Contents

1- Introduction:.............................................................................................................................................. 4
2-Objective: ................................................................................................................................................... 4
3-Theory: ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1Basic concept of Laser: ............................................................................................................................ 5

Spontaneous emission: .................................................................................................................................. 5
Stimulated emission ...................................................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Free-space optical communication (FSO): ............................................................................................. 7
Advantages .................................................................................................................................................... 7
Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................................... 7
3.3Some real life Applications:..................................................................................................................... 8
4-Circuit Components: .................................................................................................................................... 9

4.1 Op-amp LM-741: .................................................................................................................................. 10

4.2 Op-amp LM-386: .................................................................................................................................. 11
4.3 BC548 NPN General Purpose Amplifier: ............................................................................................. 12
4.4 2N5777 Silicon NPN Photo Detector: .................................................................................................. 12
4.5 BC549 NPN General Purpose Transistors: ........................................................................................... 12
4.6 Laser Light(650nm-5mW laser Pointer): .............................................................................................. 12
4.7 Table of components: ............................................................................................................................ 13
5 -Theory of operation: ..................................................................................................................................14

5.1The Transmitter:..................................................................................................................................... 14
5.2The Receiver: ......................................................................................................................................... 15
6-Simulation: ................................................................................................................................................16

6.1 Schematic: ............................................................................................................................................. 16

6.2 Layout: .................................................................................................................................................. 17
8-Problems &improvements: ..........................................................................................................................19

8.1 Problems: .............................................................................................................................................. 19

8.2 Improvements: ...................................................................................................................................... 19
8.3Possible Improvements: ......................................................................................................................... 19
9-Hardware Implementation: .........................................................................................................................18
10-Conclusion: ..............................................................................................................................................19
11-List of references: .....................................................................................................................................21

List of Figures:
Figure1: Laser Audio communication system Block Diagram..4
Figure2: Energy state diagram ..6
Figure3: Free space optical network..8
Figure4: Basic op-amp 9
Figure5: Inverting Amplifier ... 9
Figure6: LM-741 .10
Figure7: LM-386 .....11
Figure8 BC548 transistor ...12
Figure9 Transmitter circuit 14
Figure10: Receiver circuit ..15
Figure11: Transmitter circuit .16
Figure12: Receiver circuit ..16
Figure13: Transmitter layout ..17
Figure14: Receiver layout .. ....17
Figure15: Transmitter Hardware implementation .. 18
Figure16: Receiver Hardware implementation ...18
Figure17: Receiver Hardware implementation using stereo speaker ......18

List of Tables:
Table1: RF (802.11) vs. free-space visible spectrum (LED)8
Table 2: Some Op-amp Parameters.10
Table3: Transmitter components..13
Table4: Receiver components..13

1- Introduction:
A laser as a communications medium has some unique properties compared to other forms
of media. A line-of-sight laser beam is useful where wires cannot be physically connected to
a remote location. A laser beam, unlike wires, also does not require special shielding over
longer distances. Lasers offer at least an order of magnitude longer distances compared to
infrared LEDs. Although RF transmitters may offer longer distances than line-of-sight
lasers, they are subject to interference from other transmitters. Since the laser medium is
line-of-sight and the beam being only several millimeters in diameter it is very difficult for
the data stream to be tapped. This offers secure communication since any attempts to
intercept the laser beam would be detected at the receiver as a loss in data; also they have the
benefit of eliminating the need for broadcast rights and buried cables. Laser communications
systems can be easily deployed since they are inexpensive, small, low power and do not
require any radio interference studies. The carrier used for the transmission signal is
typically generated by a laser diode.

2-Objective:
The objective of this circuit is to transmit sound wirelessly over large distance with very
high speed using the laser beam as carrier that changes its intensity according to the
amplitude of the input sound, the input sound is converted from analog to digital using the
transmitter.

Figure1: Laser Audio communication system Block Diagram

3-Theory:
There is only one way that light can be produced: that is, through the rapid change of state of
an electron from a state of relatively high energy to a (more stable) state of lower energy.
When this happens the energy has to go somewhere and it is often34 emitted in the form of
light. The word "laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation. Lasers are finding ever increasing military applications principally for target
acquisition, fire control, and training. These lasers are termed rangefinders, target
designators, and direct-fire simulators. Lasers are also being used in communications, laser
radars (LIDAR), landing systems, laser pointers, guidance systems, scanners, metal working,
photography, holography, and medicine.
The primary wavelengths of laser radiation for current military and commercial applications
include the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of the spectrum. Ultraviolet radiation for
lasers consists of wavelengths between 180 and 400 nm. The visible region consists of
radiation with wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm. This is the portion we call visible
light. The infrared region of the spectrum consists of radiation with wavelengths between
700 nm and 1 mm.

3.1Basic concept of Laser:

Spontaneous emission: is really the normal case. When an electron is elevated to a high
energy state this state is usually unstable and the electron will spontaneously return to a
more stable state very quickly (within a few picoseconds) emitting a photon as it does so.
When light is emitted spontaneously its direction and phase will be random but the
wavelength will be determined by the amount of energy that the emitting electron must give
up.

Stimulated emission is what happens in the operation of a laser. In some situations when
an electron enters a high energy (excited) state it is able to stay there for a relatively long
time (a few microseconds) before it changes state spontaneously. When an electron is in this
semi-stable (metastable) high energy state it can be stimulated by the presence of a photon
of light to emit its energy in the form of another photon. In this case the incident photon
must have the right energy (wavelength) within quite small limits.
It is of fundamental importance to understand that when stimulated emission takes place the
emitted photon has exactly the same wavelength, phase and direction as that of the photon
which stimulated it. For spontaneous or stimulated emission to occur, energy must be
supplied to boost the electron from its low energy state to a higher energy state.

The energy can come from many sources:

Heat.
Electrical Discharge.
Electric Current.
Chemical Reaction.
Biological Reactions (Bioluminescense).
Absorption of Light.
Nuclear Radiation.

Figure 2: Energy state diagram showing: (a) absorption; (b) spontaneous emission;
(c) Stimulated emission. The black dot indicates the state of the atom before and after a transition takes
place

(a) By spontaneous emission in which the atom returns to the lower energy state in an
entirely random manner;
(b) By stimulated emission when a photon having an energy equal to the energy difference
between the two states (E2 E1) interacts with the atom in the upper energy state causing it
to return to the lower state with the creation of a second photon.

3.2 Free-space optical communication (FSO):

Over the last two decades free-space optical communication (FSO) has become more and
more interesting as an adjunct or alternative to radio frequency communication. Free-space
optical communication (FSO) systems (in space and inside the atmosphere) have developed
in response to a growing need for high-speed and tap-proof communication systems. Links
involving satellites, deep-space probes, ground stations, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
high altitude platforms (HAPs), aircraft, and other nomadic communication partners are of
practical interest. Moreover, all links can be used in both military and civilian contexts. FSO
is the next frontier for net-centric connectivity, as bandwidth, spectrum and security issues
favor its adoption as an adjunct to radio frequency (RF) communications.

Advantages

Ease of deployment
License-free long-range operation (in contrast with radio communication)
High bit rates
Low bit error rates
Immunity to electromagnetic interference

Disadvantages

For terrestrial applications,

Beam dispersion
Atmospheric absorption
Rain
Fog (10~100 dB/km attenuation)
Snow
pollution/smog

These factors cause an attenuated receiver signal and lead to higher bit error ratio (BER). To
overcome these issues, vendors found some solutions, like multi-beam or multi-path
architectures, which use more than one sender and more than one receiver.

Table1: RF (802.11) vs. free-space visible spectrum (LED)

Figure 3:

3.3Some real life Applications:

Deliver HD video to individual seats
Airbus holds > 500 people; HD requires 13 Mb/s; short range
Personal lighting/communication for channel isolation; copper is heavy. High bandwidth
density (>10 Mb/m3)
Indoor localization
Finding roaming patients and doctors in a hospital; RF techniques
can be problematic; lights can be uniquely modulated with ID;
tagging bats; security in downlink channel. Data trickle.

4-Circuit Components:
OP-AMP BASICS:
An operational amplifier is a very high gain amplifier having very high input impedance
(typically a few Mega ohms) and low output impedance (less than 100 ).
The basic circuit is made using a difference amplifier having two inputs (plus and minus)
and at least one output. the plus (+) input produces an output that is in phase with the signal
applied, while an input to the minus (-) input results in an opposite polarity output. As shown
in Figure 8

Figure4 :

Feedback:
*There are two types of feedback
Negative feedback allows high-precision signal processing.
Positive feedback makes it possible to build oscillators
To make the op-amp works as amplifier we must connect the output terminal to the inverting
input terminal which is a negative feedback.
Some Op-amp Applications:
1- Non-Inverting Amplifier.
2- Inverting Amplifier.
3- Voltage follower (Buffer).

1-Non- Inverting Amplifier:

Figure 5: Inverting Amplifier

The output is obtained by multiplying the input by a constant gain equal [(R2/R1)+1] in
phase with input
Some Op-amp Parameters:
PARAMETER
Bandwidth

ABBV
BW

UNITS
MHz

DEFINITION
The upper frequency limitation or useful
frequency range

Slew rate

SR

V/s

The rate of change in the output voltage

with respect to time
for a step change at the input.

Table 2: Some Op-amp Parameters

4.1 Op-amp LM-741:

The LM741 series are general purpose operational amplifiers which feature improved
performance over industry standards the lm741is reliable and required no frequency
compensation.
Above all, it was much easier to manufacture and had good yields.

Features:
Short-Circuit Protection.
Offset-Voltage Null Capability.
Large Common-Mode and Differential Voltage Ranges.
No Frequency Compensation Required.
Low Power Consumption.
No Latch-Up
Figure 6: LM-741

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4.2 Op-amp LM-386:

Description:
The LM386 is a power amplifier designed for use in low voltage consumer applications. The
gain is internally set to 20 to keep external part count low, but the addition of an external
resistor and capacitor between pins 1 and 8 will increase the gain to any value up to 200. The
inputs are ground referenced while the output is automatically biased to one half the supply
voltages. The
Quiescent power drain is only 24 mw when operating from a 6 volt supply, making the
LM386 ideal for battery operation.
Features
Battery operation
Minimum external parts
Wide supply voltage range: 4V12V or 5V18V
Low quiescent current drain: 4mA
Voltage gains from 20 to 200
Ground referenced input
Self-centering output quiescent voltage

Available in 8 pin MSOP package

Applications
AM-FM radio amplifiers
Portable tape player amplifiers
Intercoms
TV sound systems
Line drivers
Ultrasonic drivers
Small servo drivers
Power converters

Figure7: LM-386

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4.3 BC548 NPN General Purpose Amplifier:

This device is designed for use as general purpose amplifiers and switches requiring
collector currents to 300 mA.

Figure8: BC548 transistor

4.4 2N5777 Silicon NPN Photo Detector:

Features:
High sensitivity.
Economical TO-92 compatible.

4.5 BC549 NPN General Purpose Transistors:

Features:
Low current (max. 100 mA).
Low voltage (max. 45 V).

4.6 Laser Light(650nm-5mW laser Pointer):

Laser light is very different from normal light. Laser light has the following properties:
The light released is monochromatic. It contains one specific wavelength of light (one
specific color). The wavelength of light is determined by the amount of energy
released when the electron drops to a lower orbit.
The light released is coherent. It is organized -- each photon moves in step with the
others. This means that all of the photons have wave fronts that launch in unison.
The light is very directional. A laser light has a very tight beam and is very strong and
concentrated. A flashlight, on the other hand, releases light in many directions, and the
light is very weak and diffuse.

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4.7 Table of components:

1-Transmitter:
part

value
8.2 k
1.8 M
15 k
10 k
82

1
M
1
uF
0.1 uF
470 uF
1000 uF
_
_
_
_
_

Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Variable Resistor
capacitor
capacitor
Capacitor
Capacitor
LM741
BC548
Condenser MIC
Laser torch
BD139

quantity
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Table3: Transmitter components

2-Receiver:
part
Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Resistor
Variable Resistor
capacitor
capacitor
Capacitor
Capacitor
Capacitor
Capacitor
Capacitor
LM386
BC549
2N5777 (photo transistor)
Speaker

6.8
4.7
2.2
470
1
10
1
0.1
470
100
10
0.01
47

value
k
k
k
k
k
k
uF
uF
uF
uF
uF
uF
PF
_
_
_
_

Table4: Receiver components

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quantity
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1

5 -Theory of operation:
There are two sections: the transmitter board and the receiver board, both powered by a
separate 9V battery or a fixed voltage power supply, depending on your needs. The
transmitter board has an electrets microphone module at one end, and the laser diode at the
other end. The electronics modulates the intensity of the laser beam according to the output
of the microphone. The laser diode has an inbuilt collimating lens, and is simply a module
that connects to the transmitter board. The receiver uses a photodiode as the receiving
element, and the onboard amplifier powers a small 4-36 ohm speaker. This board is therefore
a high gain amplifier with a basic audio output stage. Using this circuit you can
communicate with your neighbors wirelessly. Instead of RF signals, light from a laser torch
is used as the carrier in the circuit. The laser torch can transmit light up to a distance of about
500 meters. The phototransistor of the receiver must be accurately oriented towards the laser
beam from the torch. If there is any obstruction in the path of the laser beam, no sound will
be heard from the receiver.

5.1The Transmitter:
The transmitter circuit comprises condenser microphone transistor amplifier BC548 (T1)
followed by an op-amp stage built around A741 (IC1). The gain of the op-amp can be
controlled with the help of 1-mega-ohm potentiometer VR1. The AF output from ic1 is
coupled to the base of transistor BD139 (T2), which, in turn, modulates the laser beam. The
transmitter uses 9V power supply. However, the 3-volt laser torch (after removal of its
battery) can be directly connected to the circuitwith the body of the torch connected to the
emitter of BD139 and the spring-loaded lead protruding from inside the torch to circuit
ground.

Figure9: Transmitter Circuit

14

5.2The Receiver:
The receiver circuit uses an npn phototransistor as the light sensor that is followed by a twostage transistor preamplifier and LM386-based audio power amplifier. The receiver does not
need any complicated alignment. Just keep the phototransistor oriented towards the remote
laser pointer and adjust the volume control for a clear sound. To avoid 50Hz hum noise in
the speaker, keep the phototransistor away from AC light sources such as bulbs. The
reflected sunlight, however, does not cause any problem. But the sensor should not directly
face the sun.

Figure10: Receiver circuit

15

6-Simulation:
By making the circuit in Orcad circuit simulator.

6.1 Schematic:

Figure11: Transmitter circuit

Figure12: Receiver circuit

16

6.2 Layout:

Figure13: Transmitter layout

Figure14: Receiver Layout

17

8-Hardware Implementation:
By connecting the circuit as shown in figures.

Figure15: Transmitter Hardware

implementation

Figure16: Receiver Hardware implementation

Figure17: Receiver Hardware

implementation using stereo speaker
18

9-Problems &improvements:
9.1 Problems:
1- Low quality components.
2- Weak laser source (only 50mW).
3- Low performance photo-Diode.

9.2 Improvements:
1- Using laptop connected to the circuit via an Aux cable.
2- Using Stereo Speaker.
3- Lowering the noise coming from the different light sources (florescent bulbs).
The system performs better in a dark room than it does in a room with the lights on. In a
dark room there is little or no environmental noise (light) to interfere with the signal
produced by the laser transmitter.

9.3Possible Improvements:
Due to time and equipment constraints, we were not able to employ any of the following
modifications which could possibly have led to an improvement in one or more areas of the
system:
1-By using a signal amplifier, the signal intensity reaching the receiver would have
increased, thus increasing the range producing a louder, if not clearer, audio signal.
2-If the bandwidth of the laser transmitter signal were known, the use of a notch or matched
filter would help in removing much of the unwanted noise.
3-The use of a specially-designed setup to hold both the laser transmitter and photo resistor
receiver steady while sending the signal would produce a more steady output, thus
improving the sound quality.

19

10-Conclusion:
The project shows that its possible to make audio communication using laser by simple and
inexpensive components. It will easily give a communication distance of several hundred
meters, and with a parabolic light reflector, up to several kilometers. It transmits high quality
audio and the link is virtually impossible for anyone else to tap into.
An important feature of transmission by laser beam is privacy. Because a laser beam is
intentionally narrow, it is virtually impossible for someone to tap into the link without you
knowing. If someone intercepts the beam, the link is broken, signaling the interception. Fiber
optic cables also have high security, as it is very difficult to splice into the cable without
breaking the link.

21

11-List of references:
1- Optical Fiber Communications Principles and Practice Third edition John M. Senior.
2- Understanding Optical Communications Harry J. R. Dutton
3-http://www.bu.edu/smartlighting/files/pdf/May808_slides_Little_FSO_Commun1.pdf.
4-http://radioeng.cz/fulltexts/2010/10_02_203_212.pdf
5- Lm-386Data sheet by Fairchild.
6- lm-741 Data sheet by Fairchild.

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