Beacon multiplexing for alignment of free space optical communication terminals

A method for a local free space optical (FSO) terminal to align to a remote FSO terminal, the method comprising:

• capturing images of an external environment that includes at least two beacons transmitted from the remote FSO terminal, the image capture occurring at a frame rate, wherein:
• each beacon comprises a pulse train with pulses that are transmitted at a pulse rate that is equal to the frame rate divided by N, where N is an integer equal to or greater than two, and
• the pulse trains are temporally offset relative to each other so that the pulses from at least one of the pulse trains do not fall across frame boundaries during sensing regardless of a temporal location of the frame boundaries;
• within the images, identifying the beacon that contains pulses that do not fall across frame boundaries;
• and
• adjusting an orientation of the local FSO terminal based on the identified beacon.