Undersea Lightwave Systems Using Highly Integrated Circuits

In 1988, the world's first transoceanic undersea lightwave communication systems will be installed. AT&T, together with STC of Great Britain and Submarcom of France, will install TAT-8 across the Atlantic Ocean. Across the Pacific Ocean, AT&T and KDD of Japan will install TPC-3 in the same year. These systems will revolutionize international communication by providing economic digital transmission facilities. Compared to conventional analog coaxial undersea systems, the degree of technical complexity of these systems has increased dramatically, yet the system cost has decreased with system reliability remaining unchanged. This technical accomplishment was achieved by employing optical transmission and by applying high level integration to concentrate complex functions into few highly reliable integrated circuits. The presentation will focus on the technology employed, the design and the functions of the integrated circuits and reliability obtained in manufacture.