Understanding the Influence of Fog Scattering Attenuation Models on IM/DD FSO Link: Image Transmission Assessment

Free space optics (FSO) communication is an innovative and promising technology that effectively addresses the demand for high data rates and provides efficient last-mile connectivity solutions. The FSO communication links operate in an open environment, which is susceptible to various weather conditions such as fog, rain and haze. Among these weather factors, fog stands out as a significant contributor to severe attenuation in FSO links. This paper focuses on the estimation of optical attenuation for the transmission of color images in various fog events. The Kim and Kruse models are employed to analyze the impact of different fog conditions on the performance of the optical transmission system. The findings demonstrate that image quality is negatively affected as the transmission range increases. The maximum distances for acceptable image quality are 700 m, 500 m and 100 m in light, moderate and heavy fog conditions, respectively, according to the Kim model. However, the Kruse model predicts higher maximum distances of 900 m, 600 m and 200 m in light, moderate and heavy fog conditions, respectively.