About FOCS

Free-Space Optics (FSO) Technology is rapidly evolving thanks mainly due to two factors: in first place, the availability of low-cost commercial components increasing their performances in the visible light window; in second place, the increasing bandwidth demand in a number of wireless communication applications. FOCS proposal aims at combining two parallel research lines, both based on FSO communications, sharing common tecniques and components, for two radically different applications.

The first research line aims at demonstrating low-cost optical wireless solutions in visible light region, to be employed on board of mini-satellites (CubeSat); it will involve mainly Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (SSSA) and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN). Employing optical wireless technology gives different advantages: absence of cables (reduced size and weigth), high capacity transmission (up to 1 Gb/s), compatibility with different communication standards. The proposed solutions will make use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components.

The second research line aims at integrating a system for metrology with a communication system, both based on optical wireless solutions. It will involve mainly Thales Alenia Space (TAS) alongside Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. The metrology system is based on a solution developed by TAS, that makes use of imaging tecniques and is able to determine position and orientation in 6 degrees of freedom; the communication system will be developed by SSSA and is based on FSO with visible light. Both system employs Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lights: these devices will constitute, at the same time. a "target" for the metrology system and a transmitter for the FSO communication system. This will give the possibility to the target and telemetry system to exchange information, related for example to data collected by other board sensors (GPS, acceletometers).