[Laser] RS-232 comms via laser

[Brian Butler]

Folks:

Heard about this system today ...

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/7156/laser.htm

Has anyone tried this setup?
Going beyond the 100m the article specifies?
"High" data rates?

Serial data rates to 128000 bps are available to most of us with a
reasonably modern
computer. The thing that worries me is as the "switching rate" increases, the
laser response will degrade at some point (internal capacitance of the
diode + driver ccts being one of the issues).

What's the data rate / distance we can reasonably expect out of a
laser system like this?

I'll be trying this out in the next few months of spare time but I
would like to
know if anyone else has tried pushing this type of system hard (and fast).

BTW I do know about Ronja but this is a bit different (and "lower tech"). Better
for a starter project in data over lasers.

Brian VY1BB