SUBSEA COMMUNICATION ADAPTER

• US 20170126429A1
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy AS (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: BREKKE, Endre, KRISTIANSEN, Karstein, VOLENT, Kjetil Zsolt, SCHOFIELD, John Bradford
• Granted Patent: US 10,230,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0007 for underwater installations E21B41/005, E21B41/04, E21B41/06, E21B41/08, E21B41/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40221 Profibus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40228 Modbus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A subsea communication adapter for providing communication between a first subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a first communication method and a second subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a second communication method is provided. The subsea communication adapter includes a first communication interface operating according to the first communication method and a second communication interface operating according to the second communication method. A conversion unit is configured to convert between the first communication method and the second communication method. The conversion includes at least a conversion between a first communication protocol of the first communication method and a second communication protocol of the second communication method.

Claims

1. A subsea communication adapter for providing communication between a first subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a first communication method, and a second subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a second communication method, the subsea communication adapter comprising:

a first communication interface configured to operate according to the first communication method;

a second communication interface configured to operate according to the second communication method; and

a conversion unit, configured to convert between the first communication method and the second communication method, the conversion including at least a conversion between a first communication protocol of the first communication method and a second communication protocol of the second communication method, wherein the subsea communication adapter is configured to be connected in series with a communication link between the communication interface of the first subsea unit and the communication interface of the second subsea unit to enable a communication between the first subsea unit and the second subsea unit.

2. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein at least one of

the first communication method is a non-Ethernet communication method and the first communication protocol is a non-Ethernet communication protocol, and

the first communication interface is a non-Ethernet communication interface.

3. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the subsea communication adapter is configured to convert between the first communication method and the second communication method both on a physical level and on a protocol level.

4. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the first communication method uses at least one of a multidrop capable communication scheme and a multi master communication scheme.

5. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is configured to establish at least one of a CAN connection, an RS-485 connection, an RS-422 connection, a RS-232 connection, or a network modem connection.

6. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the first communication method operates according to a CAN communication protocol, a Profibus communication protocol, a Modbus communication protocol, or another non-Ethernet communication protocol.

7. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein at least one of

the second communication method operates according to an Ethernet based communication protocol, and

the second communication interface is configured to establish an Ethernet connection.

8. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit is configured to convert a communication signal according to the first communication method received at the first communication interface to an Ethernet communication signal for transmission on the second communication interface, and to convert a Ethernet communication signal received at the second communication interface to a communication signal according to the first communication method for transmission on the first communication interface.

9. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the subsea communication adapter is configured to establish a point to point connection via the second communication interface.

10. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the subsea communication adapter is configured to act as a master node of a multidrop or a multi master communication system on the first communication interface.

11. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the subsea communication adapter comprises a subsea enclosure, preferably a pressure resistant enclosure that maintains a predefined internal pressure when installed subsea, wherein the subsea enclosure is configured to allow deployment of the subsea communication adapter in a water depth of 350 m or more, preferably of 1,000 m or more.

12. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the subsea communication adapter comprises at least one of

at least one cable section comprising a data line coupled to the first communication interface for establishing a communication link according to the first communication method, and

a second cable section comprising a second data line coupled to the second communication interface for establishing a communication link according to the second communication method.

13. A subsea cable comprising:

a first connector;

a second connector;

the subsea communication adapter of claim 1;

a first cable section connecting the first connector to the first communication interface of the subsea communication adapter; and

a second cable section connecting the second connector to the second communication interface of the subsea communication adapter.

14. A subsea communication system for providing communication with a first subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a first communication method, comprising:

a second subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a second communication method,

a communication link from the second subsea unit towards the first subsea unit; and

the subsea communication adapter of claim 1 connected in series with the communication link between the communication interface of the first subsea unit and the communication interface of the second subsea unit.

15. The subsea communication system of claim 14, wherein the second subsea unit is a subsea communication distribution unit that includes plural communication interfaces operating according to the second communication method.

17. The subsea communication adapter of claim 2, wherein the subsea communication adapter is configured to convert between the first communication method and the second communication method both on a physical level and on a protocol level.

18. The subsea communication adapter of claim 2, wherein the first communication method uses at least one of a multidrop capable communication scheme and a multi master communication scheme.

19. The subsea communication adapter of claim 5, wherein the connections include at least one of a FSK, PSK, QPSK, and ASK modem connection.

20. The subsea communication adapter of claim 6, wherein the CAN communication protocol is a CAN-open communication protocol.

21. The subsea communication adapter of claim 2, wherein the conversion unit is configured to convert a communication signal according to the first communication method received at the first communication interface to an Ethernet communication signal for transmission on the second communication interface, and to convert a Ethernet communication signal received at the second communication interface to a communication signal according to the first communication method for transmission on the first communication interface.

22. The subsea communication adapter of claim 11, wherein the subsea enclosure is a pressure resistant enclosure that maintains a predefined internal pressure when installed subsea.

23. The subsea communication adapter of claim 11, wherein the subsea enclosure is a pressure resistant enclosure that maintains a predefined internal pressure when installed subsea, and wherein the subsea enclosure is configured to allow deployment of the subsea communication adapter in a water depth of 1,000 m or more.

24. A subsea cable comprising:

a first connector;

a second connector;

the subsea communication adapter of claim 2;

a first cable section connecting the first connector to the first communication interface of the subsea communication adapter; and

a second cable section connecting the second connector to the second communication interface of the subsea communication adapter.

25. The subsea communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the first communication method is a legacy communication method.

26. The subsea communication system of claim 14, wherein the first communication method is a legacy communication method.

16. A method of communicating data in a subsea communication system, comprising:

performing data communication with a first subsea unit on a first communication interface, wherein the first communication interface operates according to a first communication method involving the use of a first communication protocol;

performing data communication with a second subsea unit on a second communication interface, wherein the second communication interface operates according to a second communication method involving the use of a second communication protocol; and

converting, via a conversion unit between the first communication method and the second communication method, wherein the conversion comprises at least a conversion between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol so as to enable a communication between the first subsea unit and the second subsea unit.