I was wondering if someone can help point me towards some information on how RF to optical converters and vice versa typically work. I am wondering if they generally involve some kind of analog to digital conversion, or if they usually just perform a frequency shift from radio frequencies to optical frequencies.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
Lots of new stuff out there but the old way was to demodulate the RF signal and then use that recovered information to modulate the light source.
The wideband stuff uses a CW laser and a lithium niobate linear modulator. The receiver end is easy, just a GaAs pin diode and a wideband amp. Think 10's of kilobucks for a link.
The slower ones directly modulate the laser.
Google "optical rf link"
John
Thank you. By the way, do you know if the unit at
performs analog to digital conversion and vice versa?
It appears to perform RF to optical and other things as well.
Analog means continuous (an infinite number of levels). Digital means discrete (HI-LO or ON-OFF). RF means a range of frequencies below the visible spectrum. Optical means light (eye-viewable) frequencies. Darned confusing, all of this is!
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