MicroPAP 200 Operation Guidelines

MicroPAP is acoustic positioning system in USBL mode to measure the distance and direction to subsea
transponders by using mounted transceiver and computes a 3D position in local coordinates or in
geographical coordinates. This document shortly describes the configuration of the MicroPAP 200
system.

1.1 Equipment & hardware connections

Flashing light in the red rectangle is used to check if the input or output is transmitted and received into
UPort1450.
2.1 Turn on APOS software

The APOS Interface unit and laptop are turned on and started the software into the following page
(Figure 2) in operator mode automatically. The operator mode allows users to monitor the beacon
situation only; the service mode provides the permission to modify the software setting.

The following message mentions to turn on the APOS interface unit.

2.2 How to Log in Service Mode

The service mode provides the permission to modify the setting.

Step I: Click User > Logon…

Step II: Choose user to be Service and password is 1997

3.1 How to configure input

The installation diagram of MicroPAP 200 shows that there are two input strings into APOS.

 Antenna position to APOS (GGA+ZDA) – COM5, 9600, N, 1

 MRU motion and heading from motion sensor to APOS (EM3000) – COM6, 38400, N, 1

3.2 How to configure GGA & ZDA input

Step I: Click Configure > External Interfaces

Step II: Right click External Interfaces > Add GPS

 Step III: Right click GPS > Activate IOserver

Figure 1 Activate IOserver Window

The window is able to check if the GGA&ZDA string is inputted into APOS. The “Configure” bottom is
used to modify the baud rate and com port selection.
3.3 Geographic positioning setup

The offset from USBL node to the GPS antenna should be inputted if the GGA & ZDA string is
represented the GPS position.

Select System > Geographic Positioning Setup…

The offset from USBL to GPS antenna is inputted into red rectangle box. If the GGA & ZDA string
represents USBL node position, there is no need to input any offset in the window.

3.4 How to configure EM3000 (Motion & Heading) input

Step I: Configure > Transceiver; Select: uPAP200 > OK

Step II: Click Attitude

Gyro Select VRS Select

Type: Seatex Seapath Type: Seatex Seapath
Baud rate: 38400 Baud rate: 38400
Data bits: 8 Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1 Stop bits: 1
Parity: None Parity: None
The update rate of EM3000 string is set to 25Hz.

The system must have Gyro (heading) input and VRS (Vertical Reference System, i.e. roll & pitch) input in
order to work properly. Check if it is green light before the survey.
4.1 How to configure the output

APOS is outputting the XYZ difference between USBL and beacon to Qinsy – COM8, 9600, N, 1

Step: Configure > Output; NMEA > Serial > Position output

Common SSBL/LBL
Output Data: Meas
Geographic format: PSIM UTM N/E
SSBL: Local Positions
Local format: Cartesian X/Y
5.1 Qinsy database USBL setup

The USBL output string (NMEA $PSIMSSB Format) is decoded and transited to Qinsy database. Qinsy will
calculate the towfish position according to the XYZ offset and the reference node (USBL node).

Step I: Create New Object to define the beacon

Step II: Create the driver

Type: USBL System

Driver: Simrad HiPAP (NMEA & PSIMSSB Format)
Baud rate: 9600
Transducer: USBL
Reference Node: USBL
USBL XYZ Data Unit: Meters
Sign Convention for Z Data: Positive downward (depth)

Corrections Already Applied to Data

Roll: Corrected VRU
Pitch: Corrected VRU
Heading: None

 Transducer alignment corrections (mounting offsets)

already applied to data

Used sound velocity: Enter sound velocity that was set in the
USBL device

Calibrated sound velocity: used sound velocity x scale factor

(*Note: The calibrated sound velocity should be same as
used sound velocity before USBL calibration; the scale factor
will be found after the calibration)
The window shows a list of targets (located on nodes) & Slot identification numbers. Depended on which
beacon is used to operate the survey, please input the corrected one (e.g. M45).

It also can be checked on output string

Step III: Online > Computation Setup > Use “Z” (checked)
6.1 Preparation for USBL Calibration
6.1.1 Survey line pattern

The conventional survey line pattern is a square box with two diagonal lines on the flat seabed. The
distance of survey line is equal to the water depth. The beacon will be deployed with a floating buoy by
a long string at the center. Each line should be surveyed in both directions, and thus 12 lines in total. The
‘four quadrant box-in” calibration pattern is illustrated below:

Another survey line pattern is two series of full turn “figure-8” running on the flat seabed. The beacon
will be deployed with a floating buoy by a long string at the center of “figure-8”. The radius of each circle
is set to 20m for shallow water (WD<50m). Each survey pattern should be surveyed in both directions,
and thus 2 full turn patterns in total. The “figure 8” calibration pattern is illustrated below:
6.1.2 Input SVP

Click Sound Profile icon to open the SVP setting

Open file and choose current asvp file

After open the asvp file, right click the background to show Convert to profile. Rename the Heading Text
as SVP file name and click “OK”

The new sound profile will show up as below. Select File > Set Acitve Profile

And then Select Menu > Save As… > Save the active file
7.1 Initial parameters

Any setting modification should be in service mode.

Select Configure > Transceiver; Select: uPAP200 > OK > Configure

Reset Transceiver Alignment initial parameters

X Y Z Roll Pitch Heading

MicroPAP 0 0 0 0 0 0
7.2 Beacon Configuration for USBL calibration
 Change interval to 1s and fixed operation mode
 Ensure transducer transmit power and max range is enough for calibration

7.3 Calibration module

Click Utility > Transducer Alignment… > right click the background > New alignment of APOS
transducer… > Select the operated beacon > OK
Right click on the created alignment and select “Properties”
  “Transducer Inclinations” in Tick to calculate
parameter.
 “Auto exclude” in Calculation.
 “Manual” in Termination Criteria.

Follow the survey pattern to Press “Start” & “Stop” for

each survey line Manual in termination

Manual in termination criteria will let the logging

continues until you press the Stop button. This choice
is recommended when we sail while logging.

Press “Close” will go back to previous window and

query to save the logging measurement.

7.4 Calibration results

There are the number of position pairs showing in the box after the survey pattern. Click “Calculate”
bottom to calculate results. It displays a dialog with the results as shown below:

Write down the calibrated result (roll, pitch & gear) or press “update” button to transfer the calculated
parameters to the installation parameters for the transducer.

Press “Save to file” to save the dialog in jpeg image and click close.
Press the “Graphically” button and select the following settings. Three displays will be generated
automatically. The graphical calibration result will not be generated unless the “Calculate” button is
pressed once.

Before Calibration Calibration result Vessel Track

Finally, click “PDF report” to generate the report to the local drive.
7.5 Preparation for survey operation

After USBL calibration, right click on the created alignment and select “Delete the alignment object”
after calibration complete.

Select Configure > Transceiver; Select: uPAP200 > OK > Configure

Update the roll pitch and heading parameters

X Y Z Roll Pitch Heading

MicroPAP 0 0 0 -2.25 -2.38 357.19

Waterline to transducer is the distance from sea surface to transducer. For example, the distance from
WH8 CoG to transducer head is 2.671m. The draft of WH8 is 1.165m. Thus, the waterline to transducer
is 1.165m-2.671m = -1.506m. Thus, the waterline to transducer is +1.506m.
7.6 Beacon configuration for survey operation
 Change interval to 1s and mobile operation mode
 Ensure transducer transmit power and max range is enough for survey operation.

7.7 Ready for survey operation