Introducing the SeaTrac X150 Micro-USBL tracking beacon. Built around a robust broadband spread spectrum signalling scheme, this multi-purpose acoustic transponder beacon is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 14 other asset positions while undertaking bi-directional data exchange.
Applications include...
- Multi-beacon tracking system (for ROVs, AUVs, Divers etc).
- Remote control and interrogation of sub-sea equipment
- AUV/Diver telemetry links
- Remote depth, attitude and orientation measurement.
Position Tracking
When used in a tracking application, one X150 is mounted from the supervisor vessel, and connected to a PC running the SeaTrac PinPoint display and logging software. All positions are computed by the X150 beacon, so no additional PC hardware is required.
Sub-surface assets to be tracked (including Divers, ROV's, AUV's etc) are fitted with an X110 beacon, and optionally may use the data port to provide periodic acoustic communications with other systems and sensors.
In this mode up to 14 beacons may be tracked at ranges up to 1km from the supervisor, with the position of each being optionally broadcast to others in the network.
Data Modems
In a modem application, beacons are mounted at either end of the required data links and addressable packets of data are exchanged between the Acoustic Communication Stacks using protocols that ensure integrity of data, buffering and reattempting transmission in event of packet loss.
Use of the X150 USBL beacons will allow the interrogating end of the link to obtain a relative position of the remote modem during data exchange, while X110 beacons will provide distance between modems.
Integrated beacon sensors (such as depth, attitude and supply voltage) may also be remotely queried by the interrogating modem.
AHRS
Each beacon is fitted with a 9 Degrees-of-Freedom (DOF) Attitude and Heading Reference System, taking data from the onboard MEMS gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer to produce pitch, roll and yaw information that is made available to external applications via the communications port.
For OEMs, system integrators and developers the serial interfaces, ASCII based command protocol and SDK documentation allow quick integration with existing systems, providing functionality from the Application level (i.e. tracking or bi-directional data-exchange) down to individual protocols within the Acoustic Communication Stack for more specialist requirements.
To support the development and testing process, the SeaTrac Utilities software suite provides tools do monitor signal quality, perform basic acoustic operations (ping, data exchange, range and position) and remotely upgrade the beacons firmware.
