Link Margin Optimization of Free Space Optical Link under the Impact of Varying Meteorological Conditions

Abstract

FSO is a free space optical technology synonymous to optical wireless communication and often called as openair photonics or infrared broadband. In free space optical communication, data is transmitted from point-to-point and multipoint using low-powered infrared lasers. FSO allows transmitting and receiving of voice, video, and data information. High speed and license free installation are the key features of this technology. The performance of FSO link is significantly affected by meteorological conditions viz. rain, scintillation, geometric attenuation and snow etc. In this paper we have formulated the link margin equation for the performance evaluation of FSO link under varying meteorological conditions. Performance of the considered FSO link has been optimized on the basis of signal wavelength, link length and launched power level.