Sending data over a Laser.

[Simple1]

First of all, this is not a project for class. I currently have access to a hybrids design clean-room and want to use this opportunity to work on some personal projects.

So I'm trying to build a circuit where i can send data from my laptop through a laser to another laptop. Transmitter ---> Laser ---> Receiver.

I'm having trouble coming up with a good transceiver circuit that would take the data from the computers serial port and convert it so it can be sent over a laser beam. Should I consider programming a micro controller or is there another way.

If anyone has any ideas/suggestions please go ahead and throw it out there. I will keep posting as this project progresses.

 

[Sceadwian]

Why would you need a clean room for that? Send the serial over the laser line directly modulated, on/off

 

[birdman0_o]

What would the receiver be, a solar cell? I've seen that done to transmit an audio signal I do not know if the response would be quick enough :S

 

[Mike_2545]

There is an article in the current Nuts & Volts about it...

**broken link removed**

 

[kchriste]

You could adapt **broken link removed**. Or, if you want to build it from scratch, I would look into how IR remote controls work and use a Rx module from one of those and an IR laser modulated to work with the Rx module. It depends on how much throughput you want. What is wrong with an AdHoc network using the wireless cards on the laptops?

 

[Sceadwian]

CDS photo cells work relatively well, or photodiodes.

 

[birdman0_o]

CDS photo cells work relatively well, or photodiodes.

Don't they have a slow response?

 

[birdman0_o]

Hey Mike, which month is the article that you posted from?

 

[Sceadwian]

Depends on what kind of bandwidth you need birdman, a CDS photocell should handle phone quality or better audio, or low speed serial data. A photodiode should be significantly better though all in all.

 

[Simple1]

I've worked with photocells before when dealing with audio. Basically: speak into a mic, the audio is transferred over a laser to a photocell and picked up by a speaker. But what i want to do now is send a file (word document, folder, maybe a who movie/video file) from my computer, through a laser to another circuit that is hooked up to a different computer.

There is an article in the current Nuts & Volts about it...

What was the month or issue# please?


Thx for all the feedback so far.

 

[Sceadwian]

Simply connect the TX pin of an RS232 port to your laser modulator, and connect the receiving demodulator to the RX pin of the remote machine. Send 2400 baud serial data to confirm it's working and raise the baud rate till it stops working.

 

[Mike_2545]

Hey Mike, which month is the article that you posted from?

November...

 

[be80be]

Nuts and Volts
Have a lookie LOL

 

[birdman0_o]

Oh heyyy its this months! Means I should be getting it soon