodzy; W. K. McIntire; M. Northcott; R. L. Phillips; H. A. Pike; B. Stadler;D. W. Young

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Proc. IEEE

Keywords

Communication system field trials; free-space optical communications; gigabit communications; hybrid communication; long-range communications; optical turbulence compensation; radio-frequency (RF) communications; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Abstract

The use of hybrid free-space optical (FSO)/radio-frequency (RF) links to provide robust, high-throughput communications, fixed infrastructure links, and their associated networks have been thoroughly investigated for both commercial and military applications. The extension of this paradigm to mobile, long-range networks has long been a desire by the military communications community for multi-gigabit mobile backbone networks. The FSO communications subsystem has historically been the primary limitation. The challenge has been addressing the compensation of propagation effects and dynamic range of the received optical signal. This paper will address the various technologies required to compensate for the effects referenced above. We will outline the effects FSO and RF links experience and how we overcome these degradations. Results from field experiments conducted, including those from the Air Force Research Laboratory

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Ieee

Volume

97

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

1109

Last Page

1127

WOS Identifier

WOS:000266377600012

ISSN

0018-9219

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