LASER COMMUNICATION

Project report for Engineering Physics (PHY1001)

BY
P. Joshua Jeffrey
(16BEE1171)

Slot : C2
Faculty Name : Dr. N. Manikandan

(SCHOOL OF ADVANCED SCIENCES)

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Project work entitled “Laser Communication”

that is being submitted by P. Joshua Jeffrey for in B.Tech Engineering Physics

(PHY1001) is a record of bonafide work done under my supervision. The contents

of this Project work, in full or in parts, have neither been taken from any other

source nor have been submitted for any other CAL course.

Place : Chennai

Date : 3rd November 2016

Student’s Signature Faculty’s Signature

(P. Joshua Jeffrey) (Dr. N. Manikandan)
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The success and final outcome of this project required a lot of guidance and

assistance from many people and I am extremely fortunate to have got this all

along the completion of my project work. Whatever I have done is only due to

such guidance and assistance and I would not forget to thank them.

I respect and thank Dr. N. Manikandan, for giving me an opportunity to do

the project work in Laser Communications and providing us all support and

guidance which made me complete the project on time.

I heartily thank our institution, VIT University, for giving these kind of

opportunity through PBL. I am thankful to everyone who are the backbone of this

work and made this project into grand success.

P. Joshua Jeffrey

Laser Communication
 - P. Joshua Jeffrey, 1st Year, B.Tech EEE, SELECT School,
VIT University Chennai Campus, Melakottaiyur, Chennai-600127, India.

Abstract: - Laser is one of the mode potentiometers, resistances and capacitors,

of wireless system. It also plays a major Battery, a Solar cell and speaker.
role in communication system. We can
transmit the audio signal through lasers.
This works on the principle that “The II. Principle
audio signal from a microphone varies the
power feeding the laser, so that its
brightness changes, following the shape of Laser Communication System works
the original sound wave. At the receiving on the principle of “Amplitude Modulation”
end, a solar cell or photo-resistor converts process. In this the amplitude of the carrier
the oscillating light signal back into the is varied according to the instantaneous
original sound”. Using this principle we amplitude of the modulating signal (Input
can send any audio signal through laser. Signal).
Here, “Carrier Signal refers to Laser
I. Introduction Beam” and “Amplitude refers to Intensity of
Laser Beam” and “Input Signal refers to
audio signal”
Laser communication is one of the Hence, the intensity of the laser
emerging area of wireless communication beam is varied according to the
system. Due to its low noise ratio makes its instantaneous value of audio signal and the
one of the well suited communication same is sensed by the optical sensor at the
medium for exchanging of information. receiver.
Laser diode is the major carrier in this mode
of communication. This mode of
communication is also faster as compared to III. Transmitting End
the other modes and thus is mostly preferred
over other types of communication system.
In this project we transmitted the The transmitter circuit is constructed
audio signal through the laser. This simple by using an amplifier circuit. The audio
laser communicator consist of Transmitter music signal is given by the music player to
part and a receiver part. This is done by the amplifier circuit then it was amplified
amplifying the audio signal and transmitted and the output is fed as input to the laser.
using laser. At the receiving end the solar
cell converts the light wave into audio wave
which is then amplified and sent to the loud
speaker. The circuit consists of an IC
LM386 which is commonly called as the
audio amplifier, a laser diode, some variable
 In this circuit we are using IC
LM386, which is known as audio amplifier
used in many audio circuit due to its small
size and minimum cost. This IC has 8 pins.

Figure 1: Block diagram at transmitting end

The input audio music signal is

applied in the pin 3 (Positive input) of the IC
through a capacitor and the 10k variable
potentiometer which acts as the volume
control of the system. The negative input
end (pin 2) is mutually grounded. A 9v
power supply is applied to the IC in the pin
Figure 3: Pin Configuration of IC-LM386
6 (Vs). The pin 4 is grounded. The pin
number 1 and 8 are the gain control PINs. If
they are kept open then the gain is set to 20 PIN 1 and 8: These are the gain control
but it can be increased up to 200 by using a PINs, internally the gain is set to 20 but it
capacitor between PIN 1 and 8. We have can be increased up to 200 by using a
used 10uF Capacitor C1 to get the highest capacitor between PIN 1 and 8. We have
gain i.e. 200. used 10uF capacitor C1 to get the highest
Gain can be adjusted to any value between gain i.e. 200. Gain can be adjusted to any
20 to 200 by using proper capacitor. The pin value between 20 to 200 by using proper
5 is the output pin where we get the capacitor.
amplified output signal. This end is
connected to the laser diode with some
resistances in order to protect the laser and
capacitors for stabilization and biasing.

Figure 2: Circuit diagram of Transmitter

Figure 4: Voltage gain vs. Frequency Graph
IC LM386:-
Pin 2 and 3: These are the input PINs for The potentiometer can be used as a
sound signals. Pin 2 is the negative input voltage divider to obtain a manually
terminal, connected to the ground. Pin 3 is adjustable output voltage at the slider (wiper)
the positive input terminal, in which sound from a fixed input voltage applied across the
signal is fed to be amplified. In our circuit it two ends of the potentiometer. The circuit
is connected to the positive terminal of the diagram inside the potentiometer is shown in
condenser mic with a 100k. the figure. We can measure the variable
voltage by using the formula,
Pin 4 and 6: These are the power supply
Pins of IC, Pin 6 for is +Vcc and Pin 4 is
Ground. The circuit can be powered with
voltage between 5-12v.

Pin 5: This is the output PIN, from which

we get the amplified sound signal.

Pin 7: This is the bypass terminal. It can be

left open or can be grounded using a
capacitor for stability.

Variable Potentiometer:- Figure 6: Circuit diagram of potentiometer

A potentiometer informally a pot, is In this project the potentiometers of

a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or 10k, 100Ω, and 220Ω are used. The VR1 of
rotating contact that forms an adjustable 10k is acting as the volume control.
voltage divider. If only two terminals are
used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a
variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers
Capacitors:-
are commonly used to control electrical
devices such as volume controls on audio
equipment.
A capacitor blocks DC, so it can be
used to pass a signal (e.g. audio, etc.)
without its DC level interfering with the AC
wave. Moreover with the capacitor added,
the DC is unaffected but the AC now sees a
lower impedance path to ground (the
capacitor) so the AC gain is increased. So
the AC is "bypassed" to ground. It also used
for stabilization and biasing. There are many
other uses for a capacitor.

Figure 5: Variable Potentiometers Laser Diode:-

 The most common laser diode converts the light source into analog signal.
generates semiconductor or injection laser. Which is then amplified and sent to loud
In these lasers, a population of Inversion speaker which converts the analog signal to
Electrons is produced by applying a voltage audio signal.
across its p-n junction. Laser beam is then
available from the semiconductor region.
The p-n junction of laser diode has polished
ends so that, the emitted photons reflect
back and forth and creates more electron-
hole pairs. The photons thus generated will
be in phase with the previous photons. This
will give a Pencil Beam and all the photons
in the beam are Coherent and in phase.

Figure 8 : Block diagram of the receiver

Solar Cell:-

Solar cell is the device which is used

to convert the light energy into electrical
energy. Its output current is the direct
measure of the intensity of the light received.
This plays the key role in our experiment.

Figure 7: Laser diode

The output of the IC-LM386 is sent

directly to the laser. The amplitude of the
laser is proportional to the voltage that is
applied to it. We are taking the advantage of
this to transmit the audio waves into the
laser (Carrier waves).

IV Receiving end Figure 9 : Solar cell

In the receiving end we are using the V. Applications

solar cell and loudspeaker with amplifying
factor. The transmitted laser is received by  Defense and sensitive areas.
the solar cell in the receiver circuit. It
 At airports for communication across [iv]. The Potentiometer Handbook. By, CARL
the runways. DAVID TODD, P.E.(CONSULTING
 Mass communication ENGINEER),W. T. HARDISON (Product
 Free-space optical communication Marketing Specialist in Trimpot Products
 Space probe are being designed to
Division, Bourns, Inc.), W. E. GALVAN
use optical rather than radio
communication. (Applications Engineer in Trimpot Products
 Laser communication has also been Division, Bourns, Inc.) Publishers:
demonstrated on aircraft and high McGRAW-HILL BOOK COIHPANY.
altitude platforms.
[v]. MIT Lincoln Laboratory , Concept for long-
range laser communication
[vi]. International Journal of Applied
Engineering and Technology ISSN: 2277-
VI. Bibliography 212X (Online) An Online International
Journal Available at
[i]. Chaotic Free-Space Laser Communication
http://www.cibtech.org/jet.htm 2012 Vol. 2
over a Turbulent Channel By: N. F.
(3) July-September, pp.49-53/Sujatha et al.
Rulkov,1 M. A. Vorontsov, and L. Illing
institute for Nonlinear Science, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla,
California 92093 Army Research Laboratory,
Adelphi, Maryland 20783.
[ii]. Laser based audio communication system ,
Mohammed Kamal Khwaja , Vishakh B V
School of Electronics Engineering, VIT
University, Vellore, India
[iii].LM386 Low Voltage Audio Power
Amplifier, IC Manual literature, by Texas
Instruments National Semiconductor
Corporation. Literature Number:
SNAS545A. August 2008.