Page 1
Description and General Information 1
Safety and Limitations 2
VectorMap 3
Operation 4
UVC 5
Calibration 6
Maintenance and Repair 7
Appendices A-C
A. Install/Update Software B. Run SonarMosaic
C. Safety Tow Float
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Page 2
1 Description and General lnformation
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
1.1 Overview 2
1.2 Exterior Features 3
1.21 Looking at the Vehicle ........................................ 3
1.22 Antenna ........................................................... 4
1.23 Nose ............................................................... 4
1.24 Body ............................................................... 5
1.25 Tail ..................................................................6
1.26 Safety Tow Float ................................................ 7
1.27 How the EcoMapper Navigates ..........................7
1.3 Applications 7
1.4 Specifications 8
1.41 Physical Dimensions .......................................... 8
1.42 Onboard Electronics .......................................... 8
1.43 Mobility and Endurance ..................................... 8
1.44 Standard Sensors ..............................................8
1.45 Optional Sensors .............................................. 8
1.46 Derived Parameters ........................................... 8
Page 3
1.1 Overview
1.1
planning soware (VectorMap), essentially following a more accurate “road” of coordinates instead of transversing
waypoint-to-waypoint. When equipped, the vehicle also uses a Dopplar Velocity Log (DVL) to increase its underwater
navigation accuracy. Upon completing its mission, the vehicle uses Windows® Remote Desktop to relay the collected
data via WiFi connection, facilitated by the Communications Box, to the user’s computer.
e YSI EcoMapper is a one-man deployable, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) designed to collect
bathymetry and water quality data. e submarine-like vehicle follows a programmed course and employs
sensors mounted in the nose to record pertinent information. Once the vehicle has started its mission, it
operates independently of the user and utilizes GPS waypoints and “Dead Reckoning” navigation to complete
its programmed course. roughout the course, the vehicle constantly steers toward the line drawn in the mission
Nose
Sensor Guard
Communications Box
Handle
DVL
Weight Track
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1.2 Exterior Features
1.21 Looking at the Vehicle
e AUV appears identical on both sides. When you view the vehicle, several exterior features become
immediately visible. Viewing the AUV from the port side reveals the plastic nose cone containing the instrument
cluster on your le (at the front of the vehicle) with the tail section on your right. e transport handle is located
on top of the carbon-ber hull on the opposite side of the xed buoyancy weights and pinger, which are located on the
bottom of the hull. e aluminum tail section of the vehicle houses the vehicle’s motor and connects to the control ns
and propeller. e WiFi and GPS antennae are housed in the clear plastic tower on top of the rear half of the vehicle.
1.2
Hull
Tail
Antenna
Side-Scan Sonar
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1.22 Antenna
WQ Sensors Inside
Compass Inside
Integrated Pressure Sensor
DVL
In addition to the WiFi and GPS antennae, the tower houses a two-pin connector used to charge the vehicle. e tower
also contains a variety of LEDs with specic functions.
1.2
1.23 Nose
e nose cone contains all of the vehicles external water quality sensors. It also contains the depth-sounder, pressure
sensor and compass. Water quality sensors are housed inside the screw-on protective nose cone on the front of the
AUV and are eld-replaceable. A pressure sensor, detecting the depth from the surface, and an altimeter, a depthsounding sonar that detects the vehicle’s height from the bottom, are also housed in the nose section. A vacuum port
located on top of the nose cone is used to check the internal pressure and seals of the AUV.
A. Solid green: navigational, visible on starboard side
B. Solid red: navigational, visible on port side
C. Solid white: navigational, visible from rear
D. Flashing yellow: indicates battery charging (solid yellow indicates full charge. e light is on only when
connected to AC charger)
B
D
B
C
A
D
C
4
Sensor Guard Vacuum Port
Altimeter
Page 6
1.24 Body
e transport handle, located approximately half-way down the hull of the vehicle, is used to carry the vehicle when
not in its travel crate. Opposite the handle, on the bottom of the vehicle, are xed buoyancy weights in a track,
which are moved and trimmed to balance the vehicle and adjust its buoyancy to correspond with water density
(inuenced by salinity. Although pressure inuences density, you cannot trim the vehicle based on pressure.). A
location pinger is also located on the weight track of the vehicle, which sends a high-frequency signal that can be
detected by a special receiving unit in the event that the AUV is lost. Optional side-scan sonar is located to the rear
of the handles on the bottom half of the vehicle.
1.2
Handle
Weight Track
Antenna
Side-Scan Sonar
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1.25 Tail
e tail section is the only exterior section of the vehicle made of metal in order to accommodate the torque of the
1.2
electric drive motor. Two zinc patches, located on the bottom of the tail section, operate in a sacricial capacity.
In the event that the aluminum is scratched, the zinc corrodes instead of the aluminum. Four control planes are
operated independently to inuence pitch, roll, and yaw. e vehicle’s two-bladed propeller is located at the rear
of the vehicle inside a Kort nozzle. All ns and the propeller are eld replaceable.
Kort Nozzle
Zinc Patches
Control Planes
Propeller
Kort Nozzle
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1.26 Safety Tow Float
An optional safety tow-oat can be pulled behind the vehicle attached to the two-pin connector at the base of the
antennae. e Safety Tow Float system includes a processor, power/tow cable, acoustic location pinger, depth sensor,
and a large buoyancy bag, which uses a rechargeable CO
vehicle in the event of an emergency condition. Read more about the Safety Tow Float in Appendix C.
cartridge for ination, to immediately surface the
2
1.3
1.27 How the EcoMapper Navigates
e EcoMapper utilizes a variety of methods to navigate both above water and below water. Every vehicle is equipped
with a GPS navigation system and dead-reckoning; doppler velocity logs (DVLs) can be purchased and equipped as an
option to increase the accuracy of a vehicle’s navigation.
For any vehicle, the most accurate navigation occurs on the surface using GPS navigation. e vehicle follows the
line drawn between waypoints in the EcoMapper’s mission-planning soware (VectorMap) to drive where the user
programs it to go. When an AUV without DVL dives, it uses a depth-sounding sonar and pressure sensor to determine
its depth. e vehicle then uses a combination of its digital compass and propellor-rotation counting to calculate the
distance and direction traveled underwater. If the vehicle is pushed by a current, it self corrects once it reaquires a GPS
signal on the surface.
While a DVL-equipped vehicle is on the surface, it also uses GPS to navigate. However, when it dives, it does not
switch to dead-reckoning. If the vehicle is within approximately 300 feet of the bottom, it will use its DVL to bottomtrack with an array of sonars. Depending on the individual vehicle, DVL-equipped AUVs emit six to ten sonar beams,
which reect from the bottom. e vehicle then receives and interprets the signal to determine if it has been pushed
o course by a current or other similar force. e vehicle can then correct itself en route by driving constantly back to
the programmed line. If the vehicle loses its bottom lock, it will switch to water-tracking to navigate. Water-tracking
utilizes the same principles as bottom-tracking, only it relies on sonar signals received from beams reected from
particulate in the water. If a vehicle loses both bottom-tracking and water-tracking, it will utilize dead-reckoning until
it re-establishes one of the more accurate methods. An AUV can also use these signals to derive its speed and more
accurate depth from bottom.
1.3 Applications
Potential EcoMapper applications include…
• Baseline Environmental Mapping in freshwater, estuarine or near-coastal environments
• Bathymetric mapping
• Dissolved oxygen studies
• Event monitoring (algal blooms, storm impacts, low dissolved oxygen)
• Non-point source studies
• Point-source dispersion mapping
• Security, search & rescue, inspection
• Shallow water mapping
• ermal dissipation mapping of cooling outfalls
• Trace-dye studies
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1.4 Specifications
1.41 Physical Dimensions
1.4
• Weight: 45 lbs (20.45 kgs)
• Length, Bow (Front) to Stern (Rear): 60.1 in (152.7 cm)
• Hull Diameter: 5.8 in (14.7 cm)
• Fin-to-Fin: 11 in (27.9 cm)
• Recording speed: 1 Hz
1.42 Onboard Electronics
• Processor: X86
• Soware: Windows XP, GUI-based Navigation Suite Map
• Storage: 80 GB
• WiFi: 802.11g Ethernet
• Energy Source: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries (Total 600 WHrs or greater than 300 cycles)
• Charge time: 4 hrs
• Navigation: GPS on surface, “Dead Reckoning” and DVL below surface
• Communication: 802.11g Ethernet link on surface
• Motor: 150 Watt electric
• WiFi Communication Range: 200 m
1.43 Mobility and Endurance
• Maximum Depth: 200 (200 m with deep-water sensors)
• Control: Four independent control planes
• Speed: 1-4 knots (maximum of 2 knots on surface)
• Locomotion: Two-bladed propeller
• Battery Endurance: 8 hrs at 2.5 knots
1.44 Standard Sensors
• YSI Conductivity and Temperature Sensors
• Depth from Surface: YSI Depth Sensor
• Height from Bottom: Depth-sounding sonar (altimeter)
• Direction: ree-axis digital compass
1.45 Optional Sensors
• Sonar: Imagenex SportScan side-scan sonar (300 kHz or 330/800 kHz)
• pH/ORP
• ROX™ Optical Dissolved Oxygen
• Turbidity
• Chlorophyll
• Blue-Green Algae (marine or freshwater)
• Rhodamine WT
1.46 Derived Parameters
• Specic Conductance
• Salinity
• Resitivity
• Total dissolved Solids (TDS)
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
2 Safety, Limitations and Capabilities
2.1 Safety 10
2.2 Limitations and Capabilities 11
2.21 Environment ................................................... 11
2.22 Depth ............................................................ 11
2.23 Navigation .....................................................11
2.24 Velocity .......................................................... 11
2.24 Endurance...................................................... 11
2.25 Deployment .................................................... 11
Page 11
2.1 Safety
e EcoMapper AUV is a scientic instrument and should be treated with caution. e vehicle should only be operated
by qualied personnel. Misuse or tampering with the AUV can result in serious personal injury or permanent vehicle
damage. Listed below are a compilation of the warnings found in this manual. While reading the manual, the warnings
will also reappear in their appropriate sections designated with the caution symbol. is warning directory is not a
comprehensive list of the potential hazards associated with this instrument. e directory is simply a guide to
encourage proper and safe use of the vehicle.
!
2.1
Take Caution when you see this symbol. Harm to yourself or your equipment may occur.
!
• Never insert ngers in the Kort nozzle area when the vehicle is powered on.
• Never run the motor for extended periods of time when the vehicle is out of the water.
• Use caution when applying silicone lubricant to O-rings. Lubricant can irritate skin and eyes. Always wash
hands thoroughly following contact.
• Never access the interior of the AUV without training from a qualied YSI employee.
• Never clean or wipe O-rings with anything other than laboratory/scientic wipes. Normal tissues and cloths
can leave residue that could compromise the seal’s integrity.
• Always check that the map is geo-referenced correctly by running a small mission close enough to recover
the vehicle via manual WiFi connection in the event that the map has faulty coordinates.
• Always perform a pre-launch check-o of control ns and propeller before deploying the vehicle.
• Always ensure that the vehicle has the proper weight and balance in the water before releasing the vehicle at
deployment. Failure to do so may sink the vehicle due to lack of buoyancy.
• Always be sure to allow enough room for the AUV to miss obstacles when in motion. e vehicle will not
automatically sense obstructions in its path.
• Always plug the charging cord into the two-pin charging connector on the vehicle BEFORE plugging the
charger into the wall. is will prevent arcing that could harm the connection.
• Always fully service O-rings whenever the antennae or tail section is removed.
• Always ensure that the vehicle’s control planes are clear of potential hazards during deployment to avoid
breaking them.
• Always bring the batteries to below 40% capacity before commercial transport due to shipping regulations.
• Always ensure that the safety rule time out is longer than the estimated mission time.
• Before handling any chemicals, be sure to read and follow all safety instruction and MSDS documentation
provided with the chemical. Only trained personnel should handle chemicals.
• Although not required, it may be prudent to contact local authorities and governing agencies when you
deploy the AUV. is notication can make the survey process much smoother and encourage good
relationships between the user and community.
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2.2 Limitations and Capabilities
2.21 Environment
e EcoMapper AUV is designed as a survey vehicle for still and slow-moving water bodies. With a top speed of 4
knots, fast-moving water bodies and forceful marine areas are dicult for the AUV to successfully navigate. Always
consider this fact when planning a mission.
2.22 Depth
2.2
e AUV is pressure-rated to a depth of 200 feet (61 meters) with the exception of vehicles equipped with deepwater sensors, which may travel to depths of 200 meters. Although the vehicle may be capable of greater depths, the
sensors may not function correctly and other damage may result. Do not intentionally program the AUV for any dives
greater than 200 feet.
2.23 Navigation
“Dead-Reckoning” navigation uses GPS (dierential GS in the United States) to keep the EcoMapper on course while
the vehicle is on the surface. e soware dead reckons beween surface waypoints when the vehicle submerges. is
system is very ecient, providing that the user’s maps are correctly geo-referenced and the user does not program the
vehicle to travel into obstacles (e.g. extreme shallows, sand banks, shore, underwater obstacles, etc.). e vehicle does
not contain an active avoidance system that would steer it away from obstacles. e vehicle will travel exactly where
the user programs it to travel, regardless of obstruction. However, safety rules are in place and can be selected to ensure
that the vehicle is not lost in the event of an unplanned collision.
e AUV operates on basic GPS principles that allow for very eective navigation. However, GPS cannot penetrate
water; therefore, the AUV does not receive any directional information when it is submerged. Plan missions
accordingly so the AUV will make GPS contact frequently enough to maintain its programmed course.
2.24 Velocity
e top speed of the AUV is 2 knots on the surface and 4 knots completely submerged. is speed allows for optimal
data collection as well as reasonable mission times.
2.24 Endurance
e vehicle can travel approximately 8 hours at 2.5 knots. e batteries used in the vehicle have one of the best
power-to-weight ratios of any power source available for application in an AUV. is allows for longer missions and
maximum eciency of internal electronics. Fast charge times also allow for back-to-back missions.
2.25 Deployment
e AUV can only be successful in its environment if deployed in a careful and mindful manner. Never deploy the
AUV from any area in which it cannot be directly placed in the water and released. Release the vehicle only if you are
certain the launch point does not contain any potential hazards. Never throw or drop the AUV into any environment
as this may result in damage to the vehicle.
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
3 VectorMap
Contents
3.1 Map a Mission 14
3.11 Overview .........................................................14
3.12 Mapping Tools .................................................. 15
3.2 Obtain a Map 17
3.21 Open a Map from File ...................................... 17
3.22 Obtain a Map from TerraServer .........................17
3.3 Mission Settings 20
3.31 Reference Waypoints ......................................... 20
3.32 Edit Waypoints ................................................. 20
3.33 Park ................................................................21
3.34 Side-Scan Sonar ............................................... 21
3.35 Multi-Beam Sonar .............................................. 22
3.36 Place Waypoints ............................................... 22
3.4 Mission Information 23
3.41 Mission Stats .................................................... 23
3.42 WP Power Details ............................................. 23
3.43 Tips for Navigation ........................................... 24
3.44 Waypoint Information ........................................ 24
3.5 Advanced Mapping 25
3.51 Overlay Multiple Maps ...................................... 25
3.52 Overlay Missions and Logs................................. 26
3.53 Create a Safe Return Path .................................. 27
3.6 Features and Configuration 28
3.61 Take a Screen Snapshot ..................................... 28
3.62 Configuration and Default Settings ...................... 28
3.63 Save and Open Missions ................................... 31
3.64 Live Tracking .................................................... 32
3.65 Video Cameras and Buoys .................................32
3.7 EcoMapper Data File Descriptions 33
3.71 DVL Log File Format Descriptions ......................... 33
3.72 DVL Water Velocity Profile File Format Description .35
3.73 Description of Header Titles in Log File ................37
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3.1 Map a Mission
NOTE
3.11 Overview
EcoMapper’s mission planning soware, VectorMap, utilizes georeferenced maps to establish waypoints to guide the
vehicle via GPS signal. In order to plan a mission, you must rst have a digital copy of a georeferenced map. If you do
not possess a georeferenced map le, you may use TerraServer to obtain GPS information. e following image is an
overview of the primary VectorMap window. If you wish to learn to download maps, please proceed to Section 3.2.
3.1
Primary Map Area Task Bar
Waypoint Tab
Tools Panel
Waypoints Mission Lines
is section assumes you have read and performed the install/update steps outlined in Appendix A.2
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3.12 Mapping Tools
NOTE
NOTE
In the top right corner of the window is the ‘Tools’ panel used to program a
mission. In order to view what action an icon performs, click anywhere in the
control panel and then hover the pointer over a specic icon. To activate a tool,
simply click on its icon; the icon will appear shaded dark grey when active.
When you move any tool over the map in the primary screen area, VectorMap
will display the latitude/longitude coordinates of the tool’s location. VectorMap
primarily uses GPS waypoints (WPs) to guide the vehicle during missions. A WP is basically a very specic set of GPS
coordinates. Any WP you add in VM is automatically converted to coordinate sets upon transfer to the vehicle.
‘Pointer’ – Use to manipulate WPs.
• Le-click, hold, and drag WPs to move them.
• Right-click WP for WP options.
‘Zoom Map’ – Moves view closer or father away.
• Le-click–Zoom in (click on the area you desire to zoom towards).
• Right-click–Zoom out.
‘Pan Map’(hand) – Drags map to view dierent areas.
• Le-click, hold, and drag–Moves map in the direction you drag it.
• Right-click, hold, and drag–Move entire mission in the direction you drag it.
3.1
Depending on the size of the map and the power of your computer’s processor, the screen may blank out and
remap as you drag. You may also pan the map using the scroll bars on the edges of the primary map screen.
‘Delete Single Waypoint’ – Deletes selected WP.
• Le-click–Removes selected WP from the map.
• Right-click–Changes the cross-hairs to the ‘Pointer’ tool.
‘Clear All Waypoints’ – Deletes all WPs from the map area.
• Click the icon to prompt the ‘Warning’ window that asks if you are sure that you want to erase all WPs in the
current mission.
• Click ‘Yes’ to clear all WPs or ‘No to return to the mission.
You may want to save the mission before you clear all waypoints in case you want to return to plan a similar
mission in the future.
‘Note’ – Allows the user to drop a note anywhere on the map.
• Click icon and then the location you wish to leave an onscreen note.
• Enter desired text for note. Click the note at any time to edit it in the notes panel.
‘Generate Lawnmower Search’ – Automatically generates a grid pattern connected to the last waypoint.
1. Le-click and drag cross-hairs to create a preliminary box, release the button to place the box.
2. Move the box by clicking in the circle in the center of the box and dragging it.
3. Change the box size by clicking and dragging one of its white corners.
When you release the box, VectorMap opens a ‘Lawnmower Edit’ panel in the control panel. Now that you have
positioned the grid, you need to check the vehicle settings to ensure you collect the desired data. To change any
eld, click in the appropriate box and input the desired value.
Size and Pattern- manipulate by clicking and dragging the corners of the lawnmower box.
• e height and width of the grid are displayed in their respective boxes.
• Change the boxes orientation in the “angle” box.
OR Click in the ‘Angle’ box, then use the scroll function on the mouse to rotate the grid.
OR Click in the ‘Angle’ box, then press the up and down arrows on the keyboard to rotate the grid.
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• Change the type of turn the vehicle will execute in the “Pattern” box.
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
1. ‘Short’- A triangle turn with one turn WP aer the receiving sweep WP. is is a good choice if very
pressed for run time and battery life, but may sacrice some precision.
2. ‘Long’- A square turn with two turn WPs aer the receiving sweep WP. If not pressed for time or battery
life, this turn can improve accuracy before the vehicle dives.
‘
Track to Track Space – Designates the distance between mission lines.
• ‘Fixed’ - Allows the user to manually insert how much space to insert between mission lines.
• ‘Auto’ - Creates a pattern based on sonar coverage percentage. For example, if you insert 100% coverage, all
area in the lawnmower box will be covered once. Only half will be covered with 50% and all areas will be
covered twice with 200%. ese settings are dependent upon side-scan sonar settings.
Turn Properties - Allows the user to specify lawnmower turn settings.
3.1
• ‘Speed’–Determines the speed the vehicle will execute a turn at the end of a sweep.
• ‘Depth’–Determines the depth at which the vehicle will y during turns.
• ‘Length’ - Determines distance from turn WP to sending WP.
‘Fixed’ - Allows the user to manually determine distance.
‘Auto’ - Automatically enters a distance based on dive angle (which cannot be less
than 10 degrees).
• ‘Acquire GPS on turn around’- Checking this box will ensure that the vehicle returns to the
surface for a GPS x before proceeding to the next mission line. is ensures the most accurate run possible.
Side Scan Sonar - Allows the user to specify the settings of the EcoMapper’s side-
scan sonar throughout the grid.
• See Section 3.34 to learn how to adjust side-scan sonar settings.
Multi Beam Sonar - Allows the user to specify the settings of the EcoMapper’s
multibeam sonar throughout the grid.
• All settings are adjustable by user.
• See Section 3.35 to learn how to adjust multibeam sonar settings.
VectorMap will always link the lawnmower grid to the WP originally located
in the top le corner of the grid. If you change the angle of the grid, VM will still link
the mission line to that WP.
Short Turn
Standard Turn
To change default lawnmower settings and ‘Area’ and access ‘Tools’>‘Cong
uration’>‘Lawnmower’ and input new settings or click the C>D button to set current
settings to default. D>C applies default settings to the area.
‘Area Measurement’– Measures and displays area measurements and data for
boundary length and current area.
• Le-click–Adds points for area boundaries.
• Right-click–Closes area box and displays nal values in the tooltip box.
‘Area’ and ‘Length’ units can be changed under ‘Tools’>‘Conguration…
’>‘General.’
‘Add Multiple Waypoints’– Adds WPs and displays a mission line as you go. is
tool also displays distance from the last WP and compass heading in a tooltip box.
• Le-click–Adds a WP at the location of the cross-hairs.
• Right-click–Changes the cross-hairs to the ‘Pointer’ tool.
Add Single Waypoint’ – Adds WPs.
• Le-click–Adds a WP at the location of the cross-hairs.
• Right-click–Changes the cross-hairs to the ‘Pointer’ tool.
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When you plan a mission, have an idea of what conditions you will face at the launch point. Ideally, you should be
NOTE
familiar with the launch area in order to avoid any unnecessary trouble with boat trac, underwater obstructions,
inaccessible shoreline, etc. Always be sure to select an accessible and appropriate launch point in order to ensure a
successful mission. Once you have selected a launch site, locate it on the primary screen area. is is where you will
begin to plan a mission.
When you place a WP, decide how you want the vehicle to behave on each mission line. With the ‘Waypoints’ tab
selected in the control panel, you will be able to determine how the AUV will y at any given point throughout its
mission. e vehicle proceeds according to the waypoint settings of the waypoint that it advances TOWARDS. As soon
as it passes a waypoint, it will alter its behavior to match the next waypoint and execute the line with those settings
(providing the vehicle’s settings change between waypoints.)
3.2
3.2 Obtain a Map
3.21 Open a Map from File
Use these instructions if you already possess the appropriate electronic georeferenced maps.
1. Click ‘File’ in the task bar in the top le corner of the window.
2. Hover the pointer over ‘New Mission’ in the dropdown menu
3. Select ‘From le’ in the y-out menu. e ‘New Mission…’ window will prompt you to select a le.
4. Browse through your system les to locate the desired le.
5. Click on the le, then click open.
VectorMap will display the map in the primary screen area. Add additional concurrent map les to increase the survey
area.
1. Click ‘File’ in the task bar.
2. Click ‘Add Map File…’ from the dropdown menu.
3. Browse through your system les to locate the desired le.
4. Click on the le, then click open.
Add concurrent les as many times as necessary to obtain all maps you intend to include in the survey area.
3.22 Obtain a Map from TerraServer
Use these instructions if you do not possess the appropriate georeferenced maps.
You must have internet access to obtain TerraServer maps through VectorMap. Also, be sure to allow the
program access through any existing internet safety programs when prompted.
Also note that you cannot permanently download any georeferenced map from TerraServer on VectorMap or the
TerraServer website. e map is used strictly for planning purposes to obtain navigational GPS coordinates and will
only be available with internet access. However, once you create and save a mission le, the map is not necessary and
you will still be able to use that le to run the mission, although the actual map will not be visible.
VectorMap provides several options to obtain a georeferenced area from TerraServer.
• Specied radius from United States postal address
• Specied radius from latitude/longitude coordinates
• Specic latitude/longitude bounds of area
• Entire data source bounds (used only to increase map aer it is retrieved with one of the above methods)
• Current screen bounds (used only to increase map aer it is retrieved with one of the above methods)
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If you do not know any of the above listed information, you will need to obtain latitude and longitude coordinates for
the survey area. One simple way is to use TerraServer’s website.
1. Type http://terraserver-usa.com into the Internet browser bar.
2. On the main screen click the area on the map that you desire to survey (this will zoom in on the map).
3. Continue to click until you have achieved the desired resolution of the survey area.
4. Record the latitude and longitude coordinates listed in the boxes on the le side of the screen.
Once you know a postal address, latitude/longitude coordinates, or latitude/longitude bounds, you can proceed to
obtain a georeferenced map of the survey area.
1. Click ‘File’ in the task bar in the top le corner of the VectorMap window.
2. Hover the pointer over ‘New Mission’ in the dropdown menu.
3. Select ‘From TerraServer’ from the y-out menu.
3.2
is action will produce a window labeled ‘Select Online Data Source to Download.’ You can now choose the type
of map with which you would like to work.
• DOQ-USGS Digital Ortho–Quadrangle (Grayscale aerial imagery)
• DRG-USGS Digital Raster Graphics (Topographic Maps)
• UrbanArea–High-resolution color Imagery for Select Urban Areas in the US (limited availability)
• Landsat7 Global Imagery Mosaic (Color, Pan-Sharpened)
• United States Elevation Data (NED) (30m Resolution)
• SRTM Worldwide Elevation Data (3-arc-second Resolution)
• NEXRAD Radar Base Composite
To obtain a map, use one of these three options in the ‘Select Online Data Source to Download’ window in the ‘Select
Area to Download’ section.
• ‘Within __ miles of Address’
• ‘Within __ miles of latitude__/longitude__’
• ‘Specify Latitude/Longitude Bounds of Area’
Continued on next page...
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If you wish to use an address to nd a map…
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
1. Select ‘Within __ miles of Address.’
2. In the rst box, input the number of miles you wish to extend the map radius from the given address (the
address will be displayed in the center).
3. If you wish to use kilometers for the radius, click the small black arrow on the second box and select
kilometers.
4. Input the address by typing it in the third box in the following format: Street address, city, state, ZIP code.
e.g. 1725 Brannum Lane, Yellow Springs, OH, 45387
5. Click ‘OK’ to generate the map.
You may not need all address information to generate the map. Or, you occasionally may not be able to
generate a map using this method. If this method fails aer multiple attempts, please try another method to
retrieve a map.
If you wish to use latitude/longitude coordinates…
1. Select ‘Within __ miles of latitude __/longitude __.’
2. In the rst box, input the number of miles that you wish to extend the radius from the given coordinates.
3. If you wish to use kilometers for the radius, click the black arrow on the second box and select kilometers.
4. Input the latitude coordinate in the third box with all known decimals.
5. Input the longitude coordinate in the fourth box with all known decimals.
6. Click OK to generate the map.
3.2
Longitude values in the Western Hemisphere and latitude values in the Southern hemisphere must be
negative values.
If you wish to use latitude/longitude bounds…
1. Select ‘Specify Latitude/Longitude Bounds of Area.’
2. Input the North, South, East, and West coordinates in the designated boxes.
3. Click OK to generate the map.
Longitude values in the Western Hemisphere and latitude values in the Southern hemisphere must be
negative values.
Now that you have obtained a map from TerraServer, you can increase its size/map range in one of two ways.
1. To return to the ‘Select Online Data Source to Download window, go to ‘Tools>Download a Map.’
2. In the ‘Select Online Data Source to Download’ window, select what type of map to download from the
seven choices in the ‘Select Data Source’ box.
3. Select ‘Current Screen Bounds’ or ‘Entire Data Source Area.’
• ‘Current Screen Bounds’ allows you to zoom out beyond the area that you downloaded (producing white
space) until you feel that you have included all the space you need to complete the map.
• ‘Entire Data Source Area’ downloads the entire map from which the portion already downloaded was a part.
‘Entire Data Source Area’ can include a very large, potentially impractical map size.
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3.3 Mission Settings
NOTE
VectorMap uses a simple point-and-click mission-planning system. e soware uses ‘waypoints’ (WPs), placed
by the user, to provide the vehicle with information on how to behave on mission lines in the survey (depth, speed,
sonar activation, etc.). When the vehicle recognizes it has reached a waypoint, it proceeds to employ the settings
programmed for the next waypoint. is graphic interface in conjunction with georeferenced maps allows the user
to visualize and program a mission on a map, then send the necessary data to the vehicle without the need to convert
visual data into coding.
3.31 Reference Waypoints
Before you place the rst waypoint, establish a ‘Reference Waypoint.’ VectorMap will then automatically apply
3.3
this waypoint’s settings to all waypoints throughout the mission.
1. Under the ‘Waypoints’ tab, click the black arrow on the box labeled ‘WP.’
2. Select ‘Reference WP.’
Choose settings for the Reference WP that will apply to the majority of the mission’s waypoints. is will save time
later when you may edit individual waypoints. However, if you will y a signicant portion of the mission at a dierent
depth or speed, you can alter the Reference WP as you program the mission without aecting the earlier placed WPs.
For example, if you want to y a mission over a section of river and gather data sets from the surface and from 5
feet deep, you can program the rst half of the mission with the Reference WP at 0 feet and the second half with the
Reference WP at 5 feet. Simply change the Reference WP setting when you want the vehicle’s behavior to change.
In order to gather the specic information you want for a survey you must understand the WP settings discussed in the
next section (3.32 ‘Edit Waypoints’).
3.32 Edit Waypoints
Every WP you place automatically assumes the characteristics of the Reference WP.
However, you will not oen want the AUV to maintain identical settings throughout its
mission. In order to alter the characteristics of a mission line, remember to edit the WP
that the vehicle will travel TOWARDS. First, select a WP.
1. Click the grey ‘Waypoints’ tab in the control panel.
2. With the pointer tool, click the WP you wish to edit.
3. Check that you clicked the correct WP by conrming the number displayed in
the ‘WP’ box (the rst box under the ‘Waypoints’ tab) matches the WP you
wish to edit.
4. You may also choose a WP to edit by selecting it from the ‘WP’ box.
5. Click the black arrow on the ‘WP’ box.
6. Select the WP you wish to edit.
Once you have selected the WP, you can change its settings under the ‘Waypoints’ tab.
Speed–To dene the vehicle’s speed in knots, input a value 0-4 in the box labeled ‘Speed.’
You may use decimal measurements.
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Flight depth–To dene the vehicle’s ight depth, select one of the following options and input the desired value in the
NOTE
NOTE
box associated with that specic vehicle behavior.
• ‘DFS’–Depth from Surface–Activates the ‘D’ (depth) box and executes command using information from the
pressure sensor. Depth of 0 will y the vehicle at the surface.
• ‘HFB’–Height from Bottom–Activates the ‘H’ (height) box-executes command using information from the
altimeter. is will allow the EcoMapper to follow underwater contours.
• ‘Undulate’–Activates ‘H’(height), ‘D’ (depth), and ‘A’ (angle) boxes. Commands the AUV to continually rise
and fall between two programmed depths. Executes command using information from the pressure sensor.
e highest point of the undulation is marked by the ‘H’ value and the deepest point by the ‘D.’
e sensors are rated for a maximum depth of 200 feet. Do not deploy the vehicle with the
intention of diving it more than 200 feet from the surface. e only exception to this rule are vehicles ordered
from YSI as deep-water vehicles. ese vehicles may travel up to 200 meters from the surface.
!
3.3
3.33 Park
You may also command the vehicle to remain at a specic WP by selecting ‘Park’ for that WP. e vehicle will
automatically maintain its position within 18 of the programmed WP. You can change the default park radius under
Conguration>GUI>Park Radius.
• Click in the ‘Park’ checkbox.
• is activates the ‘Park’ time box. Enter how many minutes you wish the vehicle to park.
• If you command the vehicle to park at any point during the mission, it will park for the
specied time and then resume its scheduled mission. You may wish to use the feature at
the end of a mission so that the vehicle will hold its position at a specied point within WiFi
range for easy retrieval.
• epark WP is designated by a small boxed ‘P’ as well as a second circle indicating the WP’s parking circle.
• If desired, you may choose to blow the Safety Tow Float’s balloon at a park point to increase visibility by
checking the ‘Deploy Tow Float’ box.
3.34 Side-Scan Sonar
Side-scan sonar is an option on the EcoMapper AUV. If your vehicle has a side-scan sonar, you will operate it from the
‘Waypoints’ section.
• Click on the box at the bottom of the ‘Waypoints’ section that reads ‘Don’t use sonar.’
• Select the side-scan system from the dropdown menu.
• e side-scan sonar will be active for this WP.
If you activate the side-scan on the Reference WP, the sonar will run during all WPs placed under those
Reference WP settings.
You can now alter specic settings of the sonar.
• Gain: e “volume” of the sonar. Higher gain=Stronger signal. Use a higher gain
for so targets. However, a gain set too high will distort images reected from
hard surfaces.
• Ch (Channel): You may choose which sonar you would like to use: P-port,
S-starboard, or B-both.
• Freq: (Frequency): You have the choice of (L) Low or (H) High frequency. Highfrequency will yield higher-quality images, but has a smaller range. Low frequency has a much larger range,
but yields poorer-quality images. Use each respective range based on distance from the survey object.
• Rn: (Range): Choose the length of your sonar’s reach. e high-frequency sonar has a maximum distance of
30 m. e low-frequency sonar can reach as far as 120 m. Choose the range closest to your survey needs.
For the highest quality images, use low ranges at close proximity.
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3.35 Multi-Beam Sonar
Multi-beam sonar is an option on the EcoMapper AUV. If your vehicle has a multi-beam sonar, you will operate it
from the ‘Waypoints’ section.
• Click on the box at the bottom of the ‘Waypoints’ section
that reads ‘Do not use.’
• Select the mult-beam system (Imagenex) from the
dropdown menu.
• e mult-beam sonar will now be active for this WP.
Set Physical Equipment Orientation
Users may physically orient their multibeam systems on their
3.3
instruments either looking straight down or 20 degrees to port or
starboard.
1. Select Tools>Conguration>Vehicles/
Instruments>Multibeam.
2. Select your vehicles current physical conguration.
Multi-beam Options
• Gain: Recommended between 10-14 depending on depth.
• Automatic Gain Control: Automatically determines depth and adjust gain
accordingly for best image. Always leave this option on unless you desire to
read specically at a predetermined depth. If you desire to make readings at
only a predetermined depth, select “Fixed Range.”
• Fixed Range: Use if you wish to make measurements at a specic depth. Enter depth in meters in adjoining
box.
• 2X Depth Auto Range: e range will be automatically adjusted based upon two times the depth to bottom.
• 3X Depth Auto Range: e range will be automatically adjusted based upon two times the depth to bottom.
3.36 Place Waypoints
Before you place the rst WP, always consider the range of the vehicle’s WiFi antenna. If possible, place the rst
waypoint in WiFi range to allow recovery with manual control should any last minute changes or accidents occur.
You have two options in the ‘Tools’ section with which you may place waypoints: ‘Place Multiple Waypoints’ or ‘Place
Single Waypoint,’ which perform virtually identical functions but change the display slightly.
• ‘Place Multiple Waypoints’ draws a line as you move the cursor so that you may track exactly what line the
vehicle will take to reach the new WP. is function also displays a tooltip box identifying the distance from
the last waypoint as well as compass heading.
• ‘Place Single Waypoint’ performs the same function as ‘Place Multiple Waypoints’ but does not draw a line
until the WP is dropped. is function also does not display the tooltip box.
1. Place the crosshair cursor directly where you wish to place the rst waypoint and click the le mouse button.
2. Continue to move the crosshair cursor throughout the survey area and click to add a waypoint (designated
by a numbered circle). Remember the vehicle will travel directly to the waypoint, if the vehicle surfaces and
recognizes that it missed its waypoint safety zone (within 15 feet), it will circle back and cross the waypoint
before it continues with its mission.
3. For more specic data sets, set the mission lines close together, but be sure to maintain a safe distance from
shore, shallows or any known obstacles.
4. Place the nal waypoint within WiFi distance for easy retrieval via manual control. It is also prudent to
program the vehicle to ‘park’ at its nal waypoint (for a reasonable time) in order to assure the vehicle
remains in the programmed end location for reliable retrieval. e rst and last WPs in a mission are
designated by a square WP marker.
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3.4 Mission Information
3.41 Mission Stats
VectorMap automatically calculates mission statistics as you plan the mission. is
information may be very useful as you determine what distance the survey needs to cover,
what length of time the mission will take, and how much power is le.
• WP Count: How many total WPs have been placed.
• Mission Length (distance): Total length of the current mission.
• Duration (time): How long it will take the AUV to complete the current mission.
• Power Le: How much power the vehicle will have remaining aer the mission.
At any time during the planning process, you may check GPS and navigational information on the mission and
map in the ‘Location’ section located in the top portion of the control panel.
• Lat: Exact latitude of pointer
• Long: Exact longitude of pointer
3.42 WP Power Details
Under the ‘Waypoints’ tab, you can click the small blue lightning bolt to display power usage details
throughout the mission. e icon displays information for each WP.
• WP Distance
• Total Distance
• WP Time
• Total Time
• WP Power
• Total Power
• Remaining Power
ese statistics rely on your vehicle’s current battery capacity. VectorMap default is full capacity (600 WHr). If you
wish to change the eld which displays your vehicle’s current battery capacity, refer to Section 3.6. is power table
will also help automatically notify you if you plan a mission that will run on reserve power or run the vehicle out of
power. e table will default display WPs in maroon that run on reserve power and will display them in bright red if
the vehicle will run out of power. e mission line will also change color according to the vehicle’s power capacity. By
default, the mission line will turn yellow if the vehicle will run the line on reserve. e line will be displayed in red if
the vehicle is out of power. (ese colors can be altered, refer to Section 3.6)
3.4
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3.43 Tips for Navigation
NOTE
Remember, once the vehicle begins its mission and is out of WiFi range, it is completely autonomous; the mission
cannot be stopped or altered unless the user can reestablish a WiFi connection.
• Begin and end the vehicle’s mission within WiFi range for simple retrieval.
• Remember that the vehicle will behave based on the programming of its next assigned waypoint. For
example, if ‘WP 32’ is programmed at 4 knots and 3 feet Depth from Surface and the vehicle is at the surface
at ‘WP 31,’ as soon as the AUV passes ‘WP 31’ it will dive and travel the line at 4 knots and 3 feet in order to
arrive at ‘WP 32’ at its programmed settings.
• Allocate extra waypoints and edit them accordingly at sharp turns where the vehicle will surface and then
submerge again. If you program a vehicle to travel a long line perpendicular to the shore, but you want it to
surface at the end of the line to reacquire a GPS x, take these steps to ensure accurate arrival.
3.4
-At the end of a long line before a sharp turn, add an extra WP with the settings you wish to y that line.
-Immediately aer that WP, in the same straight line, program the vehicle to surface to make the turn.
-Add an extra WP in the turn for the vehicle to turn towards before it dives in the next line of the grid.
-Repeat this process in each sharp grid turn to optimize the vehicle’s ight pattern.
-e end result of this process should have three WPs in sharp turns.
*e rst (receiving) WP at the average survey level.
*e second (middle) WP at the surface for a GPS x.
*e third (sending) WP in line with the far WP at the average survey level.
• Try to check areas of potential obstructions such as bridges. A quick visual check of piling locations betters
your odds of missing them and similar obstructions.
• If you operate the AUV in a busy watercra trac area, try to conduct surveys when trac will be lower.
• Although the AUV navigates very eciently underwater, it is prudent to have the vehicle surface occasionally
to acquire a GPS x for optimal performance. is should be considered especially when the survey is in an
area with any signicant current.
• e AUV can only be successful in environments that fall within its performance range; do not program the
vehicle to travel upstream in a current faster than 4 knots.
3.44 Waypoint Information
You may view statistical information on a specic WP at any time during mission planning and execution.
WP: Box displays which WP number’s information is being displayed (can be
changed by clicking the black arrow for a dropdown menu).
• Lat: Exact latitude of WP.
• Long: Exact longitude of WP.
• Time: Estimation of how long it will take the vehicle to reach the WP
(hours:mins:secs).
• Dist: How far the vehicle has traveled when it reaches the WP.
• Power: How much energy is expended to reach the WP from the previous
WP.
When the vehicle is on a mission, the information does not stream live but is an estimate of vehicle statistics.
e information will remain the same throughout mission execution even if the vehicle deviates from the planned
course.
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3.5 Advanced Mapping
NOTE
e ‘Layers’ tab allows VectorMap users the ability to manipulate and view maps, log les, and missions simultaneously
or have the option to move between dierent maps. VectorMap will display the map located highest in the map queue.
To manipulate the various layers, you may use the tool cluster at the bottom of the ‘Layers’ tab. First, click a le in the
panel to select it; then, use the tools to manipulate the le.
-Moves le down one step -Add a new map le
- Moves les to the bottom -Zoom to active mission
3.5
-Moves le up one step -Provide detail of selected map
- Moves le to the top -Remove le
- Zoom to view all maps -Set mission to active
3.51 Overlay Multiple Maps
When you download and view a map in the primary screen area, VectorMap can
overlay another type of map (such as a topographic map over a satellite image) using
TerraServer and the ‘Layers’ tab. e rst step is to download the map.
1. Click ‘Tools’ in the task bar.
2. Select ‘Download a Map.’
is displays the ‘Select Online Data Source to Download’ window. If you used
TerraServer to download the rst map, simply repeat the steps you used to obtain
it but select another type that you desire to overlay (one of the seven options in the
‘Select Data Source’ window). If you obtained the rst map from le, please refer to
Section 3.22 to learn how to obtain a map from TerraServer.
Once you download the maps that you intend to use, begin to overlay maps using the
‘Layers’ tab located halfway down the Tools panel on the right side of the window.
1. Click the ‘Layers’ tab.
2. e maps are designated with red ags under the ‘Maps Layers’ heading.
3. Identify the maps by hovering the pointer over each map heading.
Click in the control screen to ensure that the identication box appears
when you hover the pointer. e highest map in the map queue box is displayed on
the primary screen area. You can move map layers to bring dierent maps into view.
Utilize the ‘Layers’ function to overlay two maps of the same area in order to view
two sets of information on the region simultaneously. For example, to plan a mission
primarily using a DOQ satellite image with topographic information on top of the satellite image, use the satellite
image as a base map and overlay the topographical map.
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1. Move the overlay map to the top position.
NOTE
2. Using the black directional arrows on the bottom of the panel, move the base map to the second (lower)
position in the map list directly below the overlay map.
3. Alter the transparency by entering a value 0-100 in the ‘Translucency’ box below the map list. is number
designates what percentage of the map will be transparent. You may also click the up and down arrows to
change the transparency of the map by one digit. When you lower the number, the map becomes more
transparent. (Hint: 50% allows for close to even viewing of both maps.)
3.52 Overlay Missions and Logs
VectorMap allows the user to overlay previous/other mission and logs provided they are in the same map range. You
may use this feature to compare missions side-by-side to decide which one may be best for the desired survey, or you
can overlay the logs in order to see the actual course taken and retrieve precise data from any point in the mission.
3.5
Once you import a georeferenced map, (either from le or TerraServer) you can proceed with mission planning,
which will be discussed in the following section. However, you can do some advanced mapping with the ‘Layers’
feature. ‘Layers’ can also be used to evaluate mission data by overlaying log les, which will be covered later in the data
collection section.
Overlay missions:
1. Click le.
2. Select ‘Open Existing Mission’
3. Browse to the desired mission.
4. Click on the le.
5. Click ‘Open.’
is step is very useful when creating an .srp (Safe Return Path) le, as it allows you to simultaneously
examine an origin mission and the Safe Return Path.
Overlay Sonar Files:
1. Open the desired map le(s).
2. Click le.
3. Select ‘Add sonar le…’
4. In the ‘Select Sonar File…’ window, browse through your les until you locate the sonar le(s) you wish to
overlay (.tif les).
5. Click on the le (Ctrl + click to select multiple les or, if you wish to display all sonar les, click the rst le
and Shi + click the last le).
6. VectorMap will display the side-scan sonar image on the primary screen area.
Overlay Log Files:
Overlaying logs can be very useful as a diagnostic tool to determine how the vehicle behaved at certain points
throughout the mission. You can click at any point on the line to determine what the vehicle was doing and possibly
ascertain why.
1. Open the desired map le(s).
2. Click le.
3. Select ‘Overlay Log…’
4. In the ‘Overlay log…’ window, browse through your les until you locate the mission log le you wish to
overlay; VectorMap only displays log les in this browser.
5. Click on the le.
6. VectorMap will display a window asking ‘Would you like to load the multimedia directory for this log le?’
7. Click ‘no’ (is will be implemented with the future use of video cameras.)
8. e program may ask you if you still want to view the log although some of the headers do not have related
information. Click ‘yes’ in the window.
9. VectorMap will then display the actual course (log) of the AUV on the primary screen area.
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You may obtain specic information on any given point by clicking the mission line in the desired area.
NOTE
NOTE
• Click the mission line exactly where you want to obtain information.
• If you successfully clicked the desired area, an ‘X’ will appear on the line at the point of the click.
• e information on that point is displayed in the log information pane located at the bottom of the primary
screen area.
All of the information obtained at that point may be viewed by scrolling le and right with the window arrows at the
bottom of the pane. You may also move up and down through the points to view data at dierent points throughout
the mission. If you click on a data set, the ‘X’ on the map will move to that point. You may also choose to display select
info on the log mission line when you click it.
1. Right-click anywhere on the primary screen area with log displayed.
2. Select ‘Display Data Popup’ (if it does not already have a check beside it).
3. Right-click again on the primary screen area and select ‘Select Data.’
4. In the ‘Field Selection’ window, double-click any of the data elds that you would like VectorMap to
display.
5. Click ‘OK.’
A tooltip box now appears wherever you click on the log mission line, displaying the information that you selected in
the ‘Field Selection’ menu.
When you overlay the log le, you may notice that the vehicle’s actual path is slightly serpentine. is is due
to the fact that the vehicle constantly navigates towards the mission line. If your survey body does possess a current,
the vehicle will constantly compensate for the current by driving to the line. If it is pushed outside of its acceptable
watch distance from the line, it will return immediately, thereby causing the log to display a wave-like survey pattern.
3.5
You may also notice a discrepancy in the depth readings from the vehicle. e depth-sounding sonar on the vehicle is
rated to locate a bottom at 300 feet in optimal conditions. Should the vehicle travel approximately 300 feet or so from
the bottom, the log may show a false bottom, or an obviously incorrect reading that shows the bottom 1-10 feet from
the vehicle instead of ~250+ feet. is eect will be obvious due to a quick jump from deep to shallow in DFB data.
Overlay DVL Files
1. Open the desired map le(s).
2. Click le.
3. Select ‘Overlay DVL Log.’
Vectormap displays a pane that contains DVL/ADCP data for each point along it’s path over the original mission
log information pane as well as arrows along the mission line. ese arrows indicate the direction of current and its
strength. e longer the arrow, the stronger the current. You can alter how VectorMap displays this data (Section 3.62))
3.53 Create a Safe Return Path
A Safe Return Path is identical to a normal mission aside from a few basic dierences. e Safe Return Path(SRP)
operates the AUV by using surface WPs and only begins its mission if a safety rule is engaged. is safety mechanism
can prevent an AUV from running a long course once it recognizes hazardous conditions. Once a SRP engages, the
AUV will drive at the surface to the nearest WP and follow the SRP to its nal WP. To create a successful SRP, include
plenty of WPs that are easily accessible from multiple points on the mission so that the vehicle can quickly and easily
access the SRP and return to its destination. To program an SRP, follow these steps.
1. Start a new mission. ‘File’ > ‘Create New Active Mission.’ (from le or TerraServer).
2. Open the existing mission that needs a SRP (‘Overlay Missions’ Section 3.52).
3. Set the new mission as the active mission in the layers panel.
4. Plan your new SRP mission over the normal mission in order to ensure a successful transition should a
safety rule be engaged.
5. Save the le as a .srp.
Include both the .mis le and the .srp le when you upload missions into the UVC’s shared mission.
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3.6 Features and Configuration
3.61 Take a Screen Snapshot
VectorMap includes a function that takes a screenshot of your map and mission that can easily be stored or printed.
e Snapshot function only captures the image on the primary screen area.
1. Manipulate (move up/down, le/right, zoom in/out) the primary screen area until you can see all that you
want to include in the snapshot.
2. Click ‘Edit’ in the task bar on the top of the VectorMap window.
3. Select ‘Take Snapshot…’
4. Name the le .
5. Choose the le directory and extension (.jpg, .tif, .png) and click ‘Save.’
3.6
You can now view the snapshot in any program that supports normal picture extensions.
3.62 Configuration and Default Settings
You may change various default settings found throughout VectorMap. Many measurement units, WP settings, and
interface displays can be altered. ese changes may help you more eectively plan the survey.
1. Click ‘Tools’ in the task bar at the top of the VectorMap window.
2. Select ‘Congurations…’
is action produces the ‘VectorMap Conguration’ window. e window has several tabs.
• General
• Buoys (not an active feature)
• GUI (Graphic User Interface)
• Lawnmower
• Power Usage
• DVL Log
3.621 General
Under the ‘General’ tab, you can alter a variety of default measurement
units as well as view a directory of the paths displayed on your screen.
In the ‘Units’ section, you can change a variety of default settings by
clicking on the black arrow in the appropriate box and selecting the
desired unit.
• Distance: Miles, Kilometers, Meters, or Nautical Miles
• Speed: Knots or Km/hr
• GPS: dd°mm.ssssssss, dd°mm.mmmmmm, or
dd.dddddddddddd
• Depth: Feet or Meters
• Area: Square Meters, Square miles, Square Kilometers, and
Square Nautical Miles
‘Paths’ displays computer directory links to several items.
• Maps
• Logs
• Missions
Leave these default settings in place. ey will allow for easy le manipulation as you operate the AUV.
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3.622 GUI (Graphical User Interface)
e GUI tab allows you to alter some of the visual cues presented in VectorMap as well as several viewing options. You
may change the color of any number of visual components.
•
• Background • Outer Park Circle
• WP Font Color • Inner Park Circle
• Main Mssn Line: • Sonar Range Box
• Selected WP • Multibeam Range Box
• Overlay Mssn Line: • WP Success
• Overlay Mssn WP • DVL Vector
• Overlay Mssn WP
• Mssn Power Reserve
• Vehicle Unreachable
• WP DFS
• WP HFB
• WP Spiral Dive
• WP Undulate Dive
• Tooltip Font
• Tooltip Background
• Mssn No Power
• Overlay Log Line
3.6
e ‘Colors’ section allows you to easily change the color of a
number of display items for easy recognition.
1. Click on the color swatch associated with the desired
change.
2. Select the desired color from the palette.
3. Click ‘OK.’
VectorMap also oers a variety of viewing options. To activate an option, click the checkbox next to the desired choice.
or select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu.
• Map Fast Pan • Draw Multibeam Range Box • Dropdown box: Sonar Range Box Pattern
• Map Double Buering • Show WP Success Select darkness of sonar range box.
• Map Antialising • Show Parking Radius • Dropdown box: Multibeam Range Box Pattern
• Draw Sonar Range Box Select pattern of multibeam range box.
3.623 Lawnmower
e ‘Lawnmower’ tab allows you to alter all default values of the
automatically-generated grids in VectorMap. You may also
choose to manually edit these WPs aer you generate the
grid. Please refer to section 3.1 “Generate Lawnmower
Search” for denitions and information on the settings in
this section. Also refer to section 3.34 “Side-Scan Sonar” for
more information on sonar settings.
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3.624 Power Usage
e ‘Power Usage’ tab allows you to manually input the current status of your vehicle’s battery and plan the mission
accordingly. A fully charged battery has 600 WHr. If your vehicle is not at 100% capacity, enter the vehicle’s actual
charge in the ‘Total Battery Power:’ Box. You can also choose to alter the reserve levels to prompt a visual indicator in
VectorMap when the mission enters your preset reserve level. VectorMap will display a message stating ‘Reserve Power
Aer WP __’ if you begin to plan your mission in the entered reserve level; the mission lines will also be displayed in
yellow (default color).
e ‘Power Usage List’ also displays the rates at which the vehicle will
consume power in normal circumstances. You may choose to alter these
values.
• Click on a value.
• Delete it with the ‘Erase’ icon. (Designated by a small white
3.6
You may save or load a power table at any point. Click the blue ‘Load
Power Table…’ or ‘Save Power Table.’ To save and load text les of your
power tables.
square with a black cross.)
• Input the new values in the ‘Speed:’ and ‘Power:’ boxes.
• Click the ‘Add value’ icon to add the values. (Designated by a
white square with a red oval.)
• You may also input values for speeds not found in the table.
3.625 DVL Log
e ‘DVL log’ tab allows users to alter how VectorMap displays DVL log
data when it is overlayed on a map.
• Sample Constant - e user-changeable number in the box
reects how many samples will be averaged to be viewed in the
DVL log pane of VectorMap.
• Current Vector Spacing - e user-changeable number in the
box reect how many averaged samples VectorMap will skip
between each one displayed in the DVL log pane.
• Magnitude Representation of Current - e user-changeable
number in the box reect how many meters long a water
velocity arrow (on a map’s DVL overlay) will be for every
1 knot measured.
3.626 Vehicles/Instruments
e ‘Vehicles/Instruments’ has three main subsections: Override Vehicle Settings, DVL, and Multibeam. Each one
alters an aspect of how the appropriate device will perform on a mission from VectorMap. Alter each one according to
how you wish the vehicle to perform and/or collect data.
Override Vehicle Settings
Users may alter any of the user-changeable boxes to aect how the vehicle
will perform on the mission you are currently planning.
• WP Success Radius - Denes how close the vehicle must get to
any WP before continuing to the next WP.
• Park Radius - Denes how big the park circle is in comparison
to WP Success Radius. 100% of a four meter park circle yields an
inside park radius of 4m and an outside park radius of 8m.
• Delay Mission Start Time - Time (in seconds) from when a
vehicle receives its mission to the time it commences it.
• Maximum Pitch Angle - Denes how steep the vehicle may dive.
• User-entered Salinity - If the vehicle does not have a CT sensor,
enter the measured salinity of the water for data corrections.
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DVL
NOTE
Users may alter any of the user-changeable boxes to aect how
the vehicle’s DVL/ADCP will measure throughout the mission
you are currently planning. Click the checkbox beside ‘Upward
ADCP’ or ‘Downward ADCP’ (depending on individual vehicle
options) to enable transducers. Each ADCP has the same options.
• On/O - Powers the ADCP on or o.
• Cell Size - Denes the height of each ADCP
measurement cell (in meters). YSI recommends a
height between .45 and 1 meters, but users may digress
from this range according to individual depths and
needs.
• Number of Cells - Denes how many measurement
cells the ADCP will create during measurement. YSI
recommends 10 cells, but users may digress from this
number according to individual depths and needs.
Multibeam
Users have the option to physically rotate the multibeam sonar: 20 degrees starboard, centered, or 20 degrees port.
Select the appropriate conguration from the radio buttons prior to uploading the mission le to the vehicle.
3.63 Save and Open Missions
Save
Save a mission like you would in any other program. Always choose ‘Save As…’ the rst time you save a mission.
3.6
• Click File.
• Select ‘Save As…’ from the dropdown menu.
• In the ‘Save Mission…’ window, choose the le directory in which you want to save the mission. (You may
want to place it in the same le as the mission’s maps in order to prevent any confusion.)
• Name the le in ‘File Name’ box.
• For a mission le, select the .mis extension, if the le is a Safe Return Path, save it as an .srp extension under
the exact same name as your mission le. e UVC searches for .SRP les that match the .MIS name.
• Click ‘Save.’
Be selective where you save missions; create new folders and directories as needed. Try to be specic when
you name your les, add locations, dates, or version numbers to both mission les and folders to make data transfer
easier when you move les between your computer and the AUV.
Open
Always open the mission’s map before you proceed to open the map le.
• Click ‘le.’
• Select ‘Open Mission…’
• In the ‘Load Mission File…’ window, browse through your system les to locate the mission (.txt) le that
you wish to open.
• Select the le.
• Click open.
VectorMap will display the mission on the map as it was last saved.
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3.64 Live Tracking
VectorMap allows users to track a vehicle on the surface by plotting GPS coordinates
from the vehicle throughout a mission. In order to live track a vehicle, the vehicle must
be on the surface and within WiFi range. If the vehicle dives or leaves WiFi range, the
connection will time out and disconnect. In order to enable and view live tracking,
click the ‘Tracking’ tab in the Tools panel.
3.6
3.65 Video Cameras and Buoys
ese options are currently not available on the EcoMapper AUV, but will be options
in the future. As a result, you will occasionally encounter icons, tabs, and instructions
that utilize these functions. e functions are, at this point in time, inoperable due to lack of hardware on the current
vehicle, but will come online as the EcoMapper evolves.
• Interval - How oen the vehicle receives updated information from the AUV
(in seconds).
• Enable Tracking - Turns tracking on or o.
• Vehicle - Allows the user to choose up to ve vehicles and select which
vehicle’s path VectorMap should display.
• Path - Allows the user to choose to enable this function, draw the track or
show the data box with information currently being processed by the vehicle.
• Select Path - e user will click this button to browse to the vehicle’s shared
log folder and select the appropriate log for VectorMap to display. e vehicle
must be in WiFi range for these functions to work.
• Locate Vehicle - Searches for the vehicle over WiFi to begin Tracking.
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3.7 EcoMapper Data File Descriptions
3.71 DVL Log File Format Descriptions
e EcoMapper outputs the DVL data to three separate les. e “DVL” log le which always has the extension “.dvl”,
the water prole up le with extension “.pfu” (ten beam solutions only), and the water prole down le with extension
“.pfd”. e DVL log le is a semicolon delimited ASCII text le that contains all of the single point information output
by the DVL. e water prole data les are comma delimited ASCII text les that include time and location tagged
matrices of water velocities measurements.
Users may optionally select a Matlab Output in the onboard system control soware, UVC. EcoMapper users
interested in the water velocity prole data should enable this option before running EcoMapper missions. To enable
this option, select the appropriate check box in the UVC settings panel (See Section 5.36). is le is a comma
delimited ASCII text le that can be easily loaded into Matlab, Excel, or any other capable program. Users can
easily import this le into Matlab using Matlab’s “load” command.
e DVL log le contains time stamped series of vehicle position and DVL output. e DVL outputs in this le are
related to distance traveled and range to bottom. e following desciptions are numbered according to column in the
DVL log le.
1. Latitude – Position in degrees of Latitude. Positive values are North of the equator and negative values are
South of the equator.
2. Longitude – Position in degrees of Longitude. Positive values are East of the Prime Meridian and negative
values are West of the Prime Meridian.
3. Time – Sample time in 24 hour format. For example 13:49:11.73 is equivalent to 11.73 seconds aer 1:49 PM.
4. Date – Sample date (month/day/year).
5. C True Heading – Compass heading in degrees from True North. True North is the direction toward the
North Pole which is dierent than magnetic North.
6. Sample Number – is is the sample number from the DVL.
7. Fix Type – Indicates the type of DVL x. 0 = no navigation x, 1 = water track x, 2 = bottom track x.
8. Fix Quality – A relative score from 0 to 10 reecting the degree of certainty in the computed velocity.
9. X Speed (m/s) – e forward speed of the vehicle.
10. Y Speed (m/s) – e lateral speed of the vehicle.
11. Z speed (m/s) – e vertical speed of the vehicle.
12. Track Time – e time in seconds since the DVL was rst started.
13. X Distance (m) – e forward distance the vehicle has traveled since the DVL was initialized.
14. Y Distance (m) – e lateral distance the vehicle has traveled since the DVL was initialized.
15. Altitude (m) – e height in meters of the vehicle above the bottom from down-looking vertical beam.
16. Depth (m) – e depth in meters of the vehicle below the water surface from up-looking vertical beam.
17. Temperature (c) – e water temperature measured by the DVL in degrees Celsius.
18. Sound Speed (m/s) – e speed of sound in water calculated by the DVL from the salinity and temperature.
19. Salinity (ppt) – e salinity in parts per thousand that the DVL is using to calculate sound speed. is value
is either set by the user or measured in real-time by onboard sensors.
20. BtXspd (m/s) – e forward speed of the vehicle as computed from bottom tracking. Because of the way
bottom track is computed, a negative value here actually indicates forward vehicle motion. To get the true
forward speed from bottom tracking, multiply this value by -1.
21. BtYspd (m/s) – e lateral speed of the vehicle as computed from bottom tracking. Because of the way
bottom track is computed, a negative value here actually indicates motion to the right or starboard. To get
the true lateral speed from bottom tracking, multiply this value by -1.
22. BtZspd (m/s) – e vertical speed of the vehicle from bottom tracking. In this case, a positive value indicates
the vehicle is moving upward.
23. BtQuality - e bottom track quality. is is a quality score for the bottom tracking solution. A “9” is a
4-beam bottom tracking solution. A “7” is a 3-beam bottom tracking solution. A zero is no bottom-track at
all. Other numbers are unused at the moment.
24. BtRnge1 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range in meters between the vehicle and the location of where
beam 1 is hitting the bottom. is is not the along beam range, but the vertical range to bottom. Beam 1 on
3.7
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3.7
the down-looking beam set is the forward beam on the starboard side.
25. BtRnge2 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range between the vehicle and the location of where beam 2 is
hitting the bottom. Beam 2 on the down-looking beam set is the back beam on the starboard side.
26. BtRnge3 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range between the vehicle and the location of where beam 3 is
hitting the bottom. Beam 3 on the down-looking beam set is the back beam on the port side.
27. BtRnge4 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range between the vehicle and the location of where beam 4 is
hitting the bottom. Beam 4 on the down-looking beam set is the forward beam on the port side.
28. BtXWaterSpd (m/s) – e forward speed of the vehicle from water tracking. e DVL is capable of only one
tracking algorithm at a time. If bottom tracking is active then water tracking is turned o and this column
will be lled with 999.999s. Water tracking is like bottom tracking, but instead of the bottom, a xed volume
of water is used as the velocity reference. A negative value indicates forward progress. Water tracking is only
used when the bottom is out of range.
29. BtYWaterSpd (m/s) – e lateral speed of the vehicle from water tracking. A negative value indicates the
vehicle is moving in the starboard direction.
30. BtZWaterSpd (m/s) – e vertical speed of the vehicle from water tracking. A positive value indicates the
vehicle is moving upward.
31. BtWaterQuality - e water track quality. is value is a percentage divided by 10. is percentage is the
amount of the water tracking cell that is usable (above the sea oor). When this value is zero, bottom
tracking is being used.
32. VtXspd (m/s) – is is the forward speed of the vehicle as computed from the “bottom” tracking of the uplooking beams. is feature is under development mainly for under ice application and should be used with
caution. is column is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range (too close/far.)
33. VtYspd (m/s) – is is the lateral speed of the vehicle as computed from the “bottom” tracking of the uplooking beams. is feature is under development as surface tracking mainly for under ice application and
should be used with caution. is column is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range.
34. VtZspd (m/s) – is is the vertical speed of the vehicle as computed from the “bottom” tracking of the uplooking beams. is feature is under development as surface tracking mainly for under ice application and
should be used with caution. is column is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range.
35. VtQuality – e up-looking surface tracking quality. is is a quality score for the surface tracking solution.
A “9” is a 4-beam surface tracking solution. A “7” is a 3-beam surface tracking solution. A zero is no surfacetrack at all. Other numbers are unused at the moment.
36. VtRnge1 (m) - e tilt corrected vertical range in meters between the vehicle and the location of where beam
1 is hitting the surface. is is not the along beam range, but the vertical range to surface. Beam 1 on this uplooking beam set is the forward beam on the port side. e up-looking range to surface is 999.999s when the
surface is out of range.
37. VtRnge2 (m) - e tilt corrected vertical range to surface in meters. e distance between the vehicle and the
location of where beam 2 is hitting the surface. Beam 2 on this up-looking beam set is the rear beam on the
port side. e up-looking range to surface is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range.
38. VtRnge3 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range to the surface in meters. Beam 3 is the up-looking rear beam
on the starboard side. is column is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range.
39. VtRnge4 (m) – e tilt corrected vertical range to the surface in meters. Beam 4 is the up-looking forward
beam on the starboard side. Up-looking range is lled with 999.999s when the surface is out of range.
40. VtXWaterSpd (m/s) - e forward speed of the vehicle from up-looking water tracking. e DVL is capable
of only one tracking algorithm at a time. If surface tracking is active then water tracking is turned o and
this column will be lled with 999.999s. Water tracking is like surface tracking, but instead of the surface, a
xed volume of water is used as the velocity reference. A negative value indicates forward progress. is will
only be used when the surface is out of range.
41. VtYWaterSpd (m/s) - e lateral speed of the vehicle from up-looking water tracking. If surface tracking
is active then water tracking is turned o and this column will be lled with 999.999s. A negative value
indicates motion to starboard.
42. VtZWaterSpd (m/s) - e vertical speed of the vehicle from up-looking water tracking. If surface tracking is
active then water tracking is turned o and this column will be lled with 999.999s. is will only be used
when the surface is out of range.
43. VtWaterQuality - e up-looking water track quality. is value is a percentage divided by 10. is
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percentage is the amount of the water tracking cell that is usable (below the surface). When this value is zero,
surface tracking is being used.
44. Xvelocity (m/s) – e measured velocity of the water from the second down-looking velocity proling cell.
is is the speed of the local current just below the vehicle in the direction the vehicle is heading. is is an
absolute measurement that includes the motion of the vehicle. To nd the true current speed, the motion
of the vehicle and the orientation or heading of the vehicle must be taken into account. A negative value
indicates forward motion.
45. Yvelocity (m/s) - e measured velocity of the water from the second down-looking velocity proling cell.
is is the speed of the local current just below the vehicle in the direction perpendicular to the direction
the vehicle is heading. is is an absolute measurement that includes the motion of the vehicle. To nd the
true current speed, the motion of the vehicle and the orientation or heading of the vehicle must be taken into
account. A negative value indicates motion toward starboard.
3.72 DVL Water Velocity Profile File Format Description
e DVL is capable of proling the water column above and below the vehicle. 10 beam DVLs can prole above
and below the vehicle, while 4 and 6 beam systems only prole below the vehicle. Before proling data is recorded, the
user enable recording in VectorMap under DVL settings and dene the number of cells and the size of the cells. ese
cells divide the water column into a number of slices where the velocity of the water in each slice is averaged over the
length of the cell. e water velocity data for the up-looking proles are recorded in the les with “.pfu” extensions
meaning “prole up”. e water velocity data for the down-looking proles are recorded in the les with “.pfd”
extensions meaning “prole down”.
Both of the pfu and pfd les have the same format, but it is important to understand that the cells are
numbered consecutively as they move away from the vehicle in both directions. For example, cell 1 from the pfd le is
just below the vehicle while cell 1 from the pfu le is just above the vehicle. e up and down cells can have dierent
sizes. e minimum cell size should be no less than 0.2 meters. e number of cells is limited to 30 up-looking cells
and 30 down-looking cells. ere can be a dierent number of cells in each direction and the size of the up cells can
be dierent from the size of the down cells. Smaller cell sizes will produce noisier data because less spatial averaging is
applied. A cell size of 1 meter is suitable for most applications.
e DVL proles the water column several times per second, but the data is only recorded in te pfd and pfu
les once per second. It is important to understand that if a cell is located beyond the physical boundary of the sea
oor or the beyond the surface of the water, a value will still be recorded for that cell. Users will need to apply the
vertical beam data to decide whether the cell is valid or not. Also, depending on the speed and variability of the water
currents, it may be necessary to average over a number of samples in time to get a good view of the overall prole or
structure of the currents.
3.7
Prole Data Format Description
ere is a lot of information in the velocity prole data les. An example of these les follows the line descriptions
below. Each line in the pfd or pfu le starts with a number that identies the data contained on that line. For line
identication numbers less than or equal to zero, information is related to the sample time and location. Line
identication numbers one and higher contain water prole velocities and beam amplitudes.
Denitions of each line in the le:
Lines beginning with -1:
• Line Identication (-1),
• Sample Number,
• Year,
• Month,
• Day,
• Hour,
• Minute,
• Second,
• Latitude,
• Longitude.
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Most of these values are obvious. Latitude and Longitude are in degrees. Negative latitudes are south of the equator and
positive latitudes are north of the equator. Negative longitudes are west of the prime meridian and positive longitudes
are east of the prime meridian.
Lines beginning with 0:
3.7
Vehicle true heading is the heading of the vehicle corrected to true north. Pitch and roll are in degrees where a positive
pitch is nose up and a positive roll is starboard side down. Depth from surface and height above bottom are in meters.
Water temperature is in degrees Celsius and is from the temperature sensor on the DVL. Sound speed is the speed of
sound in water in meters per second that the DVL is using for water velocity calculations during this sample. Cell size
is the size in meters of all the cells in this sample.
• Line Identication (0),
• Sample Number,
• Vehicle True Heading,
• Pitch,
• Roll,
• Depth from surface,
• Height from bottom,
• Water temperature,
• Sound Speed,
• Cell Size.
Lines beginning with 1 to 30:
• Line Identication and Prole Cell Number (1-30),
• Sample Number,
• X-direction water velocity,
• Y-direction water velocity,
• Z-direction water velocity,
• Error velocity,
• Beam 1 amplitude,
• Beam 2 amplitude,
• Beam 3 amplitude,
• Beam 4 amplitude.
Use the cell number and the cell size to compute the distance the cell is away from the vehicle. A default blanking
distance of 0.25 meters should also be added. For example in the data below, cell 1 starts at 0.25 meters away from the
vehicle and end at 0.65 meters. Cell 2 begins at 0.65 meters and ends at 1.1 meters etc. e X, Y, and Z water velocities
are absolute measurements in meters per second that include the speed of the vehicle through the water and are
relative to the heading of the DVL. X-directions refer to forward progress and Y-directions are lateral motion. Z is
positive up and negative down. Negative X velocities are forward and negative Y velocities are toward starboard. To get
the speed and directions of the water only, use the algorithm presented in the previous section.
e Error velocity is the dierence in measured velocity between beams. Because there are four beams, it is
possible to redundantly calculate velocities in every direction (X,Y,Z) using dierent pairs of beams. e error is the
average dierence between redundant measurements. e Beam Amplitude units are counts. is can be roughly
converted to a signal to noise ratio using (AMP-100)/10. Users should be aware that this is not a calibrated source, but
this formula will typically be within 3dB.
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3.73 Description of Header Titles in Log File
e following table provides descriptions for all headers produced in the EcoMapper’s log le.
Header Titles Description
Latitude Current latitude position
Longitude Current longitude position
Time Current time
Date Current Date
Num of Sats Number of GPS satellites (e higher number of satellites
the more accurate the GPS position)
GPS Speed Knots GPS estimated speed of the vehicle on the surface
GPS True Heading GPS estimated heading of the vehicle on the surface
GPS Magnetic Variation GPS calculated Magnetic variation (Magnetic variation
is the heading error between the Earth‟s magnetic north
and true north)
HDOP Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP) provides the
accuracy of GPS
C Magnetic Heading Magnetic heading of the compass
Pitch Angle Pitch Angle of the compass
Roll Angle Roll Angle of the compass
C True Heading True Heading of the compass
C Inside Temp Temperature of the compass
DFS Depth ()
OR
DFS Depth (m)
DTB Height ()
OR
DTB Height (m)
Total Water Column ()
OR
Total Water Column (m)
Batt Percent Battery percentage le on the vehicle
Power Watts Current power the vehicle is using
Watt-Hours Remaining battery capacity
Batt Volts Present voltage the vehicle is using
Batt Ampers Present current the vehicle is using
Batt State Battery State: D = Discharging C = Charging F = Fault
Time to Empty Time (minutes) until batteries are empty
Current Step Current waypoint of the vehicle
Dist To Next (m) Distance to the next waypoint in meters
Next Speed (kn) Next waypoint speed in knots
Current Speed (kn) Current Speed of the vehicle calculated from the DVL
Motor Speed CMD Motor commanded speed, which is inherited from the
Next Heading Heading goal towards target waypoint
Next Long Next waypoint longitude
Next Lat Next waypoint latitude
Depth From Surface (DFS), is calculated from the
pressure transducer
Depth To Bottom (DTB), is calculated from the depth
sounder
Total Water Column is DTB and DFS added together
Speed.ini le
3.7
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3.7
Next Depth ()
OR
Next Depth (m) Commanded depth goal of target waypoint
Depth Goal ()
OR
Depth Goal (m) Actual depth goal of the vehicle, which takes into
consideration the minimum height o the bottom safety
rule
Vehicle State Current state of the vehicle, the states are:
0 = Stopped no mission running
1 = Normal operating UVC
2 =Manual override active – Backseat driver primitive
control
3 = Backseat driver servo control
4 =Manual park active
** If the backseat driver sends a primitive or servo
control message, then the timeout value will be logged
next to the state.
Error State Current Error state of the vehicle, which are:
“N”=No errors
“E”=Battery capacity below 10%,
”M”=Mechanical problem, servo not responsive (not
included in UVC 3.1).
*Safety rules engaged
“Sop”=Over pitch
“Stl”=Exceed time limit
“Sle”=Leak detected
“Sfp”=No forward progress
“Sed”= Exceeded maximum depth
“Sup”= No upward progress
“Stf”= Safety tow oat engaged
“Srp”= Safety return path engaged and SRP mission
started
“Snd”= DFS has not changed
“Snc”= Compass has stopped working
Fin Pitch R Servo command for the right pitch n
Fin Pitch L Servo command for the le pitch n
Pitch Goal Current pitch goal of the vehicle
Fin Yaw T Servo command for the top yaw n
Fin Yaw B Servo command for the bottom yaw n
Yaw Goal Current yaw goal of the vehicle
Fin Roll Servo command for the roll
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
4 Operation
Contents
4.1 Connect to the EcoMapper 40
4.11 Power On Communications Box and AUV ............ 40
4.12 Establish a WiFi Connection on a Laptop .............41
4.13 Connect Using Remote Desktop ..........................42
4.14 Create a Shortcut to the Remote Desktop ............. 43
4.2 Transfer Data/Files 44
4.21 Transfer Missions into the AUV (Pre-Mission) ......... 44
4.22 Transfer Missions into the UVC ............................ 44
4.23 Transfer Data from the AUV (Post-Mission) ............ 44
4.3 Pre-Launch Check 45
4.31 Control Planes and Prop Function ........................ 45
4.32 Instruments, Compass and Battery Charge ........... 46
4.33 Vacuum Pump ................................................... 46
4.34 Buoyancy and Balance ...................................... 47
4.35 Pinger frequency ............................................... 47
4.4 Launch 48
4.41 Water Deployment ............................................ 48
4.42 Manual Vehicle Operation .................................48
4.43 Start Mission ....................................................49
4.5 Retrieval 50
4.51 From Park ........................................................50
4.52 From Shore ......................................................50
4.53 If You Cannot Locate the AUV ............................. 50
Page 41
4.1 Connect to the EcoMapper
NOTE
NOTE
A WiFi connection is established through the yellow Communications Box. e box contains a high-gain WiFi
antenna that acts as a link between your computer and the vehicle as well. e Comm Box also contains an
independent power source (rechargeable Li-Ion batteries.) You will obtain a connection with the Comm Box before
you access the UVC.
You access the UVC via Windows ® Remote Desktop on your laptop computer or pocket PC. Remote Desktop is
included in Windows XP and Windows Vista (Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.) is feature allows you
to access and view the computer embedded in the AUV. Once a Remote Desktop connection is established, your
computer will essentially share its screen with the AUV’s onboard computer. is allows for easy data transfer
between your laptop and the vehicle’s computer.
4.1
4.11 Power On Communications Box and AUV
To operate the AUV, you must rst establish a WiFi connection via the relay antenna located in the Communications
Box. e high-gain antenna, housed in the Comm Box, will serve as the junction between your computer and the
vehicle’s computer. Before attempting to connect to the UVC, you must power on the vehicle and the Comm Box.
Power on the Communications Box
1. Open the Comm Box by pressing the buttons in the center of the two black
latches and pulling the latches and lid upwards.
2. Push the power switch located in the Comm Box to the ‘On’ position.
Power on the AUV
1. Point the remote starter fob at the vehicle (you may need to be relatively
close, 10 feet or less, to send the signal.)
2. Press and hold the smaller of the two buttons rmly for approximately
two seconds and release.
3. You should see the antenna LEDs light up to conrm that the vehicle is
powered. Note that it may take a few seconds for the vehicle's LEDs to power on.
Charge the AUV
1. Plug the two-pin connector into the Antenna
2. Allow a drained battery to charge for at least three hours.
3. A yellow light will begin ashing on the antenna when the vehicle is plugged in. e light will turn solid
yellow when the vehicle is at full charge. e frequency of the ash will indicate the charge of the vehicle's
battery. e faster the ash, the fuller the charge.
e vehicle's charging adaptors and connectors will become warm to the touch throughout charging.
Federal shipping regulations dictate that the vehicle's batteries be discharged to 50% capacity before shipping
and that the batteries be deshunted. Contact YSI before attempting to deshunt the vehicle's batteries.
ON
OFF
Allow the vehicle a few minutes to boot up its Remote Desktop before you proceed to attempt any type of operation.
Powering on the vehicle is essentially the same as powering up any computer. It will need a few minutes to boot up.
With both the Comm Box and AUV powered on, you may now proceed to the next section to learn to establish a WiFi
connection.
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4.12 Establish a WiFi Connection on a Laptop
NOTE
To connect to the EcoMapper, you must use a wireless connection tool. Aer you power on the vehicle and
Communications Box (section 4.1), proceed to connect wirelessly with the vehicle.
Ensure that your computer’s wireless card is activated.
1. Right-click the wireless icon in the bottom, right-hand corner of the Windows® task bar and click ‘View
Available Wireless Networks.’
2. Click the wireless network beginning with EM, this is the wireless network associated with the EcoMapper.
3. Click ‘Connect.’
4. Windows will prompt you to enter a network key. Enter 087480366 and click okay. (is number is also
listed inside the Comm Box).
5. Open an internet browser (Microso® Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.).
6. In the URL line of your browser, input the router address 192.168.1.1 (is number is also listed inside
the Comm Box.)
is action displays the router main page. You now must nd the specic IP address of your vehicle(s) in order to
connect with Remote Desktop. Scroll down the page to the ‘Clients List’ section and nd your EcoMapper (e.g. EM 38
in the ‘Host Name’ column) and its IP address (beginning with 192.168.1.1. followed by three additional numbers in
the IP Address column).
Record the 11-digit IP address for your vehicle(s), you will need this number to connect to the UVC through
Windows® Remote Desktop in the following section.
4.1
You can also check your laptop’s and vehicle’s WiFi signal quality in the router main page by associating
the MAC Address in the ‘Clients List’ section with the MAC Address in the ‘Clients’ section in the ‘Wireless’ area.
Signal quality is designated on the percentage bar located on the right. Signal quality less than 10% to the EcoMapper
indicates that you should position the Comm Box closer to the vehicle.
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4.13 Connect Using Remote Desktop
NOTE
Once you have established a wireless connection (Section 4.12), you will use Windows® Remote Desktop to nalize
connection with the vehicle.
1. Click ‘Start.’
2. Select ‘All Programs.’
3. Select ‘Accessories.’
4. Select ‘Communications.’
5. Select ‘Remote Desktop Connection.’
6. is prompts the ‘Remote Desktop Connection’ window. You may input either of two options in its
appropriate box.
• e EcoMapper’s 11-digit IP Address (obtained from the router main page in Section 4.12). e address will
4.1
OR
take the form of 192.168.1.1.XXX, with the last three numbers being specic to the vehicle.
• e EcoMapper’s computer name (e.g. iver2-**)
7. Click ‘Connect’ aer you enter the necessary information.
e EcoMapper will now prompt you to enter a username and password.
Username: iver
Password: i
Your computer will now display the screen from the EcoMapper’s onboard computer (Remote Desktop). To shorten
this process, create a shortcut to the EcoMapper’s Remote Desktop (Section 4.14).
You should also disconnect some local devices in order to optimize performance of Remote Desktop.
1. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, click ‘Options.’
2. Click the ‘Local Resources’ tab.
3. In the ‘Local devices’ section, deselect all devices EXCEPT for ‘Disk drives.’
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4.14 Create a Shortcut to the Remote Desktop
NOTE
NOTE
is section assumes that you have read Sections 4.11-4.13 and have established a WiFi connection with the vehicle.
When you create a shortcut on your laptop, you will no longer need to go through most of the login steps necessary to
connect to the EcoMapper’s Remote Desktop.
1. Click ‘Start.’
2. Select ‘All Programs.’
3. Select ‘Accessories.’
4. Select ‘Communications.’
5. Select ‘Remote Desktop Connection.’
6. Select the ‘Options’ yout menu.
7. Under the ‘General’ tab , enter the following information in the appropriate elds. e ‘Domain’ eld
does not require an entry.
Computer: Name and number of unit (e.g. EM-38)
User name: iver
Password: i
4.1
8. In the ‘Connection settings’ section, click ‘Save As…’
9. Name your shortcut and save it to the desktop.
Your laptop’s desktop now has a Remote Desktop icon under the name you gave it in the ‘Save As…’ window. Simply
double-click the icon to automatically connect to the EcoMapper once you establish a WiFi connection.
You must establish a WiFi connection before you can connect to the EcoMapper.
If you are connected to another internet source (hard-line internet) besides the EcoMapper, you may receive
an error message when you attempt to connect to the Remote Desktop. Try to connect again. If you do succeed on the
second attempt, disconnect your regular hard-line connection.
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4.2 Transfer Data/Files
NOTE
NOTE
is section assumes that you have a working knowledge of VectorMap, the UVC, and the vehicle’s Remote
Desktop connection. If you do not, please refer to the appropriate sections.
4.21 Transfer Missions into the AUV (Pre-Mission)
Once you have created a mission in VectorMap, you must transfer it to the vehicle in order to execute it on the
EcoMapper. Before you begin to transfer data, ensure that both the Communications Box and the vehicle are powered
on and that your computer is connected to the vehicle via Remote Desktop. (Refer to Section 4.12.)
Using Windows® XP
1. Locate and open the folder on your laptop in which you saved the desired mission.
4.2
2. Leaving that window open, go to ‘Start’ > ‘My Network Places,’ then double-click the icon associated with the
EcoMapper.
3. Open the ‘Missions’ folder.
4. Copy and paste the mission from your laptop into the ‘Missions’ folder on the EcoMapper.
If the vehicle’s folders do not appear in ‘My Network Places.’
1. Click ‘Start.’
2. Click ‘Run.’
3. Enter two backslashes (\\) and the vehicle’s IP address—192.168.1.XXX (refer to Section 4.12 if you do not
remember the vehicle’s IP address).
Using Windows ® Vista
1. Go to ‘Start’ > ‘File Manager.’
2. In one panel, open the folder that contains the desired mission, in the other panel, open the EcoMapper’s
‘Missions’ folder.
3. Copy and paste the mission from your laptop into the ‘Missions’ folder on the EcoMapper.
4.22 Transfer Missions into the UVC
Now that you have moved missions into the Remote Desktop of the EcoMapper, you must load them into the vehicle’s
operating program, the UVC.
1. Open the UVC (double-click the UVC icon on Remote Desktop).
2. Click ‘Load Mission.’
3. Locate the desired mission in the ‘Missions’ folder and click 'Open.'
e mission should now appear on the UVC’s main window along with statistics on mission. If you click ‘Start Mission’
now, the vehicle will execute the mission. Do not launch the vehicle until you have performed the pre-launch check
and are familiar with all vehicle operation.
4.23 Transfer Data from the AUV (Post-Mission)
Following a completed run, the UVC automatically downloads all mission information into the Remote Desktop into
its designated folder.
• Missions
• Logs
• Sonar
To retrieve log and/or sonar data, open your computer’s le transfer window (‘Network Places’ in XP or ‘File Manager’
in Vista. Copy and paste the log and sonar les from the designated folders into the desired folders in your laptop. To
read answers to a few common questions concerning the log le, please refer to the note in section 3.52.
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4.3 Pre-Launch Check
NOTE
NOTE
Before you place the vehicle in the water, you should go through a series of steps to ensure that all of the EcoMapper’s
components are working properly.
• Control Planes
• Propeller
• Instruments
• Battery Charge
• Compass
• Vacuum Seal Test
• Buoyancy and Balance
• Pinger frequency
• Safety Rules
Always ensure that the safety rule time out is longer than the estimated mission time.
4.31 Control Planes and Prop Function
1. On the UVC main screen, click the ‘Go On’ icon.
2. Near the virtual joystick on the right side of the window, move the pitch, yaw, and prop speed scroll bars and
visually conrm that each control plane and the prop are operating correctly. Also visually conrm that the
components are not damaged.
Do not run the prop at high-speeds or for extended periods of time out of the water. is action can damage
the seals. Always keep ngers and body parts clear of propeller when in motion.
4.3
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4.32 Instruments, Compass and Battery Charge
NOTE
1. On the UVC main screen, click the ‘Instruments’ icon.
2. Verify that all instruments appear to be responding. Pay special attention to GPS, compass, and altimeter
readings to conrm that all work properly.
3. Check the ‘Power Readings’ section to conrm that the vehicle has sucient charge for the mission.
4.3
4.33 Vacuum Pump
Before launch, check for leaks by creating a vacuum inside of the EcoMapper. e vacuum port is located on top of
the vehicle nose. If possible, perform the leak check in a controlled environment. Allow yourself sucient time (30
minutes) to perform the test properly.
1. Remove the vacuum port plug with a 5/32" hex wrench (included in tool kit) by turning the wrench
counterclockwise.
Extended Payload (EP) vehicles have a second vacuum port in the rear of the vehicle.
2. Insert the vacuum port and nger tighten the port in place.
3. Firmly press the vacuum hose onto the port.
4. Create a pressure of 10 inHg with the pump and leave the vehicle to sit for no less than 15 minutes. e
vehicle may take up to 30 minutes to stabilize.
5. If the vehicle exhibits a leak (due to an increase in pressure), attempt to identify the problem area. e most
probable cause of a leak is due to a failed seal. If possible, try to establish a high positive pressure (no greater
than s4 psi) and listen for leaks or place the vehicle in a controlled water environment and watch for the
source of bubbles.
6. Contact YSI Technical Support if your vehicle exhibits a leak.
7. Release the pressure from the pump and replace the vacuum port plug. Be sure to check and service all
aected o-rings.
10 inHg
10 inHg
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4.34 Buoyancy and Balance
NOTE
If the AUV is not properly balanced and weighted, vehicle performance will be aected.
1. Visually conrm that you that the appropriate weights are in the weight track on the bottom of the vehicle.
2. Gently lower the vehicle into water, but do NOT release the vehicle (you may want to tie a rope to the handle
for these tests, at least for initial use). Loosely hold the handle, allowing the vehicle to oat on its own. Only
the antennae and tail n should break the water’s surface (some of the top of the vehicle may as well).
3. If the vehicle begins to sink, oats too high in the water, or is balanced nose or tail heavy, swap or move the
weights in the track accordingly. (Loosen the weights with a Phillips screwdriver.)
4. If the vehicle is suciently buoyant, push the vehicle underwater and watch for even rise to the surface.
If 7-8 oz of weight are placed on top of the AUV, it should sink to the bottom of the bulb on the WiFi antenna. If the
vehicle sinks past this point, there is too much balance weight on the AUV and some should be removed. If the AUV
does not sink to this point it is too buoyant and more weight needs to be added to the track.
4.3
If the weights on the vehicle are too heavy for the body of water, the AUV will sink in the event of power loss.
4.35 Pinger frequency
In the event that the vehicle is lost underwater, you will need to know the vehicle’s location pinger frequency. e
frequency and sounding order is located on the pinger itself. e frequency is in kHz and the sounding order is
three numbers located independently (not identied with ‘ns’). e order is what you will listen for in the event of an
underwater recovery. Write down the pinger’s frequency and sounding order.
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4.4 Launch
NOTE
NOTE
is section will detail how to safely deploy the EcoMapper. Always choose a location to launch the vehicle that is
safe for both you and the AUV. Most boats and docks make excellent platforms, but the vehicle can be launched from
nearly anywhere where you can gain access to obstruction free water.
Once a mission has been downloaded and a pre-launch check has been performed, typical launch procedure is as
follows.
1. Water deployment
2. Manually drive the vehicle away from the launch point.
3. Start Mission.
4. Immediately perform post-launch check.
4.4
4.41 Water Deployment
Take care not bump the AUV on hard surfaces as you lower it into the water. Hold onto the vehicle until you are
ready to assume manual control of the vehicle or begin the mission.
Always observe personal safety precautions when you launch the vehicle. Li with your legs and keep your
back straight. Beware wet and slick surfaces. ink ahead as you prepare to pick up the vehicle.
4.42 Manual Vehicle Operation
You may access manual mode by clicking ‘Go On’ on the primary UVC screen. Manual control only
functions when the vehicle is in WiFi range. If you drive the vehicle out of communications range (this
includes underwater), you will need to physically get closer to the vehicle with the Communications Box
and reestablish a WiFi and Remote Desktop connection. You will drive the vehicle using either scroll bars
or virtual joystick.
• Scroll Bars–operate by dragging the box or clicking the arrows
• Top bar (Yaw Le-Right)–Steers the vehicle le and right.
• Le bar (Speed)–Increases or decreases vehicle speed in forward or reverse. Halfway is neutral, above half is
forward, below half is reverse.
• Bottom bar (Roll)–Avoid rolling the vehicle while in the water to prevent the antennae from submerging.
• Lowest bar (Pitch)–Avoid adjusting pitch when you manually operate the vehicle to avoid losing WiFi
connection with the vehicle. Moving the bar to the right dives the vehicle, moving the bar to the le brings
the vehicle to the surface.
!
!
Virtual Joystick
To drive the vehicle with the virtual joystick, you will click and drag the center of the black circle. e red line indicates
roll.
• Move the circle up to move forwards.
• Move the circle down to move backwards.
• Move the circle to the right to turn right.
• Move the circle to the le to turn le.
Due to the nature of control planes, the vehicle must be in motion to turn. All movements of the circle directly
correlate to the behavior of the ‘Speed’ and ‘Yaw’ bars. Observe the le side of the ‘Manual Mode’ window to monitor
vehicle navigation statistics.
You cannot alter pitch in ‘Manual Mode.’ e ns are automatically angled up to prevent the vehicle from
diving. is prevents the vehicle from losing connectivity due to an accidental dive.
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Should the vehicle accidentally leave WiFi range (by either distance or diving), it will continue using the last received
NOTE
navigation inputs until it reestablishes a connection or realizes it has no signal. If the vehicle has not received a signal in
ve seconds, it will shut o its motor and oat to the surface (providing it does not catch on an underwater obstacle).
To stop the vehicle completely, exit manual mode by clicking the X at the top, right of the window or click the blue
‘Stop & Close Manual Mode’ button at the bottom of the screen.
4.4
4.43 Start Mission
When you are satised that the vehicle is positioned so that it can travel directly to its rst waypoint (in line-of-sight),
click the green ‘Start Mission’ arrow in the UVC. e vehicle will now begin to operate autonomously,
you may only regain manual control if you click the ‘Stop Mission’ icon in WiFi range. Check the
bottom of the main UVC screen to conrm that GPS, Altimeter, and Compass are receiving information
(indicated when they are green) and immediately exit the Remote Desktop. If you are unsure that your
map is valid or that an obstruction may prevent the vehicle from reaching its rst waypoint, you may want to visually
conrm (by following in a boat or with binoculars) that it reaches it’s WP and begins its mission.
If you do not immediately exit the remote desktop, the vehicle will assume that you are attempting to
maintain WiFi contact with it and will stop its motor in the same way it does during manual mode connection loss.
Always exit remote desktop before the vehicle drives out of communication range or dives.
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4.5 Retrieval
NOTE
NOTE
AUV retrieval method will mostly depend on your retrieval location. If possible, always pick an obstruction free area
that will allow you to easily remove the vehicle from the water. You have several options to choose from for retrieval,
depending on location. Should your vehicle does not return, you may also search for it underwater with a hydrophone.
4.51 From Park
e easiest way to retrieve a vehicle is to program a long park into the end of its mission in an area that you can
establish a WiFi connection. is allows the vehicle to stay a safe distance from shore and in an area easily located on a
map. If you choose to retrieve the vehicle from ‘Park’ mode:
1. Visually conrm that the vehicle has reached its nal waypoint.
2. Establish a WiFi connection.
4.5
3. In the UVC, click the ‘Stop Mission’ icon.
4. Choose ‘Go On’ and navigate the vehicle manually to your retrieval area. Docks and boats make for good
retrieval areas due to easy access to the AUV’s handle. But if these areas are not possible, you may retrieve
the vehicle from any safe shoreline location.hRemove the vehicle from the water and exit the UVC.
Always avoid reaching for the tail section of the vehicle to avoid personal injury from the prop. Do not
attempt to li the vehicle by any portion of the tail section. If at all possible, always use the handle to li the vehicle.
You can leave the vehicle powered on if you intend to transfer data in the near future or power it down to conserve
power. Place the vehicle on its stand as soon as possible to avoid damage.
!
4.52 From Shore
You may retrieve your vehicle from shore. Again, the easiest method is to park the vehicle oshore in WiFi range and
manually drive the vehicle to you. However, you may choose to ‘beach’ the AUV to ensure its arrival to land.
To beach the AUV, program its last waypoint on shore, with its mission line intersecting the shoreline where you want
to retrieve it. e vehicle will remain under power unless you set a safety rule to abort the mission if the vehicle does
not make headway. If the vehicle is still running its mission, connect to Remote Desktop and choose ‘Stop Mission.’ Be
careful to avoid the prop and always exercise proper liing technique when you retrieve the vehicle.
Remember, if the vehicle is easy for you to retrieve, either from boat, dock, or shore, the vehicle will also be
vulnerable to curious onlookers. Always try to meet your vehicle at the end of its mission if you are concerned that
people in the retrieval area may attempt to remove the vehicle for the water for any reason.
4.53 If You Cannot Locate the AUV
e EcoMapper is a very advanced piece of technology, but occasionally circumstances outside of both the user and the
vehicle’s control cause the vehicle to not arrive at its nal waypoint. Always allow the vehicle more time than allotted
by VectorMap and the UVC to arrive at its mission’s end. Conditions or obstacles may cause the EcoMapper to require
more time to reach its nal destination. However, should the vehicle become long overdue, a search may be necessary.
Start by examining the mission map and the mission itself to identify potential problem areas. Begin to search by
checking these areas rst. Remember, if the vehicle aborts due to a safety rule, it should oat to the surface. Check
the areas around the potential problem areas according to currents and wind direction. If these searches are not
fruitful, you should retrace the mission (in a boat if possible), checking the appropriate areas due to currents and wind
direction. You may want to re-run the mission line rst if you do not immediately suspect a problem location.
Due to any number of reasons (however rare), the vehicle may not surface when it encounters a problem:
entanglement, vehicle ooding, collision with a so bottom or underwater snag, etc. Equipping your vehicle with
Safety Tow Float will greatly reduce the risk of vehicle loss. If your vehicle has a location pinger, you will need to
acquire a hydrophone in order to locate it. If you do not possess a hydrophone, please contact YSI to rent a unit.
e hydrophone is a directional unit that receives underwater pings within a 15 degree zone originating at the unit.
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e unit consists of a headset, control console, and receiver.
NOTE
1. Insert the headset and underwater receiver plugs into the appropriate inputs.
2. Put on the headset and turn the gain control knob to the right in order to turn the unit on and adjust the
volume.
3. Turn the tuning knob to the appropriate frequency of your vehicle’s pinger (e.g. 77 kHz).
4. Listen for your vehicle’s sounding order. For example, if your vehicle’s order is 3-4-3, you will listen for pingping-ping, stop, ping-ping-ping-ping, stop, ping-ping-ping.
5. e hydrophone has a range of approximately 2 km. Slowly rotate the receiver underwater in the area you
suspect the vehicle may be.
6. You can hone in on the signal by listening for the pings to more intense as you point the receiver more
directly towards the pinger.
7. Once you know the vehicle’s general vicinity, attempt to triangulate its position by listening from no
less than three dierent directions. If possible, aer your initial sounding location, listen at 90 degree
intervals from an imaginary circle around the vehicle’s suspected location.
8. Pinpoint the vehicle as closely as possible.
If you have determined that the vehicle is lodged underwater and is not within eyesight, you will need to send
a qualied diver to retrieve the vehicle. If the vehicle is within eyesight, you may attempt to dislodge it from the
obstruction by gently dragging a small anchor or other similar object across the vehicle. If the vehicle has not ooded,
it will rise to the surface when dislodged. If a diver is necessary, pinpoint the vehicle as closely as possible to minimize
dive time.
4.5
When you re-obtain the AUV, attempt to determine the cause of the mission failure; if present, examine the error le
for that day’s date. If the vehicle has been damaged beyond standard repair procedure, please contact YSI for assistance.
Do not attempt to “x” the EcoMapper in any way not covered in this manual. Contact YSI for assistance by
qualied YSI EcoMapper personnel.
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
5 UVC
5.1 General Information 54
5.2 Run Missions in the UVC 55
5.21 Run Mission ...................................................... 55
5.22 Stop Mission .................................................... 55
5.23 Load Mission .................................................... 55
5.3 UVC Functions 56
5.31 Go On (Manual Control) ....................................56
5.32 Debug ............................................................. 57
5.33 Enable/Disable Log ...........................................58
5.34 Vehicle Notes ................................................... 58
5.35 Show Latest Mission .......................................... 58
5.36 Show Config (Configuration) .............................. 59
5.37 Show Mission and Mission Progress .................... 61
5.38 Instruments ....................................................... 62
5.39 Errors ..............................................................62
Page 55
5.1 General Information
e UVC (Underwater Vehicle Console) is the primary interface between you and the EcoMapper. You will use the
UVC to manually operate the vehicle, perform tests and checks, verify missions, upload and download mission data, as
well as a host of other functions. e following section will provide you with background information on how to:
• Operate the vehicle’s UVC
• Upload missions to the vehicle
• Download data from the vehicle
• Control safety settings on the vehicle
• Manually control the vehicle
• Perform essential pre-launch checks
5.1
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5.2 Run Missions in the UVC
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
You will need to connect to the vehicle via WiFi connection and Windows® Remote Desktop before you can
access the UVC. Please refer to Section 4.1 to learn how to establish a wireless connection with the vehicle.
e UVC is your primary interface with the EcoMapper. You plan missions in VectorMap and execute them in the
UVC. e UVC takes the raw text les VectorMap produces and uses them to operate the vehicle according to the
programmed settings. However, the UVC allows for much more than just data retrieval; it provides a window into the
vehicle’s inner workings and allows you to be a little more hands-on.
e UVC can only be accessed through Remote Desktop (prior sections cover WiFi and Remote Desktop connections).
Once you are in Remote Desktop, you operate the UVC just like you would a regular computer. Double-click the UVC
icon to open the program. You may determine each function in the main UVC window by hovering the pointer over
the icon; click each icon to perform its respective function or open its associated window.
e following sections will outline each main function of the UVC and explain how to adjust settings.
You will nd step-by-step instructions to launch the AUV in Chapter 4.
5.2
5.21 Run Mission
e ‘Run Mission’ function is designated by the green arrow. e sole purpose of this icon is to launch the vehicle on its
mission. Once you click the arrow, you can only stop the mission by clicking the ‘Stop Mission’ icon within WiFi range.
Always be 100% sure that your mission is programmed exactly how you want it and that the vehicle will be able to
successfully navigate to its rst waypoint once you engage the mission. Once you start the mission, the vehicle will
obtain GPS coordinates and drive straight towards its rst WP, despite obstructions. Be sure the rst WP is within line
of sight and, if you are in a boat, that you give the vehicle sucient room to turn.
Step-by step instructions on vehicle launch provided in Chapter 4.
5.22 Stop Mission
e ‘Stop Mission’ function is designated by a white ‘X’ in a red circle. Use this function to cancel the AUV’s mission
when in WiFi range if you realize a potential mission hazard at launch or to stop the vehicle once it reaches its nal
waypoint.
Step-by step instructions on vehicle launch provided in Chapter 4.
5.23 Load Mission
e ‘Load Mission’ function is designated by an icon of a oppy disk and disk drive. You will use this function to
upload missions from the vehicle’s computer onto the UVC. Once you load the mission and perform the pre-launch
check, the vehicle will be ready to launch. You will load mission les directly from the onboard computer ‘Mission’
folder. Aer opening Remote Desktop, les are transferred into this folder from your laptop. Refer to section 4.2 for
instructions on transferring mission les into the ‘Mission’ folder.
You may conrm that you successfully loaded a mission when the UVC main window displays the name and
information of the mission you wish to execute.
Double-clicking the ‘Load Mission’ icon will display the ‘Load Mission…’ window. is window automatically displays
the vehicle onboard computer’s ‘Mission’ folder from which you will select a mission to execute.
Step-by step instructions on vehicle launch provided in Chapter 4.
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5.3 UVC Functions
NOTE
5.31 Go On (Manual Control)
e ‘Go On’ function is designated by an icon of a hand-held controller. Manual control allows the user to remotely
control the vehicle on the water’s surface in WiFi range. You may use this function for a variety of reasons:
• to test that all vehicle drive components operate properly,
• to manually drive the vehicle away from the launch site,
• to manually drive the vehicle into a retrieval area, or
• to manually steer the vehicle around known obstacles in the launch site.
You should not attempt to operate the vehicle under manual control over great distances due to the restrictions of
WiFi range. If the vehicle does leave WiFi range under manual control (this includes diving), the AUV will shut o
its drive motor and lock the vehicles control planes in the last commanded position. Following such an event, a WiFi
connection must be reestablished.
5.3
You may exit (and thereby stop manual mode) the ‘Manual Mode’ window by:
Step-by-step instruction on manual vehicle control provided in Chapter 4.
e ‘Manual Mode’ window (prompted by double-clicking the ‘Go On’) contains a variety of live-stream
information including pitch, yaw, roll, and speed as well as a virtual ight screen and virtual joystick.
• clicking the ‘x’ in the top, right corner of the window,
• clicking the ‘Stop & Close Manual Mode’ button at the bottom of the window,’ or
• clicking the ‘Go OFF’ icon, which replaced the ‘Go On’ icon, in the primary UVC window.
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5.32 Debug
e ‘Debug’ function is designated by an icon of a screen with two lists. You may use debug to check that all necessary
data is streaming into the vehicle’s UVC. You can also verify that specic functions are working correctly.
• Locate which function you wish to check in the ‘Debug List’
• Deselect all functions except for the one(s) you wish to check
If the function is active, information should continue to stream onto the ‘NMEA Sentence’ screen. If you would like to
examine specic data, click the blue ‘Freeze’ button to hold the data set on the screen.
• Errors
• GPS
• YSI
• Compass
• Altimeter
• OCENA
• OMP
• OMS
• OSD
• OJW
• Sounder
• Other
• OLOGL
• OLGD
• SON# - DVL readings
• Video In – is option is not available at this time.
• Video Out – is option is not available at this time
• Labels Out – is option is not available at this time.
5.3
e debug window also contains information on the state of servo position and propeller speed. Each individual
window should contain a value between.
Yaw Control Plane’s Angle
• YawTop (top yaw n)
• Yaw Bot (bottom yaw n)
0 = Fin tilted full le
128 = Neutral position, no tilt
255 = Fin tilted full right
Pitch Control Plane’s Angle
• PitchL (pitch le n)
• PitchR (pitch right n)
0 = Fin tilted full down
128 = Neutral position, no tilt
255 = Fin tilted full up
Propeller Speed
81= Full reverse
129 = Neutral, no motion
181= Full forward
When you are done with the ‘Debug Window’ you may click the blue ‘Close’ button. Do not alter default settings on
‘Timeout’ and ‘Servo State.’ For questions on specic debug functions, please contact qualied YSI service personnel.
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5.33 Enable/Disable Log
NOTE
e ‘Enable/Disable Log’ function is designated by an icon of a hand writing in a notebook when enabled. A disabled
log is designated by the same icon with a red X over it.
In the ‘LogMain’ window, you may alter the log record rate in milliseconds (ms) by highlighting the value in the ‘Log
Every’ box and manually inputting the desired value, or click the up and down arrows on the side of the box to change
the value.
If you wish to disable the log function entirely, click the blue ‘Disable Log’ button. is prevents the vehicle from
recording any data during the mission.
If you click the ‘Disable Log’ button, no data will be collected during the mission.
You may also manually disable specic log functions if you want to avoid collecting unnecessary data.
1. Click the small blue dropdown arrow at the bottom, le corner of the ‘LogMain’ window.
2. Deselect any of the desired main headings by clicking the checkbox associated with the function.
3. To disable more specic logs, click the plus sign next to a main heading to view additional log points.
5.3
4. Deselect any of the desired headings by clicking the checkbox associated with the function.
5.34 Vehicle Notes
e ‘Vehicle Notes’ function is designated by a notepad and pen. You may write notes about a specic mission and
save them to the UVC for future reference or view past notes written by yourself or another user. To write a note:
1. In the ‘New Note’ section, type your comments in the ‘Note’ box.
2. Type your name in the ‘User’box.
3. Type necessary notes in the ‘New Note’ section.
4. Click Add to save it to the vehicle’s ‘Notes Logged’ section
5. Click ‘Export’ to save your note to an outside folder.
5.35 Show Latest Mission
Displays the last mission run by the AUV.
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5.36 Show Config (Configuration)
NOTE
e ‘Show Cong’(Setup) function is designated by an icon of a screen with a yellow gear. When you click this icon, the
UVC will display its setup screen with multiple tabs which contain user-changeable settings.
• Serial Com (Communications)
• Safety Rules
• Mission
• Vehicle Cong
• Directories
Aside from those mentioned below, UVC settings should be altered only under supervision of qualied YSI
personnel. Do not alter the set values as this may aect the behavior of your vehicle.
Serial Comm
ese settings are correct from factory. However, if you
accidentally delete or alter the comm settings of your vehicle,
reference the chart below to restablish correct connections.
5.3
AMD Processor
COM Port Device Baud Rate
1 5V Spare/Sonar 4800
2 Compass 19200
3 Depth Sounder/DVL 4800/57600
4 12V Spare/Sonde 9600
5 GPS 4800
6 MP08S-Battery 19200
7 Smart Motor 9600
8 Servo (output) 9600
ATOM Processor
Com Port Device Baud
5 Sonar/Spare 4800
6 Compass 19200
7 Depth Sounder/DVL 4800/57600
8 Sys CTRL N/A
9 GPS 4800
10 MP08S-Battery 19200
11 Smart Motor 9600
12 Servo (output) 9600
13 CPU2-CPU1 on backseat N/A
14 Sonde/NBOS CT Sensor 9600
15 Virtual Port to Sonar Control N/A
16 Virtual Port to Sonar Control N/A
17 Virtual Port to Camera Control N/A
18 Virtual Port to Camera Control N/A
19 Virtual Port to Multi-Beam N/A
20 Virtual Port to Multi-Beam N/A
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5.3
Missions
e ‘Missions’ tab displays several basic controls for
every mission.
• User Settings - Basic presets. Do not alter.
• Sensor Options - If your vehicle is equipped
with a multi-beam sonar unit for bathymetry,
select the unit’s physical orientation. Do not
alter other settings.
• Logging Options- If your vehicle is equipped
with an ADCP, select ‘Enable MATLAB
output for ADCP’ for easy post-deployment
data processing. Do not alter other settings.
• Mission Delay Time - How long the vehicle
pauses aer receiving the command to start a
mission. Do not alter.
• System Time Rules - Allows the vehicle to
receive time data from GPS. Do not alter.
• Magnetic Variation - Dictates how the
vehicle should compensate for magnetic
variation. Do not alter.
• File Name Convention - Dictates how the
vehicle names log les. Do not alter.
Safety Rules
Select any and all safety rules you wish to apply to a
vehicle’s mission. If any selected safety rule is engaged
the vehicle will do one of two things.
1. “Start the Safety Projected Path mission” - If
this box is checked, a vehicle will begin to
navigate a safe path dened by the user.
2. If the vehicle does not have a Safety
Projected Path or cannot navigate to it, the
vehicle will turn o its motors in an attempt
to oat to the surface.
All safety rules can be engaged and disengaged as you
see t for your mission. You may also modify each rule
by changing the user-determined value in each white
box found throughout the rules.
Vehicle Cong
ese settings help the vehicle appropriately control the
navigational ns’ servos based on your specic vehicle.
Do not alter these settings.
Directories
Changing directories based on missions, locations, or
vehicles can greatly improve your datas organization.
e vehicle will automatically save any data collected
to the specied le. Prior to deployment, create
subdirectories within each default folder (Missions,
Images, Logs) that allow you to quickly and easily nd
appropritae data aer each mission.
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5.37 Show Mission and Mission Progress
NOTE
Show Mission
You can access the ‘Mission Waypoints’ window by clicking the ‘Show Mission’ button at the bottom of the UVC
screen. If you load a mission and want to view or modify it, you can utilize this function. In the ‘Mission Waypoints’
window, the UVC displays all waypoints and essential navigation for each one. If you decide you would like to change
the WPs, you can alter them in a few ways.
• Change the mission’s rst WP. Click on the WP in the ‘#’ column, so that the line is highlighted and then
click the ‘Set as START WP’ button. e WP# will now appear green.
• Change the mission’s nal WP. Click on the WP in the ‘#’ column, so that the line is highlighted and then
click the ‘Set as END WP’ button. e WP# will now appear red
• Remove WPs from the mission. Click the checkbox to uncheck and remove the WP from the mission. Click
in the empty checkbox to add the WP back into the mission.
• If you decide that you do not want to alter the mission aer you make changes, the ‘Clear Changes’ button
will reset the mission to its original form.
Mission Progress
You can check your current mission’s progress with the ‘Mission Progress’ button. However, you can only check the
vehicle’s headway when you are within WiFi range and the vehicle is running on the surface. e ‘Vehicle Information’
window displays both current vehicle data and mission WPs and information. e ‘Current Vehicle Data’ section
displays live data via WiFi.
5.3
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Speed (knots)
• True Heading
• Battery/Power
• Temp. In/Out (inside and outside of vehicle)
• Depth DTB (depth to bottom) .
• Depth DFS (depth from surface) .
• Next WP
• Next (WP) Latitude
• Next (WP) Longitudea
• Heading to Next (WP)
• Next Speed
• Next Depth
e ‘Vehicle Waypoints’ section displays WPs for the entire mission. e UVC displays the current WP in blue.
Always close Remote Desktop before the vehicle dives or leaves WiFi range. Allow yourself enough time to
check progress and exit Remote Desktop to prevent the vehicle from seizing when it exits WiFi range.
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5.38 Instruments
Virtually all devices onboard the EcoMapper can be checked anytime the vehicle is within WiFi range by clicking the
‘Instruments’ button in the primary UVC screen. Viewing these instrument readings is an essential part of the prelaunch check for the vehicle. e readings fall into ve basic categories.
Each section contains subheadings that
provide real-time data when in WiFi
connection. Each individual section also
provides a ‘Data Age’ monitor in seconds
5.3
• GPS Readings
• Power Readings
• Compass Readings
• YSI 6600 Readings
• Altimeter Readings
to allow you to see how long ago the
data came into the UVC.
GPS
• Current Latitude
• Current Longitude
• True Heading
• Magnetic Variation
• Current Speed (Kts)
• Number of Satellites
Power
• Capacity (Power percentage le)
• Watts
• Current
• Voltage
• Run Time:
• State (charge or discharge)
Compass
• Magnetic Heading
• True Heading
• Roll Degree
• Pitch Degree
• Depth DFS (Depth from Surface)
YSI 6600
ese sensors will vary depending on which sensors are installed on your vehicle. Know which sensors are installed so
you can ensure they are operational.
Altimeter
• Depth (DTB)
• Speed
5.39 Errors
e UVC automatically records and stores any errors that occur during vehicle operation. ese errors are saved in a
text le on the desktop of the Remote Desktop. e les are labeled UVCErrLog(date).txt. If you require help from YSI
Technical Support, you may be asked for this le.
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
6 Calibration
Contents
6.1 Preparation to Calibrate the
YSI Sensor Suite 64
6.11Calibration Overview ....................................... 64
6.12 Access the Hyperterminal .................................. 64
6.13 Prepare the EcoMapper for Calibration ...............65
6.2 Calibrate the YSI Sensor Suite 66
6.21 Calibration General Procedures .......................... 66
6.22 Wiper Sequence ............................................... 67
6.22 Temperature and Conductivity Calibration ............ 68
6.23 pH/ORP Sensor Calibration ............................... 69
6.24 Turbidity Calibration .......................................... 71
6.25 ROX Optical Dissolved Oxygen Calibration ......... 72
6.26 Chlorophyll Calibration ......................................73
6.26 Blue-Green Algae (aka Cyanobacteria)-
Phycocyanin (PC)-6131 Calibration .............................75
6.27 Blue-Green Algae (aka Cyanobacteria)
-BGA-Phycoerythrin(PE)-6132 Calibration ..................... 78
6.28 Optic Rhodamine WT Calibration ....................... 81
6.3 Compass Calibration 83
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6.1 Preparation to Calibrate the YSI Sensor Suite
NOTE
e EcoMapper carries the sensor bulkhead of a YSI 6600 V2-4 Sonde. is bulkhead allows for a selection of four
optic probes, the pH/ORP probe, and the temperature/conductivity probe, in addition to a depth sensor. If you are
familiar with YSI sondes, the calibration process will be very similar aside from a few changes to accommodate
sideways calibration and Remote Desktop.
is calibration section is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information on YSI sensor calibration and
principles of operation. However, it will provide sucient information to calibrate and maintain the sensor
suite for normal applications. For any additional information on the sensor suite, please refer to the YSI 6-Series
Multiparameter Water Quality Sondes User Guide available online at www.ysi.com.
To calibrate the YSI sensors suite/compass, you will need to access the vehicle’s Remote Desktop. Refer to
Section 4.1 to learn how to establish a WiFi connection and connect to the vehicle’s Remote Desktop.
6.11Calibration Overview
You should time YSI sensor calibration according to use. Follow your agency’s standard operating procedures (SOPs)
to determine when and how oen you should calibrate each sensor. You will need to calibrate some sensors more oen
than others. If your agency does not have SOPs regarding calibration frequency, please contact YSI Technical
Support for further guidance
6.1
Repeated use will eventually require all YSI sensors to be replaced (although there is not a specic sensor
lifetime, proper maintenance will greatly increase sensor life). From calibration to calibration, you may notice the
sensors dri from their ideal range. You will correct most sensor dri through calibration; pH is the only sensor on the
vehicle that will ‘wear out’ within a year or two. Whenever you receive an “Out of Range” message during calibration,
be sure to try and troubleshoot the problem before you replace the sensor. Anytime an “Out of Range” message appears
that you cannot troubleshoot, call YSI Technical Support.
6.12 Access the Hyperterminal
e soware used to calibrate the EcoMapper is identical to calibration soware in EcoWatch (used for
sondes). However, you will access the sonde’s rmware via hyperterminal. e Remote Desktop should
have a hyperterminal icon on its desktop labeled ‘Sonde.’ Double-click the icon to access the Sonde Main
Menu. Or, you may access the hyperterminal manually if the icon is not on your desktop.
e vehicle’s remote desktop should have an icon named ‘Sonde.’
1. Double-click the icon to access the sonde main menu for calibration.
2. Data will now scroll across the screen. (is data is NMEA code sent to the vehicle’s UVC.)
3. Hit the ‘ESC’ key to prompt the ‘#’ symbol.
4. Type ‘menu’ aer the ‘#’ symbol and hit ‘Enter’ to access the Sonde Main Menu.
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6.13 Prepare the EcoMapper for Calibration
NOTE
Due to the sensitive nature of calibration, we recommend that you perform sensor calibration on a at stationary
surface near a sink, ideally on a lab countertop. If possible, position the sensors over a sink for easy rinse and disposal
of uids. If you cannot use a sink, have a bucket available into which you can empty liquids from the cal cup. e
EcoMapper is equipped with a longer calibration cup to prevent turbidity sensor interference; the cup also has two
end-caps: a unique removable endcap with plumbing ports that you will use during calibration and a second standard,
at end-cap that will be used for transport and storage.
In order to calibrate the vehicle properly, you should observe several procedures for all calibrations.
• Leave the vehicle rmly attached in its stand.
• Have all required calibration standards available.
Attach the specialized AUV calibration cup end-cap (with drain).
1. With the calibration cup attached to the vehicle, unscrew (counterclockwise) and remove the standard black
cup end.
2. Screw (clockwise) the AUV calibration cup end (including drain and uid port) into the tip of the
calibration cup. Twist the end until it is snug and the drain is located on the bottom side.
3. Insert the funnel into the uid port on top of the cup end before you pour the calibration standards.
4. Observe proper pre-rinse and rinse procedures throughout calibration.
5. Turn the knob on the drain counter-clockwise and carefully tilt the vehicle forward to empty all uids
from the cal cup. Close the drain once you have suciently rinsed and emptied the cup.
6.1
You may want to save used calibration solution to reuse as a pre-rinse solution at a later date.
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6.2 Calibrate the YSI Sensor Suite
NOTE
Once you have prepared the EcoMapper for calibration and accessed the YSI sensor soware interface via
hyperterminal, you may proceed to calibrate. Always calibrate conductivity/temperature rst; all other calibrations rely
on accurate readings from this sensor to correct for temperature during calibration.
6.21 Calibration General Procedures
e sensor interface soware is a menu driven system.
Follow the instructions shown at the bottom of the menu to proceed throughout the calibration process. Many options
on the screen will not be used. e menu is incorporated into sonde rmware, and you will only need to access the
calibration portions.
• To select options, enter the appropriate number or letter; you do not need to press ‘Enter.’
• To select or deselect items in a list, enter the appropriate number or letter.
• To return to the previous menu, enter ‘0’ (zero) or ‘Esc’ (escape).
Before you begin the calibration process, ensure that all parameters you wish to measure are displayed and sensors are
active by entering ‘6’ in the ‘Main’ menu.
1. Ensure that all desired values will be displayed during calibration. Selected values are designated by an *
6.2
(asterisk).
2. Press ‘0’ to return to the ‘Main’ menu.
3. Press ‘7’ (Sensor).
4. Ensure that all desired sensors are enabled. Enabled sensors are designated by an * (asterisk).
In order to calibrate most YSI sensors, the process will remain the same.
1. Fill the calibration cup with fresh water (tap water is ne) and release the water through the drain, or run
water over the sensors directly (without the cal cup installed.)
2. Pre-rinse the sensor suite with the calibration standard. Use just enough to wash the cal cup and sensors
entirely. Drain the standard when nished (you may want to save the used standard for future pre-rinsing.).
3. With the funnel, ll the calibration cup with the recommended amount of calibration standard.
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all calibrations. Failure to
submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS allow sucient time for the temperature of the
standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
Calibration Standards and Amounts
Standard Amount Needed Size of Cal Cup
Conductivity 1,000 µS/cm 450 mL Small
Conductivity 10,000 µS/cm 450 mL Small
Conductivity 50,000 µS/cm 450 mL Small
pH Buer 4 450 mL Small
pH Buer 7 450 mL Small
pH Buer 10 450 mL Small
Turbidity 0.0 (tap water) 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
Turbidity 123 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
Chlorophyll 0.0 (tap water) 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
Chlorophyll Solution 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
BGA 0.0 (tap water) 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
BGA Solution 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
Rhodamine Solution 750 mL Large w/ black bottom
Optical DO (tap water) 100 mL Large w/ black bottom
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6.22 Wiper Sequence
NOTE
When you calibrate an optical sensor, you should enable the wipers. is will remove any air bubbles that may get
trapped on the optics and cause false readings. Using the wipers will also verify that the optical probes are working
correctly by observing them make the proper rotations (2 clockwise and 1 counterclockwise). If the sensor does not
rotate properly contact YSI Technical Support.
Typically you should disable the optical probe wipers aer calibration. e wipers are used to prevent
biofouling during long-term monitoring applications and not needed for most EcoMapper missions. If the wipers are
activated, the sonde will ‘freeze’ the probe readings during the wiping sequence, thus pausing probe readings.
In order to enable the wipe sequence on the optical sensors.
1. Open the ‘Advanced’ menu.
2. Select ‘Sensor.’
3. Select ‘Wipes.’
4. Enter ‘1.’
5. Return to the ‘Sensor’ menu.
6. Select ‘Wipe Interval.’
7. Enter ‘5.’
e Sonde should now wipe 1 time every 5 minutes.
Before deployment. Remove the wipers and set the ‘Wipe’ and ‘Wipe Interval’ to ‘0’ and ‘0’ to disable them from
wiping throughout deployment. Wipers are not necessary for the EcoMapper to collect proper data.
Wipe sequence somewhat depends on which optical probes are installed on your vehicle. However, the ROX Optical
DO probe should always wipe rst. If the ROX Optical DO probe does not wipe rst please contact YSI Technical
Support.
6.2
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6.22 Temperature and Conductivity Calibration
NOTE
Temperature
e temperature sensor does not have specic calibration procedure. However, you should verify that
the sensor is reading correctly by checking it against a precision certied thermometer.
Conductivity
Follow these steps to calibrate the conductivity sensor for conductivity, specic
conductance, salinity, and total dissolved solids.
1. Always service and clean the conductivity sensor before calibration (see
Section 2.10.2 in 6-Series User Manual).
2. Use a standard that is 1000 µS/cm or greater.
3. Rinse with water and pre-rinse with calibration standard. en ll the cal cup with the recommended
standard volume.
4. In the ‘Main’ menu, enter ‘7’ (Sensor).
5. Ensure that temperature and conductivity are active. Active sensors are designated by an * (asterisk).
6. Return to the ‘Main’ menu once you have selected or deselected the appropriate sensors.
7. Enter ‘2’ (Calibrate).
8. Enter the number for ‘Conductivity.’
9. Enter 1 (SpCond-Special Conductivity).
10. Ensure that the conductivity cell is completely submerged and does not contain any air bubbles.
11. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard in mS/cm. (e number in parentheses is the
6.2
value of the last solution used to calibrate conductivity. Press enter to use this value.)
e value prompt is for MILLIsiemens (mS) not microsiemens (µS). 1000 µS = 1mS.
12. Input the value of the calibration standard in millisiemens, then press ‘Enter.’
13. Observe the value, and once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds, press ‘Enter’ to accept the
calibration.
14. Return to the ‘Main’ menu.
15. Enter ‘8’ (Advanced).
16. Enter ‘1’ (Cal constants).
17. Conductivity should read 5 ±0.5.
If the conductivity probe does not fall in this range, ensure:
• e probe is clean (see Section 2.10.2 in 6-Series User Manual)
• e probe is not damaged
• e calibration standard is not contaminated
Conductivity calibration is complete. Empty the calibration cup and rinse the sensors.
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6.23 pH/ORP Sensor Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all
calibrations. Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS allow
time for the temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
pH
Since most environmental waters have a pH between 7 and 10. YSI recommends using a 2-point calibration,
unless you anticipate measuring pH levels below 7. Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all
necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’ menus.
pH sensor response time is a crucial indicator of how well the sensor is currently functioning. Observe the sensor
response time by:
1. In the ‘Main’ menu, press 1 (Run).
2. Press 1 (Discrete Run).
3. Observe the pH values as you rinse with water and pre-rinse with pH 7 buer, then ll cal cup with
recommended amount of pH 7 buer. Response times should be nearly instantaneous as new substances are
introduced.
Slow response times of pH may indicate the need to service the sensor (see Section 2.10.2 in 6-Series
User Manual).
6.2
Once you have observed sensor response time, continue to calibrate the pH/ORP sensor.
1. Return to the ‘Main’ menu.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘ISE1 pH.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your buer, this will vary with temperature. Check the
buer bottle in order to input the correct value adjusted for temperature. e number in parentheses is the
value of the last solution used to calibrate pH. Press ‘Enter’ to use this value, or input the correct value and
press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the buer from the cal cup.
8. Rinse with water and pre-rinse with pH 10 buer, then ll cal cup with recommended amount of pH 10
buer. Response times should be nearly instantaneous as new substances are introduced.
9. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your buer, this will vary with temperature. Check the
buer bottle in order to input the correct value adjusted for temperature. e number in parentheses is the
value of the last solution used to calibrate pH. Press ‘Enter’ to use this value, or input the correct value and
press ‘Enter.’
10. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
11. Drain the buer from the cal cup and rinse the sensors with water.
12. Return to the ‘Main’ menu.
13. Open the ‘Advanced’ menu.
14. ‘pH mV buer 7’ should read 0 ±50 mV.
15. ‘pH mV buer 10’ should read -168 to 180 mV from 7 buer mV reading. (e.g. If pH 7 buer reading was
-25, acceptable pH 10 buer range will be from -193 to -205 mV.)
16. If the pH/ORP is not in the acceptable range, refer to the 6-Series User Manual section 6.3 ‘Troubleshooting.’
17. If you choose to perform a 3-point calibration with pH 4 buer, the ‘pH mV buer 4’ should read +168 to
180 mV from 7 buer mV reading.
If a 3-point calibration is performed on pH it’s recommended that pH buer 7 be calibrated rst then
followed by buers 4 and 10.
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ORP
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
e ORP sensor is integrated into the 6569 pH/ORP probe. You must have this probe to measure ORP and it
cannot be measured if you are using the 6579 pH sensor.
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all calibrations. Failure to
submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS allow time for the temperature of the standard and
the sensor to equilibrate.
YSI recommends using Zobell solution to calibrate the ORP sensor. If you cannot use Zobell, use another
solution of known oxidation reduction potential value. ORP calibration is a 1-point procedure. Ensure that the sensor
is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’ menus.
1. Rinse with water and pre-rinse with calibration solution.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘ISE 2 ORP.’
4. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. If you use Zobell solution, enter the correct
temperature correction found on the bottle. e number in parentheses (on screen) is the value of the last
solution used to calibrate ORP. Press ‘Enter’ to use this value, or input the correct value and press ‘Enter.’
5. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
6.2
6. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
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6.24 Turbidity Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all
calibrations. Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS
allow time for the temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
YSI turbidity sensors are extremely sensitive and must use standards that
have been prepared according to details in Standard Methods for the Treatment of
Water and Wastewater (Section 2130 B). ese standards include:
• Formazin prepared according to Standard Methods
• Dilutions of 4000 NTU formazin concentrate from Hach
• Hach StablCal ™ standards in various NTU denominations
• AMCO-AEPA standards prepared specically for the YSI turbidity sensors supplied by YSI or a list of
approved vendors on www.ysi.com.
YSI recommends using a 2-point calibration. Using a 0 NTU standard and a second standard in the known turbidity
range of the water to be tested (e.g. 12.7 NTU for low turbidity or 126 NTU for high turbidity).
2-Point Optic Turbidity Calibration
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
6.2
6.2
1. Rinse with water and pre-rinse with 0 NTU standard, then ll the cal cup with recommended amount of
0 NTU standard (typically deionized or distilled water with no suspended solids).
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘Optic T-Turbidity 6136.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Always use the 0 NTU standard rst. e
number in parentheses is the value of the last solution used to calibrate turbidity. Press ‘Enter’ to use this
value, or input the correct value and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your second standard. Use the NTU standard that will
be close to your measurement values. e number in parentheses is the value of the last solution used to
calibrate turbidity. Press ‘Enter’ to use this value, or input thecorrect value and press ‘Enter.’
9. Observe the signal value. Once it has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds, press ‘Enter’ to accept the
calibration.
10. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
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6.25 ROX Optical Dissolved Oxygen Calibration
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all
calibrations. Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS
allow time for the temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
YSI recommends a 1-point calibration for the optical DO sensor. If you If you
suspect that the sensor has dried, you may want to perform a 2-point calibration.
For instruction on 2-point calibration, contact YSI Technical Support or refer to the
YSI 6-Series Multiparameter Water Quality Sondes User Manual available online at
www.ysi.com.
When you calibrate the optical DO sensor for oxygen % saturation or oxygen mg/L, the sensor automatically calibrates
for the other value simultaneously (i.e. calibration for ODOsat% results in DOmg/L calibration and vice versa).
1-Point Dissolved Oxygen (% Air Saturation) Calibration
1. Rinse the sensor in water.
2. Leave approximately 1/8 inch of water in the bottom of the calibration cup. Also leave the cup vented to air
(you may want to keep the uid input port open to allow for air exchange). e goal is to achieve a watersaturated air environment.
6.2
3. Wait approximately 10 minutes to allow temperature and air pressure to equilibrate.
4. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
5. Select ‘ODOsat%.’
6. Select ‘1-Point.’
7. e screen will prompt you to enter the current barometric pressure in mm of Hg. (mm of Hg = 25.4 x
inches of Hg).
8. NOTE: Use uncorrected (true) laboratory barometric readings only. Weather service readings are corrected
to sea level. To “uncorrect” weather service readings apply this formula:
9. True BP = [Corrected BP]-[2.5 x (Local altitude above seal level/100)]
10. Input the true barometric pressure and press ‘Enter.’
11. Observe the ODOsat% until the value exhibits no signicant change for approximately 30 seconds.
12. Press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
13. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
Calibrate Using mg/L 1-Point
YSI recommends that you do not calibrate the EcoMapper using this method. If you have calibrated a YSI sonde
previously using this method or have SOPs that require the instrument to be calibrated in this manner, please refer
to the YSI 6-Series Sonde Manual. If you have not performed this procedure before but you have a specic reason to
calibrate through this procedure, please contact YSI Technical Support. Remember, calibrating the sensor using ‘% Air
Saturation’ allows you to measure and record data in mg/L of DO even though it is not the selected calibration method.
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6.26 Chlorophyll Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all
calibrations. Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS
allow time for the temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
In most cases chlorophyll sensors are not calibrated prior to deployment but
rather the performance is checked using a uorescent dye and a blank solution.
To ‘calibrate’ a chlorophyll probe, discrete water samples should be collected from
the eld. At the time of collection, the sensor signal should be recorded. e sample
must then be stored properly and processed in the lab according to Standard Methods. is will generate a quantitative
chlorophyll a concentration. e lab readings are then correlated with the eld sensor readings in order to postcalibrate the data and provide semi-quantitative chlorophyll a data.
For more information on the Chlorophyll sensor, please refer to the 6-Series User Manual, section 5.16, Principles of
Operation-Chlorophyll.
To check performance with a uorescent dye, YSI recommends using Rhodamine WT solution. e dye does not
necessarily increase the accuracy of the sensor; it is used as a check of the sensor’s function. e following section
explains how to prepare the recommended solution. If you wish to simply zero out the instrument, you may
proceed to the ‘1-Point Calibration’ section.
6.2
Preparation of Dye Standard for Chlorophyll Sensor Performance Check
e Rhodamine WT standard can photodegrade quickly aer preparation. Calibrate the chlorophyll sensor
no more than 24 hours aer preparation.
YSI uses Rhodamine WT from the below-noted supplier. e solution is approximately 2% Rhodamine WT.
Rhodamine WT Dye (Lot# 257201; 16 Fl. Oz.)
Kingscote Chemicals
9676 N. Looney Road
Piqua, OH 45356
1.800.394.0678
Fax: 937.773.7994
1. Transfer exactly 5.0 mL of Rhodamine WT solution into a 1000 mL volumetric ask.
2. Fill the ask to the volumetric mark with either deionized or distilled water.
3. Mix well to produce a solution that is approximately 100 mg/L of Rhodamine WT. Transfer this standard to a
glass bottle and retain for future use.
4. Transfer exactly 5.0 mL of the above-prepared solution (100 mg/L) to a 1000 mL volumetric ask and then
ll the ask to the volumetric mark with deionized or distilled water.
5. Mix well to obtain a 0.5 mg/L Rhodamine WT solution in water (200:1 dilution of the concentrate). is will
be the dye standard for chlorophyll calibration.
6. Transfer the solution to a glass bottle and refrigerate it to retard decomposition.
If you wish to calibrate using this solution, please continue reading.
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1-Point Chlorophyll Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll cal cup with deionized or distilled water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘Optic X-Chlorophyll.’
4. Select ‘1-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions, when they have stabilized for approximately 30 seconds press
‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
2-Point Chlorophyll Calibration Using Rhodamine WT Solution.
e ‘ChlTempco’ setting under the ‘Advanced’>’Sensor’ menu must be set to zero when calibrating
chlorophyll with Rhodamine WT.
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
6.2
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll the cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘Optic X-Chlorophyll.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard in micrograms. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cup with the recommended amount of Rhodamine WT standard (0.5 mg/L from previous steps).
Temperature is known to have an inverse relationship with the intensity of dye uorescence. When
calibrating with a dye, always account for temperature by calibrating the second point with a corrected value as listed
below.
Temp
(C)
30 100 18 122
28 103 16 126
26 106 14 131
24 110 12 136
22 113 10 140
20 118 8 144
μg/L Chl to Enter Temp
(C)
μg/L Chl to Enter
9. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
10. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
e only way to be sure of your chlorophyll sensor’s accuracy is to calibrate using a suspension of
phytoplankton with known chlorophyll content, or to post-calibrate the sensor in a spreadsheet using obtained sensor
data and data obtained in laboratory analysis from a grab sample. YSI recommends a 2-point calibration with dye
primarily as an indicator of sensor dri. For this reason, YSI does not provide an accuracy specication for this sensor.
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6.26 Blue-Green Algae (aka Cyanobacteria)-Phycocyanin (PC)-6131 Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all calibrations.
Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS allow time for the
temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
In most cases blue-green algae sensors are not calibrated prior to deployment but
rather the performance is checked using a uorescent dye and a blank solution.
To ‘calibrate’ a blue-green algae probe, discrete water samples should be collected
from the eld. At the time of collection, the sensor signal should be recorded. e
sample must then be stored properly and a cell count must be performed in the lab
according to Standard Methods. is will generate a quantitative blue-green algae concentration. e cell count data
is then correlated with the eld sensor readings in order to post-calibrate the data and provide semi-quantitative bluegreen algae data.
For more information on the BGA-PC sensor, please refer to the 6-Series User Manual, section 5.16, Principles of
Operation-BGA-PC.
You may use a 1-point calibration in a 0 cells/mL solution to zero out the sensor, however, YSI recommends using a
2-point calibration using a 0 cells/mL solution to zero out the sensor and a second standard of a uorescent dye.
e following section explains how to prepare the recommended dye solution. If you wish to simply zero out the
instrument, you may proceed to the ‘1-Point Calibration’ section. If you will calibrate and check the sensor using
a known count of PC-containing BGA cells, you may proceed to the ‘2-Point Calibration using BGA-PC Counts.’
6.2
Preparation of Dye Standard for BGA-PC Sensor Calibration
For dye calibrations, YSI recommends using a Rhodamine WT solution. e dye does not necessarily increase the
accuracy of the sensor; it is used as a check of the sensor’s function.
e Rhodamine WT standard can photodegrade quickly aer preparation. Calibrate the BGA-PC sensor no
more than 5 days aer preparation.
YSI uses Rhodamine WT from the below-noted supplier. e solution is approximately 20% Rhodamine WT.
KEYSTONE RHODAMINE WT LIQUID (Part #70301027)
Keystone Aniline Corporation
2501 W. Fulton Street
Chicago, IL 60612
1. Weigh exactly 0.500 g of the 20% Rhodamine concentrate.
2. Quantitatively transfer the viscous liquid to a 1000 mL volumetric ask and ll the ask to the top
graduation.
3. Mix well. is solution contains 100 mg of Rhodamine WT per 1000 mL of water (100 mg/L).
4. Transfer exactly 1.0 mL of the solution prepared in the above step (100 mg/L) to a 1000 mL volumetric ask
and then ll to the top graduation with pure water.
5. Mix well to obtain a solution that is 100 ug/L (0.10 mg/L) in water (1000:1 dilution of original concentrate).
6. Store and refrigerate the original concentrate in a darkened glass bottle to retard decomposition.
7. Also store the dilute standard in a refrigerated environment.
If you wish to calibrate using this solution, please continue reading.
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1-Point BGA-PC Calibration
NOTE
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘BGA-PC cells/mL.’
4. Select ‘1-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
2-Point BGA-PC Calibration Using Rhodamine WT Solution.
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘BGA-PC cells/mL.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
6.2
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cup with the recommended amount of Rhodamine WT standard (0.1 mg/L from previous steps).
Temperature is known to have an inverse relationship with the intensity of dye uorescence. When
calibrating with a dye, always account for temperature by calibrating the second point with a corrected value as listed
below.
Temp
(C)
30 44,940 18 76,580
28 49,700 16 83,580
26 54,600 14 91,420
24 58,940 12 98,140
22 64,120 10 107,940
20 70,000 8 113,540
9. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
10. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
Cells/mL to Enter Temp
(C)
Cells/mL to Enter
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2-Point BGA-PC Calibration Using Pre-determined cells/mL Solution
NOTE
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll the cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘BGA-PC cells/mL.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cal cup with the solution containing a pre-determined amount of PC-containing cells.
9. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard in cells/mL. Input the determined value of
your solution and press ‘Enter.’
10. Observe the value of all measured conditions. When they have stabilized for approximately 30 seconds, press
‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
11. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
e only way to be sure of your BGA-PC sensor’s accuracy is to calibrate using a known suspension of
PC-containing BGA cells, or to post-calibrate the sensor in a spreadsheet using obtained sensor data and data
obtained in laboratory analysis from a grab sample. e 2-point calibration with dye is recommended for use
primarily as an indicator of sensor dri. For this reason, YSI does not provide an accuracy specication for this
sensor.
6.2
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6.27 Blue-Green Algae (aka Cyanobacteria)-BGA-Phycoerythrin(PE)-6132 Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all calibrations.
Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS allow time for the
temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
In most cases blue-green algae sensors are not calibrated prior to deployment but
rather the performance is checked using a uorescent dye and a blank solution.
To ‘calibrate’ a blue-green algae probe, discrete water samples should be collected
from the eld. At the time of collection, the sensor signal should be recorded. e
sample must then be stored properly and a cell count must be performed in the lab
according to Standard Methods. is will generate a quantitative blue-green algae concentration. e cell count data
is then correlated with the eld sensor readings in order to post-calibrate the data and provide semi-quantitative bluegreen algae data.
For more information on the BGA-PE sensor, please refer to the 6-Series User Manual, section 5.17, Principles of
Operation-BGA-PE.
e following section explains how to prepare the recommended dye solution. If you wish to simply zero out the
instrument, you may proceed to the ‘1-Point Calibration’ section. If you will calibrate and check the sensor using a
known count of PE-containing BGA cells, you may proceed to the ‘2-Point Calibration using BGA-PE Counts.’
6.2
Preparation of Dye Standard for BGA-PE Sensor Calibration
For dye calibrations, YSI recommends using a Rhodamine WT solution. e dye does not necessarily increase the
accuracy of the sensor; it is used as a check of the sensor’s function.
e Rhodamine WT standard can photodegrade quickly aer preparation. Calibrate the BGA-PE sensor no
more than 5 days aer preparation.
YSI uses Rhodamine WT from the below-noted supplier. e solution is approximately 20% Rhodamine WT.
KEYSTONE RHODAMINE WT LIQUID (Part #70301027)
Keystone Aniline Corporation
2501 W. Fulton Street
Chicago, IL 60612
1. Weigh exactly 0.500 g of the 20% Rhodamine concentrate.
2. Quantitatively transfer the viscous liquid to a 1000 mL volumetric ask and ll the ask to the top
graduation with pure water.
3. Mix well. is solution contains 100 mg of Rhodamine WT per 1000 mL of water (100 mg/L).
4. Transfer exactly 80 µL (microliters) of the 100 mg/L solution to a 1000 mL volumetric ask and then ll to
the top with pure water.
5. Mix well. is solution contains 8 µg/L Rhodamine WT in water (0.008 mg/L). is is your standard.
6. Store and refrigerate the original concentrate in a darkened glass bottle to retard decomposition.
7. Also store the dilute standard in a refrigerated environment.
If you wish to calibrate using this solution, please continue reading.
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1-Point BGA-PE Calibration
NOTE
1. Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and
‘Report’ menus.
2. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll the cal cup with pure water.
3. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
4. Select ‘BGA-PE cells/mL.’
5. Select ‘1-Point.’
6. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
7. Observe the value of all measured conditions, when they have stabilized for approximately 30 seconds press
‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
8. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
2-Point BGA-PE Calibration Using Rhodamine WT Solution.
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll the cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘BGA-PE cells/mL.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30
seconds, press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cup with the recommended amount of Rhodamine WT standard (from previous steps).
6.2
Temperature is known to have an inverse relationship with the intensity of dye uorescence. When
calibrating with a dye, always account for temperature by calibrating the second point with a corrected value as listed
below.
Temp
(C)
30 156,000 18 210,000
28 164,000 16 220,000
26 174,000 14 230,000
24 181,000 12 240,000
22 189,000 10 247,000
20 200,000 8 254,000
9. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
10. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
Cells/mL to Enter Temp
(C)
Cells/mL to Enter
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2-Point BGA-PE Calibration Using Pre-determined Cells/mL Solution
NOTE
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘BGA-PE cells/mL.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cal cup with a solution containing a pre-determined amount of PE-containing cells.
9. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard in cells/mL. Input the determined value of
your solution and press ‘Enter.’
10. Observe the value of all measured conditions. When they have stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
11. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
e only way to be sure of your BGA-PE sensor’s accuracy is to calibrate using a known suspension of PE-
containing BGA cells, or to post-calibrate the sensor in a spreadsheet using obtained sensor data and data obtained
in laboratory analysis from a grab sample. e 2-point calibration with dye is recommended for use primarily as
6.2
an indicator of sensor dri. For this reason, YSI does not provide an accuracy specication for this sensor.
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6.28 Optic Rhodamine WT Calibration
NOTE
NOTE
ALWAYS ensure that the temperature sensor is completely submerged during all
calibrations. Failure to submerge the sensor can result in false calibrations. And, ALWAYS
allow time for the temperature of the standard and the sensor to equilibrate.
For additional information on the Rhodamine WT sensor, please refer to the
6-Series User Manual, section 5.15, Principles of Operation-Rhodamine.
Preparation of Dye Standard for Rhodamine Sensor Calibration
e Rhodamine WT standard will decompose quickly aer preparation. Store in a glass container and keep
out of direct light. Calibrate the Rhodamine WT sensor no more than 5 days aer preparation.
YSI uses Rhodamine WT from the below-noted supplier. e solution is approximately 20% Rhodamine WT.
KEY ACID RHODAMINE WT LIQUID (Part #70301027)
Keystone Aniline Corporation
2501 W. Fulton Street
Chicago, IL 60612
1. Weigh exactly 0.500 g of the 20% Rhodamine concentrate.
2. Quantitatively transfer the viscous liquid to a 1000 mL volumetric ask and ll the ask to the top
graduation with pure water.
3. Mix well. is solution contains 100 mg of Rhodamine WT per 1000 mL of water (100 mg/L).
4. Transfer exactly 1.0 mL of the solution prepared in the above step (100 mg/L) to a 1000 mL volumetric ask
and then ll to the top graduation with pure water.
5. Mix well to obtain a solution that is 100 µg/L (0.10 mg/L) in water (1000:1 dilution of original concentrate).
6. Store and refrigerate the original concentrate in a darkened glass bottle to retard decomposition.
7. Also store the dilute standard in a refrigerated environment.
If you wish to calibrate using this solution, please continue reading.
1-Point Rhodamine Calibration
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll the cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘Rhodamine.’
4. Select ‘1-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
6.2
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2-Point Rhodamine Calibration
NOTE
Ensure that the sensor is activated and the sonde is reporting all necessary values under the ‘Sensor’ and ‘Report’
menus.
1. Rinse with deionized or distilled water, then completely ll cal cup with pure water.
2. Open the ‘Calibrate’ menu.
3. Select ‘Rhodamine.’
4. Select ‘2-Point.’
5. e screen will prompt you to enter the value of your standard. Input ‘0’ and press ‘Enter.’
6. Observe the value of all measured conditions. Once the signal has stabilized for approximately 30 seconds,
press ‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
7. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
8. Fill the cup with the recommended amount of Rhodamine WT standard (from previous steps).
9. Observe the value of all measured conditions. When they have stabilized for approximately 30 seconds, press
‘Enter’ to accept the calibration.
10. Drain the standard from the cal cup and rinse with water.
3-Point Rhodamine Calibration
e 3-point rhodamine calibration is performed in the exact same way as a 2-point calibration, only it prompts a third
time for a nal value (the highest concentration standard). e maximum accuracy range is 200 µg/L.
For all rhodamine calibration procedures, be certain that the standard and the sensor are thermally
6.2
equilibrated prior to proceeding with the calibration.
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6.3 Compass Calibration
360˚
During initial setup, you should calibrate your vehicle’s compass. You should also routinely check the EcoMapper’s
compass against a hand-held compass to verify that it is functioning properly.
Before you begin to calibrate the compass, secure the vehicle to its stand. Take the EcoMapper, your laptop computer,
Communications Box, and a handheld compass outside away from anything containing a magnetic charge or metal.
Find an area where the vehicle will remain level throughout the calibration and provides room to turn the vehicle when
necessary. Orient the vehicle with the antenna perpendicular to the ground.
1. Enter the vehicle’s Remote Desktop via WiFi connection. Refer to Section 4.1 to learn how to establish a WiFi
connection and connect to the vehicle’s Remote Desktop.
2. On the Remote Desktop, double-click the ‘Compass’ icon. (You will access the compass through a
hyperterminal.)
3. Data should stream onto the hyperterminal screen.
4. Press the ‘ESC’ key.
5. Enter ‘C.’
6. Slowly rotate the vehicle 360 degrees through one full rotation.
6.3
7. Following the rotation, the screen should display ‘……….’, press the Space bar to end calibrating.
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360˚
6.3
8. Turn the vehicle 90 degrees onto its side so that the antenna is parallel to the ground.
9. In the hyperterminal, press the ‘ESC’ key.
10. Enter ‘Z.’
11. Slowly rotate the vehicle 360 degrees through one full rotation.
12. Following the rotation, the screen should display ‘……….’, press the Space bar to end calibrating.
Compass calibration continued on next page...
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You will now proceed to correct the compass for so-iron variations. So iron calibration is used to account for
variation in the immediate magnetic eld due to so iron, wires with current, batteries, etc.
13. Press ‘$’ to begin so-iron calibration.
14. Press the number key “2” to enter calibration mode.
15. Using a handheld compass, point the nose of the vehicle exactly North (0 degrees), and press ‘Space.’
16. Using a handheld compass, point the nose of the vehicle exactly East (90 degrees), and press ‘Space.’
17. Using a handheld compass, point the nose of the vehicle exactly South (180 degrees), and press ‘Space.’
18. Using a handheld compass, point the nose of the vehicle exactly West (270 degrees), and press ‘Space.’
6.3
Once you have completed the process, check each cardinal direction against the reading on your handheld compass by
turning the vehicle to each point and observing the readings in the hyperterminal. If the vehicle readings are incorrect,
reattempt calibration. If the vehicle still does not provide readings in line with an accurate handheld compass, try to
calibrate the instrument in an area with less so-iron.
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86
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
7 Maintenance and Repair
Contents
7.1 YSI Sensor Maintenance and Storage 88
7.11 YSI Sensor Array ............................................... 88
7.12 Short-Term Storage ............................................ 88
7.13 YSI Sensor or Plug Removal
(for storage or replacement) ....................................... 89
7.14 Temperature/Conductivity .................................. 90
7.15 pH/ORP .......................................................... 90
7.16 ROX Dissolved Oxygen ......................................91
7.17 Turbidity, Chlorophyll, BGA-PC,
BGA-PE, and Rhodamine WT .....................................92
7.2 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair 93
7.21 General Maintenance ........................................ 93
7.22 Swap the Nose Cone ........................................ 93
7.23 Zinc Plates........................................................ 93
7.24 Buoyancy Trim Weights ...................................... 93
7.25 Storage ............................................................93
7.3 Repair 95
7.31 Propeller Replacement ....................................... 95
7.32 Control Plane (Fin)/Shaft Assembly Replacement ...95
7.33 Control Plane (Fin) Replacement .......................... 96
7.34 Battery De-Shunt for Shipping ............................. 96
Page 89
7.1 YSI Sensor Maintenance and Storage
NOTE
7.11 YSI Sensor Array
Although low-maintenance, YSI sensors should be serviced periodically. e easiest time to service the sensors is
when you calibrate the instrument. However, if a sensor (or sensors) begins to give suspected faulty readings, you
should service the sensor(s). Do not attempt to service the sensors in any manner other than listed in the following
sections or other YSI literature. For additional information on YSI sensor maintenance and principles of operation,
refer to the YSI 6-Series Multiparameter Water Quality Sondes User Manual available online at www.ysi.com.
7.12 Short-Term Storage
YSI denes short-term storage as 4 weeks or less. To keep your sensors functioning properly, pour approximately
1 cm of water (distilled, deionized, or tap) into the storage/cal cup. Do not submerge any of the sensors, but leave
7.1
enough to keep the air saturated with water. Make sure that the cup is tightly sealed to the vehicle to prevent
evaporation. Check the cup’s water level periodically to ensure that the water is not leaking or evaporating.
When possible, guard the ROX Optic DO from direct sunlight to prevent photo-bleaching.
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7.13 YSI Sensor or Plug Removal (for storage or replacement)
NOTE
All YSI sensors in the bulkhead can be removed for storage or replacement. However, not all should be removed for
storage. YSI recommends that the conductivity/temperature sensor and ROX Dissolved Oxygen sensor remain in the
bulkhead during long-term storage.
Ensure the Port is Dry
Be sure to keep the probe ports dry during probe replacement, removal, or installation. Use compressed air to dry out
the ports before you install any sensors to remove trace moisture. If you suspect or know that water has entered the
port: blow with compressed air, then pour a small amount of isopropyl alcohol in the port and allow it to evaporate.
Rinse the port out with DI water and then dry the port again with compressed air.
Check the O-Rings
• Be sure to check and service the o-rings anytime the sensors are removed.
• Remove the o-rings from their groove with a small, at-bladed screwdriver.
Do not use any sharp instruments to remove the o-rings, this may damage the o-ring or groove.
• Clean the o-rings with water and a mild detergent (no alcohol).
• Wipe the o-rings dry with Kimwipes ® or other lint-free cloth.
• Apply a very small amount of Teon stopcock grease to the o-rings by putting the grease on your ngers and
drawing the rings slowly the grease. More grease does not equal better.
• Replace the o-ring in the groove. Verify that the ring does not look twisted or rolled in the groove.
• Rub a very small amount of grease onto the surface of the o-ring.
Remove, Replace or Install Sensor or Plugs.
Optical probes and plugs use the short end of the probe tool. pH/ORP and temperature/conductivity use
the long end. If you lose the probe tool, you may substitute them with 7/64" and
9/64" hex keys. Loosen and tighten sensors by the metal sheath at the base of
the sensor ONLY.
To Remove:
Insert the probe tool into the hole at the base of the sensor.
Loosen by turning to the le.
Loosen probe or plug until it can be nger-loosened and removed.
To Insert:
Align the two connectors in the hole.
Finger-tighten the probe or plug by turning it to the right (turn probe at
metal base).
Snug the sensor down with probe tool, but do not over tighten.
7.1
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7.14 Temperature/Conductivity
Service
To service the conductivity portion of the sensor, use the wire
brushes sent with the sensor to clean the inside surface of the probe.
Run fresh tap water through the probe aer brushing to ensure no
particles remain in the holes. e temperature probe should not
require any regular service. Do not allow the temperature probe to
come in contact with corrosive materials and ensure that the surface
remains clean and free of fouling.
Long-Term Storage
Keep the probe attached to the end of the vehicle. Or, if you wish,
you may store the sensor in a dry or moist environment.
7.15 pH/ORP
Service
Improve Slow Sensor Response Time
Clean the pH/ORP probe whenever you observe deposits or contaminants on the glass or platinum
surfaces of the sensor or sensor response time is slow.
• Wash the surface with clean water.
• Gently wipe the platinum button and glass bulb to remove foreign objects.
• Use a moistened cotton swab to carefully remove any material blocking the
reference electrode junction.
If these procedures do not improve sensor response time, perform these
7.1
additional steps.
1. Soak the probe for 15 minutes in clean water containing a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
2. Gently wipe the glass bulb and platinum button with a cotton swab soaked in the dishwashing liquid/water
solution.
3. Rinse the probe in clean water, wipe again with swab soaked in clean water, and re-rinse.
If these procedures do not improve sensor response time, perform the following procedures.
1. Soak the probe for 30-60 minutes in 1 molar hydrochloric acid (1M HCL). Be sure to observe all
recommended safety precautions from the manufacturer.
2. Rinse the probe in clean water, wipe again with swab soaked in clean water, and re-rinse with clean water.
3. Soak the probe in clean water for approximately 1 hour with occasional stirring to remove all traces of the
acid.
If none of the previous procedures have restored pH/ORP sensor response time, or if biological fouling of the reference
junction is suspected, perform this nal maintenance attempt.
1. Soak the probe for one hour in a dilution of 1:1 dilution of commercially-available chlorine bleach.
2. Soak the probe in clean water for 1 hour with occasional stirring to remove all traces of the bleach
3. Rinse the probe in clean water before re-installment.
Rehydrate the Reference Electrode Junction
If the reference electrode junction does dry out due to improper storage, soak the sensor overnight in a 2 molar
potassium chloride solution. If this solution is not available, tap water or commercial pH buers may also work.
However, dehydration may cause irreparable damage and the sensor may need to be replaced.
Long-Term Storage
Remove the probe from the sonde and seal the port with a plug. Store the probe in a storage vessel containing 2 molar
potassium chloride. Ensure that the vessel is sealed to prevent evaporation.
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7.16 ROX Dissolved Oxygen
NOTE
NOTE
Service
You can perform two services on the ROX DO sensor, rehydration and membrane assembly replacement.
Rehydration
e ROX DO sensor must always be stored in a moist environment (water or water-saturated air). If the sensor is
exposed to ambient air for more than two hours (or less if the air is extremely dry), you should perform the following
rehydration steps.
1. Fill a 600 mL (or similar size) glass beaker with approximately 400 mL of water.
2. Heat the water to a temperature of 50 ±5 degrees C.
3. Place the probe tip containing the sensor membrane in the warm water.
4. Maintain the temperature for approximately 24 hrs with the probe tip submerged in the water.
5. Following rehydration, store the probe as usual in water or water-saturated air.
Be sure that the water does not evaporate. If possible, cover the container to prevent evaporation. DO NOT
use plastic vessels.
Membrane Assembly Replacement
YSI recommends that you replace the optical DO membrane assembly once a year to ensure maximum sensor
accuracy. You may also need to replace the membrane assembly if it becomes excessively scratched. Although you
should not worry about small pinholes in the protective black paint covering, however, YSI recommends that you
change the membrane assembly if the face has a hole 1 mm or larger.
e 6155 kit allows you to replace the membrane assembly without returning the sensor to the manufacturer.
Leave the new sensor membrane in its packaging until you are ready to install it on the probe.
1. Use a 1/16" hex driver (supplied in the 6155 kit) to remove three screws from the sensor face.
2. Retain screws for later use and remove the old membrane assembly.
3. Remove the new sensor membrane assembly from its container and dry the backside (the
side with the cavity). Be certain that no water remains in the cavity.
4. Use a dry Kimwipe ® or other lint-free wipe and/or compressed air to ensure that the
membrane cavity is dry.
5. Check that an o-ring is in place in the groove surrounding the sensor cavity.
6. Place the new sensor membrane over the sha and align all holes in the
membrane with those on the probe face.
7. Place and partially tighten one screw in the membrane assembly.
8. Place and partially tighten the other two screws. Make sure that you
do not scratch the membrane surface.
9. Tighten all three screws securely, but do not over tighten.
To avoid over tightening, insert the long end hex driver sha
to reduce mechanical advantage.
Long-Term Storage
Keep the probe attached to the end of the vehicle. Fill the cal cup half-way full with water to ensure that the
environment remains moist during storage. e sensor does not need to remain submerged throughout storage.
However, periodically check that the cal cup has not lost its water through evaporation or leaking. If you wish, you may
remove the sensor and store it in a moist environment.
7.1
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7.17 Turbidity, Chlorophyll, BGA-PC, BGA-PE, and Rhodamine WT
Service
ese optic sensors require virtually no regular maintenance aside from calibration. Check the sensor surface
periodically and wipe any foreign objects from the surface.
Long-Term Storage
ese optic sensors have no special requirements for long-term storage. However, you may wish to remove them from
the bulkhead and replace them with ports to minimize cosmetic degradation. If you choose to remove them from the
bulkhead, simply store the sensors dry in air.
7.1
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7.2 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
7.21 General Maintenance
e EcoMapper requires relatively little maintenance. Most maintenance will be preventative inspections conducted
to avoid incidents. However, any repairs not listed in the ‘Repair’ section should not be attempted. e following list is
a suggested overview of the vehicle. Prior to each deployment, or aer a vehicle “incident” (collision, drop, etc.), you
should perform this basic visual inspection.
Visually inspect:
• e nose cone
• All vehicle sensors
• e vehicle hull
• Balance weights
• Antenna (including all lights and screws)
• e tail section (including all screws and zinc plates)
• All control planes (check for bent shas or cracks that may indicate a collision. Replace cracked ns.)
• Propeller and propeller guard
7.22 Swap the Nose Cone
When the EcoMapper is not in use, the sensor array on the front of the vehicle should remain in a water-saturated air
environment provided by the clear screw-on cup. However, when the vehicle is in use, the black nose guard should be
attached to protect the sensors and optimize ow past the probe. To attach, twist the cup/cone clockwise. To remove,
twist the cup/cone counter-clockwise.
Out-of-Water: Fill the clear transport cup with approximately 1 cm of water (just enough to keep the air saturated.
Screw the cup onto the nose until snug. Be sure not to cross-thread; the cup should attach easily to the vehicle.
In-Water: Screw the black protective nose cone onto the vehicle until snug. Be sure not to cross-thread; the cup
should attach easily to the vehicle.
7.2
7.23 Zinc Plates
Two zinc plates are located on the bottom side of the tail section. ese plates are used as anodes to protect the AUV
from corrosion. When more than 60% of the plates are gone or they no longer make tight contact with the body of the
AUV, you should replace them.
1. Unscrew the 6/32" at-head screw from the plates.
2. Remove and inspect the plates. Replace if necessary.
3. Tighten the at-head screw back into its original hole.
7.24 Buoyancy Trim Weights
YSI will balance the EcoMapper for the customer’s intended application (freshwater,
saltwater or brackish) prior to delivery. Spare weights will be provided with the unit should
you desire to change the application. e track weights on the bottom of the EcoMapper must be changed and the
vehicle balanced again before deployment in a new environment. Remove the screws that hold the plates on the and
move the weights to the desired locations. You may also add or remove weights by sliding one of the plates out of the
track. Refer to Section 4.34 for instruction on balancing the EcoMapper.
7.25 Storage
When the EcoMapper will not be in use for a long time period, it should be stored dry in its shipping crate.
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7.26 Reset the WiFi box back to the EcoMapper
1. Connect to the dd-wrt network or the name which the WiFi boxed was changed to
2. Open Internet Explorer and Enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar
3. Click on the Wireless tab
4. When the wireless tab is selected enter the username: root and password: admin. Under the Basic Settings
tab, change the SSID to IVER and click Save Settings
7.3
5. Close the Internet explorer and connect to the IVER network
6. Repeats steps 2 through 4
7. Click on Wireless Security tab and select WEP as the Security Mode
8. Enter the password: 5086780550 next to key 1 and click Save Settings
9. Close the Internet explorer and connect to the IVER network
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7.3 Repair
NOTE
NOTE
You can service a number of parts on the AUV if the situation demands. However, if the repair you wish to perform is
not listed here, do not attempt the procedure; instead, contact YSI Technical Support.
• Control plane replacement
• Control plane/sha assembly replacement
• Propeller replacement
• YSI sensors replacement
• Antenna removal
• Battery de-shunt
7.31 Propeller Replacement
1. Power the vehicle o with the remote starter.
2. Remove the 3/8" nut on the end of the propeller and slide the old propeller o of the sha.
3. Install the new propeller on the sha making sure the two grooves on the propeller line up with the insert in
the sha Tighten the nut securely.
7.32 Control Plane (Fin)/Shaft Assembly Replacement
If a control plane and sha have been damaged in such a way that requires replacement (e.g. permanent damage to
sha or mounting unit), you can replace the entire assembly without accessing the vehicle’s interior.
If the control plane sha has bent, do not attempt to straighten it. e internal seals may be damaged
from the pressure exerted by the bent sha.
7.3
1. Leave the vehicle on, but ensure you have exited the UVC to prevent any
accidental operation of the control planes or propeller.
2. In the circular platform at the base of the control plane are two screw-holes.
Completely remove each screw with a 7/64" hex key.
3. Once both screws are removed, pull the control plane assembly straight up
and out of the vehicle.
4. Examine and service the o-rings on the assembly.
5. Place the new control plane assembly in the hole so that the screwholes align in the assembly align with those in the tail section.
Angle the control plane straight back, but DO NOT push the
assembly in yet.
6. Once you are certain that the assembly is in the correct position,
begin gentle downward pressure to t the assembly into the tail
section. You may need to slightly adjust the angle of the control
plane for it to fall into the internal servos gearing.
7. With the assembly rmly in the hole, hand-tighten each of the two screws until
snug.
8. Observe all pre-check procedures before redeployment.
If the control plane will not realign properly due to the position of the internal servos gearing, please contact
YSI Technical Support.
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7.33 Control Plane (Fin) Replacement
If a control plane has been damaged in such a way that requires replacement (e.g. permanent
damage to sha or mounting unit), you can replace the control plane without accessing the
vehicle’s interior.
1. Leave the vehicle on, but ensure you have exited the UVC to prevent any accidental
operation of the control planes or propeller.
2. Using the included Allen wrench, remove the 1/16" setscrew from the side
of the control plane.
3. Pull the damaged control plane o of the sha.
4. Press the new control plane onto the sha.
5. Insert the setscrew into the hold on the side of the control plane.
7.34 Battery De-Shunt for Shipping
7.3
When you ship the EcoMapper, you must always run the batteries down to
40% or lower and disconnect the battery. Peform the following instructions to
meet these two criteria required by Federal shipping regulations.
!
Ensure the vehicle is powered o, has a solid platform, and is well-secured
before you perform this procedure. Work on a at surface in order to have a at
section on which to sit the disconnected tail section.
1. is step is performed to alleviate suction before you remove the vehicle's
tail. Remove the antenna by removing the Phillips screws from around
its base and gently pulling up. Be careful to not damage the o-rings
or pull loose any internal connections. e antenna's wiring can stay
connected.
2. Remove the screws from the vehicle's tail section. en, with someone
holding the vehicle's hull, slowly, gently rock and pull back on the
tail section until it is free. Carefully set the tail section aside without
disconnecting the wiring.
3. Locate the red battery wires. e red wires will have loopback
connectors that can be unclipped and removed in order to break the
circuit from the batteries. Disconnect this loopback connector.
4. Carefully reattach the tail and antenna sections prio to loading the
vehicle into its crate. Take time to inspect and service the o-rings if
necessary.
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Appendix A: Update/Install EcoMapper
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Software
A.1 Install/Update the UVC 98
A.2 Install/Update VectorMap 98
A.3 Install/Update SonarMosaic 101
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A.1 Install/Update the UVC
1. Download the newest version of the UVC soware to the laptop computer used to run the EcoMapper.
2. Establish a wireless link with the vehicle and enter Remote Desktop (see Section 4.12).
3. Place the new UVC folder into one of the vehicle’s shared folders under ‘My Network Places.’
4. In Remote Desktop, copy and paste the new UVC folder onto the desktop.
5. Make a copy of the old UVC and store it in a back-up location then remove the old UVC’s contents from the
desktop.
6. Cut and paste all contents from the new UVC into the old UVC folder.
7. Rename the folder to the current update level.
A.2 Install/Update VectorMap
1. Double click the icon for VectorMap setup.
2. e VectorMap Setup Wizard will open; click ‘Next.’
A.1
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3. Once you have read the licensing agreement, select ‘I agree’ and click ‘Next.’
4. Browse to the location you wish to save VectorMap (a specic folder on your desktop may be best).
5. Click ‘Next.’
A.2
6. Click ‘Next’ in the Conrm Installation window.
7. VectorMap will now begin to install on your computer. Make sure that all included items remain in the same
folder in order for VectorMap to work properly.
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