Traditional integrated communication and sensing systems encounter substantial challenges regarding spectrum requirements and hardware implementation costs, especially when integrating optical communication and LiDAR technologies. Existing methods usually introduce additional noise while attempting to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which can deteriorate system performance. Our research aims to design an integrated LiDAR communication and sensing system that combines asymmetric clipping optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) and linear frequency modulation (LFM) techniques to realize the convergence of optical communication and LiDAR ranging. A new clipping technique is proposed to reduce PAPR without adding noise, thus improving the overall system performance. The research focuses on assessing the system’s performance in terms of transmission rate, bit error rate (BER), and target detection and ranging capabilities under different turbulent channel conditions.

We present a framework for an integrated LiDAR communication and sensing system that combines ACO-OFDM and LFM technologies. The system utilizes ACO-OFDM to achieve efficient optical communication and integrates LFM signals for accurate LiDAR ranging. To solve the problem of noise introduction in traditional clipping techniques when reducing PAPR, we propose an iterative scheme of clipping and filtering. This method gradually decreases PAPR through multiple iterations and effectively reduces noise introduction. The simulation employs a Gamma-Gamma weak and medium turbulence channel model to analyze the system’s transmission rate and BER performance under various channel conditions. Additionally, the simulation evaluates the ranging capability of the integrated system by comparing its BER performance improvement and the enhanced ranging accuracy with a system using a single LFM signal.

By implementing the iterative clipping and filtering scheme, we effectively reduce the PAPR of the system by 3.6 dB (Fig. 5), thereby resolving the noise issue related to traditional clipping techniques. Simulation results show that the system not only maintains a stable transmission rate and reliable BER performance under Gamma-Gamma weak and medium turbulence channel conditions but also successfully detects four targets at distances of 80, 100, 1000, and 1300 m (Fig. 11). Compared with a system using a single LFM signal, the integrated system has an improved BER performance by 4.2 dB (Fig. 6) and enhanced ranging accuracy by 40.7% (Fig. 12). Moreover, the main lobe of the system’s ambiguity function is more concentrated, with lower side lobe levels, having a “peg” shape [Fig. 9(b)], indicating significant advantages in distance resolution and Doppler tolerance.

We propose a laser radar communication sensing integrated system that combines ACO-OFDM and LFM technologies. The system effectively reduces PAPR through an innovative iterative clipping and filtering scheme while maintaining low noise levels. Simulation results confirm the stability and reliability of the system under different channel conditions, demonstrating its excellent performance in integrating optical communication and LiDAR ranging. Notably, the remarkable improvements in BER and ranging accuracy highlight the system’s potential for practical applications. Future research can further optimize the system design to enhance its adaptability and performance in more complex environments.