Accession Number:

ADA188234

Title:

A Microcomputer-Controlled Digital Acquisition and Analysis System for the Expendable Bathythermograph

Descriptive Note:

Memorandum rept.

Corporate Author:

SACLANT ASW RESEARCH CENTRE LA SPEZIA (ITALY)

Personal Author(s):

• Wannamaker, Brian
• Rossi, Roberto
• Nesfield, Philip
• Saia, Paolo

Report Date:

1985-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

23.0

Abstract:

The expandable bathythermograph XBT has been an important tool for basic and applied oceanographic survey work. This has led to a significant body of work being done on the accuracy of the XBT system as a whole. One of the most important limitations has been the analogue recording and manual digitization of the profiles. A digital interface is described that replaces the standard deck unit and removes this problem. The interface is controlled through an IEEE-488 interface bus by a microcomputer or a minicomputer. The data is stored with 12 bit precision 10 times a second. As many as 115 profiles, each recording to 450 m in depth, may be stored on a single cassette. The microcomputer and plotter may be used for a number of analytical tasks including isotherm following, contour plotting, and sound speed or density calculations. The profiles may also be automatically compressed by a most reversible algorithm and coded to standard format for radio transmission. The bibliography contains presently available research reports on the XBT. Keywords Bathythermograph data Electrical conductivity-temperature-depth profile Contour plotting Density Digital expendable bathythermograph Horizontal variability Salinity-temperature-depth profile Sippican Mk-9, T5, and T7 Sonar performance Sound speed Temporal variability.

Descriptors:

• *BATHYTHERMOGRAPH DATA
• ACCURACY
• ACOUSTIC DATA
• ACOUSTIC VELOCITY
• ALGORITHMS
• BATHYTHERMOGRAPHS
• BIBLIOGRAPHIES
• CASSETTES
• CODING
• CONTOURS
• DATA ACQUISITION
• DATA COMPRESSION
• DENSITY
• DEPTH
• DIGITAL RECORDING SYSTEMS
• DIGITAL SYSTEMS
• ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
• EXPENDABLE
• FORMATS
• HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION
• INTERFACES
• MICROCOMPUTERS
• MINICOMPUTERS
• OCEANOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT
• PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING)
• PLOTTING
• RADIO TRANSMISSION
• REVERSIBLE
• SALINITY
• SEA WATER
• SONAR
• TEMPERATURE
• VARIATIONS

Subject Categories:

• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE