An oceanographic research agency is developing communications infrastructure for two new operations:
Research Outpost X: Located on a remote volcanic island, this outpost must start transmitting basic environmental data immediately. Over the next 444 years, the site will be expanded into a permanent, fully-staffed science observatory requiring high-throughput data links.
Exploration Vessel Y: A mobile survey ship that will map seabed geology across five different deep-ocean sectors during a temporary 121212-month mission.
Describe appropriate communication solutions for each of these two operations, focusing on the use of satellite communication networks and submarine fibre optic cabling.
In your response, you should:
Outline the physical principles of how both communication technologies transmit data.
Suggest and justify your communication solutions for both Research Outpost X (including both short-term and long-term phases) and Exploration Vessel Y.
22 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Data communication systems (A-level only), covering Principles of communication systems (A-level only), Transmission media (A-level only), Time-division multiplexing (A-level only), and Amplitude (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) techniques (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.