OpticalLinkReceiver Object

The OpticalLinkReceiver object defines the optical receiver hardware for an OpticalLink. It includes parameters such as aperture diameter, responsivity, dark current, quantum efficiency, and system losses, and supports modeling of receiver types such as avalanche photodiodes (APDs), PIN photodiodes, preamplified detectors, and coherent receivers. The object provides methods for calculating receiver gain, computing SNR for a given received power, and determining BER based on modulation type and SNR.

Users cannot create instances of this type of object. However, users can access instances of this object type that have been created indirectly, for example as children of other objects. Users can also access any static properties and methods on this object type.

Available In Editions:

Timing Precision Mode

Name	Description	Attributes
AmplifierNoiseFactor	The factor multiplying the thermal component of noise in the receiver. This property is relevant to modeling APD and PIN based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 1).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write
ApertureDiameter	The diameter of the receiver telescope in meters. Used in the calculation of the receiver gain and background light power.	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: m
AvalanchePhotodiodeGain	The gain (e.g. 'M') of the avalanche photodiode, if one is used. This property is relevant to modeling APD based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write
BackgroundLightPowerDiffuse	The power of diffuse background light incident on the receiver in watts. This can be set to any custom value. This property is relevant to modeling APD, preamplified, heterodyne, and homodyne type optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 2, 3, 4 ).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: W
DarkCurrent	The dark current of the photodiode in amps. This property is relevant to modeling APD based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: A
DeclaredName	The name of the object as declared.	Type: String Access: Read-Only
DisplayName	The name displayed for this object in output windows such as views, plots, and reports.	Type: String Access: Read/Write
ExcessNoiseFactor	The excess noise factor of the avalanche photodiode (APD) used in the receiver. This property is relevant to modeling APD based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write
FieldOfView	The field of view of the optical receiver in radians. The field of view can be set to any custom value, or the GetFieldOfView method can optionally be used to compute the field of view of an optical receiver based on the specified PhotodiodeDiameter and FocalLength. Field of view is used in the calculation of signal degradation due to background light power.	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: rad
FocalLength	The focal length in millimeters of the optical receiver. Consumed by the GetFieldOfView method of OpticalLinkReceiver	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: mm
NEP	The noise equivalent power (NEP) of the optical receiver expressed in watts per square root hertz. This property is relevant to modeling APD and PIN based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 1).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: W
ObjectId	The unique identifier for the object.	Type: Variable Access: Read-Only
ObjectType	The type of the object.	Type: String Access: Read-Only
OpticalPassBand	The pass band of the receiver filter in nanometers. Used in the calculation of the background light power component of receiver sensitivity.	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: nm
PhotodiodeDiameter	The diameter in microns of the photodiode used. Consumed by the GetFieldOfView method of OpticalLinkReceiver.	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: um
PreampNoiseFigure	Noise figure of the optical preamplifier in dB, if one is used. This property is relevant to modeling preamplified optical receivers (ReceiverType = 2).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: dB
QuantumEfficiency	The unitless quantum efficiency of the optical receiver. This property is relevant to modeling heterodyne and homodyne type optical receivers (ReceiverType = 3, 4 ).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write
ReceiverType	Indicates which hardware model to use for the optical receiver. The APD (avalanche photodiode) receiver type uses a combined shot noise and thermal noise model, using the properties: .AvalanchePhotodiodeGain. .NEP .Responsivity .DarkCurrent .AmplifierNoiseFactor .ExcessNoiseFactor .BackgroundLightPower The PIN diode receiver type uses a purely thermal model of noise, using the properties: .AmplifierNoiseFactor .Responsivity .NEP The preamplified receiver type uses the properties: .PreampNoiseFigure .BackgroundLightPower The heterodyne and homodyne receiver types use the properties: .QuantumEfficiency .BackgroundLightPower	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write
Responsivity	The responsivity in amps per watt of the photodiode. This property is relevant to modeling APD and PIN based optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 1).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: A/W
SNR	The signal-to-noise ratio of the optical receiver in dB.	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: dB
SystemLosses	Any additional losses, given in dB, which are present in the optical receiver system (e.g. fiber coupling).	Type: Variable Access: Read/Write Units: dB

Name	Description
AddBackgroundLightSource	Adds non-diffuse source of background light as available for participating in receiver model calculations. This method is relevant to modeling APD, preamplified, heterodyne, and homodyne type optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 2, 3, 4 ).
ClearBackgroundLightSources	Clears non-diffuse sources of background light from participating in receiver model calculations. This method is relevant to modeling APD, preamplified, heterodyne, and homodyne type optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 2, 3, 4 ).
ClearSavedStates	Clears previous saved states for this object.
ComputeBitRateForSNR	Provides an estimate of the maximum optical receiver bit rate according to a receiver type and a given received power and required SNR.
ComputeSensitivity	Determines the optical receiver sensitivity in dBm according to the ReceiverType property. All receiver types use a bandwidth derived via the OpticalLink BitRate and ModulationType properties.
ComputeSNRForReceivedPower	Determines the optical receiver SNR in dB according to the ReceiverType property and a given received power. All receiver types use a bandwidth derived via the OpticalLink BitRate and ModulationType properties.
GetFieldOfView	Uses .PhotodiodeDiameter and .FocalLength properties to calculate a field of view for the optical receiver in radians. Field of view is used in the calculation of signal degradation due to background light power.
GetFromFile	Load the object state from the specified FreeFlyer object file.
GetFromString	Load the object state from the specified string.
PutToFile	Convert the object state to FreeFlyer object xml and write to a file.
PutToString	Convert the object state to FreeFlyer object xml and return as a string.
ReferenceEquals	Returns 1 if the argument refers to the calling object and 0 otherwise.
ResetReferenceObject	Removes the current source and resets any values derived from it.
Restore	Restore an object's state from a previously saved state.
Save	Save the object's state so that it can be restored later.
SetReferenceObject	Sets the object that the optical receiver is located on.
UpdateBackgroundLightSource	Adds the background light contribution of a specified CelestialObject to the optical receiver model. This method is relevant to modeling APD, preamplified, heterodyne, and homodyne type optical receivers (ReceiverType = 0, 2, 3, 4 ).

OpticalLinkReceiver Object

Description

Available In Editions:

Timing Precision Mode