The invention an optical system and a method for automatically controlling
the gain of a receiver in an optical system. The optical system includes
an optical receiver, a pulse capture unit, and an automatic gain control.
The pulse capture unit includes a capture unit capable of capturing an
optical signal received by the optical receiver; and, a process unit
capable of processing the captured optical signal. The automatic gain
control is capable of controlling the gain of the optical receiver
responsive to the content of the processed optical signal. The method
includes comparing the intensity of at least one returned pulse, and
typically a plurality of returned pulses, to a predetermined value; and
controlling the gain of an optical detector responsive to the comparison.
In addition, the maximum gain is controlled by a noise limit in some
implementations.