4599745 Hybrid fiber optics and radio frequency telemetry apparatus for acquiring data from an underwater environment

Abstract

An apparatus having both an optical communications link and a radio frequency communications link is configured for oceanologic use so as to acquire engineering data in-water and to telemeter it to an associated shore station. The apparatus comprises, inter alia, an in-water station, a buoy station and the above mentioned shore station. The in-water station includes a plurality of sensors, a data acquisition sub-system, and a fiber optics transmitter for linking the in-water station to the buoy station. The surface buoy station includes a fiber optics receiver, an interface unit, and a very high frequency (VHF) transmitter for telemetering the acquired engineering data, as stated previously, to the shore station. The shore station includes a VHF receiver, a data processor, and a data recorder for recording and storing processed data from the aforementioned data processor for subsequent reduction and analysis.