Transducer Properties dialog box

The Transducer Properties dialog box is used to enter the location and orientation and calibration settings for a transducer.

To display the Transducer Properties dialog box from the Dataflow window:

  1. Select a view that contains a transducer
  2. Double-click the Transducer icon,
    -OR-
    Select the Transducer icon, then
        Press F8
        -OR-
        Choose Transducer Properties from the Shortcut (right-click) menu
        -OR-
        Choose Transducer Properties from the Dataflow menu

Note: The Command Interface can export Variable, EV File and Transducer Properties to a CSV file.

General page

The General page of the Transducer Properties dialog box is used for naming and recording information about the selected transducer.

Settings

Description

Name

Displays the name that will used to identify this transducer in Echoview.

See also: Supported characters for names.

Frequency

Displays a frequency value (kHz) associated with the transducer.

Transducer Frequency may not be assigned when the transducer is created however it can be manually specified.

The Transducer Frequency is separate from an acoustic variable's calibration Frequency.

Fileset

Displays the Fileset associated with the transducer when it was created. Transducer Fileset is read-only.

Transducer Fileset may not be assigned when the transducer is created.

Notes:

  • A message will be displayed in red beneath the notes text box warning that changes to the transducer settings will affect variables!
  • Transducers are created on the first generation of a raw variable and will use that variable's information in the name (TransducerN, ChannelN etc). Additional raw variables, especially in HAC and EVD files, assign a transducer based only on fileset and frequency information. Consequently, the name of subsequent raw variables attached to a transducer may have no connection to its name.

Location page

The Location page of the Transducer Properties dialog box is used to define the location of the transducer in 3 dimensional space.

Where Platform type is specified as Position determined by GPS:

Settings

Description

X - alongship offset

Define the location of the transducer in these three dimensions relative to a reference point (see About Transducer Geometry for more information).

Note: Z - vertical offset is often used to set a transducer draft. Positive values are downwards from the water surface.

Y - athwartship offset

Z - vertical offset

Where Platform type is specified as Fixed:

Settings

Description

X - south-north offset

Define the location of the transducer in these three dimensions relative to a reference point (see About Transducer Geometry for more information).

Note: Z - vertical offset is often used to set a transducer draft. Positive values are downwards from the water surface.

Y - west-east offset

Z - vertical offset

A plan and elevation icon diagram illustrate the relative positions of:

  • the origin of the system (0, 0, 0 point)
  • the water level
  • GPS antenna (if any)
  • all defined transducers

The diagram illustrates:

  • an icon of a boat when Position determined by GPS is selected on the Position_page of the Platform Properties dialog box
  • a reference circle if Fixed is selected

The icons (boat or circle) are scaled such that the bounding rectangle encompasses all displayed items (origin, water level, GPS antenna, all transducers).

Orientation page

The Orientation page of the Transducer Properties dialog box is used to define the direction of the transducer beam and the rotation of the transducer face.

Settings

Description

Specify orientation using

Choose the method you want to use to define the beam direction (see About Transducer Geometry for more information).

This setting is only available if the Platform type has been set to Position determined by GPS on the Position_page of the Platform Properties dialog box.

Elevation

The View from above diagram illustrates the azimuth angle and has an Azimuth slider.

The View from transducer diagram illustrates the elevation angle and beam rotation. There is an associated Beam rotation slider and an Elevation slider.

Azimuth

Beam rotation

Alongship angle

If the Athwartship & Alongship method is employed Echoview translates these values into elevation and azimuth values dynamically. Use the sliders on the plan icon diagram to adjust the angles and the beam rotation.

Note: The Athwartship & Alongship method allows the definition of inconsistent settings - that is combination of athwartship and Alongship angles which are not physically feasible (see About Transducer Geometry for more information). The sliders in this mode will exhibit jumpy behavior as inconsistent values are specified, and the values in the Alongship angle and Athwartship angle text boxes will be displayed in red.

Athwartship angle

Notes page

Settings

Description

Location description

The Location description text describes the location of the transducer on the platform.

For an ICES CSV export, ideally this is the ICES name code for the platform location of the transducer. If the ICES code is not used, Echoview attempts to match the text to the ICES code description.

Transducer beam type

The ICES name code for transducer beam type.

Calibration date

Select the checkbox to browse the Calibration date list and specify the date the transducer was calibrated (dates earlier than 1970 are not supported). If the box is unchecked, Echoview uses no date.

Calibration acquisition method

The Calibration acquisition method text describes the physical process used to calibrate the transducer.

For an ICES CSV export, ideally this is the ICES name code for the calibration acquisition method. If the ICES code is not used, Echoview attempts to match the text to the ICES code description.

Calibration processing method

The Calibration processing method text describes the calculation method used to calibrate the transducer.

For an ICES CSV export, ideally this is the ICES name code for the calibration processing method. If the ICES code is not used, Echoview attempts to match the text to the ICES code description.

Calibration accuracy estimate

The Calibration accuracy estimate records the estimation of the accuracy for the calibration of the transducer.

Ping duty cycle

The Ping duty cycle text describes the nature of the ping rate.

Triwave correction used

The Triwave correction used text indicates the status of the AC Triwave correction used with the transducer.

For an ICES CSV export, ideally this is the ICES name code for AC Triwave correction. If the ICES code is not used, Echoview attempts to match the text to the ICES code description.

Notes

Notes.

Note: Other survey related information may be specified under Survey Metadata of the Notes page of the EV File Properties dialog box.

See also: Export to ICES CSV

See also

About Transducer Geometry
Transducer geometry illustrated - fixed platform example
About setting variable properties
About calibration settings
Using a SoundSpeedProfile: Notes