Optimizing the Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA)'s Length and Location for Improved Free Space Optic (FSO) Range

Although free space optical (FSO) communication has a variety of advantages, such as license free, high bandwidth, and high security, its link distance is limited by weather conditions. Incorporating an optical amplifier within the FSO transmission path is one of the most promising methods to mitigate the aforementioned problem. The use of optical amplifiers not only improve signal to noise ratio (SNR), but also increase the link distance of the FSO system. In this paper, the erbium-doped fiber (EDFA)'s length and location were optimized to improve the FSO transmission range. The optimization process was conducted under clear air and light haze conditions using Optisystem. Decisions were taken in the optimization process based on Q-factor. Results confirmed that pre located EDFA with 2m length was the best choice as it gives better Q-factor value. Keywords: Free space optical (FSO), Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA), FSO link, post arrangement, pre arrangement.