Survey of Free Space

Optical (FSO)
Communications
Opportunities in Next
Generation Cellular
Networks
Frdric Demers, Halim Yanikomeroglu &
Marc St-Hilaire

Presented at the
Communication Networks and Services Research
Conference
4 May 2011
2
Outline

Motivation & Key Characteristics of FSO systems

Channel model and path loss overview

Recent advances in FSO communications
Full Optical FSO systems
Hybrid RF/FSO systems
Mobile FSO systems
Indoor diffuse FSO systems

Applications within Next Generation Cellular Networks

Conclusions
3
Motivation & key characteristics
RF spectrum scarcity vs increasing throughput
requirements
A single FSO channel can offers Tb/s throughput
wirelessly
Free space optical spectrum is license free and
nearly unlimited (very dense reuse)
FSO systems are generally very difficult to
intercept
Effective range limited by weather and eye-
safety considerations
4
Channel model
Factors affecting light propagation through
the atmosphere


Physical composition of atmosphere

Changes in refractive indices

Aerosol particles
5
850 nm 1550 nm
Channel model
6
Channel model
Channel effects:
Absorption
Diffraction
Rayleigh scattering (atmospheric
gases molecules)
Mie scattering (aerosol particles)
Atmospheric (refractive) turbulence:
Scintillation
Beam wander
Weather
7
Channel model
8
Path loss, RF

Typical RF attenuation (e.g. 2 GHz, 15 dBi antenna gains)
Avg path loss in free space -> 68 dB @ 1km , 118 dB @ 10 km
Avg path loss in mobile radio (n=3.4, d
0
=100 m) -> 82 dB/km, 146
dB @ 10 km




2
0
mobile-radio
0
4
n
d d
PL
d
t

| |
| |
=
| |
\ .
\ .
9
Path loss, FSO
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
0
,
, , , , 0
x
N x t dx
I t x I t e
k

' '
}
'
=
Beer-Lambert Law
Absorption
Raleigh Scattering
Mie Scattering
Intensity of transmitter
Intensity of light at point x and time t
Space time distribution of species
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
a R M
k k k k = + +
M. Bass, "Atmospheric optics," in Handbook of Optics ,Third
Edition ed., vol. 5, M. Bass, Ed. McGraw-Hill, pp. 3.3., 2010.
10
Path loss, FSO
3
6
0
2
7.53 10
1 77 1 7733 10
p q
n
T T

| |
| |
~ + +
| |
\ .
\ .
( ) ( )
0 T
n n n = + r r
Refractive index of air
Temperature Humidity
Pressure
Point in space Stochastic component
11
Path loss, RF vs FSO

Typical RF attenuation (e.g. 2 GHz, 15 dBi antenna gains)
Avg path loss in free space -> 68 dB @ 1km , 118 dB @ 10 km
Avg path loss in mobile radio (n=3.4, d
0
=100 m) -> 82 dB/km, 146
dB @ 10 km

Typical optical attenuation (e.g. 1550 nm or 194 THz)
clear atmospheric conditions -> 0.2 dB/km
urban (because of dust) -> 10 dB/km
Rain -> 2-35 dB/km
Snow -> 10-100 dB/km
light fog -> 120 dB/km
dense fog -> 300 dB/km
maritime fog -> 480 dB/km
12
Full Optical FSO
No requirement for
electrical-optical
conversion

Easy extension of
RF-over-fibre links

Wavelength division
multiplexing
K. Kazaura, K. Wakamori, M. Matsumoto, T. Higashino, K. Tsukamoto
and S. Komaki, "RoFSO: A universal platform for convergence of fiber
and free-space optical communication networks," Communications
Magazine, IEEE, vol. 48, pp. 130-137, 2010.
13
Hybrid RF/FSO
I. I. Kim and E. Korevaar, "Availability of free space optics (FSO) and
hybrid FSO/RF systems," Optical Wireless Communications IV, EJ
Korevaar, Eds. , Proc. SPIE, vol. 4530, pp. 84-95, 2001.
FSO is most affected by fog, RF by
rain

RF links complements FSO to
achieve carrier class availability
(99.999%)

Lower throughput in adverse
weather

14
J. Akella, C. Liu, D. Partyka, M. Yuksel, S. Kalyanaraman and P. Dutta,
"Building blocks for mobile free-space-optical networks," in Wireless
and Optical Communications Networks, 2005. WOCN 2005. Second
IFIP International Conference on, pp. 164-168, 2005.
Mobile FSO Systems
Tightly packed LED
transceivers around
spherical device

Able to maintain optical
link in motion

Experiment rather
simplistic
15
Indoor Diffuse Optical Wireless


R. J. Green, H. Joshi, M. D. Higgins and M. S. Leeson,
"Recent developments in indoor optical wireless systems,"
IET Communications, vol. 2, pp. 3, 2008
Non Line-of-Sight optical
communications

Multipath interference an
issue, limiting throughput

Hybrid narrow-beam
designs provide both
bandwidth and coverage

Next Generation Cellular Networks
Densification of access points (eNodeB)
Shorter hops
Suitability to mesh connectivity
Heterogeneous access points
Relaying
Distributed antennas
Coordinated Multi-Point Transmission &
Reception (CoMP)
Self-Organizing Networks

17
p-eNB
relay
eNB
p-eNB
eNB
relay
Next Generation Cellular Networks
MME
SAE
GW
aGW
aGW
PDN
GW
Evolved Packet Core
Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Access Network (E-UTRAN)
UE
Indoor AP
UE
18
Conclusions
Radio frequencies alone will not suffice to provide
the required throughput to the end-users

Next generation networks will require a denser
infrastructure to cater to mobile user needs

This denser infrastructure will shorten hops
between base stations and ease the
establishment of mesh connectivity
These architectural changes open the door to an
increased reliance upon FSO communication
systems PHY layer is not dead!
19
Main references
1. J. Akella, C. Liu, D. Partyka, M. Yuksel, S. Kalyanaraman and P. Dutta, "Building blocks for
mobile free-space-optical networks," in Wireless and Optical Communications Networks, 2005.
WOCN 2005. Second IFIP International Conference on, 2005, pp. 164-168. Available:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.143.6352&rep=rep1&type=pdf

2. M. Bass, "Atmospheric optics," in Handbook of Optics ,Third Edition ed., vol. 5, M. Bass, Ed.
McGraw-Hill, 2010, pp. 3.3.

3. R. J. Green, H. Joshi, M. D. Higgins and M. S. Leeson, "Recent developments in indoor optical
wireless systems," IET Communications, vol. 2, pp. 3, 2008. Available:
http://www.ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4446
618

4. K. Kazaura, K. Wakamori, M. Matsumoto, T. Higashino, K. Tsukamoto and S. Komaki,
"RoFSO: A universal platform for convergence of fiber and free-space optical communication
networks," Communications Magazine, IEEE, vol. 48, pp. 130-137, 2010. Available:
http://www.ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5402
676

5. I. I. Kim and E. Korevaar, "Availability of free space optics (FSO) and hybrid FSO/RF
systems," Optical Wireless Communications IV, EJ Korevaar, Eds. , Proc. SPIE, vol. 4530,
pp. 84-95, 2001. Available:
http://www.ece.mcmaster.ca/~hranilovic/woc/resources/local/spie2001b.pdf