Systemoverview
1SYSTEMOVERVIEW
TheSynchronizingUnitschedulestheechosounderstotransmit
accordingtotriggergroups.Thereareatotalof16triggergroups
andanynumberofechosounderscanbeassignedtoagroup
(zeroormore).Eachgroupistriggeredconsecutively,whilethe
echosoundersassignedtoagrouparetriggeredatthesametime.
Onceitisdetermined(byreadingfeedbacksignals)orestimated
(basedonusersettings)thatallechosoundersinthecurrent
grouphavecompletedtheirpingcycle,thenthenextgroupis
triggered.Allgroupsaretriggeredinround-robinfashion.The
durationofeachgroupisnotxedanddependsuponwhatthe
maximumactiveperiodisfortheechosoundersinthatgroup.
Echosounderscanbetakenoutoftheschedulewithoutchanging
thegroupschedule,bysimplydisablingit.Ifagroupdoesnot
containanyavailableechosounders,thenthatgroupisskipped.
TheSynchronizingUnitsystemconsistsoftwomaincomponents:
•AWorkstationPCrunningtheSynchronizingUnit(SU)
application.
•ASynchronizingUnitthatinterfaceswiththeechosounders.
Figure1SystemOverview
TheSynchronizingUnitapplicationprovidestheuserinterface,
whichallowsmonitoringofstatus,modifyingsettings,trigger
scheduleaswellasperformingdiagnostics.Theapplication
needstorunandbeconnectedtotheSynchronizingUnitinorder
forthesystemtoinitializeandbeoperational.However,once
thesystemisrunning,theapplicationcanbeshutdownand
disconnectedcompletelywhiletheSynchronizingUnitcontinues
tocontrolthetriggeringofechosounders.
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