Use of optical orthogonal codes for intra-spacecraft communications

Abstract

This work presents the application of optical orthogonal codes (OOC) for intra-spacecraft communications within a sensor network with a large number of terminals. In particular, a novel family of optical codes named random optical codes is introduced for the target application. These codes allow a simple optimization of the length and weight of the code while maintaining a controlled probability of error and a low duty cycle. Also, due to a straightforward generation process they can be adjusted almost in real-time to adapt to new conditions like including new channels. This flexibility makes this family a good candidate for systems with strict restrictions over this parameters.