TOmCAT: Terabit laser communication
As part of ESA’s Terabit Optical Communication Adaptive Terminal project (TOmCAT), TNO and Demcon developed a wavefront sensor able to capture images at a high sample rate. These connections are currently with radio frequency links. The satellites are equipped with laser connections that achieve throughput rates of one terabit per second. In addition to fast Internet, this should enable safer connections and Internet for rural areas. The Twente company QBayLogic contributed by developing the RTL design that allowed these streams to be processed on an FPGA.
TNO sends data over distance of 10 km with laser connection as satellite test
As part of the TOmCAT project, TNO successfully transmitted data via a stable optical data link compatible with existing radio frequency infrastructure as a test.
The link took place between a terminal in the Gerbrandy tower in IJsselstein and a KNMI test site near Lopik. The distance between these two points is over ten kilometers. The terminal in IJsselstein had to mimic a satellite terminal. With the test, TOmCAT’s partners successfully put their adaptive-option subsystem to practical use.
More about the laser connection as satellite test on Tweakers.net.
