R2Sonic 202x-Series - Required SSS Raw Datagrams and Qinsy Setup

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Configuring Raw Datagram Output

The required datagrams must first be enabled for output in the manufacturer's system control software. The following tables list the datagrams needed.

Application	Bathymetry (BTH0)	Snippet/Seabed Image (SNI0)	Truepix Sidescan (TPX0)	Water Column (WCD0)
R2 Sonic 202x-Series
R2 Sonic 2024, 2022, 2020
FMGT				N/A
FM Midwater	N/A	N/A	N/A
XTF Export
GSF Export

The Driver for R2Sonic 202x-Series Side Scan Sonar (Truepix) uses a network connection (UDP) and decodes the following:

TruePix
The Side Scan Sonar driver decodes TruePix messages (TPX0 packets) as from QINSy CD version 8.10.2012.05.06.1 onward. Data is shown as sidescan data in the watefall display. It is also possible to log the raw TruePix messages in the *.db files.

As from the April 2012 build of the R2Sonic Control 2000 software you can select the required output in the user interface and check the installed options:

Port Setup in R2Sonic Control Program

Note that as of March 2013 the driver will automatically determine and open the actual UDP ports. So make sure to set the output UDP Base port in the Sonic Control program to the same number (e.g. 4000) for every data type!

To activate data storage see Driver Specific Settings below.

Please refer to the R2Sonic documentation for Datagram format descriptions identifying which parameters are stored in each data packet type.
Please refer to the Drivers Manual - R2Sonic 2000 Series for system details and configuration settings. (Link only available when logged in to the QPS website.)

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DbSetup Driver Specific Settings - MB System Wizard Page 2

The possible settings are:

Setting	Option (bold=default)	Description
Raw Sidescan Storage	Disabled/Enabled	When Enabled the Raw (original) Truepix packets are stored in the database. As of May 2014 Fledermaus does not support processing of Truepix.

Online Settings

Additional settings are required in the Qinsy Online Controller to ensure the correct sonar data is recorded. These are found in the 'Settings' menu.

Computation Setup

Make sure the sidescan system (Truepix) is enabled in the 'Computation Setup'.

Session Setup - Storage

From the Controller Settings menu select Session Setup. In the left panel of the window that opens select 'Storage'. Data can be stored to various file formats.

Database File (*.db)

Click on 'Database'. At bottom right, sonar Storage Options are listed. Only those systems which were enabled in DbSetup while configuring the template database are shown here. If not shown, go back to DbSetup and check the Sidescan System definition.

Hard disk strain

Storing all the raw data online will put a great strain on the hard disk especially when water column data is enabled. On older computers the hard disk may not even keep up with the amount of data offered to it. This can lead to excessive buffering in the so-called 'DbOut' driver that writes the database; eventually a warning message in the Controller will be displayed and force a stop of the recording.

If in doubt on the hard disk performance, check the 'DrvDbout.exe' process in the MSWindows Task Manager and check that it is not using too much memory. Typical memory usage should be around 30-100 MB. If it is increased way beyond hundreds of Mega bytes and continuously increasing, it is possible that th

Real time export of XTF files

As of May 2014 XTF does not support storage of Truepix data.

Real-time Sounding Grid

For real-time visualization of side scan sonar imagery ensure that the Truepix data type is enabled and stored in a separate layer of the sounding grid.

DTM File

DTM data is motion and heading corrected geo-referenced footprint data from an echosounder (multibeam, multi-transducer or singlebeam) or laser scanner system.
Various storage formats are available for output, ready for import into processing software (Validator, QLOUD, Fledermaus), or other third party programs (Terramodel, CARIS, Cyclone, etc).

File

Format

Select one of the supported formats from the pull-down menu:
*.qpd - Qinsy Processing - This is the recommended format, a proprietary format which can be imported into the Validator, QLOUD or Fledermaus for further processing, analyzing and/or publishing.
Note - data that did not pass the online filters is flagged, and not deleted. During processing the flagged data is easily restored if needed.

*.qpd - Qinsy Processing (Reduced) - The same file format as above, except that data lagged by the online filters is omitted. Smaller file sizes are the main benefit of these qpd files.
However, if you need to restore flagged data you need to replay the database and recreate a qpd file with different online filter settings.

*.pts - ASCII Grid (East North Depth)
*.pts - ASCII Grid (Extended Format)
*.pts - ASCII GEO (Lat, Lon, Depth)
*.pts - ASCII Grid (East North Height Intensity Quality) - Typically used for storing laser scanning data because this format provides access to the raw intensity value as reported by the laser scanner. Note that a qpd file only contains the quality value, which is a normalized intensity.

*.pro - Qinsy Mapping - Terramodel format.

*.fau - Binary FAU - A special format for clients mostly working in Scandinavia.

*.mbes - Binary WSV - A special format for clients working in Germany.

Mode

The mode determines the name of the storage file:
Use Storage name - The DTM file will have the same storage name as the raw data file.
User-defined name - User is able to enter a different file name.

Filename

A preview of how the file name will look.

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Configuring Raw Datagram Output