SLmanual

OHMEX INSTRUMENTSSonarLite Portable Echo Sounder System

THE SONALITE PORTABLE ECHO SOUNDER

System Guide

1

2000 L.M.Technical Services Ltd.33 Southampton Road • Lymington • UK • SO41 9GH

Phone +44(0)1590 677971 • Fax +44(0)1590 677972 • email [email protected]

SonarLite System Guide

Weatherproofing......................................................................................... 6

Exposure of LCD to Sunlight.....................................................................6

Avoid Stressing Transducers.......................................................................6

Internal Battery Charging..........................................................................6

Optional Components.................................................................................9

Preparing the Instrument.........................................................................10

Barchecking.............................................................................................. 11

Transducer Mounting...............................................................................12

Data Collection Techniques......................................................................13

Communications Setup.............................................................................14

ASCII Teminal Settings............................................................................15

Logging On............................................................................................... 15

Entering Commands.................................................................................16

Command : SET_TIME...........................................................................17

Command : SET_DATE...........................................................................17

Command : SONAR.................................................................................. 17

Command : INFO.....................................................................................18

Command : PLAY_DATA........................................................................18

Command : KILL_DATA.........................................................................18

Command : HELP....................................................................................19

Command : ?FORMAT............................................................................19

Command : SET_FORMAT.....................................................................20

Command : SET_CONTRAST.................................................................20

RESCALE LCD DEPTHS........................................................................22

S O N A R L I T E S Y S T E M G U I D E @ 4 / 9 / 2 0 2 3

BARCHECK SETTING............................................................................22

CONTRAST SETTING.............................................................................22

OFFSET SETTING..................................................................................22

DATA LOGGING SETTING....................................................................23

GPS BAUD RATE....................................................................................23

TRANSDUCER TYPE..............................................................................23

Main Features........................................................................................... 24

Technical Specifications...........................................................................25

Connection Diagrams...............................................................................26

Output Formats......................................................................................... 27

SonaLite ASCII format.............................................................................28

NMEA format........................................................................................... 31

ODOM EchoTrack format........................................................................33

Atlas DESO 22 format..............................................................................34

Atlas DESO 15/11 format.........................................................................35

Honeywell ELAC 4100 format..................................................................36

Using GPS with the SonarLite..................................................................37

Using GPS through the Combobox..........................................................39

RS232 GPS IN................................................................................................40

RS232 GPS OUT...........................................................................................40

RS232 SL OUT..............................................................................................40

BATTERY.....................................................................................................40

EVENT P/B....................................................................................................40

TIPS ON USING YOUR SONARLITE....................................................41

TRANSDUCER VERSIONS.....................................................................44

3


General Introduction

A general introduction to the SonarLite echo sounder hardware, transducers and cables.

the SonarLite Portable Echo Sounder has been designed to provide a portable instrument that provides the facilities of a ‘professional’ sounder at the cost and performance of a ‘fish finder’ device. It is important to recognize what the differences are between these two types of echo sounder. The ‘fish finder’ or leisure craft devices are primarily concerned with two functions, finding fish in the water column below the boat by sensing returns from their swim bladders and providing a bottom tracking/smoothing algorithm to detect average water depth below the boats hull. Survey sounders are designed to provide a large number of pings with as little processing of the raw data as possible to define the bottom in as fine detail as possible. Of major concern in a survey sounder is a narrow beam width to prevent averaging of the returned signal.

The SonarLite uses Active Transducers, these are digital as opposed to analogue components and use microprocessors to synthesize transmitted frequencies and to interpret the return signals. The devices incorporate state of the art DSP and filtering techniques to reduce noise and improve depth tracking. These devices are supplied encapsulated in resin and have no serviceable parts. The connecting cable to the transducer carries only low DC voltage and digital I/O, none of the EMC problems associated with conventional analogue devices apply.

Chapter

1I N F O K E Y

Introduction

Weatherproofin

g

Exposure of

LCD

Transducer

Care

Battery

Charging

4


To improve weatherproofing and to avoid connection problems the SonarLite has two identical connectors that provide all the I/O required by the device. The connectors also include a return pin to enable the system to switch on by cable connection rather than using a switch. Cables to the device can be connected simultaneously (e.g. Transducer on port 1 and Serial Data Cable on Port 2) but not in parallel (e.g. two transducers connected at the same time or two Serial Data cables connected simultaneously). WARNING - Ignoring this restriction could seriously damage the SonarLite.

5


WeatherproofingThe SonarLite has been designed to conform to the IP65 waterproofing standard, this benchmark describes equipment which can withstand a light spray of water from a hose for a short period of time, it does not imply the device is suitable for immersion in any depth of water or exposed to prolonged harsh weather conditions. The weatherproofing also assumes the connectors or cover caps are fully screwed on to their rubber sealing rings. The weatherproofing does not apply to certain components which are by definition not designed for outdoor use such as the mains battery charger and D9 serial cable connectors. The front panel of the instrument is designed to rest on a rubber seal leaving a small gap around the edge, there is no need to over-tighten the retaining screws to close this gap as it actualy makes sealing less reliable if the panel is stressed in any way.

Exposure of LCD to Sunlight The graphic LCD used in the SonarLight is mounted behind a thin polycarbonate window for waterproofing, users should avoid wiping the window with abrasive material as the window will easily scratch. The LCD is reflective to give best performance in outdoor conditions, users should avoid letting the display overheat or over-exposing it to natural UV radiation by leaving it unshaded in bright tropical sunshine. If the display fails because of overheating it will become completely dark in colour, switch the instrument off and allow it to cool for several hours before reconnecting to test the display. In most cases the display will recover without serious fault.

Avoid Stressing TransducersThe Active Transducers include piezoelectric elements which are embedded within a resin compound. If the user has to fabricate a custom mounting for the transducer (a very common requirement given the vast permutations of boats in which surveys are performed) avoid using a fixing technique that causes physical stress in the transducer body as this will change the resonant properties of the device and effect its depth measuring accuracy.

6


Internal Battery ChargingThe SonarLite is fitted with an internal sealed lead acid battery which provides 2.0Ahr @ 12vDC and a mains powered battery charger capable of bulk and float charging to give the most efficient battery cycle. The user should avoid running the SonarLite until the batteries are completely flat as there will be a high risk of both data loss and permanent damage to the batteries. The charger will illuminate RED when bulk charging and GREEN when float charging, the charger illustrated may change if a local mains variant is required. There is also a very small hole drilled between the SonarLite connector ports, this is to allow the case to ‘breath’ if the battery should vent during charging, this hole should not be obstructed in any way.

System Components

A list and description of the components supplied together as parts of the SonarLite system.

the SonarLite system includes the following major components ….

Chapter

2I N F O K E Y

Main

Components

Major Options

Accessories

7


The System Box

An Active Transducer element

A Serial Data cable

The Sonar2000 software package

This documentation

Optional ComponentsIn addition to the previously listed core components the following is a list of major component options that may be supplied as part of your system or available as an update from your distributor …

External Event marker switch

ComboBox - Event/Power/Serial Buffer

Customized aluminum flight case

External 12v Battery supply lead.

Extended warranty for 1 year

Firmware updates*

Items marked ‘*’ are factory installed options and have to be specified when the SonarLite is ordered or the device has to be returned to a recognized service department to have the modifications installed.

8


Installation & Use

A description of the steps to install a SonarLite and illustration of its typical field use.

This chapter describes how the SonarLite Portable Echo Sounder would normally be installed and used. There are three typical ways in which the device can be used for hydrographic surveying applications, either as a ‘Dumb’ sounder connected via a serial cable to a PC running data logging and display software, or as a ‘Smart’ sounder in which all depths are internally time tagged and stored. The third option is to use both modes and use the serial output data for real time processing and the stored data for post-processing applications.

Preparing the InstrumentBefore the instrument is used in the field the user should go through the following check list ….

Is the internal battery fully charged

Has any data on the instrument been downloaded

Has the internal memory been cleared

Is the internal date and time correct

Is a Barcheck required considering the conditions

Is internal data logging enabled

Chapter

3I N F O K E Y

Preparation for

Use

Barchecking

Transducer

Mounting

9


Before the survey is started the transducer should be connected and the boat taken for a short run while watching the SonarLite LCD to assure that the device is functioning.

BarcheckingThe SonaLite default Speed of Sound in Water(SoS) setting is 1500m/second. In practice this velocity value can vary due to several factors ..

Water Temperature

Water Salinity

Water Turbidity

All of the above factors vary the density of the water in some way and effect the ‘time of flight’ of a pulse of ultrasound in water and hence the depth calculated from this time by the SonarLite. To compensate for this the user can vary the internal SoS value by using the front panel setting described later in this manual.

The user can either measure the speed of sound in water by taking velocity profiles using a dedicated velocity measuring device or can use the internal SonarLite routine where the boat is static over a known depth and a flat, firm base and the front panel adjustment is made until the measured value compares with the known depth. The internal value will probably only need to be set once for a survey and not changed repeatedly. The difference in SoS between warm fresh water and cold salt water is about +/-50m/Second which represents a change of depth of +/-3%, this must be viewed in context with typical depths of the survey, if a typical depth is 10m then the error could be about 30cm.

10


Transducer MountingThe SonarLite system uses two transducer variants, a ‘boat’ shaped transducer in a ‘knock off’ fitting for fixing to the transom of a light boat …

Transom Mounting Transducer

The other transducer variant is a small 50x75mm round ‘Puck’ shaped transducer, this can be stuck to a hull or permanently mounted using resin/GRP. More normally this transducer is used in small rubber hull boats where the transducer is placed in a patch of jelly against the floor of the boat and transmits through the rubber hull, this technique works well in depths up to 25m as there is no induced turbulence around the transducer.

When mounting the transducers the following points should be taken into consideration …

How near to the Metacentre of the boat is the transducer

Is any turbulence generated around or in front of the transducer when moving

Is the turbulence from the propellers in the field of view of the transducer

11


Data Collection TechniquesWhen not used as a ‘Dumb’ echo sounder in conjunction with a data logging package the SonaLite can be used in conjunction with the following data types to create full XYZ hydrographic data using the Sonar2000 software package….

Total Station XYZ data plus Time

XYZ data from RTKGPS plus Time

XY data from DGPS plus Tide plus Time

Range and Bearing from hand held laser plus Tide plus Time

Simple event marking past known position markers

The basis on which all data corellation is achieved is internal time base, so particularly when using the SonarLite with GPS data the clocks should be syncronised to GPS time (UTC).

12


Terminal Settings

The SonarLite instrument has been designed to connect to a PC running a terminal program so users can make system settings and download the internal data.

Communications SetupTo access the operating program of the SonarLite the user needs to connect a PC to the instrument using the SERIAL DATA CABLE provided. The terminal program settings need to be as follows …

Chapter

4I N F O K E Y

Comm Settings

ASCII setup

Logging on

Commands

13


ASCII Teminal SettingsThe operating system of the SonarLite recognizes commands as being delimited by a <cr> not a <cr/lf> pair, so the following settings should also be checked ..

Logging OnWhen the connection has been made and the above program settings made the user then presses the <ESC> key on the computer keyboard and the SonarLite will beep and respond with the system help screen ….

SonarLite v2.00 - OHMEX INSTRUMENTS

(c)2000 L.M.Technical Services Ltd.

Commands at 'ok' prompt ....

HELP = Show this list of commands

INFO = Show current system settings

SONAR = Restart the main program loop

?FORMAT = Show the available format options

PLAY_DATA = Replay stored data in current format

KILL_DATA = Clear all data prior to Running

------------------------------------------------------

dd.mm.yy SET_DATE = Set date [ dd=day mm=month yy=year]

hh.mm.ss SET_TIME = Set time [ hh=hour mm=mins ss=secs]

n SET_CONTRAST = Set contrast value [ n=0=LO n=9=HI]

n SET_FORMAT = Set output formats [ n=0..6 Format]

ok

The sonalite has now exited the main program (SONAR) and will respond to commands entered at the keyboard.

14


Entering CommandsWhen the terminal is displaying the ‘ok’ prompt it is waiting for command input from the user. When entering commands note the following …

The system only recognises commands in Upper Case text.

Parameters are entered in front of Commands (Reverse Polish)

So as an example if the user types INFO<cr> the program will respond as follows with basic information on current instrument settings …

INFO<cr>



Memory available 124.9Kb

Speed of sound 1500 m/Sec

Transducer offset 0.00m

Current date 23.08.97

Current time 15.38.33

Logging 1

Output Format SonarLite ASCII

As an example of parameters to set the system time to 10:10:00 am the user would issue the following commands …

ok

10.10.00 SET_TIME<cr>

ok

.TIME<cr> 10.10.01

ok

The .TIME (dot time)command will echo the current system time to the terminal similarly the .DATE (dot date) command would echo the system date.

15


Command : SET_TIMEThe SET_TIME command is used to set the internal battery backed SonarLite clock. The settings will be remembered even when the instrument is switched off then on again. The format of the command is …

hh.mm.ss SET_TIME<cr>

where …

hh The hour value (00 to 23)

mm The minute value(00 to 59)

ss The second value(00 to 59)

Command : SET_DATEThe SET_DATE command is used to set the internal battery backed SonarLite clock. The settings will be remembered even when the instrument is switched off then on again. The format of the command is …

dd.mm.yy SET_DATE<cr>

where …

dd The day value (1 to 31)

mm The month value(1 to 12)

yy The year value(87 to 172) ((equivalent to 1987 to 2072))

Command : SONARThe SONAR command will exit the terminal program and run the main sonar processing program. This is the default state of the system when it is first powered up. To exit the program and enter ‘terminal’ mode the user should type <ESC> at the computer keyboard. The command has no parameters …

SONAR<cr>

16


Command : INFOThe INFO command will report the current system settings, the command has no parameters …

INFO<cr>

Info will cause the system will display the following information …



Memory available 124.9Kb

Speed of sound 1500 m/Sec

Transducer offset 0.00m

Current date 23.08.97

Current time 15.38.33

Logging 1

Output Format SonarLite ASCII

Command : PLAY_DATAThe PLAY_DATA command will replay any data held in memory using the current ‘Format’ setting. This command is used in conjuction with a terminal program running in ‘capture’ mode to download data held in the SonarLite internal memory. The data can be played back in any of the supported formats by first setting the format and then using the PLAY_DATA command, when the last data is output the program sends the message ‘end’ and returns to the command mode, to stop the program outputting data press the <ESC> key. The command has no parameters …

PLAY_DATA<cr>

Command : KILL_DATAThe KILL_DATA command will reset the internal memory pointers to their base values and allow the user to restart the use of the system memory. The user should have downloaded and saved any data before using this command. The command has no parameters …

KILL_DATA<cr>

17


Command : HELPThe HELP command will clear the screen and display a single page of information to help remember command syntax without having access to a manual. The command has no parameters …

HELP<cr>

HELP will cause the system will display the following information …



Commands at 'ok' prompt ....

HELP = Show this list of commands

INFO = Show current system settings

SONAR = Restart the main program loop

?FORMAT = Show the available format options

PLAY_DATA = Replay stored data in current format

KILL_DATA = Clear all data prior to Running

------------------------------------------------------

dd.mm.yy SET_DATE = Set date [ dd=day mm=month yy=year]

hh.mm.ss SET_TIME = Set time [ hh=hour mm=mins ss=secs]

n SET_CONTRAST = Set contrast value [ n=0=LO n=9=HI]

n SET_FORMAT = Set output formats [ n=0..6 Format]

ok

Command : ?FORMATThe ?FORMAT command will query the system formats and respond with a list of supported formats and the format number to use when setting the output format. The command has no parameters …

?FORMAT<cr>

?FORMAT will cause the system to display the following information …

18


?FORMAT

0 = SonarLite ASCII

1 = Geotronics

2 = NMEA

3 = Odom EchoTrack

4 = Atlas Deso 22

5 = Atlas Deso 11/15

6 = Elac 4100

7 = Old NMEA

8 = Simple ASCII

ok

Command : SET_FORMATThe SET_FORMAT command is used to set the current format number which will control the format of all data output during data logging or by using the output commands such as PLAY_DATA.. The format of the command is …

n SET_FORMAT<cr>

where …

n The format number (0 to 6)

Command : SET_CONTRASTThe SET_CONTRAST command is used to set the intensity of the LCD contract. The user should also be aware that the internal negative voltage generator is used for the LCD contrast and providing true RS232 voltage levels, this has the effect of slightly changing the display contrast when the serial data lead is connected or not connected to a PC. The format of the command is …

n SET_CONTRAST<cr>

where …

n Is a brightness value (0=lo to 9=hi).

19


Field Settings

A description of the parameters that can be

changed in the field using the four keys on the front of the SonarLite.

Chapter

5I N F O K E Y

Rescale Depths

Barcheck

Offset

Logging On/Off

20


FRONT PANEL BUTTONS

Pressing the left and right keys move the display through a tree of menu options. Pressing up and down keys change those options.

When the SonarLite is in normal operation the four rubber buttons on the front panel allow the user to set various parameters in the field without having to connect a PC terminal to the instrument. Any settings made using the keys are remembered and apply when the instrument is switched off then on again. Because the buttons have low priority over the incoming depth data the buttons may have to be held down firmly to respond, a beep will be heard when the key press has been seen by the system. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ and ‘RIGHT’ buttons will enter the user in the above nest of setting commands.

RESCALE LCD DEPTHSIn addition to the above settings in the normal run mode pressing the ‘UP’ and ‘DOWN’ arrow keys will resize the display depth by a factor of +/-5.0m to show an increased/decreased depth window on the LCD.

BARCHECK SETTINGFrom the runtime display pressing the ‘LEFT’ button 1 time will enter the BARCHECK setting routine. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will increase the sound velocity value by 5cm/Second. Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will decrease the sound velocity value by 5cm/Second. Pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

CONTRAST SETTINGFrom the runtime display pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button 1 time will enter the CONTRAST setting routine. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will increase the contrast. Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will decrease the contrast value. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

21


OFFSET SETTINGFrom the runtime display pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button 2 times will enter the OFFSET setting routine. This offset value will be added as a constant to each depth sounding and can be used to compensate for the depth of the transducer below water level when the final readings are going to be adjusted using a tide gauge. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will increase the offset by 5cm . Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will decrease the offset value by -5cm. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

DATA LOGGING SETTINGFrom the runtime display pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button 3 times will enter the DATA LOGGING setting routine. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will enable data logging. Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will disable the system data logging, the instrument will continue to run and output data but will not store data in internal memory, when logging is disabled the ‘MEMORY’ display will not be shown on the LCD. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

GPS BAUD RATEFrom the runtime display pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button 4 times will enter the GPS BAUD RATE setting routine. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will set and display the baud rate to 9600,n,8,1. Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will set and display the baud rate to 4800,n,8,1. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

TRANSDUCER TYPEThe SonarLite supports different transducer versions (Type 2 for SLv2.0 and type 3 for SLv3.0 type machines ) pressing the ‘RIGHT’ button 5 times will enter the TRANSDUCER TYPE setting routine. Pressing the ‘UP’ button will set the type to ‘2’. Pressing the ‘DOWN’ button will set the type to ‘3’. Pressing the ‘LEFT’ button will exit the function back to the runtime display.

22


Appendix

Main FeaturesA general introduction to the SonarLite echo sounder hardware, transducers and cables.

SEALED TO IP65 - Sealed connectors and aluminum die cast case

GRAPHIC DISPLAY - Real time graphic display showing current profile

INTERNAL MEMORY - Battery backed internal data logging

INTERNAL POWER - Internal rechargeable batteries for all day working

DATA TRANSFER - Win95 data download and editing software included

OUTPUT DATA - Wide range of output formats on RS232 interface

MULTILOGIC CONNECTORS - All leads use only two connectors

EVENT MARKING - Enter precise event makers within the data

CALIBRATION - Barcheck routine included in Firmware LOW SIGNAL DRIFT - High immunity to temperature and

environmental induced drift. LOW EMC EMMISSIONS- Transducer cable carries only

power supply and data SMART FILTERING - Smart filtering algorithms

controlled by external processor LOW DROP-OUT - Drop out rate ten times lower than

analogue devices.

Chapter

6

23


Technical SpecificationsA general introduction to the SonarLite echo sounder hardware, transducers and cables.

TRANSDUCER FREQUENCY- 200KHz Active Transducer BEAM SPREAD - 5 to 10 Degrees DEPTH RANGE - 0.28m to 75.00m (Software limited) ACCURACY - +/-0.025m (RMS) SOUND VELOCITY RANGE - 1400 to 1600 m/sec PULSE FREQUENCY – 2Hz DISPLAY - 240x128 pixel(110x70mm) reflective green

LCD DISPLAY CONTROL - Brightness contrast INTERNAL POWER - 12.0v x 2.4AHr Internal sealed

lead/acid battery POWER CONSUMPTION - 70ma to 85ma USABLE BATTERY LIFE - 4Hrs to 8Hrs between

charging STAND-BY BATTERY LIFE - 5000 Hours BATTERY CHARGE - External charger 240/120v ac (8

Hours) INTERNAL MEMORY - 512Kb/30000 pnts DATA TIME LAG - 250uS Internal logging/4000uS RS232

data output4 DATA OUTPUT - ASCII, NMEA, Navitronic, Odom, Atlas,

Elac,Geotronics DATA FORMAT - RS232C 9600 baud 8 bit 1 stopbit No

parity OPERATING TEMPERATURE - 0 to 45 degree Centigrade OVERALL DIMENSIONS(mm) - 230w x 170h x 87d WEIGHT - 2.5Kg

24


Connection DiagramsThe connection details for most cables used within the SonarLite system, also available as a DXF file.

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

12345

6789

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

12345678910111213

1415161718192022232425 21

BATTERY

TRANSDUCER

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

CHARGER

EVENT

12

L

45

N

7

8

GROUND

BATTERY

VCC

EVENT

SERIAL IN

SERIAL OUT

TRXD OUT

TRXD IN

25


Output FormatsThe SonarLite system can be set to output the following industry standard formats either as on-line data of replayed from internal memory.

The SonarLite system is designed to output both stored and online data in a variety of formats. These different outputs enable equipment or software that expects data in a particular format to be directly supported by the SonarLite device. These formats are all output as ASCII characters that can be printed or captured/viewed using a standard terminal program. The default baud rate is 9600 baud 8 data bits 1 stop bit with no parity checks.

Many formats are arranged to output data from transducers at two different frequencies, as the SonarLite is a single frequency single return system these are mapped into formats that allow for two channels, as the SonarLite only has a single return then this appears in both the high and low frequency channels.

Many formats are only suitable for online data use as they have no facility for outputting a time and date stamp on each event. The average time lag between the SonarLite making a reading and the data starting to appear on the serial port is 150ms.

Dual Frequency FormatsTime Signals

26


SonaLite ASCII formatThe SonarLite ASCII format is proprietary to L.M.Technical Services Ltd and is designed to efficiently output all the stored data relevant to each data point in a simple, readable format.

Each line in the output file represents a single timed data record and is terminated with a linefeed/carriage return pair. On each line of data is a section each of which start with an upper case character. Sections ‘T’ and ‘M’ are always present sections ‘D’ and ‘E’ only appear when required. All elements on a line are separated by a single space.

D yyyy mm ddyyyy = the year in the range 1984 to 2072mm = the month in the range 1 to 12dd = the day of month in the range 1 to 31

T hh mm sshh = the hours in the range 1 to 24mm = the minutes in the range 0 to 59ss = the seconds in the range 0 to 59

M xx.xx xx.xx = the 1st return depth in meters

(0..50m)

E nnnnnn = the event number when marker

pressed

G xx.xxEyy.yyNz.zz xx.xx = the longitude portion of GPS

positionyy.yy = the latitude portion of GPS positionz.zz = the antenna height of GPS position

To set the SonarLite ASCII data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

0 SET_FORMAT <cr>

D 1996 11 11 T 14 51 17 M 1.65

DescriptionSection ‘D’ description - dateSection ‘T’ description - timeSection ‘M’ description - depthSection ‘E’ description - eventSection ‘G’ description - GPSSet up Command

27


T 14 51 18 M 1.65 T 14 51 19 M 1.65 T 14 51 21 E 0 Example SonarLite ASCII output

28


Geotronics format

The Geotronics format is proprietary to Geotronics AS, a manufacturer of surveying total stations and robotic instruments.

Each line in the output file represents a single timed data record and is terminated with a linefeed/carriage return pair. On each line the data is subdivided into sections each of which start with a key number followed by an ‘=’ followed by the section data. Sections ‘52=’ and ‘42=’ are always present section ‘51=’ only appears when required. All elements on a line are separated by a single space.

51=yyyy.mmddyyyy = the year in the range 1984 to 2072mm = the month in the range 1 to 12dd = the day of month in the range 1 to 31

52=hh.mmsshh = the hours in the range 1 to 24mm = the minutes in the range 0 to 59ss = the seconds in the range 0 to 59

42=xx.xxxx.xx = the return depths in meters (0..50m)

2=nnnn = the event number when marker

pressed

To set the Geotronics data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

1 SET_FORMAT <cr>

51=1996.1111 52=14.5117 42=1.65 52=14.5118 42=1.65 52=14.5119 42=1.65 52=14.5121 2=0 52=14.5122 42=1.66 52=14.5123 42=1.67 52=14.5124 42=1.66 52=14.5125 42=1.66 52=14.5127 42=0.64 52=14.5128 42=1.69

DescriptionSection ‘51=’ description - dateSection ‘52=’ description - time

Section ‘42=’ description - depth in meters

Section ‘2=’ description - event marker

Set up Command

29


52=14.5129 2=1 52=14.5132 42=1.7752=14.5133 42=1.80

Example Geotronics Format

30


NMEA format

The NMEA format conforms to the National Marine Electronics Association specification NMEA 0183 Version 2.1 dated 15th October 1995. Each single timed data event is represented by three NMEA sentences output on single lines and terminated with a linefeed/carriage return pair. The ‘talker’ ID used by the SonarLite device is ‘SD’ which represents a single channel echo sounder in the list of approved talker ID’s.

The general format of an NMEA sentence is as follows … Each sentence is up to 72 characters in length Spaces are not allowed within a sentence Each sentence starts with a ‘$’ character The start character is followed by a 2 character talker ID

(‘SD’) The talker ID is followed by a three character sentence type

mnemonic Each sentence contains a specified number of data fields

which can be void A sentence is terminated with the ‘*’ character followed by a

checksum value The checksum is the XOR product of all characters between

‘$’ and ‘*’ The checksum is always shown as two hexadecimal

characters. The sentence is terminated by a linefeed/carriage return pair $SDZDA,hhmmss.00,dd,mm,yyyy,,*nn

hhmmss.00 = UNC time (decimal seconds not used)

yyyy = the year in the range 1984 to 2072mm = the month in the range 1 to 12dd = the day of month in the range 1 to 31nn = calculated hexadecimal checksum

$SDDPT,x.xx,h.hh*nnx.xx = Depth below transducer (1st return)h.hh = Depth offset in metersnn = calculated hexadecimal checksum

$SDBPT,,,x.x,M,,*nnx.x = Depth below transducer (meters)nn = calculated hexadecimal checksum

DescriptionSection ‘$SDZDA’ description - dateSection ‘$SDDBT’ description - depth below transducer

Section ‘$SDDBT’ description – old NMEA format

31


$SDAAM,,,,,e*nne= The event number when marker pressednn = calculated hexadecimal checksum

To set the NMEA data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

2 SET_FORMAT <cr>

or 7 SET_FORMAT <cr> (for old NMEA format)

$SDZDA,145123.00,11,11,1996,,*61$SDDPT,1.67,0.0*16$SDZDA,145124.00,11,11,1996,,*66$SDDPT,1.66,0.0*17$SDZDA,145125.00,11,11,1996,,*67$SDDPT,1.66,0.0*17$SDAAM,,,,,1*1F$SDZDA,145127.00,11,11,1996,,*65$SDDPT,0.64,0.0*14$SDZDA,145128.00,11,11,1996,,*6A$SDDPT,1.69,0.0*18$SDZDA,145129.00,11,11,1996,,*6B$SDDPT,0.64,0.0*14$SDAAM,,,,,2*20

Example NMEA data output

Section ‘$SDAAM’ description - Alarm used as event marker

Set up Command

32


ODOM EchoTrack format

The EchoTrack format is proprietary to Odom Hydrographics Inc, a manufacturer of survey quality echo sounders.

Each line in the output file represents a single timed data record and is terminated with a linefeed/carriage return pair. On each line of data is delimited as follows …

_et_B_xxxxx_yyyyy

‘_’ = a space character.‘et’ = EchoTrack data in centimetresxxxxx = 1st return in centimetresyyyyy = 2nd return in centimetres

To set the EchoTrack data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

3 SET_FORMAT <cr>

et H 165 et H 165 et H 165 et H 166 Fet H 166 et H 167 et H 166 et H 166 Fet H 64 et H 169 et H 64

Example EchoTrack Format

DescriptionSet up Command

33


Atlas DESO 22 format

The DESO 22 format is proprietary to Atlas Elektronic, a manufacturer of survey quality echo sounders.


DAxxxxx.xx_mDByyyyy.yy_m

‘_’ = a space character.‘m’ = data is in meters‘DA’=Start of channel 1 dataxxxxx.xx = 1st return in centimetres‘DB’=Start of channel 2 datayyyyy.yy = 2nd return in centimetres

To set the Atlas DESO 22 data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

4 SET_FORMAT <cr>

DA00001.65 mDB00001.65 mDA00001.65 mDB00001.65 mDA00001.65 mDB00001.65 mDA00001.66 mDB00001.66 mDA00001.66 mDB00001.66 mDA00001.67 mDB00001.67 mDA00001.66 mDB00001.66 mDA00001.66 mDB00001.66 m

Example DESO 22 format


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Atlas DESO 15/11 format

The DESO 15/11 format is proprietary to Navitronic A/S and Atlas Elektronic, manufacturers of survey quality echo sounders. The format is also referred to as the Navisound 2000 data format.


QvxxxxxQvyyyyyQ00000

‘Q’ = Start of channel data. v = Quality number 0..9 (0..5volt)xxxxx = 1st return in centimetresyyyyy = 2nd return in centimetres00000 = heave values (not used)

To set the Atlas DESO 15/11 data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

5 SET_FORMAT <cr>

0000100001Q000000000100001Q000000000100001Q000000000100001Q000000000100001Q000000000100001Q000000000100001Q00000

Example DESO 11/15/Navisound 2000 format


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Honeywell ELAC 4100 format

The ELAC 4100 format is proprietary to Honeywell ELAC , a manufacturer of survey quality echo sounders.


$,xxxx,yyyy

‘$’ = a depth record marker.xxxx = 1st return in centimetresyyyy = 2nd return in centimetres

To set the Honeywell ELAC 4100 data format in the interactive mode type the following command at the ‘ok’ system prompt …

6 SET_FORMAT <cr>

$,0165,0165$,0165,0165$,0165,0165$,0166,0166$,0166,0166$,0167,0167$,0166,0166$,0166,0166$,0064,0164$,0169,0169$,0064,0064

Example Honeywell ELAC 4100 format


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Using GPS with the SonarLiteThe SonarLite can be connected as a data logger to GPS systems, all data is time stamped with the internal time.

GPS can be connected to the SonarLite by using the standard SLSDC9 data cable normally used to connect the instrument to a terminal. If data output is also required then with care the cable can be split with GPS output to SonarLite input and SonarLite output to Terminal input. If the cable is split then all devices should be true RS232 levels and in no circumstances should the GPS and Terminal connections be used in parallel as there will be a voltage bias between devices.

The SonarLite is programmed to parse an incoming GPS data string in the form of an NMEA183 “GGA” sentence. The SonarLite needs to be set at the same baud rate as the GPS at either 9600,n,8,1 or 4800,n,8,1 settings. The SonarLite baud rate can be changed from the front panel of the instrument. The user should remember that if the rate is changed on the front panel, to change to the same baud rate when downloading using the Sonar2000 software package.

The SonarLite is programmed to accept GPS data no faster than one fix every two seconds. Priority is given to the instrument’s echo sounding functions. The user should set the GPS to output only position data and suppress all other data sentences. Irrelevant sentences will tie up the SonarLite processor in parsing the data and both position and depth data will suffer as a result.

The SonarLite will parse a “GGA” string and if the GPS Quality Indicator field is a value of 2 or greater the following fields will be saved …

Latitude N/S Hemisphere Longitude E/W Hemisphere Antenna Altitude

ConnectionData FormatData RateValid Data

37


The data will be compressed and saved without commas in the following format as echoed to the terminal …

G 5034.123456N00134.123456E15.22

The Sonar2000 software will convert Latitude and Logitude into decimal degrees with S/W hemispheres as negative and N/E hemispheres as positive values. Facilities in the software allow the data to be transformed to known grid coordinates.

G P S

A N T EN N A

S O N A R L IT E

T R A N S DU C E RP C

S U R V EYPACK AG E

(S TOR E S O NA R )

C ON V E N T ION A L H Y DRO S U RVE Y

+-

G P S

A N T EN N A

S O N A R L IT EC O M B O B OX


NM E A

GP S I N

S L OU T

DATALOGGIN G

(S TOR E G P S+SO N A R )

R E M OT E DATA L O GGIN G S Y S T E M

G P S

A N T EN N A

S O N A R L IT E

T R A N S DU C E R

NM E A


S TA N DA L ON E DATA C OL L E C T IO N

+-

G P S

A N T EN N A

S O N A R L IT EC O M B O B OX


NM E A

GP S I N

GP S O U T

GP ST R AC K ING


E X T E R N AL GP S T R A C K IN G P C

NM E A

TYPICAL SONARLITE/GPS CONFIGURATIONS

Processing

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Using GPS through the ComboboxThe SonarLite can be connected to GPS and an external computer system using the Combobox interface.

The combo box has been designed to provide the following external features to the SonarLite echo sounder …

RS232 Input from external GPS RS232 Output of ‘cleaned up’ GPS RS232 Output of SonarLite Event marker button Connection of External battery

The above features were previously only available one at a time because of the fact there is only one port available when the SonarLite is running. To overcome this the features have been combined in a single box connected to the SonarLite.

BAT T ERY +- EV EN T P /B

R S232

Red +ve Screen -ve

Blue - Event

Yellow - SinGreen - Sout

COMMON

GPS OUTSL OUT

GPS IN

Connection

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RS232 GPS INThis input provides a buffered RS232 receiver to accept incoming GPS data normally as ASCII text (GGA) format at 9600,n,1,8 or 4800,n,1,8 speeds. The incoming signal will be ‘cleaned up’ from input signals between +/-30 volts.

RS232 GPS OUTThe ‘cleaned up’ GPS signal above will be echoed on this port as received on the above GPS IN port. This data is normally used by external computers for tracking purposes or checking the GPS information is valid. Output on this port is at true RS232 levels of about +/-9 volts.

RS232 SL OUTThe output from the SonarLite is buffered by the Combo box and output on this port at true RS232 levels of about +/-9 volts. If the SonarLite output format is set as NMEA then the instrument will act as an ‘NMEA combiner’ and the output stream will include GPS and Depth information in a single RS232 stream.

BATTERYThis connector will provide a diode protected auxiliary power input to the SonarLite from an external 12 volt battery. Power for the combo box circuit is taken from the SonarLite so there is no need to make a battery connection unless it is required in the field by say a low internal battery condition.

EVENT P/BThe Event push-button mounted on the side of the combo box provides the event marking function described in the SonarLite/Sonar2000 documentation.

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TIPS ON USING YOUR SONARLITE The following tips may help the user of a SonarLite to achieve better results and overcome common problems.

The SonarLite uses an internal re-chargeable lead acid battery, this battery is designed for rugged use and charging also providing backup power to the memory and internal clock. If the SonarLite is not going to be used for some time (say six months) then the internal battery should be disconnected and not allowed to completely discharge. An alternative is to either leave the machine on charge or to give it a long charge every three months, the battery cannot be overcharged by leaving it connected to the charger for long periods. If the battery is left to go completely flat (below 6 volt ) then it will not fully recover its capacity and will not provide a full days working power without regular recharging. Replacement batteries are standard parts easily changed and available from your SonarLite agent or from electronic component suppliers (YUASA type 2.12) such as RS Components. If the battery is seriously discharged then it should be removed from the SonarLite before charging, as there is a risk of battery venting and also track damage to the SonarLite by high input currents.

To help identify leads when connected to the SonarLite a small coloured tag is used to retain the locking ring at the connector. The following colour code is used…

Red Charger/External Battery connectorWhite Combobox Serial/Event/Battery

deviceGreen GPS connector via D9 male Yellow Serial data lead via D9/D25

female *

Blue Transducer cable *

* these cables also switch the power on to the SonarLite

Battery PrecautionsColour coded leads

41


When GPS is started it usually outputs an enormous amount of information on its serial port, this data if connected to the SonarLite will swamp the input port and may cause the unit to miswrite its memory. The sequence of operations to connect the depth transducer and GPS to the SonarLite is as follows…

1) Connect the transducer to the SonarLite and check it is measuring depths.

2) Switch the GPS on and leave it to gain satellite lock and a stable position fix.

3) Connect the running GPS to the SonarLite and confirm an audible click every second or so.

Disconnection should be the reverse of the above sequence.

The SonarLite stores its data in a very compact sequential binary form. If the input data sequence manages to foul the input parser then a bad data record will be recorded, on download with Sonar2000 the program will detect the record and stop download, the user should then consult the software help file for data recovery using ‘raw’ data. The most common cause of the bad data is one of the following reasons…1) GPS outputting more NMEA strings than just the required

GGA data.2) GPS data rate faster than 1 fix per second3) Very low battery with partial loss of data4) Download data rate to fast for PC

The remedy for the above problems is as follows…1) Set GPS as per instructions and recommendations in the

SonarLite manual.2) Set the GPS and SonarLite baud rate to 4800 instead of 9600.3) Make sure the SonarLite is not used when voltage drops

below 11.5 volts.4) Set Sonar2000 connection speed to 4800 baud.

When the system is new the user should also allow some time to familiarise themselves with its use and test the particular equipment they are using in conjunction with the SonarLite. The sensible route is to do small proving surveys until they are confident with the data collection and reliability of their system. The wrong thing to do is immediately start surveying and collecting several hours of data only to find it will not download because it has an error in the first record.

To temporarily halt data collection the user does not have to go through the front panel menu to disable logging ( this is intended for non-logging applications such as data collection

Connection sequence GPS/Transducer/SonarLite

Bad data on downloadingGood Surveying Practise and tips

42


software ). By pressing the left arrow on the keypad the SonarLite will exit data collection and display the contrast setting menu. Pressing the right arrow will exit back into the data collection mode, all the time the system is in the contrast menu (or any other menu option) it is not collecting data.

Introducing plenty of crossings of survey lines produces good overall checking of the survey, in particular gross errors such as incorrect tidal adjustment. It is also good practice to keep a written log with notes in conjunction with the time displayed on the SonarLite. During the survey it will pay dividends to visit fixed locations such as marker beacons and note the time they were visited, this will provide a gross check on position fixes within the data. Bar checking is best performed over a hard flat bottom at a known elevation or depth. Using a ‘bar’ or ‘bar check plate’ is not recommended in a small boat, as it is both dangerous and ineffective. Generally speaking the default speed of sound used (1500m/s) can be used in most shallow water situations unless the water is at extremes of temperature or salinity. If this is the case and the velocity setting needs changing by greater than +/-50m/s then the sound velocity should also be checked with an external instrument as a gross check.

Be careful that the SonarLite transducer does not leave the water while working, it will not damage the transducer but it will skip records in the data set and cause error values when it reinitialises back in the water again. The most common reason for this problem is that when the transducer is fixed in position the person is leaning over the back of the vessel, when they start surveying they sit in a different position and the transducer rises nearer to the water surface.

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TRANSDUCER VERSIONSThe following information describes the differences between type II and type III sonarlite transducers.

FUNCTION TYPE II TYPE IIIPing Rate 3 to 6 per second 2 to 8 per secondFrequency 190 to 210 KHz 195 to 205 KHzData Rate 1 per Second 2 per SecondMinimum Depth 0.35m 0.28mMaximum Depth 60.0m 75.0mMax Speed 12 m/sec 20 m/secShell Type Airmar AirmarBeam Pattern 5 to 10 Degrees 5 to 10 DegreesSonarLite Version 1.9 to 2.14 3.0 onwards

The SonarLite transducer was updated with the release of the v3.0 machine, a menu function is provided for backward compatibility with older transducers.

SonarLite version 3.0 can work with both type II and type III transducers, older machines will only work with type II transducers unless there is a firmware upgrade.

Function TableMixing devices

44

Documents

SLmanual