Lasercom acquisition in the presence of jitter

Link acquisition is a crucial aspect of lasercom performance. Rapid, reliable acquisition is highly desirable to maximize the time available for data transfer. Many different pointing, acquisition, and tracking sequences have been demonstrated for lasercom links, but they can be broadly categorized as beacon-based or synthesized (“beaconless”). For the same transmitter power, and in the absence of pointing jitter, beacon-based scans can operate at longer ranges than the equivalent synthesized scan, but with longer scan times needed to ensure illumination of the remote terminal. For shorter ranges, synthesized scans can result in short scan times, allowing the entire uncertainty region to be illuminated in a matter of seconds. However, the presence of platform jitter can cause holes in the acquisition scan and missed detection opportunities, resulting in the need for repeated attempts. Here, we use numerical simulations to investigate the effect of pointing jitter on lasercom acquisition, and in particular to compare and contrast beacon-based vs. synthesized scans at different levels of platform jitter. The results can be used to guide systems designers in optimizing acquisition sequences based on link range and expected jitter environments.