Reliable WDM telemetry transmission system for next generation scientific underwater cable network "ARENA"

A novel telemetry transmission system for next generation scientific underwater cable networks is proposed. The design concept features: (1) simple undersea Raman-effect transmitters employing only field-proven optical devices, (2) high capacity wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), (3) wavelength source distribution from the terrestrial terminal for flexibility and upgradeability and (4) per-node optical add-drop multiplexing with loop-back transmission for superior robustness against cable failures. To demonstrate the concept we conduct transmission experiments using a prototype node, four optical repeaters and 210 km of fiber. One challenge is to achieve high-speed Raman gain modulation, for which, under optimum conditions, we see the capability exceeding 100 Mb/s. Using WDM, more than 16 Gb/s of total capacity is achievable for a system a couple of thousand kilometers long with hundreds of observation nodes. The potential performance of the proposed system is expected to support next generation scientific underwater cable networks, such as the ARENA project proposed by IEEE OES Japan Chapter