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386 FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 386–391 (October 2009)
H. Nakamoto et al.: Submarine Optical Communications System Providing Global Communications Network
equipment (SLTE). This method allows the use not be the same as that of the existing platform;
of technology that is state of the art at the time of that is, a provider with superior technology can
deployment, so it provides a system with superior perform the upgrade.
characteristics. Its drawback is that the lead
time to service delivery is relatively long, which 2.2 Wavelength upgrading methods
means that it cannot meet the demand from Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)
telecommunications carriers for a quick increase equipment can be used to combine a new
in capacity. platform with the existing platform and increase
The latter method can increase the number the number of wavelengths in two ways: by
of wavelengths as long as there is a margin in adding new transponders (Figure 2) or by
the transmission characteristics of the existing interconnecting existing and new platforms by
system, which is a feature of wavelength using an optical coupler (Figure 3).
multiplexing systems. Compared with the The first method adds a new transponder
deployment of a totally new system, this approach section to the system by using transponders that
can upgrade a system quickly and inexpensively. incorporate new technology. The hardware scale
Furthermore, as new technologies are being in this upgrade is small, but the interface between
actively applied in this field, the existing platform the optical and control systems depends on the
can be combined with a new platform. Compared individual circumstances and the hardware and
with simply upgrading the existing platform, this firmware must be redesigned. As a result, it
scheme is advantageous from the cost perspective tends to be difficult to reduce costs and shorten
while also achieving more capacity than the the lead time with this method.
initial design of the existing platform. Moreover, The second method involves the use of new
the system provider of the new platform need SLTE. On the output side, the output of existing
Trib Trib
Trib W W Trib
D D
Trib M M Trib
Trib Trib
Trib: Tributary
Figure 2
Increasing number of transponder slots.
Supply of SLTE/PFE Supply of total system
Supply of repeaters
Trib W W Trib
Figure 1 Trib
D
M
D
M Trib
Submarine communication systems delivered by Fujitsu.
New New
transponders transponders
Trib W W Trib
D D
Trib M CPL CPL M Trib
Table 1
Effect of increasing number of wavelengths. : Existing signals
: New signals Trib: Tributary
Initial design After upgrade CPL: Coupler
No. of wavelengths 16 41 (maximum)
Figure 3
Total capacity 160 Gb/s 410 Gb/s Coupler insertion method.
FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, (October 2009) 387
H. Nakamoto et al.: Submarine Optical Communications System Providing Global Communications Network
equipment is multiplexed with signals from design information such as the gain-wavelength
the new equipment through an optical coupler, characteristics and OSNR of the system to be
and the multiplexed signal is transmitted upgraded, signal quality (Q value) of existing
over the submarine cable. On the receive side, signals, transmission quality margin of existing
the transmitted signal is demultiplexed by an signals, and transmission path information
optical coupler and input to existing and new (wavelength dispersion and nonlinearity
equipment. This approach to deploying new degradation). Once this information has been
SLTE by inserting a coupler is called the “coupler considered, the number of wavelengths that can
insertion method”. Although this method cannot be added to the system can be designed.
achieve as large a maximum capacity as a
completely new system, it can provide increased 3.2 Upgrade procedure
capacity quickly in response to customer needs. As described above, the insertion of couplers
The following section describes this method in requires temporary disconnection of existing
more detail. signals, so meetings with customers should
be held, and if necessary, data signals on the
3. Coupler insertion method existing channel should be rerouted.
In the coupler insertion method, the optical First, existing equipment is disconnected
output of the existing SLTE connected to the from the submarine cable and connected to the
submarine cable is temporarily disconnected new SLTE. Next, the levels of existing signals are
and then reconnected to the optical coupler adjusted on their side and communication with
incorporated in the new SLTE. As a result, the new SLTE is checked. Signals on the new
wavelengths from both existing and new SLTE are then activated and their power levels
equipment are multiplexed and transmitted and the wavelength dispersion compensation are
over the submarine cable, and the resulting adjusted. Finally, after a characteristics check,
multiplexed signal is demultiplexed by an optical the system is restored to the signal transmitting
coupler on the receive side and received by state.
both existing and new SLTE. Here, the optical
transmit power ratio of existing and new signals 3.3 Replacement of existing system
is adjusted by a variable optical attenuator A system upgrade may also consist of
connected to the transmit-side coupler. On replacing signals produced by old transponders
the receive side, interface-level adjustment by those produced by new transponders. For
is performed by a variable optical attenuator example, 2.5-Gb/s signals may be replaced by
connected to the receive-side coupler. These 10-Gb/s signals. However, optical repeaters
optical couplers and variable optical attenuators in the system keep output levels fixed, which
are installed in Fujitsu’s FLASHWAVE S6501) means that removing signals on the existing
optical SLTE. side has the effect of raising the optical power
level of remaining signals and increasing the
3.1 Transmission quality design possibility of transmission degradation. For
To maintain a specified level of signal this reason, existing signals should be dropped
quality after the addition of more wavelengths and new signals added with the level of the new
by coupler insertion, the optical signal-to-noise signals adjusted to minimize the effects on other
ratio (OSNR) of existing signals and newly added channels.
signals must be ascertained and transmission
degradation estimated. This requires a survey of
388 FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, (October 2009)
H. Nakamoto et al.: Submarine Optical Communications System Providing Global Communications Network
FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, (October 2009) 389
H. Nakamoto et al.: Submarine Optical Communications System Providing Global Communications Network
5 17
Accumulated dispersion RZ-DPSK RZ-OOK RZ-DPSK
1240 ps/nm 16
Signal degradation (dB)
4
Accumulated dispersion
15
Q value (dB)
3 -33 ps/nm
14
2
13
1
12
0 11
1545 1547 1549 1551 1553 1555
-1
0 0.5 1 1.5
Wavelength (nm)
Channel spacing (nm)
Figure 5
Figure 4 Channel dependency of Q value.
Channel spacing dependence of signal degradation.
390 FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, (October 2009)
H. Nakamoto et al.: Submarine Optical Communications System Providing Global Communications Network
6. Conclusion References
Since they serve as a global telecommu- 1) H. Oikawa et al.: High-Performance Submarine
Line Terminal Equipment for Next-Generation
nications infrastructure, submarine optical Optical Submarine Cable System: FLASHWAVE
communications systems must be able to respond S650. FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 42, No. 4,
pp. 469–475 (October 2006).
quickly to changes in traffic demand, and the 2) H. Kim: Cross-phase-modulation-induced
coupler insertion method has been established as nonlinear phase noise in WDM direct-detection
DPSK systems. Journal of Lightwave Technology,
a way to upgrade systems and increase capacity. Vol. 21, No. 8, pp. 1770–1774 (2003).
To further expand the capacity of upgraded 3) H. Nakamoto et al.: Study of Upgradeability
Using the RZ-DPSK Format on Existing WDM
systems, RZ-DPSK transponders have been Transmission System. SubOptic 2007, ThB1.5.
developed and applied to transpacific systems.
Looking forward, Fujitsu plans to develop systems
with even greater capacity to provide submarine
optical communications systems with superior
reliability and contribute to the expansion of
broadband services.
Akira Sugiyama
Fujitsu Ltd.
Mr. Sugiyama received a B.S. degree in
Electronics and Information Engineering
from Hokkai-Gakuen University,
Sapporo, Japan in 1993. He joined
Fujitsu Hokkaido Digital Technology
Ltd., Sapporo, Japan in 1993 and
moved to Fujitsu Ltd., Japan in 2003.
He has been engaged in research
and development of submarine cable
network systems.
FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 45, No. 4, (October 2009) 391