Setting up external sensors
If you wish to add external sensors (such as a GPS to provide navigation information) to your system, you will need to add them on the Sensors Setup page. You will also need to set the sensor properties so that the M3 software communicates properly with your sensor.
Prerequisites
Make sure that your external sensors are installed and physically connected to the M3 Sonar system with the proper cables.
Procedure
1 On the Sonar Processor desktop, double-click the M3 Sonar icon to start the software.
Image
2 Click SetupSystem ConfigurationDevicesSensors Setup.
3 Configure your external sensors in the dialog box.
a Click Add Device.
b Select the type of sensor you are using from the Protocol drop-down list.
Note
In most cases, you can select a standard NMEA datagram for your sensor type. For example, select HDT for your vessel heading sensor, or GGA for your GPS position sensor.
c Click in the Name field and enter a label for the sensor (for example, Hemisphere VS330).
d Configure the serial port settings for the sensor by selecting the correct values from the drop-down lists.
4 Test each sensor to make sure that the NMEA string is being received by the M3 software.
a Select each sensor device and click the Test Device button.
b Make sure that the NMEA sensor string is being displayed in the Port Monitor box.
c Click Stop Test when done.
Image
5 Make your external sensors a Master Reference.
a Select the DeploymentMaster Reference tab.
On the Master Reference page, you can assign any external sensors you have set up as the primary source for various types of navigational data.
b Select the sensor that you set up earlier from the drop-down list beside the appropriate Master Reference parameter.
You should see the name in the drop-down list that you assigned earlier (in the Name field on the Sensors Setup page).
Tip
When using the M3 Sonar for imaging, set up sensors for Position and Heading if you want to create GeoTiff files or create a real-time mosaic. When using the M3 Sonar for Bathymetry or Profiling, set up sensors for Position, Heading, Pitch/Roll, and Heave as a minimum.
Image
6 If necessary, configure the Mounting Offsets.
Note
You will only need to configure the Mounting Offsets if you set up a position sensor (such as a GPS antenna) in the previous steps. Inaccurate mounting offsets will display your sonar data incorrectly in the 3D Point Cloud and sonar view.
a Select the DeploymentMounting Offsets tab.
b Measure and record the position and angle of the Sonar Head transducer (centre of the face) relative to your position sensor.
c Enter the X, Y, and Z offsets, as well as the Pitch Roll, and Yaw angles that you measured earlier into the Value fields.
d Select the correct Orientation from the drop-down list.
Match the orientation to the physical installation of your Sonar Head. For example, if the transducer face is pointing down towards the sea bottom for a bathymetry application, select Downward.