Free space optical link performance evaluation with different atmospheric conditions at different power and diversity

High speed and tap proof communication systems is the growing need for Free Space Optical (FSO). FSO is a communication process that uses light containing information to travel in free space to exchange data between two or more points. High security, faster installation, license free spectrum are its main advantages. FSO technology is useful in cases where fiber optic cables are difficult due to high costs. Use of multiple Tx/Rx (1x1, 2x2, 4x4, and 8x8) in the FSO system increases the performance of FSO system under different power conditions. The performance of single to multiple Tx/Rx FSO system under clear condition with different power levels has been analyzed in this paper using eye diagrams. In this analysis the 8x8 FSO channel shows good results in comparison to other Tx/Rx FSO systems. Commercial available software OptiSystem from Optiwave Inc. has been used for Free Space Optical link modeling and simulation in this paper. The improved quality factor as well as minimum bit error rate is observed with the spatial diversity technique.