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Acha_52291800_2024.pdf
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- Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) systems are being increasingly developed, particularly as a promising alternative to traditional Radio Frequency (RF) communication. FSOC offers significant advantages such as higher data rates, a license-free spectrum, and improved security. However, these systems face significant challenges due to atmospheric turbulence and noise, which degrade signal quality and system reliability. In collaboration with Aerospacelab (ASL), this master thesis focuses on advancing FSOC technology through both experimental measurements and simulation approaches. The study is divided into two main parts: the first involves an experimental analysis of the existing FSOC setup using On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation. The second part introduces a Python-based simulator designed to replicate the experimental setup and predict system performance under varying conditions, with an emphasis on improving the matching performance of the receiver. This new simulator gives at maximum 3dB discrepancy in Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and output power. Furthermore, this master thesis proposes a filtering technique to enhance FSOC reliability by analyzing different Return-to-Zero (RZ) pulse shaping filters using the developed simulator. The integration of a turbulence channel model into the simulator enables the evaluation of FSOC performance in real-world scenarios, predicting an average signal degradation of 6 dB. The simulation results indicate that the current FSOC link can achieve an average Bit-Error-Rate (BER) of 10e-3 under turbulence conditions with a received optical input power of -37 dBmW_o.