Operation Manual

Operational procedures
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850-165186 / Rev.B
Predefined settings
Each sensor is delivered with a predefined setup. This setup
includes:
• transmission channel for the acoustic communication link
between the sensor and the vessel’s hydrophone
• update rate; how often the sensor sends its readings back to
the PI54 system.
To change the sensor setup, you can call your local Simrad
dealer, or you can do it yourself if you have the proper
equipment, training and the PI Configurator software.
Changing a transmission channel
It may be required to change one or more transmission channels,
and there may be many reasons for this.
• You have more than one of each sensor. For example, if you
have three temperature sensors, they MUST communicate on
three different channels.
• Other vessels near your use the same PI54 system (or a
similar), and they have one or more of their sensors set up to
the same communication channels as you have. This will
create interference, as you will “read” each others sensors.
• If your sensors are set up to use communication channels too
close to each other (for example, you have chosen channels
4, 5 and 6), this will limit the vessel’s speed. T he reason for
this is the doppler effect. If the speed is too high, the doppler
will cause the transmission fr equencies to change so much
that they overlap, and this will create interference. The PI54
will provide a warning if this is about to happen! You must
then either change to other communication channels further
apart, or r educe the maximum shooting speed.
• If you operate at the maximum range of the sensors, you may
be able to increase this range slightly if you use lower
communication channels. This is because the lower
communication channels user lower transmission
frequencies.
Changing the update rate
It may be required to change the update rate on a sensor, that is
how often it sends information back to the PI54 system. A high
update rate will give frequent information updates, but the
sensor will use more battery power. If you need your batteries to
last as long as possible, you must consider lowering the update
rate.