FSOC Terminal Feedforward Pointing Compensation for Disturbances
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Solution Overview
Problem
FSOC systems with narrow beamwidth and long transmission distances experience significant tracking and pointing accuracy errors due to internal and external disturbances, leading to frequent connection interruptions and excessive power consumption from reactive beacon beam corrections.
Innovation Solution
A method combining proactive and reactive error correction methodologies using feedforward and feedback gain scheduling approaches to adjust optical link alignment, incorporating processors to determine and actuate control signals for precise steering mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If reactive beacon beam corrections are used to correct tracking and pointing errors, then tracking accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by using inertial measurement units (IMUs) to predict future positions of communicating terminals before actual tracking errors occur. This proactive prediction allows the system to pre-adjust optical beam pointing directions, reducing the need for frequent reactive beacon beam corrections and thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring actual tracking errors through position sensors and comparing them with predicted errors from IMU data. This feedback loop enables the system to refine its prediction algorithms and adjust the balance between proactive and reactive corrections, optimizing power consumption while maintaining accurate tracking.
2Measurement precision
If narrow beamwidth is used to improve communication precision, then pointing accuracy requirements increase, but connection reliability decreases due to frequent interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
By using IMUs to predict terminal positions in advance, the system can proactively adjust optical beam pointing to compensate for anticipated disturbances. This preliminary action maintains connection reliability even with narrow beamwidth by preventing tracking errors before they cause beam misalignment and connection interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by using predicted disturbance data from IMUs to pre-counteract expected tracking errors. This proactive compensation prevents beam misalignment caused by disturbances such as mount vibration or wind effects, maintaining connection reliability while using narrow beamwidth for high precision communication.
3Measurement precision
If reactive corrections are used to accommodate tracking errors, then pointing accuracy is maintained, but system complexity increases due to additional beacon beam transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses IMUs to predict terminal positions and proactively adjust optical beam pointing before tracking errors occur. This preliminary action reduces the need for frequent beacon beam transmissions, simplifying the system while maintaining pointing accuracy through predictive rather than purely reactive control.
Solution Approach 2:
The IMU acts as an intermediary that provides predictive disturbance information to the control system. This intermediary enables the system to anticipate and compensate for tracking errors without relying solely on frequent beacon beam transmissions, reducing system complexity while maintaining pointing accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology relates to free-space optical communication systems that correct for errors in tracking and pointing accuracy to maintain connection integrity. Such systems can both proactively and reactively correct for errors in tracking performance and pointing accuracy of terminals within the system. An aspect includes receiving information indicative of at least one external disturbance associated with a communication device. A determination is made for a proactive estimation indicative of a first error associated with an effect of the at least one external disturbance at a current timestep. A determination is made for a reactive estimation indicative of a second error associated with the effect of the at least one external disturbance at a previous timestep. A final control signal is determined based on the proactive estimation and the reactive estimation. A controller is able to actuate an optical assembly of the communication device based on the determined final control signal.