An Error Protection Protocol for user-transparent bridging of Fast Ethernet data transmission over the optical fading channel in an Aeronautical environment

Abstract

This paper presents an extensive insight into error protection techniques for free space optical links, focusing in particular in aeronautic stratospherically applications. The long distances present in these scenarios along with challenging atmospherically conditions present significant obstacles that degrade link performance. Thus it is imperative to apply highly efficient error protection scheme to avoid unacceptably high loss rates. The goal was to design a point-topoint data link layer error protection protocol that allows user-transparent bridging of Fast Ethernet data transmission over the optical fading channel in an high altitude inter platform link environment.