Multibeam Echosounder

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.

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.

• 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'.

Name of the selected system, as defined in Database Setup

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.

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.

Ping Number

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

Number of Beams

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

Ping Age

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.

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.

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.

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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.

Td Latitude

Td Longitude

Td Height

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

Beam Number

Beam number. Lowest value is 1.

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

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)

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.

Beam dX

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

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

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.

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.

Beam Tx Sector Nr