About Echocheck

This page covers:

• Overview of Echocheck

• Installing Echocheck

• Using Echocheck

Overview of Echocheck

Echocheck is a stand-alone utility designed to test echosounder data files. Echocheck will scan data files for certain corruptions and problems that could cause Echoview to fail. We recommend running Echocheck on any data files that cause problems with Echoview. In some cases, Echoview support may be able to assist you in repairing a damaged file.

Note: Echocheck may take several minutes or longer to process files larger than 2GB. It will not respond during this time.

Echocheck will process the following types of data files:

• .ppp ASL Environmental Sciences AZFP data files, including pitch and roll data
• .nnn files recorded from:
  • SM2000 FR echosounders (nnn are three digits)
  • RD Instruments Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) equipment
  • Kongsberg Mesotech MS 1000 scanning sonars
  • Kongsberg Mesotech SM20 echosounders
  • Kongsberg Mesotech M3 imaging sonars
• .200 files recorded with Sonic echosounders
• .ad2cp echosounder data recorded by Nortek Signature profilers
• .all files recorded with Kongsberg EM 3002, EM3002D and EM 710 echosounders
• .anpp files recorded by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) instrument, and only for Echoview supported packets
• .aris files recorded from Sound Metrics ARIS sonars
• .bfm or .bmf beamformed data files recorded using Simrad SM2000 FR echosounders
• .bin recorded from Furuno ETR-30N echosounders
• .dat and .dzt files recorded from Simrad SH80 or SP70 echosounders
• .ddf files recorded from Sound Metrics DIDSON imaging sonar (ddf_03 version files and ddf_04 version files)
• .dg files logged with ER60 software from Ex60 echosounders
• .dgn files recorded from an EY500 echosounder or logged with EP500 software from an EK500 echosounders
• .dt4 files recorded from BioSonics DT4000, DT5000 and DT6000 echosounders
• .ek5 files logged with Echolog 500 or Echolog EK from Simrad Ex500 or Ex60 echosounders
• .ek60 and .ek6 files logged with Echolog 60
• .evd files containing data written to the Echoview Data File Format
• .fsv files recorded from Furuno FSV-30 (Research version) echosounders
• .hac files containing:
  • supported generic echosounder tuples
  • EK500 tuples,
  • BioSonics Model 102 tuples, or
  • data created by the Furuno FQ80 Analyzer from .hacorg file
• .imb files recorded from Kongsberg Mesotech M3 imaging sonars
• .nwsf files from the WASSP sonar
• .oculus files from the Blueprint Subsea Oculus multibeam imaging sonar
• .r2s files containing water column data or supported TruePix data from R2Sonic sonars
• .raw files recorded from:
  • Simrad Ex60 echosounders (including National Marine Fisheries Service multiplexed files)
  • Simrad EK80 wideband echosounders
  • Simrad ME70 multibeam echosounders
  • MS 2000 FR echosounders
  • RESON SeaBat 8000 series echosounders
  • Simrad SH90 and SX90 sonars
  • Simrad EK15 and Simrad Ex70
  • Simrad EK80 echosounders
  • Simrad SU90 sonar
  • Simrad SC90 sonar
  • Kongsberg EA640 wideband echosounders
• .sbi files recorded from RESON SeaBat 6012 echosounders
• Simrad BI500 files (-ping, -vlog and -info files)
• .s7k files recorded from RESON SeaBat 7000 series and SeaBat T20-P echosounders.
• .smb files recorded from:
  • Kongsberg Mesotech MS 1000 scanning sonars
  • Kongsberg Mesotech SM20 echosounders
• .sns files recorded from RESON SeaBat 8000 series echosounders.
• .ts4 files recorded from Precision Acoustics echosounders

Note: Compressed .sm2000 files are not supported by Echocheck, but they can be uncompressed into a supported format using EchozipSM on an earlier version of Echoview.

Installing Echocheck

Echocheck is selected by default when installing Echoview from the download available on the Echoview website, or on an Echoview USB drive.

Using Echocheck

To check one or more files for errors:

1. Open Echocheck.

2. Click Select files.

3. Select the file(s) you wish to check for errors.
   Note: If you are checking BI500 files, you should only select the -ping file, Echocheck will automatically check the related -vlog and -info files.

4. Click Open to display a list of all possible telegram/tuple/datagram types available from the selected file type(s).

5. Select the telegram/tuple/datagram types you wish to check.
   Note: You can select individual types or click All to select all types. To clear all selections, click None.

6. Do you want Echocheck to stop checking the file when it detects a certain number of errors and warnings?

7. If yes, go to the next step.

8. If no, go to step 11.

7. On the File menu, click Advanced options ...

8. In the Limit errors and warnings to box, enter the number of errors and warnings at which Echocheck should stop checking the file.

9. Set other advanced options as required.
   Note: If you do not define a range of telegrams/tuples/datagrams to limit the check to here, the output may be very voluminous.

10. Click OK.

11. Click Check.

Results of the check are displayed in the Output box with errors summarized in the Errors box (a Summary window may also appear after the check - see Advanced options). You can copy text from the Output box for pasting into other applications.

Errors and Warnings

Echocheck can report the following types of errors and warnings.

Type	Description
Serious error	There is a serious problem with the structure of the file and Echocheck is unable to access the file's component records (i.e. telegrams, tuples, datagrams, etc.). Echocheck is only able to process the file up to the point where the serious error is detected. Echoview will most likely fail when reading the file.
Error	There is a serious problem within a record. Echocheck can still process the remainder of the file. Echoview will most likely have problems processing this record, and may fail.
Warning	There is a problem within a record where a particular value is outside its expected range. Echoview should not fail, however the results for that record may be suspect.

You can click on any warning or error in the Errors box and Echocheck will highlight the line in the Output box which generated this error.

Advanced Options

You set advanced checking option on the Advanced Options dialog box.

To display the Advanced Options dialog box:

• On the File menu, click Advanced Options.

Setting	Description
Display warnings	If selected, warnings are displayed in the Output box and Summary window.
Display summary after check	If selected, the Summary window is displayed when the file has been checked.
Limit errors and warnings	Sets an upper limit to the number of errors and warnings that can be detected before the checking operation is stopped.
Telegram/tuple/datagram range	Defines a range of telegrams/tuples/datagrams to check. To set a range, select the Limit range checked to option and enter values in the Start and End boxes.
Output format	Selects the formatting method applied to the results that are displayed in the Output box. The available options are designed to make it easy to copy and paste data into other applications

See also

Solutions to common problems