SIS as a Controller

This manual also describes the use of SIS as an interface between Kongsberg Maritime's multibeam echo sounders and third party data acquisition software packages. The two third party software packages that has been tested and verified by Kongsberg are at this moment Hypack ® and Qinsy ®. When SIS is working as a controller, the full SIS functionality is not needed.

An unlicensed version of SIS will work as a controller. The purpose of this is as follows:

Provide installation parameters needed by the Processing Unit in real-time

Provide run-time parameters (ping rate, coverage etc.)

Operation and activation of the echo sounder

Export of echo sounder datagrams to the third party software package

Data logging in Kongsberg format

The data logging above is only provided for testing and debug in case of problems with the equipment. In this case all installation settings have to be set correctly inside the controller. In addition, position, gyro and attitude must be interfaced to the processing unit. When SIS operates as a controller, the following will not be a part of the controller and should be provided by the third party software:

Installation parameters to calculate the correct depths (not needed by the sounder in real-time)

Calibration

Quality control of the data

Data logging for daily operation

Data cleaning and post-processing

Creation of DTM, charts, printouts etc.

The installation values needed in the controller will only be the one needed by the echo sounder itself to export quality data to third party software. Example: If the echo sounder is roll stabilized, it needs roll data, correct installation angles for motion sensor and sonar head.

Hypack ®

The Hypack software package will threat the echo sounder as a separate sensor and provide the drivers for interfacing. The motion data needed for correction of the echo sounder data is read from the network (provided by the sounder) together with the range data. The position is interfaced and logged by Hypack in a standard way (read from serial line).

Note The motion data provided by the echo sounder is moved from it's initial position to the location of the echo sounder. This is done inside the echo sounder Processing Unit.

Qinsy ®

Qinsy read the echo sounder range datagrams from the network and all other sensors are interfaced by Qinsy directly. In other words position and attitude data is interfaced to a serial line directly on the Qinsy PC. To provide correct timing of depths and attitude data the Qinsy PC and the Processing Unit need to be synchronized. This is done by connecting a 1PPS cable from the position system to the echo sounder Processing Unit as well as the Qinsy PC itself. In addition ZDA clock datagrams has to be provided to the two units. If the echo sounder is roll stabilized then roll data has to be sent to the Processing Unit.

Note Data logged in the Kongsberg format has been timetagged in the Processing Unit of the echosounder. This means that the time tagging is accurate and reliable. If other logging systems are used, the time tagging of the data is the responsibility of that logging software if they bypass these files.

For detailed information on the setup of software from Hypack or Qinsy, refer to the manufacturer's documentation.