Free-Space Optical Link Budget Calculator

Satellite & Free-Space Optical (FSO) Communications: Compute diffraction-limited telescope gains, free-space path loss, received optical power ($P_r$), and link margin.

Transceiver Optics & Range

Mission Link Distance Preset:

Link Distance $Z$ (km):

Laser Average Power $P_t$ (W):

Laser Wavelength $\lambda$ (nm):

Tx Aperture $D_t$ (cm):

Rx Aperture $D_r$ (m):

Atmospheric Loss $A_{\text{atm}}$ (dB):

Tx Optical Efficiency $\eta_{\text{tx}}$ (dB):

Rx Optical Efficiency $\eta_{\text{rx}}$ (dB):

Link Power & Spot Sizing

Received Optical Power ($P_r$)

-- dBm

-- nW

Beam Spot Diameter at Rx

-- m

Divergence θ_div: -- µrad

Free-Space Path Loss ($L_{\text{fs}}$)

-- dB

Total Link Attenuation: -- dB

Telescope Optical Gains

-- dB

Tx: -- dB | Rx: -- dB

Optical Communications Comparison:

• Optical gain advantage vs 30 GHz Ka-band: ~-- dB higher antenna gain.

• Diffraction-limited spot footprint area: -- m²

• Photon flux at 1550 nm: -- photons/second

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Free-Space Optical Link Budget Calculator

Transceiver Optics & Range

Link Power & Spot Sizing

Frequently Asked Questions