This document was prepared by the staff of Valeport Limited, the Company, and is the property of the
Company, which also owns the copyright therein. All rights conferred by the law of the copyright and by
virtue of international copyright conventions are reserved to the Company. This document must not be
copied, reprinted or reproduced in any material form, either wholly or in part, and the contents of this
document, and any method or technique available therefrom, must not be disclosed to any other person
whatsoever without the prior written consent of the Company.
Valeport Limited
St Peters Quay
Totnes
Devon, TQ9 5EW
United Kingdom
As part of our policy of continuous development, we reserve the right to alter, without prior notice, all
specifications, designs, prices and conditions of supply for all our equipment.
..................................................................................................................................... 41. EU Declaration of Conformity - CE Marking
..................................................................................................................................... 62. Important Information
..................................................................................................................................... 73. SWiFT SVP - Sound Velocity Profiler
..................................................................................................................................... 84. SWiFTplus - SVP profiler with Optical Sensor
.................................................................................................................................... 167.1. Interfacing to a PC
.................................................................................................................................... 248.2. Battery Life Expectancy
.................................................................................................................................... 248.3. Shipping Your SWiFT with Lithium Ion Batteries
.................................................................................................................................... 329.4. Do Not Deploy Flag
.................................................................................................................................... 329.5. Low Power Mode
.................................................................................................................................... 359.6. Status Message
.................................................................................................................................... 369.7. Data File
.................................................................................................................................... 379.8. Data File Translation
.................................................................................................................................... 379.9. Real Time Data Format
.................................................................................................................................... 389.10. Care and Maintenance
..................................................................................................................................... 3910. Upgrading Your SWiFT
.................................................................................................................................... 3910.1. Valeport SWiFT - Firmware Upgrade
.................................................................................................................................... 4010.2. Step 1 - Download the Required Files
.................................................................................................................................... 4110.3. Step 2 - Update the Firmware
.................................................................................................................................... 4510.4. Bluetooth Adapter - Re-Program and Pair
..................................................................................................................................... 4811. Ordering and Part Numbers
Please note: Any changes or modifications to the product or accessories supplied, that are not authorised by
Valeport Ltd, could void the CE compliance of the product and negate your authority to operate it. This product
has demonstrated CE compliance under conditions that include the use of shielded cables. It is important that you
use shielded cables compliant with the product’s conformance, to protect from potential damage and reduce the
possibility of interference to other electronic devices.
1. Self contained, sound velocity, temperature and
pressure profiling system
1.1. From measured observations conductivity,
salinity and density can be calculated
2. Lithium Ion rechargeable battery
3. Depth rated to 200m
4. LED symbols to identify:
4.1. Instrument status
4.2. Battery Status
4.3. GPS Status
4.4. Bluetooth Status
5. Bluetooth connectivity to PC & iOS App.
6. Automatic reacquisition of Bluetooth connection
and file down load on recovery
7. GPS Geo-Location and time
8. Deployment weight that will not interfere with
sensor performance
Applications
A shallow water, self contained Sound Speed profiler
possible applications include:
1. Coastal, harbour and inland hydrographic survey
2. Sound velocity profiling
2.1. Single Beam echo-sounder
2.2. Multi-Beam echo-sounder
2.3. USBL
2.4. Imaging sonar
3. Lakes, reservoir and river studies
3. SWiFT SVP - Sound Velocity Profiler
Designed from the outset with the intention of a seamless workflow, the SWiFT profiler provides survey-grade
sensor technology coupled with the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity and rechargeable batteries. An integral
GPS module, to geo-locate each profile, completes the package. Data can be easily and quickly downloaded and
reviewed wirelessly, via Bluetooth, using the either Valeport's Connect PC software or the SWiFT App for iOS
portable devices and instantly shared, in industry standard SVP formats through email and cloud services. Using
the provided USB adapter or cable, Valeport’s Connect software package provides further tools.
In addition to the directly measured sound speed, temperature and pressure observations, Conductivity, Salinity
and Density are calculated using Valeport’s proprietary algorithm developed from extensive laboratory and field
work.
With an operational battery life of up to 5 days and the convenience of charging via USB, SWiFT is intended for
coastal, harbour and inland hydrographic survey use and offers the highest quality sound velocity profiles in a
compact, robust and portable package.
Utilising Valeport's latest design for the world's most accurate sound velocity sensor, each measurement is made
using a single pulse of sound travelling over a precisely known distance, so is independent of the inherent
calculation errors present in CTD calculated data. Valeport's unique digital signal processing technique virtually
eliminates signal noise, and gives almost instantaneous response; the digital measurement is also entirely linear,
giving predictable performance under all conditions.
5.2. Temperature
The SWiFT is fitted with an accurate Platinum Resistance Thermometer (PRT) temperature sensor.
5.3. Pressure Sensor
The SWiFT is supplied with either a 100m or 200m rated piezo-resistive pressure transducer
0-800 µg/l
2 gain settings: 0-40 and 0-800 (software controlled)
Instrument
Detection limit:
0.025 µg/l*
Actual
Detection limit:
0.025 µg /l**
Linearity:
0.99 R
2
Response Time:
0.03 to 2 sec
5.4. Optical Sensors
An optical sensor must be kept clean to operate correctly. Ensure that the SWiFT is powered down before
cleaning the sensor.
Use warm soapy water with a soft bristled brush to remove any light fouling.
For heavy fouling use a solvent (e.g Isopropyl alcohol) and a soft bristled brush.
Always rinse thoroughly after every use in clean, fresh water.
5.4.1. Fluorometers
5.4.1.1. Safety Statement
A Valeport Fluorometer is classified as Risk Group 1 under standard 62471. As the type is classified as Risk Group 1
solely due to radiation in the visible band a hazard label is not required. However,
· the LED used is in excess of the Exempt Group and that the viewer- related risk is dependent upon how the user
installs and operates the equipment.
· the exposure hazard value (EHV) for a Valeport Fluorometer in terms of distance is 320mm.
5.4.1.2. Chlorophyll a
* 3x SD in RO water
** calibrated against Chlorophyll a in acetone solution
The linear range is the concentration range for which the fluorometer signal is directly proportional to the
concentration of the fluorophore. The linear range starts at the minimum detection limit (MDL) and extends to the
upper limit of the instrument (dependent on fluorophore properties, optical filters, LED power, sample volume and
optical path length).
Valeport Fluorometers have a calibrated linear response for 2 gain settings (e.g. the ranges 0-40 µg/l (G5) and 0800 µg/l (G1) for chlorophyll a). At higher concentrations, unlike analogue devices which generally flat-line at fullscale deflection (e.g. FSD 5V) the fluorometer will continue to output a signal which increases with concentration
(i.e. meaningful data), though which is no longer guaranteed to be linear.
At very high fluorophore concentrations, signal quenching can occur, whereby the instrument output does not
increase linearly with fluorophore concentration (roll-off) and may decrease at even higher levels.
To perform a quick linearity check, dilute the sample 1:1 with RO water. If the reading decreases by 50%, the
sample is in the linear range. If the reading decreases by less than 50% or even increases, the sample is above the
linear range.
Nephelometer0 to >1 000 NTU - linear response
Optical Backscatter:0 to 4 000 NTU - linear response
(>4,000 NTU has a non-linear monotonic response that allows derivation of higher
values using look-up tables)
Minimum Detection
Level
0.03 NTU
Never look directly into the optical aperture
5.4.1.5.1 Quenching
Quenching refers to the reduction in fluorescence of a fluorophore. Several processes can result in quenching:
1. Chloride is known to quench quinine sulphate and Fluorescein. It is, therefore, advisable to prepare any
fluorophore solutions with RO* or DI** water.
2. Temperature quenching - as the temperature of the sample increases, the fluorescence decreases, that is,
fluorescence is sensitive to temperature. In order to improve accuracy, measure the sample at different
temperatures and derive corrections for changes in temperature.
3. Photo-bleaching (or fading) is the (permanent) degradation of a fluorophore molecule by light resulting in
lower signal levels. Photo-bleaching is dependent on exposure (intensity of light and duration) and wavelength
(UV is more damaging than longer wavelengths). Use of more robust fluorophores is recommended to avoid
photo-bleaching.
* Reverse Osmosis
** De-Ionised
5.4.2. Turbidity
Valeport's Turbidity technology is essentially two sensors in one. The first is a “classic” nephelometer, using a 90°
beam angle for turbidity levels between 0 and 2000 NTU. The second sensor uses optical backscatter - OBS
(~120° beam angle) for turbidity levels beyond 10 000 NTU. Both sensors output data simultaneously, at a
programmable rate, so there is no need to switch ranges as conditions vary. Intelligent sampling and the use of a
24 bit ADC eliminates the need to switch gain. The optical head is very compact, measuring just 20mm diameter
and is rated to full ocean depth.
5.4.2.1. Safety Statement
The Turbidity sensor is classified EXEMPT under the standard 62471.
As a Valeport Turbidity sensor is classified as EXEMPT a hazard label in not required.
From directly measured sound velocity, temperature and pressure, SWiFT calculates Conductivity using a
proprietary Valeport algorithm developed from extensive laboratory and fieldwork.
5.5.2. Calculated Salinity
From directly measured sound velocity, temperature and pressure, SWiFT calculates Salinity using a proprietary
Valeport algorithm developed from extensive laboratory and fieldwork.
5.5.3. Calculated Density
From directly measured sound velocity, temperature and pressure, Density is calculated using a proprietary
Valeport algorithm developed from extensive laboratory and field work.