System for bidirectional free-space laser communication of gigabit Ethernet telemetry data

A communication system comprising:

• first and second telescopes;
• a first data processor programmed to transmit electrical signals in GBE format representing a data bit stream;
• a first media converter configured to convert electrical signals in GBE format received from said first data processor into optical signals at one wavelength formatted in accordance with a specified networking protocol to represent the transmitted data bit stream;
• a wavelength converter configured for converting optical signals received from said first media converter at the one wavelength into optical signals at another wavelength;
• an optical amplifier for amplifying the optical signals at the other wavelength;
• an optical connection which carries the amplified optical signals to said first telescope;
• a first array of lenses located to receive light from said second telescope;
• a first optical communications receiver array that is optically coupled to said first array of lenses and configured to convert light impinging on said first array of lenses into differential electrical signals;
• a first regenerator configured to convert the differential electrical signals into regenerated optical signals formatted in accordance with the specified networking protocol;
• a first error correction subsystem configured to convert the regenerated optical signals from said first regenerator into electrical signals representing a data bit stream, perform forward error correction on the electrical signals representing a data bit stream to produce electrical signals representing a corrected data bit stream, and converting the electrical signals representing the corrected data bit stream into optical signals formatted in accordance with the specified networking protocol to represent the corrected data bit stream;
• a second media converter configured to convert the corrected optical signals from said first error correction subsystem into electrical signals in GBE format representing the corrected data bit stream;
• and
• a second data processor programmed to process electrical signals in GBE format received from said second media converter.

A system comprising:

• a telescope;
• a plurality of lenses arranged to receive optical signals from said telescope;
• a plurality of photodetectors for converting optical signals received by said lenses into electrical signals;
• electronic circuitry configured to convert the electrical signals from said photodetectors into regenerated optical signals formatted in accordance with a specified networking protocol;
• an error correction subsystem configured to convert the regenerated optical signals into electrical signals representing a data bit stream, perform forward error correction on the electrical signals representing a data bit stream to produce electrical signals representing a corrected data bit stream, and converting the electrical signals representing the corrected data bit stream into optical signals formatted in accordance with the specified networking protocol to represent the corrected data bit stream;
• a media converter configured to convert the corrected optical signals into electrical signals in GBE format representing the corrected data bit stream;
• and
• a data processor programmed to process electrical signals in GBE format received from said media converter.

A method for communicating data between data processors using optical signals that propagate through an atmosphere, comprising:

• (a) transmitting a data bit stream in the form of electrical signals in GBE format from a first data processor;
• (b) converting the electrical signals in GBE format received from the first data processor into optical signals formatted in accordance with a specified networking protocol to represent the transmitted data bit stream;
• (c) transmitting the optical signals produced in step (b) from a first telescope through the atmosphere;
• (d) receiving the optical signals transmitted by the first telescope at a second telescope;
• (e) converting the optical signals received by the second telescope into electrical signals;
• (f) converting the electrical signals produced in step (e) into regenerated optical signals formatted in accordance with the specified networking protocol;
• (g) converting the regenerated optical signals into electrical signals representing a data bit stream;
• (h) performing forward error correction on electrical signals produced in step (g) to produce electrical signals representing a corrected data bit stream;
• (i) converting the electrical signals representing the corrected data bit stream into optical signals formatted in accordance with the specified networking protocol to represent the corrected data bit stream;
• (j) converting the optical signals produced in step (i) into electrical signals in GBE format representing the corrected data bit stream;
• and
• (k) receiving the electrical signals in GBE format representing the corrected data bit stream at a second data processor.