knudsen 320N User manual

320N Echosounder
User Manual
Supports Software: D409-04822/D409-04185
D101-04835
Revision 4.2
February 26, 2018
Knudsen Engineering Limited
10 Industrial Road
Perth, Ontario, Canada

CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION. ........................................................... 1-1
1.1 Aboutthismanual...................................................... 1-1
2 320NEchosounder............................................................ 2-1
2.1 Description............................................................ 2-1
2.2 ControlLayout......................................................... 2-2
2.2.1 MainMenu..................................................... 2-2
2.2.2 MainControlBar................................................ 2-2
2.2.3 StatusInfoBar. ................................................. 2-2
2.2.4 SetupControlBar................................................ 2-3
2.2.5 System Tools Control Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
3 MAINMENU................................................................ 3-1
3.1 File.................................................................. 3-1
3.1.1 Exit........................................................... 3-1
3.2 Server................................................................ 3-1
3.3 Help................................................................. 3-1
3.3.1 SounderInfo.................................................... 3-2
3.3.2 TechSupport.................................................... 3-3
3.3.3 About NavControlClient.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
4 MAINCONTROLBAR........................................................ 4-1
4.1 Start/Stop............................................................. 4-1
4.2 Metres/Feet/Fathoms.................................................... 4-3
4.3 MinimumDepthLimit................................................... 4-4
4.4 Pulse................................................................. 4-5
4.5 Power................................................................ 4-6
4.6 GateWidth............................................................ 4-7
4.7 Gain................................................................. 4-8
4.8 Range................................................................ 4-9
4.9 Mark............................................................... 4-10
4.10 Display.............................................................. 4-11
4.10.1 EchoGram/Scope. ..............................................4-12
4.10.2 Greyscale/Colour. ..............................................4-12
4.10.3 White Mode/Black Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.10.4 Contrast....................................................... 4-13
4.11 Setup. .............................................................. 4-14
5 SETUPCONTROLBAR....................................................... 5-1
5.1 PingRate............................................................. 5-1
5.2 KeelOffset............................................................ 5-2
5.3 CommPorts........................................................... 5-2
5.3.1 Peripherals. .................................................... 5-3
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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5.3.2 DataLogging. .................................................. 5-4
5.4 AlarmsSetup.......................................................... 5-6
5.5 Heave Compensation Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
5.6 UDPInterface. ........................................................ 5-7
5.7 InterfaceTests......................................................... 5-8
5.8 PlaybackFile.......................................................... 5-9
5.9 FactoryDefaults....................................................... 5-10
5.10 SystemTools......................................................... 5-11
5.11 Done................................................................ 5-11
6 SYSTEMTOOLSCONTROLBAR..............................................6-1
6.1 WindowsExplorer...................................................... 6-1
6.2 ControlPanel.......................................................... 6-1
6.3 RemoteUpdater........................................................ 6-1
6.4 On-ScrnKeybd. ....................................................... 6-1
6.5 Full Screen / Standard Window.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
6.6 Passwords............................................................. 6-2
6.6.1 ChangingPasswords..............................................6-2
7 ECHOCONTROLSERVER..................................................... 7-1
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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1-1 320N USER MANUAL
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 About this manual
This manual describes the basic operational controls of the 320N Navigation Echosounder. There is a brief
overview of the main control software with further break down of each the control levels in individual
chapters. It is strongly recommended that the user familiarize himself with the usage of all the main controls
to be able to provide effective control in extreme conditions.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 2-1
2 320N Echosounder
2.1 Description
The 320N Navigation Echosounder is a device incorporating digital electronics controlled by an embedded
Windows-based computer. The 320N is configured to automatically run the main control application with
a useful playback application available on the Windows desktop. See D101-03175 for instructions on the
usage of this support application.
The main system control is provided using a combination of a client and server application set. The server
provides the connection interface to the embedded signal processor module. The user interface client or third-
party clients can control and acquire data from the module via the server’s network interface The client on
the 320N is a Windows program that provides access to all the necessary controls for standard operation of
the echosounder and any data recording activities onto the PC. When the PC is powered on, the NavControl
Client application should automatically invoke itself; however an icon is also located on the desktop to
manually invoke the program if necessary. When the client is invoked, it automatically invokes the server
application; again an icon is located on the desktop to manually invoke the program if necessary. After the
connection to the server is completed, the client presents a window with user controls, status information and
large display area for the echogram data presentation. The Main Control bar contains eleven buttons for easy
access to the main control features typically accessed during standard operation of the echosounder. A blank
display area for graphical presentation of real-time received data, and a grid scale bar for the data
presentation occupies the bulk of the main application window. The echosounder automatically starts
recording data to the built-in hard drive in a specific folder for easier retrieval and archival purposes.
NOTE: Data stored on the hard drive in the D:\Data folder will need to be backed up and removed from this
folder on a regular basis. The D:\Data folder can hold up to 30 Gigabytes of information. A warning when
the drive space used is greater than 80% will occur every time the echosounder is powered on until the
condition has been addressed.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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2-2 320N USER MANUAL
2.2 Control Layout
2.2.1 Main Menu
The Main Menu at the top of the application window provides access to simple controls and help options.
See Section 3 for details.
2.2.2 Main Control Bar
The Main Control Bar provides access to all the main controls that may need modification during a mission.
It also provides access to the Setup Control Bar. See Section 4 for details.
2.2.3 Status Info Bar
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 2-3
The Status Info bar contains information about the current working parameters of the echosounder, such as:
1) Whether the echo sounder is currently Transmitting. See section 4.1.
2) The Unit of measurement that the echosounder is currently using to process the received data. See
section 4.2.
3) The Operating Range of the echosounder. See section 4.8.
4) The Pulse Type in use for transmitting. See section 4.4.
5) The Power level that the echosounder is transmitting. See section 4.5.
6) The Actual Gain the echosounder is using. See section 4.7.
7) The Processing Shift the echosounder is using. See section 4.7.
8) The Minimum Depth the echosounder is using. See section 4.3.
It also provides feedback regarding the current status of the data file recording, alarm settings, and other
useful parameters.
2.2.4 Setup Control Bar
The Setup Control Bar provides access to controls that normally only need to be setup prior to missions or
when hardware installations may change. See Section 5 for details.
A maintenance-level passcode is required to access this control bar. Only authorized users should be
provided the passcode.
2.2.5 System Tools Control Bar
The System Tools Control Bar provides access to the Windows operating systems controls that normally only
need to be used during data backup and software update operations. See Section 6 for details.
A root-level passcode is required to access this control bar. Only authorized users should be provided the
passcode.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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3-1 320N USER MANUAL
3 MAIN MENU
3.1 File
3.1.1 Exit
The operator can terminate the Echo Control program using the Exit command. The echosounder will NOT
continue any sounding operation when the control program is terminated.
3.2 Server
Normally, the client handles the interaction necessary to connect and communicate with the server
application automatically. Should something unexpected occur and there are problems with the automatic
connection, the user can try to manually configure and connect to the server via the menu item Server.
Selecting Configure causes a dialogue to pop-up that allows the user to select the server identifier to use for
the connection. The recommended selection is the 127.0.0.1 local computer (no network) option.
3.3 Help
The Help menu provides access to a few options that provide the operator with system configuration
information that is most useful when contacting technical assistance.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 3-2
3.3.1 Sounder Info
This option pops up a dialogue box that reports the echosounder system configuration as seen by the server
application. This should indicate the hardware module’s channel assignment, frequency setting, and usage
information. There is a button Module Summary that provides access to another dialogue to report more
detailed information regarding the firmware loaded in the detected module.
The Module Summary dialogue reports the hardware module’s serial number, board type, and controlling
firmware part number and version. This information is really only useful to technical support.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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3-3 320N USER MANUAL
3.3.2 Tech Support
This option brings up a simple dialogue box that provides contact information for technical support. It also
provides information about the type of Windows operating system the EchoControl program has detected.
This is sometimes helpful in diagnosing performance issues.
3.3.3 About NavControlClient...
The About NavControlClient... menu item brings up a simple dialogue box stating the name of the PC
software program, the KEL part number for the program, and the latest revision number.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 4-1
4 MAIN CONTROL BAR
4.1 Start/Stop
This button is used to Start and Stop transmitting on the echosounder. When the program is first invoked
by default the echosounder does not begin transmitting. If the operator selects this button, the echosounder
will acquire, digitize and log data. The text on the button will toggle between Start and Stop depending on
the Start/Stop state of the echosounder. The Transmitting state is also displayed on the Status Information
dialogue bar.
There is a verification dialogue that appears that the user must acknowledge before transmitting is allowed
to start. This is to prevent accidental activation when it is not permitted, such as in harbours when divers are
in the water. The verification dialogue also provides the option of selecting an initial set of echosounder
control settings based the starting point of navigation. To ignore the suggested presets and use previously
selected values, choose the “Last settings used” option. The preset values are summarized in the follow table.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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4-2 320N USER MANUAL
Table of Presets
Preset In Port
(0-50ft)
Coastal Region
(0-200ft)
Continental Shelf
(0-1000ft)
Full Ocean Depth
(>1000ft)
Tx Power 1124
Tx Pulse 0.375ms 1.5ms 6ms 24ms
Proc. Shift 0124
Gain Auto, start at 0dB Auto, start at 0dB Auto, start at 0dB Auto, start at 0dB
Min. Depth 3m or 5ft 10m or 35ft 50m or 100ft 100m or 200ft
Range 50m or 50ft 100m or 200ft 500m or 1000ft 2000m or 5000ft
Gate Width 5m or 16ft 15m or 49ft 30m or 98ft 60m or 197ft
Auto Ranging On On On On
The Ping Once button, as the name implies, generates one ping only using the current configuration settings.
Note that no error or alarm conditions are reported in Single Ping Mode.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 4-3
4.2 Metres/Feet/Fathoms
The Metres/Feet/Fathoms button allows the operator to select the units for the recorded depth and for
various operational controls settings. The echosounder recomputes those parameters such as speed of sound
and keel offset to reflect the appropriate new units. The active unit is displayed as text on the face of the
button as well as on the Status Information dialogue bar.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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4-4 320N USER MANUAL
4.3 Minimum Depth Limit
The Minimum Depth Limit is used to set the minimum depth at which an echo can be digitized. This is a
very important control. Improper use of this control can result in improper or unsuccessful bottom detection.
In situations where there are deep scattering layers, thermal clines or groups of biological organisms, it is
necessary to adjust this to a value deeper than the undesired layer otherwise the unit will return a false-
bottom echo from the intermediate layer. As the vessel returns to shore and port, this value must be reduced
to a very shallow number otherwise a valid bottom return will not be properly digitized.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 4-5
4.4 Pulse
The Pulse button will display a Pulse dialogue box which allows the operator to specify the pulse length (the
duration of the transmit pulse) usually specified in milliseconds or fractions of a millisecond.
By specifying the pulse length, the operator indirectly specifies the bandwidth of the digital noise rejection
filter applied to the incoming acoustic signal data. The filter bandwidth is usually set to the inverse of the
pulse length (this relationship is true for the standard continuous wave (CW) signals, but not necessarily for
the CHIRP signals used in the very low frequency channels).
Normally, long pulses with narrow bandwidth filters provide better noise rejection in deeper water or noisy
conditions, while short pulses with wide bandwidth filters provide better resolution when conditions permit
or the water is shallow.
The signal data rate (in samples per second) is also related to the pulse length because of the Nyquist
requirement that the sampling frequency be at least twice the signal bandwidth.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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4-6 320N USER MANUAL
4.5 Power
The Power button will display the Power dialogue box which is used to specify the transmit power level of
the pulse being transmitted. Power levels are controlled by changing the duty cycle of the switchmode
transmitter output stage. Although high power signals will always give the strongest echoes, they also
produce more ringing and reverberation which may obscure the bottom echo in shallow water. Using high
receive gain in combination with high transmit power in shallow water may cause signal levels high enough
to saturate (overload) the receiver, which will mask any echoes.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 4-7
4.6 Gate Width
The Gate Width button will display the Tracking Gate dialogue box which allows the operator to adjust the
Gate Width that is used by the bottom tracking algorithm to determine the validity of the current depth value.
It is a depth variability tolerance value, defined as a distance above or below the current bottom depth trend
established by the current and several previous samples. If the most recent depth value fits this established
trend to within the range defined by the tracking gate width, it is considered valid and is displayed. If a depth
return falls outside of this range, it is deemed invalid and “-----" is displayed.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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4-8 320N USER MANUAL
4.7 Gain
The Gain button will display the Gain dialogue box which allows the operator to control the analog receive
gain of the channel. Reducing the analog receive gain is useful when sounding in extremely shallow water.
This reduces the overall noise while not seriously affecting echo strength. Increasing the analog gain is
useful when sounding in very deep water.
The Auto check box located on the top of the dialogue box invokes Automatic Gain Control of the analog
receive gain which is the recommended setting for most operating conditions. The Automatic Gain Control
is active when there is a check mark in the check box. The actual Gain being used and the operator selected
Gain are displayed on the status information dialogue bar.
The Process Shift parameter provides for additional gain in the digital signal processing software.
Sometimes the Automatic Gain Control algorithm can force the signal processing module to overdrive,
compromising the quality of the echogram data. A good rule of thumb is to start increasing the process shift
when the AGC has to push the gain level over 45dB. This adjustment should be done gradually to slowly
reduce the amount of analog gain required without applying too much digital processing gain (process shift).
Applying too much process shift can cause the return echo to be saturated and distorted, compromising the
digitization performance of the system.
NOTE: The Auto check box applies only to Gain. Process Shift is adjusted manually.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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320N USER MANUAL 4-9
4.8 Range
The Range button will display the Range dialogue box which allows the operator to select the size of the
active window in the water column. The active window is the only part of the water column in which the
echosounder operates. It is the portion of the water column which is printed on the hard copy recorder, and
in which the bottom detection software looks for the bottom echo. The bottom must be in the selected
window for the echosounder to function. Eight ranges are available: 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and
10000 metres (or feet or fathoms).
The Auto check box located on the top of the dialogue box invokes Automatic Range Control. The
Automatic Range Control is active when there is a check mark in the check box. While it is active, it adjusts
the window range as well as the operational units based on the current bottom location to maintain the bottom
at all times.
As the bottom increases in depth, the Automatic Range Control will increase the Range to prevent the bottom
from disappearing off the end of the window. If the water depth increases to the end of the 10000ft window,
the control algorithm will change the units from feet to fathoms, and adjust the range window to the
appropriate end limit to maintain the bottom return but minimize the window size. As the bottom decreases
in depth, the Automatic Range Control will reduce the window size to allow for faster ping rates and data
acquisition. If the units are fathoms, it will switch to feet once the water depth reduces enough; this allows
for better data resolution on the echogram chart.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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4-10 320N USER MANUAL
4.9 Mark
The Mark button is a special case item. It does not display any sub-menus or dialogues, but causes an event
mark when pressed. The event mark is a vertical red line that displays information such as frequency and
GPS positions. This screen shot illustrates a variety of event marks in the depth display.
The information contained in this document is proprietary data of Knudsen Engineering Limited. Any disclosure, use or reproduction of this
information for other than the specific purpose intended is expressly prohibited unless agreed to in writing by Knudsen Engineering Limited.
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