Multifield acquisition technology for a narrow beacon laser on the non-orbit determination platform

Area of Science:

• Optical Communications
• Aerospace Engineering
• Robotics

Background:

• Free space optical (FSO) communication enhances data rates and capacity for unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs).
• UAV flight dynamics introduce significant disturbances, impacting light beacon acquisition probability in FSO systems.
• Wide beacons improve acquisition but increase UAV weight and energy consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced method for improving narrow beacon spatial acquisition performance under UAV drift conditions.
• To establish an acquisition probability model that accounts for UAV drift in narrow beacon systems.
• To enable the development of smaller, lighter terminals for UAV optical communications.

Main Methods:

• A multiscanning method was proposed to enhance narrow beacon spatial acquisition probability, addressing severe UAV drift.
• An acquisition probability model was developed to analyze narrow beacon spatial acquisition under UAV drift.
• Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) was employed to improve the pointing accuracy of multifield fast scanning.

Main Results:

• The multiscanning method effectively improves acquisition probability without increasing the scanning area.
• Experimental validation confirmed the efficacy of the multiscanning approach in overcoming UAV drift.
• ADRC significantly enhanced pointing accuracy during multifield fast scanning under external interference.

Conclusions:

• The proposed multiscanning method offers a viable solution for robust spatial acquisition in UAV-based FSO systems.
• The integration of ADRC enhances the precision and reliability of optical communication terminals for UAVs.
• This research paves the way for more compact and energy-efficient communication solutions for unmanned airborne vehicles.