A Short-Range Free-Space Optical Communication System for Space-Assembled Microsatellites

A free-space optical transmission system for applications that require a proper data communication channel between docked microsatellite modules is presented. The structure and the design of the optical communication interfaces are described. The system acts as a bridge between the CAN (Controlled Area Network) busses on the microsatellites, allowing communication between circuits in different separated modules. This avoids a physical connection between adjacent modules and electromagnetic disturbances that radio-frequency communication systems can generate. The system uses low-cost Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components that can reduce significantly the operative costs. A prototype has been built in a format compatible with CubeSat satellites and successfully characterized and tested.