Subsea Data Systems Publishes Article in Ocean News & Technology Magazine
March 25, 2022
Subsea Data Systems, Inc., a new partnership between Samara/Data and Ocean Specialists, Inc., published an article in the March 25, 2022 edition of Ocean News & Technology (ON&T) Magazine describing advances and challenges in SMART (Sensor Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications) Cable technologies. SMART Cables include sensor-enabled repeaters (amplifiers) that will be incorporated into future trans-oceanic internet cables.
Coauthored by Subsea Data Systems President Matt Fouch and Chief Technology Officer Steve Lentz, the article summarizes our current objectives and progress developing the first SMART repeater sensor prototype. We also characterize the progress needed to fully realize the SMART Cable vision through Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), first developed by NASA and later adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense and the European Space Agency. On a scale of 1 (basic principles observed and reported) to 9 (actual system operating successfully in a subsea environment), we estimate our current status of SMART Cables at TRL 2, and envision a clear path to TRL 4 in the coming months. Support for this work is partially provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program (“America’s Seed Fund”).
SMART Cables are an innovative real-time deep ocean monitoring technology that will facilitate fundamental improvements in Tsunami Early Warning (TEW), Earthquake Early Warning (EEW), global climate monitoring and telecommunications resiliency. The innovation is to tightly integrate sensors into the amplifiers (“repeaters”) used to boost signals in the optical fibers. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components will be utilized for nearly all physical elements of the system. The research-grade package includes a 3-axis accelerometer, absolute pressure gauge, and temperature sensor, integrated with data acquisition circuits with suitable dynamic range and precision, a common communications module, an interface suitable for fiber optic cable spans up to 120 km in length, software and firmware necessary to support the data path, an isolated power source, and precision timing. The SMART repeater design is modular, allowing different sensors, adaptation to different repeater housings, or use as a standalone unit.
The development and deployment of SMART Cables will enhance scientific understanding of Earth’s oceans, seafloor, and subsurface via a fundamentally new approach to long-term subsea sensor network deployments. SMART Cables will therefore provide essential new data to reduce disaster risk and improve global climate understanding, thereby reducing societal and environmental vulnerabilities to these long- and short-term threats.
A link to the ON&T article can be found here.
About Subsea Data Systems
Subsea Data Systems provides the full spectrum of SMART Cable hardware, software, and data management solutions for a broad customer base of telecommunications providers, U.S. federal agencies, and international groups designing and building SMART Cable projects. Our team melds domain-specific expertise in submarine fiber optic network development and deployment, federal government and academic research and development, and scientific and technical subject matter. Email info@subseadatasystems.com for more details.
