Patent ID: 6665477
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A modular undersea optical fiber telecommunication system, comprising:a plurality of elongate cable segments each containing optical fibers extending side-by-side along the length of the respective cable segment, the fibers in at least one of the cable segments being of a fiber type different from the fibers in at least some of the other cable segments; each cable segment having a first end and a second end, a plug unit secured to the first end of the cable segment and a receptacle unit secured to the second end of the cable segment, the plug unit consisting of one half of an underwater connector and the receptacle unit consisting of a second, mateable half of the underwater connector, the plug and receptacle units each containing a plurality of optical fiber contact terminals, whereby the contact terminals in the plug unit of one cable segment are in optical contact with corresponding contact terminals in the receptacle unit of a second cable segment when the plug and receptacle units are mated; each optical fiber in each cable segment having a first end terminated to a respective one of the optical fiber contact terminals in the plug unit of the respective cable segment and a second end terminated to a respective one of the optical fiber contact terminals in the receptacle unit of the respective cable segment; and the plug unit of a selected first cable segment being releasably mated with the receptacle unit of a selected second cable segment and the receptacle unit of the first cable segment being releasably mated with the plug unit of a selected third cable segment, such that the optical fibers in said first cable segment are connected in series with the fibers in the second and third cable segments, and the cable segments are connected together end-to-end in a predetermined sequence; whereby fibers in at least one of the connected cable segments are of a different type to the fibers in at least some successive cable segments.