How-to AUV - Online

General

Most of the time the system carries out autonomous missions under water without any cable attached.
However, when the system is tethered, a couple of settings need to be set up before an autonomous mission can start.
This topic will describe the storage of the data, autonomous logging, pipeline detection and more.

On this page:

Auto recording options

For automatically recording or giving a command to start or stop recording, the Remote Control driver can be used. This is a so-called 'Miscellaneous system' in Qinsy and can be added to the Template Database.

This driver has the following functionality: 

• Commanding the Controller to start or stop logging;
• Commanding the Controller to shut down; 
• Commanding the Controller to use a certain database name. 

This driver is used to communicate with an external controller, like the CARUS software of the Sabertooth. 

More about this driver can be found in the Drivers Manual: Remote Control - TCP Server (Network) - 23

Which system will be turned on (Edgetech Side Scan, Edgetech Bathy, R2Sonic etc.) will be defined in the mission planner.
In theory, when using this driver and a mission planner, Qinsy will be controlled and will start and stop logging automatically when it is defined in the mission.

Computation Setup

This chapter will describe some settings that can be set in the Computation Setup and what is important to check. For a detailed description about the Computation Setup, please visit the page How-to Computation setup.

Position filter

The position of the object is by default taken directly from a positioning system or a surface navigation system.
This page allows for using a Kalman Filter in order to smooth the raw positions and heights from the computations.
Optionally input of heading, height, and/or speed sensor observations can be integrated into the Kalman Filter.
More about Kalman filtering can be found at: How-to Computation Online and How-to Smooth the vessel track.

• Dynamic model (which model is used for the filtering);
• Height model (none or 1D Constant Height);
• Filter strength (how strict the filter works);

It is hard to define which settings should be used when recording. Don't filter too strongly, because it can also filter out valid values.

Multibeam systems

• Make sure that the option 'Add sound velocity from system to velocity profile' is enabled and checked.

SideScan sonar systems

For more detailed information about how to setup a SideScan Sonar online, please visit the page How-to Side Scan Sonar.

Geo referencing

• To locate the derived position from a beam, an assumption has to be made about the seabed:
  
  • Flat Bottom Assumption: All returns are located as if the bottom is flat. A radial distance from the SSS head is projected on a flat seabed (commonly used).
  • Sounding Grid: The returns are projected with reference to a sounding grid previously filled with data. Select the Grid layer that will be used for geo referencing.

Altitude

• For Geo Referencing of the SideScan sonar data, a proper altitude of the SideScan sonar fish is required. This value is used to slant range correct the recorded data:
  • Altitude Source:
    • External Observation: an Echosounder system that is also interfaced in Qinsy, such as a SBES or MBES system (commonly used);
    • Fixed Value: user defined value;
    • Bottom Track Algorithm: The bottom-tracking algorithm will try to detect the first bottom return from a Side Scan sweep.
      The assumption is made that the first strong reflection after the water column is the return from the bottom straight below the fish.

Echosounder Settings

Setting device settings

For some sensors, it is possible to set the device settings like range or which channels need to be started in Qinsy. Qinsy will send this information through to the sensor where it will be applied.
For example with the Carus software of Saab, it is possible to send a message to Qinsy to set the range of a system, and Qinsy will pass it through to the system. Please check if the option 'Control system from Qinsy' is selected in the template setup to get this functionality.

Most settings are described in the mission that is sent from the control software to Qinsy. Settings like the range and frequency are described in the mission.
However, it is also possible to define 'blocking' parameters of each sensor in the Echosounder Settings. More about blocking parameters can be found in 3. QINSy Online.

Session Setup

Automatic Line selection

During an autonomous mission, is it possible to select the lines that need to be sailed automatically. However, the AUV will sail the lines that are described in the mission, but then the line name can be used in the database name as indication.
More about the Automatic Line selection can be found on the page Automatic Line Selection.

Storage

Make sure that the naming of the database file is set right and that the prefix will continue after a 'stop recording'.
When the naming is not set right, it can happen that the recorded data my be overwritten or that there is no stored data at all, because Qinsy asks the user if they are sure to overwrite that file.
How to set the database name can be read in the topic Database name.

The following files can be stored online:

• Recorded database files (always);
• DTM files;
• Grid files;
• XTF files;
• ASCII files (when enabled in the template database);

Auto transferring options (DB files)

This depends on whether the AUV is tethered or not. When the AUV is not tethered, there is no possibility to reach the vehicle when it's under water and then there is no need for auto transferring of the DB's.
More about the auto transferring option can be found here: Auto transferring of database files.

Storage file size

The database is always recorded, and it is not possible to turn the storage of this file off.
When the wrong settings are used, it can happen that the database file becomes way too large.
QPS advises to limit the database size to 200 MB's, so that most programs (and also older programs like Validator) can import the file.
The file size is set to 100 MB's by default, but can  be changed by the operator.
The Split Method should be changed or set to 'DB file size' and not to 'DTM file size' or 'manual'.

Pipeline detection

For pipeline inspection runs, it is possible to send the top of seabed data to the software that controls the AUV.
When online, it is possible the set up an output to a certain IP address and port:

• Go to Options and select 'DTM socket out'
• Hit the tick box 'Enable DTM socket Output' and hit 'add'
• Fill in the right information like the IP address and Port Number
• Select the system that will be used for the pipeline inspection and the correct output format (Top of Seabed)

Qinsy will now send the Top of Seabed data to the software package that controls the AUV.