An Operational 30 Channel 2 KM Fiber Optic Data Transmission System

A 30 channel, 2 km fiber optic data transmission system has been installed in Hawaii for use in the DSCS satellite network. Data rates to 20 Mb/s with bit error rates less than 10-8 can be accommodated. Over three hundred (300) single fiber optical connectors were installed with an average loss of only 1 dB. Designed for a worst case signal-to-noise ratio (peak signal/rms noise) of 30:1, an average of 52:1 was achieved ranging from 34:1 to 66:1. Five, six fiber optical cable traversed the underground duct system. Multimode dispersions (FWHM) in the fibers ranged from 0.2 nsec/km to 4.8 nsec/km. Fiber/cable attenuations ranged from 4.8 to 7.7 dB/km at 0.85 μm.