Time of Flight Measurements over Optical Communication Using Field-Programmable Gate Array Multi-Gigabit Transceivers

Time of Flight Measurements over Optical Communication Using Field-Programmable Gate Array Multi-Gigabit Transceivers

Palings, Tijs (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Speretta, S. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2023-11-30

As space technology continues to advance, the landscape of telecommunication is witnessing a transition from traditional radio frequency to laser communication technology, driven by its enhanced efficiency. Notably, laser communication offers the potential for achieving millimeter-level ranging accuracy, thanks to its significantly higher data rates. This thesis presents the design of a system utilizing a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) multi-gigabit optical transceivers. The system tests laser communication ranging through time-of-flight measurements, leveraging the inherent structure of optical data. Through extensive testing, the thesis aims to characterize the system's maximum achievable accuracy, identifying constraints in the avenues of improvement. The use of COTS components ensures scalability and facilitates seamless integration into future test setups.

FPGA
Laser Communication
Satellite
Range measurement

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8547e1df-61d7-4efb-8101-12ef7ead81c9

Student theses

master thesis

© 2023 Tijs Palings