Multibeam Echosounder

return

	Parent Item
System:	List with all available multibeam and multi-transducer echosounder systems that exist in the current selected Qinsy database. (See General Layout Information about loading a Qinsy database). Because different types of multibeam echosounder systems are supported (Ro/Theta, X/Y/Z, Profilers) and multi-transducer systems, some items below may not be applicable for the concerned type.
Beam Number:	NONE, or leave <Empty> None of the selected 'Beam' sub items will be used. NADIR The nadir beam will be used for the selected 'Beam' sub items. This is the beam that has its footprint right beneath the transducer. It is determined dynamically, because of the current roll of the vessel. CENTER The center beam will be used for the selected 'Beam' sub items. Formula used to calculate the center beam number is: (Number of Beams + 1) divided by 2 ALL The selected sub items will be repeated for all available beams Enter individual beam number, and/or comma and/or hyphen (or double-dot) separated. For example: "20-230" or "1,5,10,20-30" or "1-10,120,230-240", or "60..70, 80..90". Lowest possible beam number is 1. The selected sub items will be repeated for each defined beam number.
Computation:	This option to select a computation is only needed for transducer node sub items (e.g. Td Easting, Td Northing, Td Height + Depth, etc) The first entry is always [Priority List] The rest of the list will show all available computations, as defined in the Computation Setup of the current Qinsy database. Note that when the layout is used for Export (offline), you can not select entry [Priority List], you must select a 'real' computation from the list.
Skew:	No Transducer Node Position for the time as calculated by the Position Filter. Yes Skewed to the time of output/trigger time, using the current Transducer Node Position (Horizontal), Time, SOG and COG. Notice that the SOG and COG depend on the Controller's Computation Setup, Object COG / SOG - Prediction Parameters Settings. Notes: The skew option is only applicable to 'Td xxx' sub items which are actually node results. Skewing has no effect on the raw multibeam values. Transducer Height values are never skewed, only the horizontal components. When skew is enabled for Export (offline), the transducer node results will be interpolated to the moment of the layout trigger update time. This can be useful in the following scenario: Suppose your trigger time comes from this multibeam system with observations at 10Hz and your positioning system has 1Hz. When you now export all depth values together with the transducer node results, you get a skewed transducer position for each raw depth update. Note that terminology 'Deskew' and 'Skew' means the same in Qinsy: they are not opposites of each other. So where-ever you read the term 'skewing' in Qinsy it means the same as if you would read 'deskewing'.

Sub Item

Description

Value Type

Comment

User-defined free text

Text Format

Normal Text
Your own free plain text
Binary
Enter one or more ASCII character codes, comma or space separated, in the range between 1 and 127.
For example '2' for a binary STX character, '3' for a binary ETX character, or '13, 10' for CR+LF.
See table ASCII Codes for an overview of all possible characters.
New Line
Same as Binary but already formatted as '13, 10' (meaning CR+LF) and without a possible Field Delimiter.
A Field Delimiter may be present when your layout purpose is for Export or ASCII Logging.

text

Name

Name of the selected system, as defined in Database Setup

text

Ping Time

Time of the last transmitted ping (part of the message)

time

Sound Velocity

Sound velocity.
This value is decoded from the header data, coming from the system itself, and will be used to calculate sub item Beam Slant Range from the decoded travel time.
Note that it does not mean that Qinsy is using this value to calculate the actual footprint. Under normal circumstance Qinsy uses the sound-velocity profile for ray-tracing, as defined in the Controller's Echosounder Settings.

Unit
Meters/Second (default) Knots Nautical miles per hour (1 NM equals 1852.0 meters) Feet/Second International feet per second (1 foot equals 0.3048 meters) Kilometers/Hour Miles/Hour International (or Land) miles per hour (1 mile equals 1609.344 meters)

double

Sample Rate

The number of samples per second (Hz).
For multibeam systems: if this value is > 0 then it will be used to calculate the Beam Slant Range.
For laser scanners: value will always be 1.

integer

Status Flag

Additional status information decoded from the header data.
Only used by a limited amount of systems.
Value will be 0 (zero) by default, or when the system does not support it.
Bit 0 (first bit from right to left) will be set (decimal 1) in case of a CodaOctopus Echoscope, and it reports tilt angles but this is achieved on receive only.
Bit 1 (2nd bit) will be set (decimal 2) in case of a Laser Scanner when the PPS signal is okay from the scanner.

integer

Ping Number

Increasing number.
This value is decoded from the header data, coming from the echosounder system itself.

integer

Number of Beams

The total number of beams.
This value is decoded from the header data, coming from the echosounder system itself.

integer

Ping Age

The difference between the triggering time and the time of the last transmitted ping (see Ping Time above).
Normally always a positive value in seconds.

Note that the Age value for export will be the difference between the time of the current observation and the previous exported one.

Formula:

Online (Generic Display, Generic Output Driver, Generic ASCII Logger)
Age = Triggering time - Observation time
Offline (Generic Export)
Age = Observation time - Previous observation time

double

Ping Rate

Number of pings per second (Hz), as reported by the unit. Note that not all echosounders (or laser scanner units) do report this value, in that case you will see a value of zero.

double

Beams Per Second

The number of beams per second.
Formula: Number of Beams * Ping Rate

integer

Characteristic

Some multibeam echosounders or laser scanners may report additional characteristic values.

Use the Parameter property to select what characteristic value you want to monitor:

Parameter

Pulse frequency
Normally in unit [kHz] (when reported)
Pulse length
Normally in unit [microsec] (when reported)
Transmission Power
Normally in unit [dB] (when reported)
Receiver Gain
Normally in unit [dB] (when reported)
Receive Beam width
Normally in unit [degrees] (when reported
Diagnostic 1, 2, 3
Optional diagnostic value that may be published by the driver being used (mostly laser scanning drivers) and therefore very specific for that driver.
Consult the driver's own documentation for its meaning. Value will be zero when not being applicable.

Note that when the selected characteristic is not supported by your system then the value will be empty.

double

Td Name

The name of the node, as defined in Database Setup.
This node is selected as transducer in the echosounder system setup on the 2nd wizard page.

text

Td Easting

Td Northing

The easting and northing of the transducer node, as calculated by the selected computation.

Easting and northing are always on Survey Datum (also known as Horizontal Datum)

Note that the Td position for multi-transducer systems depends on the selected beam number.

double

Td Latitude

Td Longitude

The latitude and longitude of the transducer node, as calculated by the selected computation.
Latitude and Longitude are by default on Survey Datum (or Horizontal Datum), but the 2nd datum may also be selected if available in the Geodetic Configuration.

Datum:
Survey Datum ( Name ) Geographical position will be on the selected survey datum ellipsoid, e.g. 'ED50'. Note that Survey datum (or Horizontal Datum) is set in the Geodetic Configuration as Project Coordinate System. 2nd Datum ( Name ) Geographical position will be on the selected Source Coordinate System in the Geodetic Configuration, e.g. 'WGS 84', 'ITRF2008' or 'ETRS89'.

Note that the Td position for multi-transducer systems depends on the selected beam number.

geo

Td Height

The height of the transducer node, as calculated by the selected computation.

Height is by default on Chart Datum, but Survey Datum, WGS84 (or ITRF2008), the Actual Water Level, the Mean Water Level, or the Geoid Model Level may be selected.

Datum:

Survey Datum ( Name )
Height value will be on the selected survey datum ellipsoid, e.g 'ED50'.
Note that Survey datum (or Horizontal Datum) is set in the Geodetic Configuration as Project Coordinate System.
2nd Datum ( Name )
Height value will be on the selected Source Coordinate System in the Geodetic Configuration, e.g. 'WGS 84', 'ITRF2008' or 'ETRS89'.
Chart Datum ( Name ) - Default
Height value on the selected vertical datum, e.g 'NAP - De Min Geoide'.
Note that Chart Datum (or Vertical Datum) is set in the Geodetic configuration as Vertical Datum under the Project Coordinate System.
Actual Water Level
Height value above the actual water (or sea) level.
The following formula is used: Geoid Level + Tide + Swell
The swell is derived from the roll, pitch and heave of the reference node, and the offset of the selected node to the reference node.
The heave value of the reference node can be monitored under the heave column of the Height Aiding driver.
Mean Water Level
Height value above 'mean' water (or sea) level.
The following formula is used: Geoid Model + Level Model + Offset
Geoid Model Level
Height value above input geoid model. Only used in case of River Height Model.

Note that the Td position for multi-transducer systems depends on the selected beam number.

double

Td Height + Depth

A combination of the transducer height (on Chart Datum), and the raw depth value.

For multibeam systems the 'depth' is calculated using the slant range and corrected for the beam angle, the current roll of the vessel and the mounting roll offset for the RX transducer, as defined in Db Setup.

Note that this value is not as accurate as the final DTM Results (actual calculated footprint value) because SVP ray-tracing is not taken into account nor the mounting pitch offset as defined in Db Setup but it gives a good indication of the current depth.

Type Ro/Theta (e.g. Reson Seabat)
Type Profiler (e.g. Tritech Seaking)
Depth = (Travel Time) * Sound Velocity * *cos*(Beam Angle)
Type X/Y/Z (e.g. EM3000 in X-Y-Z Mode)
Depth = Beam dZ
Type Multi-Tx (e.g. Atlas Bomasweep, Simrad EA-MCU, Navitronics)
Depth = Travel Time * Sound Velocity

double

Td Sound Velocity

The value will be the interpolated/extrapolated sound velocity from the current sound velocity profile at the actual water level depth for the multibeam transducer node.

double

Td Depth

The depth of the transducer node with respect to the actual water level.

Note that the Td position for multi-transducer systems depends on the selected beam number.

double

Td Z Offset

The vertical offset of the transducer node from the object reference point as defined in the Database Setup.

A negative value means that the transducer node is below the object reference point.

Note that the Td position for multi-transducer systems depends on the selected beam number.

double

Beam Time

For most MBE system types this is the same as the Ping Time.
Except for Profilers, each profiler beam has its own timestamp.
(A beam time delay is part of the profiler data message)

time

Beam Number

Beam number. Lowest value is 1.

integer

Beam Travel Time

(Item not applicable for MBE system type X/Y/Z).
This is the one-way travel time in samples.
If Sample Rate is zero, than it's the one-way travel time in seconds

double

Beam Slant Range

The Beam Slant Range is calculated according the following formula, which depends on the MBE system type:

Type Ro/Theta (e.g. Reson Seabat)
Slant Range = (Travel Time / Sample Rate) * Sound Velocity
Type X/Y/Z (e.g. EM3000 in X-Y-Z Mode)
Slant Range = Square Root (dX * dX + dY * dY + dZ * dZ)
Type Profiler (e.g. Tritech Seaking)
Slant Range = Travel Time * Sound Velocity
(Sample Rate is zero)
Type Multi-Tx (e.g. Atlas Bomasweep, Simrad EA-MCU, Navitronics)
Slant Range = Travel Time * Sound Velocity
(Sample Rate is zero)

double

Beam Tilt Angle

The beam tilt angle only accounts for MBE type Rho/Theta, and will be empty for other types of mbe systems.
The value is the correction for pitch-steering, which can be enabled when the mbe system is interfaced to a motion sensor, feeding pitch.

double

Beam dX

The value is the x-component for a MBE type X/Y/Z system, and will be empty for other types of mbe systems.

double

Beam dY

The value is the y-component for a MBE type X/Y/Z system, and will be empty for other mbe systems.

double

Beam dZ

The value is the z-component for a MBE type X/Y/Z system, and will be empty for other mbe systems.

double

Beam Angle

The beam angle in degrees as reported by the MBE unit, which is only applicable for MBE type Rho/Theta systems.

Example Rho/Theta Type:
Suppose you have an 8125 MBE system (240 beams, beam angle interval 0.5°), then beam angle for (outer port) beam 1: -59.75°, beam 2: \59.25°, beam 3: -58.75°, etc.., and beam angle for (outer starboard) beam 239: +59.25° and beam 240: +59.75°.

In case your MBE is type X/Y/Z, the angle will be calculated using the reported Beam X, Y and Z value and depends on the selected Reference property.

Value will be zero for MTX type systems.

Reference
Horizontal Horizontal angle of the Beam X, Y and Z vector and always in the range of 0°..360°. Formula: Angle = Atan (Beam X / Beam Y) Vertical Vertical angle of the Beam X, Y and Z vector and always in the range of -180°..+180°. Formula: Angle = Atan ( Sqrt (Beam X^{^2} + Beam Y^{^2}) / Beam Z)
The reference property is only used when your MBE type system is X/Y/Z. For other type systems it has no effect on the Beam Angle value.

double

Beam Delay

Beam correction time in seconds.
For most MBE system types this value will be zero, i.e. that the Beam Time is the same as the Ping Time. For profilers this delay is used to calculate the actual Beam Time, by adding the value to the Ping Time.

double

Beam Quality

A value between 0 and 255.

Please check the driver's documentation of your used multibeam or laser system what the decoded quality value represents

integer

Beam Intensity

An indicator for the beam intensity or reflectivity.

Please check the driver's documentation of your used multibeam or laser system what the decoded intensity value represents

double

Beam Tx Sector Nr

integer

Beam Detection Nr

integer

Beam Reserved

For most multibeam and laser systems this value will not be used and therefore zero.

Some specific laser drivers will use this 'reserved' entry to store additional information for the decoded laser pulse. The value will always be between 0 and 255.

When you are using a RIEGL laser this value will be the reported deviation; according their documentation a measure of pulse shape distortion. A larger value for deviation indicates larger distortion.

When you are using a Teledyne Polaris laser this value will be the number of returns; indicating how many returns there are for the shot, which can be up to 4.

When you are using a Velodyne or Ouster laser this value will be the fire index of the beam.

integer