SeaDarQ V 4 Installation and Maintenance Guide (Draft 4b)

DRAFT
SeaDarQ v 4
Oil Spill Detection
Installation and Maintenance Guide

documentation v 3.0 DRAFT 4B
DRAFT
identification data
documentation title
SeaDarQ v 4 Installation and Maintenance Guide
documentation version
3.0 draft 4b DRAFT
publication date
08-jan-2015
software product
SeaDarQ
software product version
v 4.0
issuing organization
Nortek BV
1
DRAFT
Detailed Contents
I Introduction ........................................................................................................................6
1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................6
1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................6
1.2 Purpose ..............................................................................................................................................6
1.3 Assumptions and scope ..................................................................................................................... 6
II Installation and configuration ...........................................................................................9
1 System overview ..................................................................................................................9
2 System components.......................................................................................................... 10
2.1 PC .................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.2 RNI ................................................................................................................................................... 12
3 Required / recommended tools ......................................................................................... 13
4 Physical Hardware installation .......................................................................................... 14
5 System cabling and connections ...................................................................................... 15
5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 15
5.1.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 15
5.1.2 Assumptions.................................................................................................................................... 15
5.1.3 Scope .............................................................................................................................................. 15
5.2 General description .......................................................................................................................... 15
5.3 PC and RNI ...................................................................................................................................... 17
5.4 Cabling requirements for a “generic” radar ...................................................................................... 19
5.4.1 Radar subsystem cabling ................................................................................................................ 19
5.4.2 Radar – RNI connection .................................................................................................................. 19
5.4.3 RNI – PC connection....................................................................................................................... 19
5.4.4 Wiring details “generic” radar .......................................................................................................... 20
5.5 Cabling requirements with a GEM radar .......................................................................................... 21
5.5.1 GEM subsystem cabling ................................................................................................................. 21
5.5.2 GEM radar – RNI cabling ................................................................................................................ 22
5.5.3 RNI – PC cabling............................................................................................................................. 22
5.5.4 GEM – PC cabling........................................................................................................................... 22
5.6 Cabling requirements with a Sperry radar ........................................................................................ 23
5.6.1 Sperry – RNI cabling ....................................................................................................................... 23
5.6.2 RNI – PC cabling............................................................................................................................. 24
5.6.3 SeaDarQ in slave configuration with a Sperry radar ....................................................................... 25
5.7 Cabling requirements with a Terma radar ........................................................................................ 26
5.7.1 Terma radar – RNI .......................................................................................................................... 26
5.7.2 RNI – PC cabling............................................................................................................................. 26
5.8 NMEA device connections to the RNI .............................................................................................. 28
6 RNI and Hardware configuration ....................................................................................... 29
6.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 29
6.2 Device drivers .................................................................................................................................. 29
6.3 RNI Configurator .............................................................................................................................. 30
6.4 Radar type selection ........................................................................................................................ 30
6.5 GEM radar tuning procedure ............................................................................................................ 31
6.6 Sperry radar tuning procedure ......................................................................................................... 34
6.6.1 Sperry radar tuning procedure from within RNI Configurator .......................................................... 34
6.6.2 Sperry radar tuning procedure from within SeaDarQ 4 ................................................................... 35
6.7 RNI Configuration with SeaDarQ v 4.x ............................................................................................. 37
6.7.1 Settings in SeaDarQ ....................................................................................................................... 37
6.7.2 RNI signal level adjustment and Device Driver settings .................................................................. 37
6.7.3 NMEA Configuration ....................................................................................................................... 44
6.8 SeaDarQ software configuration ...................................................................................................... 46
6.8.1 general settings ............................................................................................................................... 46
6.9 Other issues ..................................................................................................................................... 46
6.9.1 GEM radar ...................................................................................................................................... 46
7 Software Update Installation ............................................................................................. 47
DRAFT
III Service and maintenance ............................................................................................... 48

1 SeaDarQ PC and RNI ....................................................................................................... 48
2 Radar subsystem .............................................................................................................. 48
2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 48
2.1.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 48
2.1.2 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 48
2.1.3 Assumptions / scope ....................................................................................................................... 48
2.2 GEM radar ....................................................................................................................................... 48
2.2.1 Moisture .......................................................................................................................................... 48
2.2.2 Scanner unit (outside) ..................................................................................................................... 49
2.2.3 Lubrication of bearings .................................................................................................................... 49
2.2.4 Motor brushes ................................................................................................................................. 49
2.2.5 Motor drive belt ............................................................................................................................... 49
2.2.6 Magnetron ....................................................................................................................................... 49
2.2.7 Motor ............................................................................................................................................... 50
2.2.8 RTX plate exchange........................................................................................................................ 50
2.3 Inspection schedule (GEM radar)..................................................................................................... 50
2.3.1 Weekly ............................................................................................................................................ 50
2.3.2 Whenever units are opened for maintenance ................................................................................. 50
2.3.3 Yearly .............................................................................................................................................. 51
2.3.4 Every 2 years .................................................................................................................................. 51
2.3.5 Every 5000 hours ............................................................................................................................ 51
2.4 Various notes ................................................................................................................................... 51
2.5 Sperry radar ..................................................................................................................................... 51
IV Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................. 52
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 52
2 General troubleshooting approach .................................................................................... 52
3 Symptoms & Tests ............................................................................................................ 53
3.1.1 False spikes / cross-talk .................................................................................................................. 53
3.1.2 No trigger / azimuth / north reset signal .......................................................................................... 53
3.2 Troubleshooting GEM radar ............................................................................................................. 54
3.2.1 General ........................................................................................................................................... 54
3.2.2 modulator error................................................................................................................................ 56
3.2.3 no rotation of antenna ..................................................................................................................... 56
3.2.4 Simulated signals ............................................................................................................................ 57
4 General troubleshooting tips ............................................................................................. 59
4.1 Sources ............................................................................................................................................ 59
4.2 Snippets from those sources ............................................................................................................ 59
4.3 Troubleshooting styles ..................................................................................................................... 61
V Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 62
1 Pre-installation check-list .................................................................................................. 62
2 On-site installation checklist .............................................................................................. 66
3 SeaDarQ Installer.............................................................................................................. 68
3.1 SeaDarQ installer ............................................................................................................................. 68
3.2 Driver Wizard ................................................................................................................................... 73
3.3 Device manager ............................................................................................................................... 75
3.4 Device Driver windows ..................................................................................................................... 76
4 RNI Configurator ............................................................................................................... 80
4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 80
4.2 Start of the program ......................................................................................................................... 80
4.3 Radar selection ................................................................................................................................ 81
4.4 Screenshots / tabs ........................................................................................................................... 82
4.4.1 Sperry BridgeMaster E .................................................................................................................... 82
4.4.2 Video ............................................................................................................................................... 86
4.4.3 Trigger ............................................................................................................................................. 88
4.4.4 ACP................................................................................................................................................. 90
4.4.5 ARP................................................................................................................................................. 92
4.4.6 NMEA .............................................................................................................................................. 94
4.4.7 Miscellaneous ................................................................................................................................. 98
4.4.8 Range Correction Offset ............................................................................................................... 100
4.4.9 Range Correction Gain ................................................................................................................. 102
4.5 RNI Front Panel Display and Selection Dial ................................................................................... 104
4.5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 104
DRAFT
4.5.2 Main display and top-level menu ................................................................................................... 105

4.5.3 Radar type selection ..................................................................................................................... 106
4.5.4 Video ............................................................................................................................................. 107
4.5.5 Trigger, Azimuth, North Reset ....................................................................................................... 108
4.5.6 NMEA ports ................................................................................................................................... 109
4.5.7 EEPROM settings ......................................................................................................................... 111
I Introduction DRAFT 1 Introduction
I Introduction
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview
This Technical Manual contains:
 Installation and configuration
o System overview
o System components
o Required / recommended tools
o Physical Hardware installation
o System cabling and connections
o RNI and Hardware configuration
o Software configuration
 Service and maintenance
o SeaDarQ PC and RNI
o Radar subsystem
 Troubleshooting
o General approach
o Some symptoms and tests
o Troubleshooting styles
1.2 Purpose
The Purpose of this Installation and Maintenance Guide is to describe how to install and configure a SeaDarQ
Oil Spill Detection system. It focusses on the SeaDarQ PC and the SeaDarQ Radar NMEA Interface (RNI).
1.3 Assumptions and scope

This manual is specific to a SeaDarQ PC with X9DAi motherboard, GaGe CS 1422, ADDI-Data PCI 1711 (also
known as PC hardware version 5), combined with an RNI rev 4.0, and SeaDarQ software version 4.x. Table 1.1
lists the details of this configuration, as well as those for an earlier version.
Descriptions are given for connection to a GEM radar (details see table 1.2), a Sperry BridgeMaster E radar (see
table 1.2), a Terma radar (details unspecified), and a “generic” radar (requirements: see table 1.3).
Table 1.1: SeaDarQ PC and RNI details (greyed-out items are not considered in this guide).
PC v4 motherboard X7DCAi
SeaDarQ 2.3.10 [ / X7DAE / X7DA8]
GaGe card CS 14200
ADDI-Data card APCI-1710
v5 motherboard X9DAi
SeaDarQ 4.0 GaGe card CS 1422 (Razor)
ADDI-Data card 1711
RNI rev 2E generic
rev 2E (b) special version for Sperry
(DIN5 power connector)
rev 4.0 special connectors for
Sperry, GEM/Terma
SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

Installation and Maintenance Guide rev 3.0 draft 4b p. 6 of 111
Table 1.2: Details for radars described in this guide

radar GEM antenna AU11-09NB/V (8’ / 9’)
AU11-12NB/V (12’)
scanner unit SU 74-06
SU 74-06/9
power supply unit ASU 43000
Sperry antenna CHL 8’
(CHL SB29,5V8-9410)
scanner unit (aka 25 kW X-band M/H rev L
masthead / turning unit) 65825WAR-6
console Vision Master Display
65920ATAG-8
extras DCU 65840A-3
SJB 65849A-2
Sperry antenna CHL SB29.5V8-9,410
scanner unit BridgeMaster E
(masthead / turning unit) 65925WAR-3
(25 kW X-band PM
turning unit)
Terma
General
Table 1.3: Requirements for a generic radar, in order to connect it to a SeaDarQ system (PC & RNI)
aspect requirements remarks
video max range +5 V .. – 5 V minimum amplitude (top-top) about 0.5 V
trigger (sync) max range +15 V .. – 15 V minimum amplitude about 0.5 V
azimuth (ACP/bearing) max range +15 V .. – 15 V — " —; at least 60 to 90 pulses per rotation
north reset (ARP / heading) max range +15 V .. – 15 V —"—
radar pulse length short, 50 - 80 ns
PRF < 2000 Hz (1)
no clutter-suppression no clutter-suppression, or This is crucial !
clutter-suppression switched
off
rotation rate 24 to 48 rpm Faster is better; fast rotation is a must for the
hydrography application
This guide does not go into the details of installing the radar system; for instructions on installing the radar, see
the documentation from the radar manufacturer, or have it installed by radar manufacturer’s personnel.
A note about the RNI: a distinction should be made between RNI hardware versions and RNI firmware versions.
Hardware and firmware version determine compatibility of the RNI with versions of SeaDarQ. The following
table, Table 1.4, shows an overview.
Table 1.4: RNI hardware and firmware version compatibility versus SeaDarQ version number
SeaDarQ version
RNI hardware version RNI firmware version 2.x (– 2.11) 3.0 – 3.x 4.0 – 4.x
2E 2.1 + + –
3.0 3.5 – – +
4.0 (Radar Board) 4.0 – – +
The version 2E hardware can be upgraded to version 3.0 hardware by means of a replacement of the processor
board with a special “compatibility” processor board.
1
Higher radar Pulse Repetition Frequencies can be accommodated by reducing the PRF through the RNI, essentially
skipping some radar lines.

A note about operating systems and SeaDarQ versions:
Table 1.5: SeaDarQ version and Microsoft Windows version compatibility

MS Windows
XP 7
SeaDarQ 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit
2.11 (32-bit) + – – –
3.2 / 32 + – + –
3.2 / 64 – – – +
4.0+ – – – +
As Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, its use is not recommended.
Note that the model numbers of the cards have a bearing on the compatibility issues as well:
Table 1.6: GaGe and ADDI-Data card model numbers and compatibilty
Card driver PC motherboard
make type 32-bit 64-bit X7DCAi † X9DAi
GaGe CS 14200 + + + –
CS 1422 (Razor) – + – +
ADDI-Data APCI 1710 + + + –
1711 – + – +
†: or X7DAE / X7DA8

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 1 System overview
II Installation and configuration

1 SYSTEM OVERVIEW
Figure 1.1 shows a schematic overview of the SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection system and its components.
It consists of several components:
 A radar system
itself typically consisting of:
o An antenna
o A turning unit (a.k.a masthead unit, scanner unit)
o A power and control unit
 A SeaDarQ RNI unit (Radar – NMEA Interface)
 A SeaDarQ PC, running the SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection software
radar antenna
+
masthead / turning unit
radar power
and SeaDarQ RNI unit
control
SeaDarQ PC
Figure 1.1: Schematic overview of the SeaDarQ system and its components
The radar system is a third-party component. Installation instructions for the radar must be obtained from the
radar manufacturer.
The SeaDarQ RNI and PC are both 19" rack-mounted systems. Dimensions and other specifications are listed in
section II-2, System components.
The cabling and connection instructions, requirements, and details, are presented in section II-5, System cabling
and connections.

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 2 System components
2 SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Figures 2.1 and 2.2 show front views of the SeaDarQ RNI and PC.
Section 2.1 gives the important specifications of the SeaDarQ PC, in terms of dimensions and weight.
Section 2.2 gives the important specifications of the SeaDarQ RNI.
For details of the radar system, consult the manufacturer’s documentation.
Figure 2.1: SeaDarQ RNI front view
Figure 2.2: SeaDarQ PC front view

2.1 PC
The SeaDarQ PC has the following properties:
Dimensions: 4U 19” rackmount PC, 500 mm deep (excluding handles at front, approx. 50mm, and
room for cable connections at the back)
Weight: 22 kg
Power requirements: 650 W
Figure 2.3 shows an outline drawing of the front of the PC, with the most important dimensions in mm.
Figure 2.4 shows an outline drawing of the top of the PC, with the most important dimensions in mm.
483mm (19")
465mm
178mm (4U)
102mm
Figure 2.3: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ PC (front view)
433mm
500mm
550mm
465mm
483mm
Figure 2.4: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ PC (top view)

2.2 RNI
The SeaDarQ RNI has the following properties:
Dimensions: 1U 19” rackmount equipment, 500 mm deep (excluding knob at front, approx. 5mm;
including bracket at the back which allows cables to be tied down)
Weight: 6.5 kg
Power requirements: 100 W
Figure 2.5 shows an outline drawing of the front of the RNI, with the most important dimensions in mm.
Figure 2.6 shows an outline drawing of the top of the RNI, with the most important dimensions in mm.
44mm (1U)
483mm (19")
32mm
465mm
Figure 2.5: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ RNI (front view)
440mm
500mm
400mm
465mm
5mm
483mm (19")
Figure 2.6: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ RNI (top view)

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 3 Required / recommended tools
3 REQUIRED / RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Table 3.1 lists some of the tools and spare parts that have proved to be useful to have at hand when performing
an installation or troublehsooting mission. Not all of the listed items are requried in all cases; neither is the list
necessarily complete (e.g., for installation of a radar system, many more tools will be required). Use this list for
inspiration.
Table 3.1: List of required and recommended tools and spares to bring for installation
Tools etc. Tools – useful extras
 tool set (screwdrivers, both flat and  multimeter
crosshead, pliers, cutters)  oscilloscope (with probes, of course)
 flashlight  signal generator
 screwdriver set  RS-232 gender-changer ?
 wire stripper  mains plug-block
 soldering iron  mains extension lead
 solder  laptop
 de-soldering braid  RS-232 – RS422 converter
 wires  straight-through RS-232 cable
 tape measure 
 coax wire stripper
 coax crimper  spare GaGe card
 camera  spare ADDI-Data card
 (small) tie wraps
 grounding eyelet (Sperry)
 heat-shrink tubing
spare cables cables – useful extras

 USB A – B  BNC crimp-connectors RG-58 ( 8 ?)
 coax  ditto RG-59 ( 8 ?)
 BNC barrel-connectors  coax cable RG-58 & RG-59 ( 25 m each ?)
 BNC T-connectors  4-core cable (preferably twisted pair) ( 25 m ?)
 SMA-to-BNC-adapter(s)  DB50 (F) en DB9 (M) connectors (2 each)
 220V mains cables  DB78(M) connector (2 ?)
 DB50(M)-to-DB78(M) converter
 regular terminal blocks
(9-way for DB-9 connection)
 DB50 – 4x BNC
 DB78 – 4x NC
 DB50 – DB9 [GEM]
 DB78 – DB9 [GEM]
 DB50 – DB9 [Terma]
 DB78 – DB9 [Terma]

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 4 Physical Hardware installation
4 PHYSICAL HARDWARE INSTALLATION

Physical installation of the SeaDarQ system entails the following elements:
 put the PC into position (mount in 19" rack)
 put the RNI into position (mount in 19" rack, typically right above the SeaDarQ PC)
Connections (details in section II-5):

 connect peripherals to the PC
o screen (not supplied)
o keyboard
o mouse/trackball
 connect the SeaDarQ PC and the RNI unit
o USB
o Video, trigger
o ARP, ACP (special cable)
 connect the required radar signals to the RNI and PC
o video, trigger
o ARP, ACP
Optional / special cases:
o Radar control
o Special cable for connection between RNI and radar (Sperry BM E, GEM, Terma)
Additional connections to consider:

 network and/or modem connection
 power to both PC and RNI
 power to radar
 possibility to perform tests during rest of installation (‘scope, e.g.)

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 5 System cabling and connections
5 SYSTEM CABLING AND CONNECTIONS

5.1 Introduction
5.1.1 Overview
These sections describe the cabling and connections that are required to connect the sub-systems that make up a
SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection system.
5.1.2 Assumptions
The description assumes that the system was ordered with information about the radar sub-system to be used, or
even with the radar sub-system as part of the order. In the latter case, the required cables are supplied with the
full system. Note that the cables to go from radar to RNI are considered part of the radar.
5.1.3 Scope
Generally speaking, the radar sub-system is a third-party self-contained system. For cabling details of the radar
sub-system, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Only for a limited number of specific radar systems does this guide provide more detailed information:
 The GEM radar (section II-5.5)
 A Sperry radar (section II-5.6)
 A Terma radar (section II-5.7)
5.2 General description

Apart from regular connections like power to all components, and keyboard, mouse and screen to the SeaDarQ
PC, some specific custom connections are required:
 From radar to RNI
 From RNI to PC
radar
power USB video trigger ACP ARP ACP, ARP Sperry

out in out in in in out in BM E
RNI
SeaDarQ ADDI-
PC Data GaGe
1711 1422
video in
trigger in
power USB
Figure 5.1: General overview of connections between radar, RNI, and PC.

The SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection system also makes use of certain NMEA sources, in particular GPS and gyro.
NMEA connections are made to the RNI; connection details are provided in section II-5.8.
The SeaDarQ PC needs the following signals from the radar:
 Video
 Trigger
 Azimuth change pulse (ACP, a.k.a. bearing)
 Azimuth reset pulse (ARP, a.k.a. north reset or heading line)
The SeaDarQ RNI (Radar NMEA Interface) sits in between the radar signals and the PC acquisition cards. The
RNI provides adjustable signal conditioning for the incoming signals, allowing them to be converted to the input
ranges of the acquisition cards. Figure 5.1 sketches this general arrangement. Section II-5.4 describes the
connections that need to be made for this general situation.
To assist in troubleshooting, detailed schematics of various cables required in specific cases, are provided as an
addendum. For installation, these detailed cable schematics should not be necessary.
Some manufacturers use different names for ACP and ARP signals; table 5.1 lists some variations and
abbreviations.
Table 5.1: Alternative signal names for North Reset and Azimuth
North Reset NR ARP Azimuth Reset Pulse, Heading Marker,
Azimuth Reference Pulse Heading Line
Azimuth AZ ACP Azimuth Change Pulse Bearing

5.3 PC and RNI

Figure 5.2 shows the back of the SeaDarQ PC, and indicates the connectors on the acquisition cards that are
needed:
 Video and trigger connect to SMA connectors on the GaGe CS 1422 card
 ARP and ACP connect to the ADDI-Data 1711 card via a 78-pin sub-D connector
Two short coax cables with an SMA connector on one end, and a BNC connector on the other end, are supplied
as part of the system, to connect the video and trigger signals between the RNI and the GaGe card.
A DB-78 connector with a suitable cable is supplied as part of the system. The other end is a DB-9 connector, to
connect to the “ACP, ARP out” connector on the back of the RNI.
video in
ADDI Data
APCI 1711
Trigger in
GaGe Razor
CS 1422
Figure 5.2: Connections at the back of the SeaDarQ PC

Figure 5.3 shows the back of the RNI, with labels for all connectors.
Table 5.2 lists the connectors, what signal is connected to each, and gives a brief description of these signals.
Figure 5.3: Connections at the back of the SeaDarQ RNI
Table 5.2: Description of the connectors on the back of the RNI unit
RNI socket label signal description
ARP in single-ended north reset signal from the radar system
ACP in single-ended azimuth signal from the radar system
trigger in trigger signal from the radar system
trigger out TTL trigger signal to the SeaDarQ PC (GaGe card trigger in)
video in video signal from the radar system
video through video out signal; not used

RNI socket label signal description

video out level-shifted video signal to the SeaDarQ PC (GaGe card video in A)
RS232 (for use by Nortek personnel only !)
Sperry BM E for connection to Sperry BridgeMaster series E
ACP, ARP in differential azimuth and north reset signals from GEM or Terma radar
ACP, ARP out differential azimuth and north reset signals from RNI to PC (DB-78 connector on ADDI-
Data card)
There are four NMEA input ports, each with a NMEA through port allowing daisy-chaining of the signal to
another device. See section II-5.8 for further details on the NMEA connections, and a screen-shot of the NMEA
configuration page in RNI Configurator (figure 5.12). (Appendix V-4 describes the options in RNI Configurator
in more detail.)
Overview new model RNI (rev 4.0)
With the old RNI (rev 2E and earlier), connections to the PC for the differential ACP and ARP out signals were
made by means of 4 BNC leads. In special cases (GEM, Terma) ACP and ARP were connected directly from the
radar system to the PC (as with GEM and Terma these signals are differential to begin with). With the new RNI
(rev 4.0) all these connections go via the RNI. The differential ACP and ARP out signals now go via a special
DB-9-to-DB-78 cable from RNI to PC. There is a single DB-9 connector for the ACP and ARP differential
signals from a GEM or Terma radar (the difference between GEM and Terma in pin-assignments is taken care of
internally in the RNI; see figure 5.4). New is a special 8-pin connector for connections of a Sperry BridgeMaster
series E radar. This connection also allows control of the Sperry BM E radar from within the SeaDarQ 4
software.
These new features eliminate the need for special cables, different for different radar brands. GEM or Terma can
now be connected via a straight-through serial cable. The connection between RNI and PC is a single type of
cable, there is no different configuration needed for different radars.
Summarizing, the connections between RNI and PC are now the same regardless of radar brand. The video and
trigger signals are connected from the RNI to the SeaDarQ PC via RG-59 cable with a BNC connector on the
RNI side, and an SMA connector on the SeaDarQ PC side (i.e., the GaGe card). The RNI converts the ACP and
ARP signals to differential signals, if needed; the differential ACP and ARP output signals are connected from
the 9-pin sub-D socket “ACP, ARP out” on the RNI to the DB-78 connection on the ADDI-Data card in the
SeaDarQ PC.
SeaDarQ PC RNI Radar

(ADDI-Data card) 1 GEM Terma
ARP+ 2 1 ACP+ ACP+ 1 1 ACP+ 1 ACP+
ARP– 3
4 2 ACP– ACP– 2 2 ACP– 2 ACP–
. 3 ARP+ 3 3 3 ARP+
.
. 4 ARP– 4 4 4 ARP–
59 5 5 5 5
ACP+ 60
ACP– 61 6 6 6 6
62 7 ARP+ ARP+ 7 7 ARP+ 7
.
. 8 ARP– ARP– 8 8 ARP– 8
. 9 9 9 9
78
Figure 5.4: Connection schematic for PC, RNI and either GEM or Terma radar

5.4 Cabling requirements for a “generic” radar

Figure 5.5 shows the connections that need to be made between radar, RNI, and SeaDarQ PC in the “generic”
case. Sections 5.4.1, 5.4.2, and 5.4.3 give short descriptions of the details.
radar

RNI
SeaDarQ
PC
video in
trigger in
power USB ADDI- GaGe

Data 1422
1711
Figure 5.5: Radar - RNI - PC connections - general case
5.4.1 Radar subsystem cabling

As mentioned in section II-5.2, commissioning of the radar subsystem will be done by personnel of the radar
manufacturer. This needs to include cabling between various radar subsystem units, and provision of the signals
that are required for SeaDarQ in a suitable way.
5.4.2 Radar – RNI connection

Connect the following signals from the radar to the RNI (all on BNC connectors):
 Video RNI Video in
 Trigger RNI Trigger in
 Azimuth (ACP) RNI ACP in
 North reset (ARP) RNI ARP in
5.4.3 RNI – PC connection

Connect the following video-related signals between RNI and PC:
 Video from RNI video out (BNC) to PC GaGe card video in (SMA connector)
 Trigger from RNI trigger TTL out (BNC) to PC GaGe card trigger in (SMA connector)
Connect the Azimuth (ACP) and North Reset (ARP) signals by means of the special cable assembly, with a DB-
78 plug on one end to connect to the ADDI-Data 1711 card, and a DB-9 (M) plug on the other end to connect to

the 9-pin “ACP, ARP out” connector on the back of the RNI. With the RNI rev 3.5, this connection and its
wiring details are the same for all radar brands and models. The cable is provided with the SeaDarQ system. As
an aid to possible troubleshooting, subsection II-5.4.4, “Wiring details “generic” radar”, figure 5.6 and
table 5.3, provide the wiring details for this cable.
For communication and control, the RNI and PC also need a standard USB cable connection (with a type A
connector on the PC side, and a type B connector on the RNI side). Always use the bottom USB connection of
the stack of 4 at the back of the PC, otherwise Windows will not recognize the RNI from the factory
configuration and tests, and will insist on reinstalling a device driver for it.
5.4.4 Wiring details “generic” radar

Figure 5.6 shows the wiring diagram for the special DB78-to-DB9 cable assembly that is used to connect the
ARP and ACP signals from the RNI to the PC.
Table 5.3 provides the same information in tabular form.
Figure 5.6: Wiring details for the general-case connection between SeaDarQ RNI unit and SeaDarQ PC
Table 5.3: Connection details for the SeaDarQ RNI unit, both to the radar (RNI in) and to the SeaDarQ PC (RNI
out)
DB-78 DB-78
connector PC DB-9 DB-9 connector PC
(ADDI-Data connector connector (ADDI-Data
signal card) RNI signal RNI card)
NR+ / ARP+ 2 7 ACP+ (AZ+) 1 60
NR– / ARP– 3 8 ACP– (AZ–) 2 61
AZ+ / ACP+ 60 1 ARP+ (NR+) 7 2
AZ– / ACP– 61 2 ARP– (NR–) 8 3
signal RNI in RNI out cable socket PC
Trigger trigger in trigger out RG-59 (BNC-to-SMA) Trigger in

GaGe 1422 card
Video video in video out RG-59 (BNC-to-SMA) Video A

5.5 Cabling requirements with a GEM radar

Figure 5.7 show the connections that are required between radar, RNI and SeaDarQ PC when used with a GEM
radar (in particular: a GEM SU74-06 scanner unit and ASU-43000 power supply unit). Sections 5.5.1, 5.5.2,
5.5.3, and 5.5.4 give short descriptions of the details.
radar
GEM
ASU-43000 J01
J03 J05 J06 J07
J02

RNI
SeaDarQ
PC
video in
trigger in
power USB COM1 ADDI- GaGe

Data 1422
1711
Figure 5.7:Subsystem components and connections with a GEM radar system
5.5.1 GEM subsystem cabling

With a GEM radar, a cabling kit is included for the connection between the SU74-06 scanner unit and the ASU-
43000 power supply unit.
The GEM cabling kit comes with detailed instructions on how to prepare these connections. On the scanner unit
side, this involves stripping back the multi-core cable and attaching two 13-pin connectors inside the scanner
unit. On the power supply side, the multi-core cable needs to be terminated to a MIL-SPEC style multi-pole
circular connector. GEM provide detailed instructions in their document “CB36 Cable Setting-up Procedure Side

Scanner Unit SU74-01 (SU74-02)”. The GEM Cable Running Sheet “TINPFS99111” gives signal-to-pin
assignments for the various connectors on their power supply unit, ASU-43000.
Connect the CB36 cable between the radar Scanner Unit SU74-06 and the power supply unit ASU-43000. For
details, see the GEM document “CB36 Cable Setting-up Procedure Side Scanner Unit SU74-01 (SU74-02)”.
5.5.2 GEM radar – RNI cabling

The video and trigger signals from the GEM radar sub-system are available on regular BNC connectors (J06 and
J05) on the back of the GEM power supply unit (ASU-43000) These signals connect to the BNC connectors for
video in and trigger in on the RNI. The signal cables are RG-59.
The ACP and ARP signals on the GEM radar system are available as differential signals, on the 9-pin DB-9
socket J03. These are connected via a standard straight-through 9-pin serial cable (a.k.a. a null-modem cable) to
the 9-pin DB-9 socket “ACP, ARP in” on the back of the RNI.
Table 5.4 lists the connector types, and sockets for the GEM video, trigger, and ACP and ARP signals.
Table 5.4: Video (and trigger) cables between GEM and RNI
signal ASU connector RNI connector cable
socket nr type socket type type
video J06 BNC video in BNC RG-59
trigger J05 BNC trigger in BNC RG-59
ACP
J03 DB-9 ACP, ARP in DB-9 serial
ARP
5.5.3 RNI – PC cabling

5.5.4 GEM – PC cabling

In order to be able to control the radar from the PC (especially to switch it on and off) there is also a standard
serial straight-through (null-modem) cable needed between the PC and the GEM ASU-43000. This serial null-
modem cable should have 9-pin sub-D connectors on either end; one end goes to the serial port COM1 on the
SeaDarQ PC, the other to connector J07 on the GEM ASU-43000 power supply unit.

5.6 Cabling requirements with a Sperry radar

Figure 5.8 shows the connections that are needed between radar, RNI, and SeaDarQ PC, in the case of a Sperry
radar (of the BridgeMaster E series), where SeaDarQ functions as the radar master controller (“master
configuration”). Subsections 5.6.1 and 5.6.2 give short descriptions of the details. With SeaDarQ as master, it is
possible to control the Sperry BM E radar from within the SeaDarQ software, so a separate Sperry console is not
needed.
Note that another possibility is “slave” configuration, where the Sperry is controlled from a Sperry VisionMaster
controller terminal, and the SeaDarQ system only monitors the signals. Section 5.6.3 shows this situation.
radar
(video)

RNI
SeaDarQ
PC
video in
trigger in

Data 1422
1711
Figure 5.8: Subsystem components and connections with a Sperry radar system
Installation and commissioning of the Sperry radar subsystem should be carried out by Sperry personnel.
Figure 5.8 shows an overview of the Sperry radar subsystem, and the connections to the SeaDarQ system that are
required.
5.6.1 Sperry – RNI cabling

With the Sperry radar sub-system option, all required radar signals need to be connected via the RNI unit.
There is a special 8-pin socket on the back of the RNI, specifically for connection of a Sperry BridgeMaster E
radar system. The data-communication that is carried over this connection includes both the ACP and ARP
signals, and allows control of the radar system via the RNI by the SeaDarQ software. The other end of the
connection is inside the Sperry turning unit (connector TSB).
Other than this 8-wire, 4-twisted pair communication cable, only the video signal needs to be connected from the
Sperry turning unit to the RNI. (The trigger signal is carried on the communication cable as a differential signal.)
Table 5.5 lists the signals on the 8-wire, 4-twisted pair communication cable. (Note that pins 1 and 2 are not
connected internally to the RNI.)

Table 5.5: Description of the 8-wire connection between Sperry radar and SeaDarQ RNI
pin nr signal description Sperry TSB number & wire colour wire colour
signal description (standard cable) (low smoke zero
halogen cable)
10 – N/C
9 – N/C
1 N/C 8 TX SART - white/brown black
2 N/C 7 TX SART + brown/white white
3 Trigger- 6 TX TRIG - white/green black
4 Trigger+ 5 TX TRIG + green/white green
5 DataIn- 4 TX DATA - white/orange black
6 DataIn+ 3 TX DATA + orange/white red
7 DataOut- 2 DU DATA - white/blue black
8 DataOut+ 1 DU DATA + blue/white blue


5.6.3 SeaDarQ in slave configuration with a Sperry radar

As mentioned in section 5.6, another configuration possibility is to have a separate Sperry console (the Sperry
VisionMaster Display) to control the radar. In this configuration a Sperry Slave Junction Box is required, to
allow SeaDarQ to monitor all radar signals (via the RNI). In this configuration the SeaDarQ software cannot
exert control over the radar system.
Figure 5.9 shows the connections that are required for this case.
radar
mains power
slave Sperry
junction Vision
box Master
Display
(video)

RNI
SeaDarQ
PC
video in
trigger in

Data 1422
1711
Figure 5.9: Subsystem components and connections with a Sperry radar system, with SeaDarQ in slave
configuration
Note that the tuning procedure for the Sperry radar as described in section 6.6 cannot be performed from within
SeaDarQ or the RNI Configurator software in this configuration, so Sperry personnel will have to perform it
from the Sperry console.

5.7 Cabling requirements with a Terma radar

Figure 5.10 shows the required connections between a Terma radar and the SeaDarQ RNI and PC.
radar

RNI
SeaDarQ
PC
video in
trigger in

Data 1422
1711
Figure 5.10: Subsystem components and connections with a Terma radar system
The Terma radar subsystem, like the GEM radar subsystem, provides the North Reset and Azimuth signals as
differential signals. The Terma radar system, too, makes the relevant signals available on a 9-pin Sub-D
connector. The wiring details, however, differ.
Any connections between the components that make up the Terma radar system, are to be made by Terma
personnel or qualified contractors.
5.7.1 Terma radar – RNI

Connect the video and trigger signals from the radar to the RNI:
 Video RNI video in
 Trigger RNI trigger in
Also connect the (differential) ACP and ARP signals, via a straight-through 9-pin serial cable from the relevant
9-pin sub-D connector on the Terma system to the 9-pin “ACP, ARP in” sub-D connector on the RNI:
 ACP, ARP RNI ACP, ARP in



5.8 NMEA device connections to the RNI

Connection of NMEA devices such as GPS or Gyro only partly falls under “System cabling and connections”.
The NMEA signal connections on the RNI are listed here, in table 5.6 and figure 5.11. The location of the
NMEA in and NMEA through connectors on the back of RNI were shown in figure 5.3 in section II-5.3, “PC
and RNI”.
Table 5.6: NMEA signal connections on the RNI

RNI NMEA RS-232 signal RS-422 signal
connection
pin nr
1 left TX A(-)
2 middle RX B(+)
3 right GND N/C
Figure 5.11: Schematic of the RNI NMEA signal connections (view from top of RNI)
For wiring details of the NMEA devices to be connected, such as GPS and Gyro, consult the documentation of
those devices.
Note that the NMEA connections on the RNI can be configured in software for RS-232 or RS-422 type signals,
and can also be configured for different baud rates. The “RNI Configurator” software allows for adjustment of
these (and some other) configuration details; see appendix V-4 for details. Figure 5.12 shows a screenshot of a
NMEA port configuration tab in the RNI Configurator software.
Figure 5.12: NMEA port configuration options in RNI Configurator

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 6 RNI and Hardware configuration
6 RNI AND HARDWARE CONFIGURATION

6.1 Overview
In this description, reference is made to settings and values in several different places:
 the Device Drivers for the data acquisition cards
 the RNI, via the RNI Configurator software
 the main SeaDarQ software itself
Section 6.2 briefly describes how to access the Device Drivers for the ADDI-Data 1711 PCI Angular Encoder
card, and for the GaGe CS 1422 Razor data acquisition card.
Section 6.3 briefly describes how to access the RNI Configurator software.
Section 6.8 briefly mentions some configuration steps that need to be made in the main SeaDarQ software itself.
For details of the SeaDarQ software, see the “SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection Reference Guide”
Before configuring the RNI, make sure that the radar system itself is tuned properly. Section 6.5 describes the
tuning procedure for GEM radar systems; section 6.6 describes the tuning procedure for Sperry radars of the
BridgeMaster E series, with SeaDarQ as master. For other radar makes or situations (including a Sperry radar
with SeaDarQ in slave configuration), personnel from the radar manufacturer will have to perform the tuning
procedure.
After tuning of the radar, the video signal level needs to be adjusted with the RNI. Sections 6.7.1 and 6.7.2
describe this.
6.2 Device drivers

The Device Drivers for the ADDI-Data card and the GaGe card are accessed through the Windows Computer
Management console window, in the Device Manager. One way of accessing the Computer Management
window, is by right-clicking “Computer” in the Start menu, and selecting “Manage” from the right-click pop-up
menu. In the Computer Management window, click on “Device Manager” in the System Tools tree in the left-
hand panel. An alternative way to the Device Manager is via the Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, and under
Devices and Printers, Device Manager.
Figure 6.1: Device Driver window for the ADDI- Figure 6.2: Device Driver window for the GaGe PCIe
Data 1711 PCI Angular Encoder card Razor CompuScope card (aka GaGe CS 1422)

6.3 RNI Configurator

For configuration of the RNI, the RNI Configurator software can be used. This software is installed in the
SeaDarQ program group.
Figure 6.3 shows the RNI Configurator window, with the Trigger tab selected.
Appendix V-4 describes the RNI Configurator program in terms of its menus, the different tabs, and the options
in the menus and on the tabs. Refer to this appendix for details; the main narrative in this guide will not give
detailed instructions on how to achieve certain settings using RNI Configurator. Figure 6.3 shows a sample
screenshot from RNI Configurator (in this case, the Trigger tab).
Figure 6.3: RNI Configurator window (trigger tab, trigger mode manual)
6.4 Radar type selection

Selection of the brand and type of radar should be done by means of the RNI front-panel.
Currently the RNI (hardware revision 4.0 with firmware revision 4.0) allows the following options:
BME M Sperry BridgeMaster series E in Master configuration
BME S Sperry BridgeMaster series E in Slave configuration
GEM GEM radar
Terma Terma radar
Other any other brand or model of radar
After selection of the radar brand and model, it may be necessary to perform specific further tuning procedures.
This is the case for the Sperry BridgeMaster series E in Master configuration, and for the GEM radar. Radar
manufacturer personnel should perform any necessary tuning procedures for other radar brands or models of
radar.
Note that an RNI with firmware revision 3.5 will only have “Other” as an option.

6.5 GEM radar tuning procedure

Start the Radar Controller Setup program from the Windows Start Menu, All Programs, SeaDarQ. The program
has only a single window, shown in figure 6.4, and again in figure 6.5 with some annotations. Table 6.1
describes the various elements in the window.
Figure 6.4: Radar Controller Setup window
Transmission status panel
Pulse length status panel
Tuning method status panel
Manual tuning slider
Video signal indicator
Radar status panel
Figure 6.5: Radar Controller Setup window, with some annotations

Table 6.1: Window elements in the Radar Controller Setup window
element description remarks
TX/STBY button to switch radar state between transmit and there is a warm-up state in
standby between
PULSE button to cycle through radar transmission pulse length for normal operation,
options are: select SP1
SP1 50 ns
SP2 80 ns
MP 300 ns
LP1 600 ns
LP2 1200 ns
AFC/MANUAL button to switch between automatic tuning (AFC) and for normal operation,
manual tuning select AFC


radar transmission status indicator panel that shows the status of the radar; one
panel of
STAND BY no transmission
WARM UP radar is preparing for
transmission
TRANSMIT radar is transmitting
selected pulse length indictor panel that shows the selected pulse length (see above for
status panel correspondence between
pulse length indication
and pulse length in
nanoseconds)
selected tuning method indicator panel that shows the tuning method that is
status panel active (AFC or MANUAL)
manual tuning slider slider to manually adjust fine tuning
video signal magnitude indicator panel that shows the strength of the video
indicator signal, by means of green blocks
overall radar status panel indicator panel that shows the overall status of the
radar, and in particular any error messages (alarms)
that may occur
PRF values configuration of the Pulse Repetition Frequency for normal operation, do
options and their default values are: not change the values
Fast 2000 Hz
Fast is the value that will
Medium 1200 Hz
be used for normal
Slow 750 Hz
operation
Very Slow 500 Hz
Speed selection options for the radar antenna rotation speed for normal operation,
(in rotations per minute), select 40 rpm
one of 40 rpm
33 rpm
22 rpm
11 rpm
Coarse Tune slider to manually adjust coarse tuning
Tune Ind. Calib. option button to perform an internal tuning calibration see description of
procedure: only do this
after manual coarse and
fine tuning
Tune Ind Calib slider Do not use (consult GEM documentation)
Options on/off selection buttons for various radar features: for normal operation, do
not enable any of these
Silence stops radar transmission without
options
changing any of the other settings
(standby/transmit setting, antenna
rotation, blanking sectors)
Encoder SE change the angular encoder output
from differential (RS-422) to single-
ended (RS-232)
Bite (consult GEM documentation)
Ext. Trigger enable synchronization with an
external trigger signal
Stagger enable the internal staggering
function
Register Read Out show the bit-settings for the internal register selected
from the drop-down list


Blank sectors specify blanking sectors (sectors where radar
transmission is suppressed)
To start the tuning procedure:

 switch the radar into transmit mode
 switch to pulse length LP2
 switch to MANUAL tuning
Then wait for the radar to finish its warm-up (this can take 2 to 3 minutes).
Next:
 set the manual tuning slider to the center of its range
 gently move the Coarse Tune slider to find the position where the video signal reaches maximum
amplitude (as indicated on the video signal magnitude indicator)
Leaving the Coarse Tune slider in position:
 gently move the manual tuning slider to further maximize the video signal amplitude (as indicated on
the video signal magnitude indicator)
When you have adjusted the Coarse Tune slider and the manual tuning slider for maximum video signal
amplitude:
 click the button “Tune Ind Calib” (so it has a check-mark)
 wait approximately 10 seconds
 uncheck Tune Ind Calib
You may want to switch back to the default settings before you close the program:
 pulse length SP1
 tuning method automatic, AFC
 antenna rotation speed 40 rpm
The settings are saved when the program is closed.

6.6 Sperry radar tuning procedure

If a Sperry BridgeMaster E radar is connected in a configuration where the PC and RNI are in master mode, the
tuning procedure for the Sperry radar needs to be performed either from within RNI Configurator, or from within
the SeaDarQ 4 program itself. Subsection 6.6.1, “Sperry radar tuning procedure from within RNI Configurator”,
describes the procedure from within RNI Configurator, subsection 6.6.2, “Sperry radar tuning procedure from
within SeaDarQ 4”, describes it from within the SeaDarQ 4 program itself. The procedure is actually the same,
the main difference is the location and appearance of controls and indicators. Do note that RNI Configurator and
the SeaDarQ 4 program itself should not try to control the radar via the RNI at the same time; doing so will lead
to conflicts and timing errors, possibly leading to a momentary radar transmission- and rotation stop.
6.6.1 Sperry radar tuning procedure from within RNI Configurator
Figure 6.6: The Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab in RNI Configurator
Figure 6.6 shows the Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab in RNI Configurator, which contains all the
controls and indicators relevant for this task.
For details on the use of RNI Configurator, see appendix V-4. In particular, be aware that the RNI Configurator
program and the SeaDarQ 4 program itself can both control the radar via the RNI. However, they should not try
to control the radar at the same time, as this will lead to timing errors. So when performing this procedure from
within RNI Configurator, make sure that the SeaDarQ 4 program is not running.
After enabling radar control from RNI Configurator, switching on power to the radar, waiting for the radar to go
through the warm-up sequence, and starting transmitting, switch the Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) off (by
ticking the box). (Keep the Pulse length setting on Short.)
 Start with the “Fine” slider in the center of its range
 Gently move the “Coarse” slider to find the position where the video signal reaches maximum
amplitude, as indicated on the “Tune” indicator
 Leaving the “Coarse” slider in its position of maximum tuning, gently move the “Fine” slider to further
maximize the video signal, as judged from the “Tune” indicator
When you have adjusted the “Coarse” and “Fine” sliders for maximum signal amplitude, switch AFC back on
(by un-ticking the box) and allow the automatic frequency control to further maximize the signal amplitude for a
second or 10.
After completing the adjustment procedure, make sure to store the settings in the RNI EEPROM (tab
“Miscellaneous”, button “Save Settings”).
If you subsequently want to start the SeaDarQ 4 program with RNI Configurator still running as well, make sure
to un-tick the box “Enable Radar Control”, in order to avoid conflicts and timing errors due to SeaDarQ and RNI
Configurator attempting to control the radar via the RNI at the same time.

6.6.2 Sperry radar tuning procedure from within SeaDarQ 4
Radar Control
panel
Figure 6.7: The Radar Control panel withing the SeaDarQ 4 main window
All controls and indicators relevant for this task are contained in the Radar Control panel, which is indicated in
figure 6.7. (This panel will only be present if the presence of a Sperry BridgeMaster E radar was detected.)
As mentioned elsewhere, make sure that SeaDarQ 4 and RNI Configurator
do not attempt to control the radar ate the same time, as this will lead to
clashes. If RNI Configurator is open at the same time as SeaDarQ 4, make
sure the box “Enable Radar Control” in RNI Configurator, on the Radar
Controller tab, is not ticked. It is preferable to not have RNI Configurator
running when running the SeaDarQ 4 main program.
To perform all of the tasks below, make sure SeaDarQ 4 has “Advanced
features” enabled (otherwise one of the adjustment sliders will not be
available).
Figure 6.8 (a) through (e) shows the on-screen controls in the Radar Control
panel, as they are changed through-out the procedure. (a) Power off
The procedure consists of the following steps:
 From within SeaDarQ 4, switch on power to the radar
 Wait for the radar to go through its warm-up sequence
 When the warm-up sequence is finished, the radar will go into
stand-by mode; once this has happened, you can change it to
transmit mode
 Change the AFC mode from “Automatic” to “Manual”
 Start with the “Fine” slider in the center of its range
 Gently move the “Coarse” slider to find the position where the
video signal reaches maximum amplitude, as indicated on the
“Tune” indicator (b) Power on, warming-up
 Leaving the “Coarse” slider in its position of maximum tuning,
gently move the “Fine” slider to further maximize the video signal, Figure 6.8: On-screen controls
as judged from the “Tune” indicator in the Radar Control panel in
the SeaDarQ 4 program.

(c) Power on, warm-up completed, (d) Switched from Standby to (e) AFC switched from Automatic
in stand-by mode Transmit mode, AFC on Automatic to Manual
Figure 6.8: On-screen controls in the Radar Control panel in the SeaDarQ 4 program. (cont’d)
When you have adjusted the “Coarse” and “Fine” sliders for maximum signal amplitude, switch AFC back to
“Automatic” and allow the automatic frequency control to further maximize the signal amplitude for a second
or 10.
Note that the settings should be saved to the RNIs EEPROM, in order to survive a power-off of the RNI. This can
be done either through the RNI Configurator program (the button “Save Settings” on the “Miscellaneous” tab),
or via the RNI front panel (using the RNI front panel display and selection dial; see section V-4.5).

6.7 RNI Configuration with SeaDarQ v 4.x
6.7.1 Settings in SeaDarQ

Before performing the procedure described in section 6.7.2, to adjust the signal levels in the RNI, some settings
have to be made in SeaDarQ, with Advanced Options Enabled (for details, see the “SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection
Reference Guide”):
 Configuration → Enable Advanced Options ()
 on-screen Settings Panel: Tuning → Off
 View → Line Window; “Range Correction Curve” menu → No Range Correction
Once the adjustment procedure has been completed, change back to automatic, normal range correction and
automatic tuning.
6.7.2 RNI signal level adjustment and Device Driver settings
6.7.2.1 RNI display

On the top right-hand side of the RNI display (at the front of the unit), three lines of information are displayed:
 ARP: tARP ms Azimuth Reset Pulse = North Reset
 ACP: fACP Hz Azimuth Change Pulse = Azimuth
 PRF: fPRF Hz Pulse Repetition Frequency = frequency of radar lines (start pulse of
lines; trigger)
Do note, that for certain radar
systems (GEM, Terma) ARP and
ACP are not available on the RNI
display. Although these signals are
connected to the RNI, for these
radars they are directly fed through
to the ADDI-Data card, as they are
differential signals already.
Figure 6.9: The display on the front of the RNI
6.7.2.2 Pulse Repetition Frequency

If the PRF is too high (more than 2000 Hz), the system will not start properly. The reason is that the video line
trigger pulses are used as the basis for all other signals, and there is a limit to the trigger pulse rate that the RNI
and SeaDarQ can handle. E.g., if the PRF is too high, the angular encoder pulses will not show up in the Radar
Settings window (used to start collection of lines from the radar from within SeaDarQ), in particular in the
“Show Statistics” area.
If it is possible to have the PRF limited at the radar itself, this is encouraged. Otherwise, see below under “Radar
image” for details on limiting the PRF by adjusting the dead time on the trigger section in RNI Configurator.
An extra note: the PRF in Hz is NOT the same as the number of lines per rotation ! As an example, with a rotation
time of 3 seconds (per revolution), the number of lines per revolution is 4096 with a PRF of 1365.3 Hz (lines per
second): 4096
3
6.7.2.3 Angular encoder details

Next, determine the number of (angular) encoder pulses per 360° rotation, and fill this in in the driver settings for
the ADDI-Data card; see figure 6.10.
Usually, the number of angular encoder pulses per full rotation will be 4096, but possibly some lesser power of 2
(2048, etc). Some radars use a much lower number of pulses per full rotation (e.g., 90 or 360 for Sperry radars)
To check: fACP is the number of angular encoder pulses per second; a full rotation lasts tARP (milli) seconds, so
that makes for fACP*tARP pulses per full rotation (remember to convert tARP from milliseconds to seconds;
1 ms = 1*10-3 s).

Values for the number of angular encoder pulses per rotation for known radar systems:
GEM: 4096
Terma: 4096
Sperry: 90 or sometimes 360 (check radar documentation)
ARP: tARP ms
ACP: fACP Hz
PRF: fPRF Hz
nencoder = fACP * tARP

(nearest power of 2)
Figure 6.10: Determining the number of angular encoder pulses
6.7.2.4 Signal levels

Using RNI Configurator, the video gain, input offset, and output offset, all need to be adjusted. The GaGe card’s
input range is +1 .. -1 V, so the video has to be adjusted to fall in that range. The video signal from the radar will
typically be between 0 and -2 V, hence the need for adjustment. Figure 6.11 illustrates how the video levels are
adjusted using the input offset, output offset, and gain sliders on the Video tab in RNI Configurator. The detailed
procedure, illustrated with oscilloscope screenshots, is presented on the following pages (but note that the order
in which adjustments are made is slightly different: the output offset is adjusted first).
+1V +1V
0V 0V
-1V
input output gain

offset offset
Figure 6.11: Illustration of the concept behind input offset, output offset, and gain

Be aware of the video polarity. Usually, it is necessary to tick the box “Invert video” in the “Processing
Parameters” screen (or in the GaGe CS14200 driver). Trying the procedure below with the wrong video polarity
will be very confusing, and in the end will have to be done again with the correct video polarity.
If the GaGe card is not connected, make sure to use a 50 Ω termination resistor on the oscilloscope channel.
If not using an oscilloscope, certain elements of SeaDarQ itself can be used in this adjustment process.
a. First of all, in SeaDarQ, switch on Configuration ► Enable Advanced Options; this will switch on the
“Tuning” option in the on-screen controls. Change “Tuning” from “Auto” (the default) to “Off”, and switch
off the automatic range correction (see section II-6.7.1)
b. Switch on the “Line” and “Histogram” windows of SeaDarQ (accessible via the “View” menu, or the two
leftmost buttons in the button bar).
c. Using RNI Configurator (with “Advanced” options enabled in the “View” menu), on the Video tab, first
adjust the “Output Offset” in order to map the 0 V radar video signal to the +1 V GaGe card input level. Do
this by setting the RNI video gain to 0%, and adjusting the “Output Offset” slider until the blue signal level
indication in the SeaDarQ “Line” (or “Range Correction Curve”) window shows only just at the 0 level.
d. Still using RNI Configurator, adjust the “Input Offset” slider on the Video tab in order to shift the “blank”
level of the radar video signal (i.e., its maximum voltage level) to 0 V.
This can be checked indirectly in SeaDarQ: when varying the gain in RNI Configurator, the base level (see
c.) should not move.
e. Finally, adjust the “Gain” slider until the RNI Video Output signal ranges to no more negative than -1 V.
If all adjustments have been made
correctly, the video signal in the
SeaDarQ “Line” window should
range from 0 to 100, without clipping
at either extreme. (A little clipping
near the radar is admissible, say
several tens of meters with the radar
range set to 3 km.)
These adjustments are easier to check

and visualize using an oscilloscope,
as described in the following steps.
Figure 6.12 shows the connections
required for this.
(The write-up and terminology used
is based on a Tektronix TDS2024C
oscilloscope; other oscilloscopes may
have similar features with different
names.)
Figure 6.12: Connections between radar, RNI, PC and oscilloscope

during signal level adjustment

 In this description, the signals used are the following:

oscilloscope trace
channel signal colour
1 RNI video in yellow
4 RNI video out green
2 RNI trigger TTL out blue
(The trigger signal is not relevant to the signal level
adjustment procedure, but it is used to determine the
trigger delay time, described later.)
 Use “measure” to determine the video “base” level,
i.e., the maximum level on channel 1.
Figure 6.13: Measure video base level

 Use the “cursor” feature on channel 4 (set for
“amplitude”), and set the target levels for the RNI
video out signal:
maximum + 1.0 V
minimum - 1.0 V
Figure 6.14: Set target levels

 In RNI configurator, on the Video tab, set
output offset 4 mV
input offset 19 mV
gain 0%
(and make sure that in SeaDarQ “Tuning” is set to
“Off”)
Figure 6.15: Offset at 0, gain at 0

 In RNI Configurator, adjust “output offset” until the
RNI video out signal on channel 4 just touches the
+ 1.0 V cursor-line (the top of the target, so to speak)
Figure 6.16: Adjust output offset to +1.0V target

line

 Next, increase the “gain” setting in RNI Configurator;

most likely, this will not only expand the video signal
downwards, but will also result in the video base level
moving slightly off the +1.0 V target line.
 Compensate for this base-line offset by adjusting

“input offset” in RNI Configurator, until the video
base level stays at the +1.0 V level, irrespective of the
“gain” setting
(The value for “input offset” will be close to the
channel 1 video “base” level, as measured in the first
step, but inverted.)
Figure 6.17: Adjust gain, observe base level
shift
Figure 6.18: Adjust input offset until gain adjustment no Figure 6.19: Signals after final adjustments
longer causes a base level shift
6.7.2.5 Radar image

The number of radar lines SeaDarQ handles cannot be more than the number of angular encoder pulses per full
rotation, with a maximum of 4096 at that. The number of (video) lines per rotation coming from the radar is
given by the Pulse Repetition Frequency, fPRF, on the RNI display. If fPRF*tARP is higher than the number of
encoder pulses per rotation (see above, fACP*tARP) or 4096, this number of video lines per rotation needs to be
brought down. The trick to this is to use the dead time setting for the trigger signal. This is found in RNI
Configurator (with “Advanced” in the “View” menu enabled), on the “Trigger” tab. Adjust the “Dead Time”
slider until the output frequency (in the “Info” sub-panel, beneath the “Triggered” and “Auto fail” “LEDs”) leads
to an acceptable number of lines per rotation (i.e., ftrigger out < 4096 / tARP, or ftrigger out  fACP)
6.7.2.6 Trigger Delay

The start of the video line doesn’t always coincide with the
exact edge of the trigger pulse (i.e., this can be different from
one radar to another). This is easy to see and measure on an
oscilloscope, but is also manifest in the radar image as shown
by SeaDarQ: it shows up as a “disk” in the middle of the
image. There are 2 ways of determining this trigger delay
Δttrigger (but it can also be corrected for by experience and
some trial and error).
a. If using an oscilloscope, put the video signal on one

channel, and the trigger signal on another. Use the
oscilloscope’s “Cursor” option (set for “time”) to measure
the time between the start of the video signal and the edge
of the trigger signal (see figure 6.20). Fill in this time in
SeaDarQ’s “Processing Parameters” screen, accessible Figure 6.20: Oscilloscope image showing
through the menu “Configuration”, menu-item measurement of trigger delay

“Setup …”, tab “Processing Parameters”. In this screen, the trigger delay should be entered as the number of
nanoseconds between trigger edge and video signal start; the oscilloscope might give this number in
microseconds (1 μs = 10-6 s; 1 ns = 10-9 s).
b. This trigger delay time can also be calculated, by measuring the apparent radius rdelay of the disk on the
SeaDarQ radar image. The radar wave would travel this apparent distance at the speed of light (c) in a time
Δttrigger. (Actually, it would go there and back again, so we need a factor of 2.) So the trigger delay time
should be Δttrigger = 2* rdelay / c (where the speed of light c is 3*108 m/s). Note that SeaDarQ shows the
distance (and bearing) of the cursor in the status bar at the bottom of the image.
If the trigger delay time is correct, the disk in the middle of the SeaDarQ radar image should vanish.
An extra check is to look at the radar image of some nearby feature that should show up as a straight line. If the
delay time is correct, the radar image of this feature will also be a straight line; if not, the line will seem to bend
towards or away from the radar position.
Once the correct value for the delay
time has been established, fill in
this final value for the trigger delay
time in the driver for the GaGe card
(PCIe Razor CompuScope
Properties, under the Advanced
tab).
Once this value is filled in in the
driver, it should not be filled in
again in SeaDarQ’s Processing
Parameters screen; the value in the
Processing Parameters screen is
relative to the value in the driver,
and is only intended to experiment
with its value, as described.
Figure 6.21: Trigger delay value in the SeaDarQ Processing Parameters

tab in the Configuration Settings dialog (see Reference Guide)

Figure 6.22: Trigger delay value in the Device Driver window of the
GaGe data-acquisition card
6.7.2.7 North Alignment

The radar’s Azimuth Reset Pulse (ARP)
or North Reset pulse may not coincide
with the antenna pointing due
geographic North. To correct for this, an
object with a known bearing is ideal; by
positioning the cursor over the radar
reflection of this object, SeaDarQ’s
notion of its bearing is displayed in the
status bar.
Using
α known bearing
β displayed bearing
then
4096 ∙ (𝛼 − 𝛽)
𝑋=
360
is the value to add to the current value

for North Offset in the device driver
window.
Note that, implicitly, this formula shows
that the North Offset in the driver is
given in a number of encoder pulses; the
value to experiment with in the
“Processing Parameters” screen is in
degrees.
Figure 6.23: North Offset value in the Device Driver window of the
ADDI-Data Angular Endoder card

6.7.2.8 (Static) Position

(for stationary installations only)
The position of observations is embedded in
stored images and recordings, and is also
used for the location of wave- and current
measurements. On a ship, the position in
terms of latitude and longitude is typically
obtained through the NMEA part of the
RNI, from the ship’s navigation systems. In
the case where a SeaDarQ system is
installed on a radar tower or some other
fixed location, the position information
needs to be entered in the SeaDarQ Static
Position Driver. The details should be
obvious (but do note that latitude and
longitude are entered into the driver in
degrees and decimal minute form; values in
degrees, minutes and seconds need to be
converted to this format).
Whether the installation is ship-borne or on
a tower (or equivalent fixed position) should
have been specified when the SeaDarQ
software was installed. For a ship-borne
installation, the Static Position driver will
not be installed. If this installation was done
wrong, run the SeaDarQ Driver wizard to re-
configure for a moving or stationary Figure 6.24: Latitude and Longitude in the the Device Driver
platform, as required. window of the Static Position Driver
6.7.2.9 Final check

To make sure all settings have been made correctly, and are retained correctly, reboot the system and check
them:
 base line / gain
 trigger delay
 etc
6.7.3 NMEA Configuration

SeaDarQ needs both the current location and the heading of the ship. This information can be provided to the
RNI NMEA input ports.
NMEA devices can use either an RS-232 or RS-422 connection. The physical connections are slightly different,
although they can use the same type of connector. See section II-5.8 for connection details on the RNI side (for
connection details from the NMEA device, see the NMEA device documentation).
Adjust the setting for each port using RNI Configurator (see figure 6.25). You may also have to select the correct
baud-rate for each device. For details, see appendix V-4 (“RNI Configurator”).
In RNI Configurator:
 Pay attention to Interface setting (RS-232 / RS-422) and communication speed (baud rate)
 The settings are right if the LED “Good characters” is green.
Once all NMEA ports are configured correctly, save the settings to the RNI (tab “Miscellaneous”, button “Save
Settings”).

Figure 6.25: RNI Configurator software with one of the NMEA tabs selected

6.8 SeaDarQ software configuration

6.8.1 general settings
Make sure to check and/or configure relevant aspects of the User Interface, and after all adjustments save the
configuration from the Configuration menu. (For details, see the “SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection Reference
Guide”)
Aspects to look at:
 Radar Settings
o range
o resolution
o auto start
 SeaDarQ processing “Mode”:
o oil spill from radar
 base directory for files (recordings, snapshots, wave reports) (Configuration ► Setup)
 View menu : distances in nautical miles or kilometres (nm / km); position in degrees lat/lon or in UTM;
etc
Do not forget to check what the behaviour of the system should be after power loss, and if necessary make sure
the BIOS setting for this is OK (BIOS: Advanced, Boot Features, Power Loss Control: “Last State” or even
“Power On”)
6.9 Other issues
6.9.1 GEM radar
The SeaDarQ software package includes a utility,

Radar Controller, that can start and stop a GEM radar
(if the required serial connection between PC and
GEM ASU-43000 is in place; see section II-5.5.4).
Although this software should be running to keep the
radar turning and before SeaDarQ can get radar images
to show, this Radar Controller software should not be
started automatically with the start of the PC:
otherwise, the radar antenna would start turning
automatically with the start of the PC, which may be
unexpected and could be dangerous is someone is in
close proximity of the radar antenna for maintenance
work or for other reasons.
Figure 6.26 shows the Radar Controller program in
normal mode (figure 6.4 in section II-6.5 showed it in
Setup mode).
Figure 6.26: Radar Controller program (normal

mode)

II Installation and configuration DRAFT 7 Software Update Installation
7 SOFTWARE UPDATE INSTALLATION

Installation of the SeaDarQ software on a new computer, especially with new cards, is not documented, as
proprietary steps are required that should be done by Nortek BV personnel.
Updating or upgrading the SeaDarQ software can be done by others. Do note that all previous device driver
settings (for the GaGe card, the ADDI-Data card, the static position driver in case of a static installation, and any
NMEA settings) will be lost in the update. It may be wise to note down the settings before performing the
update.
Upgrading SeaDarQ from version 3.x to 4.1 is usually fairly straightforward; appendix V-3 (“SeaDarQ
Installer”) gives the installation sequence, and the various screens that will show during installation.
As part of the installation, the device drivers will be installed, although this depends on the hardware that is
present and switched on during installation. In particular, because of this, make sure the RNI is switched on.
(And refer back to the remark above about the loss of settings of device drivers.)
It can happen that parts from the old installation interfere with the new installation. There are two ways to deal
with this:
 In advance, uninstall the existing SeaDarQ software (but if you choose this way, use the proper method
for it: via Control Panel ► Add / Remove Programs – if you instead just delete the SeaDarQ program
directory, registry-entries will remain and cause problems with the new installation.
Do note that all previous SeaDarQ settings (video levels, trigger, ACP, etc) will be lost.
 After the fact, when the new version of SeaDarQ refuses to run. In this case, several steps may be
needed:
o Open a Command-prompt, and change directory to C:\Program Files\SeaDarQ
o Enter the following line:
for %i in ( *.dll ) do regsvr32 /u /s %i
(this unregisters all SeaDarQ DLLs)
o Next, delete all files in the SeaDarQ program directory
o Then, go to Control Panel ► Add / Remove Programs, and choose Repair for the SeaDarQ
program
o If, on a Windows XP machine, after this step SeaDarQ still does not run, you can try re-
registering the DLLs:
for %i in ( *.dll ) do regsvr32 /s %i
But note that on Windows 7 computers, this should not be necessary, and is not advised.

III Service and maintenance DRAFT 1 SeaDarQ PC and RNI
III Service and maintenance

1 SEADARQ PC AND RNI
Clean the fans
 Make sure to power the computer down and switch off the power during cleaning
 Observe ESD-safe work-habits
 You may want to wear a dust mask, in case a lot of dust has accumulated inside the computer
 Use a can of compressed air (clean and particle-free), or a special ESD-safe computer vacuum-cleaner
 If using compressed air, make sure to blow the dust OUT of the PC
Check hard disk space
 The system disk should never be used for recordings (see warnings in the Reference Guide)
 Be aware that a 15-minute recording takes about 4 GB of disk space
Viruses, malware and other extraneous software
 The SeaDarQ PC is a dedicated PC for the SeaDarQ Oil Spill Detection software and associated data-
acquisition cards. It should not be used for other purposes, especially not for personal or recreational
purposes. If there is a possibility that the SeaDarQ PC is misused for such purposes, it may be necessary
to check for and remove viruses and other malware with regularity.
Microsoft Security Essentials are installed before delivery. Whenever network connectivity is available,
it may be necessary to update virus and malware definitions.
2 RADAR SUBSYSTEM
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 Overview
This section describes a number of aspects of service, inspection and maintenance of components of the
SeaDarQ (v 3) Oil Spill Detection system, in particular of the GEM radar system.
2.1.2 Purpose
The purpose of this section is to describe the most important service activities in sufficient detail that these
activities can be carried out by on-site technical personnel.
2.1.3 Assumptions / scope

This section does assume a certain level of technical skill.
This section only describes basic service and maintenance of the GEM radar system, consisting of an SU74-06
scanner unit, ASU-43000 power supply, and 8 or 12 foot antenna.
This section does not describe such details as removing the sides of the scanner unit.
2.2 GEM radar

There are 3 components in the SU74-06 scanner unit that require yearly inspection and, based on inspection
results, possible replacement. These are the motor brushes, the motor drive belt, and the magnetron.
2.2.1 Moisture
If / when the scanner unit is opened, it is possible that moist air gets in. The moisture could at a later moment
condense on cold parts, e.g., when the unit cools down at night.
To prevent moisture and condensation, it is recommended to place a 100 g bag of silica gel inside the scanner
unsit.
During yearly inspection, this bag of silica gel should be checked and if necessary replaced.

III Service and maintenance DRAFT 2 Radar subsystem
2.2.2 Scanner unit (outside)

It is recommended to apply some silicone grease coating to the bolts that secure the sides and antenna in place.
After opening the unit for inspection and/or maintenance, it is recommended to re-apply such coating on those
bolts that were undone.
2.2.3 Lubrication of bearings

Once a year or so gently top up the grease in the bearing between antenna (-arm) and motor housing.
2.2.4 Motor brushes
2.2.4.1 Inspection
To inspect the motor brushes:
 remove each brush in turn
 check the brush for excessive wear (if it is shorter than x mm, it needs to be replaced)
 after inspection, put the brush back into the motor housing (provided it has passed the check)
2.2.4.2 Replacement
Instead of putting the original motor brush back into the motor housing, put in a new one.
note
Access to all motor brushes is easier if the RTX plate assembly is unbolted and slid out.
2.2.5 Motor drive belt
2.2.5.1 Inspection
To inspect the motor drive belt:
 check for wear
 check the tensioning of the belt
2.2.5.2 Tensioning
To (re-) tension the drive belt:
 loosen the bolt that keeps the tensioner in place (see fig)
 by pushing on the tensioner by hand, put tension on the belt
 re-fasten the bolt
2.2.5.3 Replacement
 see GEM instructions
2.2.6 Magnetron
The magnetron has an expected total operational life-time of 4500 hours. Towards the end-of-life signal
degradation will occur.
2.2.6.1 Inspection
It is unlikely that visual inspection has any use whatsoever.
adjustment of magnetron current
 with the radar in stand-by mode, measure the voltage over the magnetron wires (fig); only proceed with
the rest of the adjustment if the measured voltage is 6.3 V ( 0.1 V ?)
 with the radar in operation, check the blinking rate of LED DL5 (on the high voltage side of the
scanner-unit). A frequency of 1 Hz indicates a correct magnetron current. A frequency lower than 1 Hz
indicates too low a magnetron current. A frequency higher than 1 Hz indicates too high a magnetron
current
 adjust VR3 (by no more than 1/16th of a turn), clockwise to increase the magnetron current

2.2.6.2 Replacement
 See GEM instructions
2.2.7 Motor
It may be easier or quicker to change out and replace the entire motor, allowing workshop refurbishment of the
original motor.
replacement
See GEM instructions
To remove the motor:
 remove the drive belt from the pulley
 disconnect the motor power connector (behind the motor)
 undo the 4 bolts that keep the motor in place (for the bolts behind the motor, use a x mm pipe-wrench)
Putting a new motor in place, follow the reverse procedure.
2.2.8 RTX plate exchange

See separate document, “GEM RTX plate exchange” (informal technical guide).
2.3 Inspection schedule (GEM radar)

(source: from GEM hand-out)
2.3.1 Weekly
 check exterior of the units
o for cleanliness
o for loose or missing hardware
 inspect mechanical action of all switches
 inspect external cables for cracks in insulation, cuts, frays, and deterioration, especially at connecting
and supporting points
 tighten any loose connections
 check interior
o for cleanliness
o for loose or missing hardware
 check all wiring for cracks in insulation, cuts, frays, and deterioration, especially at connecting and
supporting points
 Check for signs of overheating, usually indicated by:
o Discoloration
o Blistering
o Corrosion on contact surfaces
o Odours
 If dust or dirt is found, remove it using a dust brush or vacuum cleaner
 For any discrepancies found:
o Determine the cause
o Repair
 If there is any evidence of water or salt inside the units:
o Determine where it came from
o Thoroughly check for damage to electronics
o Carefully remove any and all traces of water and/or salt deposits
2.3.2 Whenever units are opened for maintenance

 Perform a thorough visual inspection as described under weekly inspection
(A careful visual inspection can reveal potential problems which may not be evident when the untis are in use.)

2.3.3 Yearly
 Grounding (console ?)
o Remove the power supply cord from the GEM ASU
o Connect a test-terminal to an un-painted part of the ship
o Connect a test-terminal to an un-painted console part (*)
o Using an Ohm-meter, verify that the resistance between the 2 terminals is less than 0.05 Ohm.
o If the test fails, check the ground connection and repeat the test
o Only re-connect the power supply after a positive test
 Grounding
o Inspect ground connections for opens and corrosion
o Verify screws and nuts are tightened
o If there is corrosion:
 Take out the power supply line
 Replace screws/nuts fixing the ground strip
 Clean ground contacts using a wire brush or emery cloth, to obtain a clean metallic
surface as a good conductor
 After re-assembly and fixing, protect the earth connection with a silicone grease film
2.3.4 Every 2 years

 Check the motor-brushes for wear
o If the motor brush is less than 4 mm, replace it
o New motor brushes are 10 mm
2.3.5 Every 5000 hours

 Replace the magnetron (GEM p/n EV055042); see GEM instructions
2.4 Various notes

 Cable CB36 is fine up to 50 m; for longer runs, voltages may need to be adjusted.
 Rotary encoder exists in 2 versions; replacement of one with the other needs extra adjustments; see
drawing “Assieme Encoder”, p/n MP669100, Disegno No MA669100
 SU74-06: every month check auto-tune manually (= with ST800.exe) auto-tune and manual tune give
same result)
 → run SDQ Radar Controller Setup, go through adjustment proc there
 ST82000 LED locations and meaning (“front of board”) [GEM copyright !]
 MDL32500 LED locations and meaning (“back of board”) [GEM copyright !]
 Do not change DIP-switch settings !
 Always protect the waveguide (covers) !
 Work on the motor is much easier if the RTX plate is slid out first
 Technical manual available from GEM to order.
2.5 Sperry radar

See the Sperry manual.

IV Troubleshooting DRAFT 1 Introduction
IV Troubleshooting
1 INTRODUCTION
This is a first collection of hints and guidelines to assist in case problems arise.
This section is of a highly technical and specialized nature. Users of this guide are assumed to be sufficiently
technically skilled, so many terms and procedures are not explained in exhaustive detail.
2 GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING APPROACH

It is difficult to provide a step-by-step script, that through following it rigorously, leads to a guaranteed solution
of problems. Instead, we can only provide some general guidelines, and details for some specific issues or cases
that we or our clients have encountered in the past.
There are many resources, e.g. on the internet, on general approaches to troubleshooting. We cannot summarize
them all, or distill the one overall strategy from it; reading up on some of them in a quiet moment is time well
spent.
Most approaches boil down to “the scientific method” or some variation thereof, although there are some notable
deviations.
Here is my take on an overall, structured, troubleshooting approach:
 Expected behaviour of a system
Not the same, some discrepancy (a.k.a. a symptom)
 Observed behaviour of that system
 Why ? (What causes the discrepancy)

Core activities in troubleshooting are:
 form (different) hypotheses that might explain the symptoms or discrepancies
 test the hypotheses
 refine and re-test the hypothesis
 repeat this process
 until the cause of the problem is isolated to the extent where it can be solved (either by adjustment,
repair, or replacement of a faulty component with a properly working one)
After solving the problem, the observed behaviour should be the same as the expected behaviour of the system.
This process should be done in a systematic way. (“recursive bi-section”, “divide-and-conquer”)
Some important aspects:
 Taking notes is important, to keep track of what has been tried, and what the expectations and results of
tests were (and for future reference).
 Another important aspect is reproducibility of the problem or symptoms → what is the procedure to
reliably induce the symptom to occur (this provides a framework to carry out tests).
 Understand the system:
o So you know what the expected behaviour is
o So you know how components and subsystems interact, and which ones could be involved in
the problem you’re seeing (e.g., the signal-chain from radar to PC)
 Step-by-step, narrow down and isolate where the problem really lies.
 Make sure you can “bow out gracefully” – revert to the situation as was, should the troubleshooting
attempts lead to nothing
 Don’t panic, and don’t let others drive you into a panic
 Work structured.
E.g., if you’re working on something and get a new idea, either
o Make a note of the new idea and finish what you’re doing
or
o Note down what you were doing, pursue the new idea, and then return to where you were
(even if just to undo or close down what you were doing)

IV Troubleshooting DRAFT 3 Symptoms & Tests
In the following sections, we provide information that we hope can help in the troubleshooting process:
 Some technical background information about SeaDarQ
 Certain symptoms, what they could mean (i.e., hypotheses to their cause), and what tests could confirm
this (testing the hypotheses)
 Some tests, and how to interpret their results
 A few more bits of advice found on the internet
In addition to that, refer to the first part of this Installation and Maintenance Guide, and to the SeaDarQ Oil Spill
Detection Reference Guide, for an understanding of the working of the system.
3 SYMPTOMS & TESTS

The trigger signal is the heartbeat: without it, SeaDarQ doesn’t do anything.
SeaDarQ does not show a radar image
Things to check:
 Trigger signal OK ?
 ACP / ARP OK ?
 Layer enabled ?
 Moving stripe ?
Black disk in the middle of the radar image → wrong trigger delay time
3.1.1 False spikes / cross-talk

It can happen that one signal causes false spikes on another signal: cross-talk.
Examples:
 Angular encoder pulses appearing on the North Reset signal – resulting in the image jumping back to
North over and over again, before it is actually done.
 “Some” signal cross-talking onto the trigger line – resulting in garbage on the individual lines
The solution is to set the dead time on the line experiencing the false spikes to just under the expected period of
the signal.
3.1.2 No trigger / azimuth / north reset signal

It has been known to occur that the trigger signal was connected to the wrong connector on the GaGe card. It is
wise to re-check all required signal connections in cases where one of them seems missing.
Generally speaking, perform the following tests in order (until it is clear where the problem lies):
1. Show Statistics in the Radar Settings dialog window in SeaDarQ
2. Check cables
3. Check output signal frequency in RNI Configurator (note: not applicable for azimuth / north reset in
case of a GEM radar) or Device Driver Window (azimuth / north reset only)
4. Check signals on an oscilloscope:
a. RNI out
b. RNI in
c. Radar out (RNI disconnected, if applicable)
Notes:
 Be aware that the ARP and ACP signals into the PC are differential signals, which may require the use
of a differential measuring mode on the oscilloscope (often A – B, under Math)
 Be aware that signal levels may change if termination (e.g., by means of the RNI) is disabled or
removed
3.1.2.1 Specific details

To check the Azimuth (Azimuth Change Pulse, ACP) signal: in the “Radar Settings” window, the statistics for
the angle should show that the angle is constantly reported at a different value; the minimum should be 0, the
maximum 4096. But also see the next paragraph: pulse timeout in the PCI Angular Encoder driver.

Disconnection of either the azimuth or the north reset signal should be noticeable in the driver details for the PCI
Angular Encoder. The “Settings” tab of the driver has tick-boxes “Pulse Overflow” and “Pulse Timeout”. Pulse
Overflow will show a tick-mark if the North Reset signal is not received for a (longish) time. Pulse Timeout will
show a tick-mark if the Azimuth signal is not received (this will show much sooner). Do note that these tick-
marks cannot be cleared or reset, other than by closing the driver window.
Correct processing of the trigger signal can be verified as follows:
 A disconnected trigger in signal at the GaGe card results in a freezing of the SeaDarQ radar image
 Another check of the trigger signal is to check the statistics in the “Radar Settings” window. In
particular, the number of lines reported there corresponds to the number of trigger pulses read in so far.
This number should steadily increase (with the trigger signal connected – it will stay at the last value if
trigger-in is disconnected).
 This same “Radar Settings” window also reports trigger timeouts, which occur if no trigger signal is
received within the time specified as “Trigger time-out”. It is useful to set the trigger time-out to a short
time for checking purposes, say 5 seconds.
(In the “Radar Settings” window, select “Show statistics” in order to see these and similar numbers that can help
in diagnosing problems).
3.2 Troubleshooting GEM radar
3.2.1 General
controller error messages
e.g. ARP error: self-explanatory
If errors like this are reported in the Radar Controller software, than they are not related to the RNI or SeaDarQ.
The Radar Controller software communicates with the ASU power supply and controller unit directly, over
RS232. If the ASU reports an error like this, there could be a problem with the CB36 cable.
On the other hand, be aware that during start of the system some of these errors may temporarily show – they
normally go away again after a minute or so.
cable
If needed to check an already radar-connected CB36 cable: use the cable itself as the “extended” probe-lead, and
short-circuit cable pairs on the 2x13 connector end, measuring on the mil-spec style connector. Use cable triples
if you need to determine one specific core. Have a short lead with pins that fit in the 2x13 style connectors for
the purpose.
power to the scanner unit
It is wise to check that all power connections in the CB36 cable actually are connected, and the same for the
ground connections. Power and ground are spread over multiple cores for current-carrying reasons.
ARP and ACP signals between radar and PC
If it is needed to check these signals on an oscilloscope, it may be necessary to use a specially constructed DB-9–
to–4xBNC cable. Such a cable could also connect one of each differential pairs to the RNI, as a temporary trick
to get at the numbers that the RNI provides for these signals if they are connected to the RNI.
List of things to check
(in large part based on a case aboard a specific Oil Spill Response Vessel, and therefor somewhat GEM-
specific)
[motivation in italics and between square brackets]:
 When the antenna-rotation is switched on (via Radar Controller – transmit; after waiting for the system
warm-up sequence to finish), does the antenna try to turn briefly, or not at all ?
[If the antenna does try to turn briefly, and then stops, it could be that the motor does function, but that a
lack of angular encoder pulses, i.e. lack of the required feedback on the rotation speed, forces a motor
shutdown]
 How does the antenna behave when the system is switched off: does it stay in its position, or does it move
with the ship or by the wind ?
[movement of the antenna by the wind , e.g., suggests a problem with the drive-belt]

 Does the ASU-43000 provide the correct voltage to the motor (48 V, +/- 20%, 2A typical, 10A peak)
[a supply voltage that is too high continuously could eventually be bad for the motor – but mind you, 20%
allowed deviation comes down to 9.6 V]
 Does the ASU-43000 provide the other supply voltage at the correct levels?
24 V +/- 10%, 3A typ., 4A peak
12V +/- 10%, 1.5A typ, 2A peak
-12V +/- 10%, 0.5A typ, 1A peak
[Possibly, a bad 12V or 24V supply could affect the angular encoder ?]
 What can be gleaned from an inspection of the turning unit and antenna?
 externally
 internally
Points of interest:
 damage to the antenna
 damage to the motor housing
 connectors and connections
 motor
 drive-belt
 tensioning mechanism
 rotary encoder
Controller Board ?
Different approach: what parts – and subsystems – are important or play a role in the antenna drive mechanism:
 motor (with built-in planetary gear transmission)
 motor power (48V)
o as supplied by ASU-43000
 connection and cable to upmast
o round MIL-STD connector at the back of the ASU-43000
o orange plug-connectors inside the SU74-06
o cable end ferrules with which the cable parts are connected to the orange plugs
 connection from Logic Controller board to motor controller board (internal to SU74-06)
 control signals from ST82000 Controller Board
 drive belt
 + tensioning roller
 the rotary joint
 the angular encoder
 connection via the ST82000 controller board (details unknown)
 the antenna itself
is the system operating within the environmental limits ?
 Operating temperature -25 C tot +55 C
 Relative humidity up to 90% at +40 C
There could be a problem with the electrical system on board the ship, in particular with earth. To check: Ohm-
meter (DMM) between PC ground and ship; between power supply ground (i.e., the ASU-43000) and ship,
between SU74-06 housing and ship ¬– all with the 220V plugs connected
(could be that ground in the plug or distribution box isn’t connected)
Put upmast 48V directly onto the motor, this will give an answer to the question if the problem really is with the
moror, or whether it is with the motor control board

3.2.2 modulator error

Check voltage across magnetron feed wires: should be around 6.3 V (dc)
[If no voltage present, magnetron may be in shortcut.]
Adjust VR3 by tiny increments (clockwise). After each adjustment, check if the modulator error goes away. Note
that it may come back after several minutes; in that case, further adjustment is needed.
Assumptions
 motor (antenna) is rotating (no motor inhibit)
3.2.3 no rotation of antenna

could have any of a number of causes:
 modulator error (allegedly inhibits rotation)
 motor itself
Under normal circumstances, it should be possible to start rotation of the antenna, even if a modulator or
magnetron issue might inhibit this. With ST800.exe, it should be possible to start rotation, with the magnetron in
stand-by mode. For details, refer to the “ST800 Controller Program User Manual” from GEM, but in a nutshell:
 establish communication between the ST800 program and the GEM hardware:
o make sure the SeaDarQ Radar Controller program does not run, or it would interfere with the
com-port
o in ST800, select the com-port (usually com1) via the menu “Setup”, “Comm port”
 to view and monitor the internal state of the radar hardware, and check on the results and effects of
commands, open the “Transceiver status” window through the menu “Windows”, “Status”. You may
want to move this window to the side of the main ST800 Controller window, so the two don’t obscure
each other
 to test radar rotation without radar transmission:
o check that “Opstate” is “standby”. If necessary, switch the radar to standby mode through the
menu “Control”, “State”, “Standby”
o switch on the motor through the menu selections “Control”, “Rotation”, “Motor Power”,
“Enable”
o Please be aware that the status indication of the motor in the “Transceiver status” window
indicates the hardware control setting. Whether this results in actual rotation of the antenna.
may need to be checked visually. The ACP (azimuth change pulse) indication comes from the
rotary encoder, which is driven independently from the motor by rotation of the antenna, and
thus could provide a better indication of actual rotation.
o to select a different rotation speed, refer to the ST800 Controller Program User Manual.
 to test radar transmission without radar rotation:
o Leave the motor off (“Control”, “Rotation”, “Motor Power”, “Disable”)
o Bypass (override) the internal safety mechanism motor-stop-inhibits-radiation: “Control”,
“Bite”, “ACP Safety”, “Disable”
o In the “Transceiver status” window (see above), check that the warm-up is complete
o Switch on the magnetron: “Control”, “State”, “Tx”
o Observe the internal status in the “Transceiver status” window.
Items to check:
 Opstate (operating state)
 Mag Ind (magnetron signal level indication) O( 100 )
 Tune Ind (tuning indication) O( 120 )
 Mod state (modulator state)
 Mod tx (modulator transmission state)
o Once observation is sufficient, revert back to the normal state:
 Switch off the magnetron (“Control”, “State”, “Standby”)
 Re-enable the safety mechanism (“Control”, “Bite”, “ACP Safety”, “Enable”)

3.2.4 Simulated signals

With ST800, it is possible to have the radar generate simulated signals, for all of azimuth, north reset, video, and
trigger. This is, however, conditional on a DIP-switch setting on the ST82000 logic controller board.
DIP-switch S3, position DIP2, enables and disables simulation of all signals; the ON position enables simulation.
Figure 3.1 indicates the position of S3, figure 3.2 shows a close-up of the switch, with indications of DIP2 and
the ON position. Take care not to change the settings of the other switches on S3 !
DIP2
S3
Figure 3.1: Location of DIPSW S3 on the GEM ST82000 logic Figure 3.2: DIP2 on DIPSW S3; the
controller board arrow indicates the ON position
To switch on simulation of all signals through the ST800 program, after establishing communication with the
radar, select “Control”, “ACP”, “TestAcp”, “Enable”, and then “Control”, “State”, “Tx”.
After these commands, the Scanner Unit will put signals on the wires; figures 3.3 and 3.4 show oscilloscope
screen-shots of the trigger and video signals. Figures 3.5 and 3.6 show what the radar image looks like in
SeaDarQ. For figure 3.5 the maximum radar range was set to 1.535 km; the image will look slightly different
with other range settings. Figure 3.6 shows an enhancement of the radar image, as the normal radar image for
this simulated signal is difficult to see properly in this document, especially when printed.
Note that the oscilloscope images of figures 3.3 and 3.4 alternate, so the “live, unfrozen” signal on an
oscilloscope will appear as a combination image
Figure 3.3: Oscilloscope image showing the simulated Figure 3.4: Oscilloscope image showing the simulated
signals: trigger in (from radar: purple), trigger out signals: trigger (from RNI to PC; blue), video in (from
(from RNI to PC; blue), video in (from radar; yellow) radar; yellow) and video out (from RNI to PC; green)
and video out (from RNI to PC; green)

Using this test, it is possible to determine proper operation of all SeaDarQ components (PC, RNI), and proper
connections via the ASU-43000 and the CB36 cable, whatever the state of the motor, magnetron and modulator
in the Scanner Unit.
Figure 3.5: SeaDarQ radar image of the simulated GEM signals (maximum range set at 1.535 km)
Figure 3.6: Close-up of the simulated radar pattern (enhanced for better visibility)

IV Troubleshooting DRAFT 4 General troubleshooting tips
4 GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

Much of the material on troubleshooting that is available on the internet is about troubleshooting computer or
network problems. Although that means that the some of the specific methods and tools mentioned on the
internet will not be applicable to troubleshooting SeaDarQ and the radar system, the general approaches and
even some specific approaches can be insightful, or can be translated to our situation.
4.1 Sources
http://serverfault.com/questions/8812/your-troubleshooting-rules-approach-to-troubleshooting
“Network Troubleshooting Tools” (J. Sloan; O’Reilly)
"The Practice of System and Network Administration" (T. Limoncelli; Addison-Wesley)
“Basic Troubleshooting Strategy” (B. Lonzo, presentation on SlideShare.net)
4.2 Snippets from those sources

An intermittent is a problem for which there is no known procedure to consistently reproduce its symptom.
Note that, while we talk about "replacing components" the resolution of many problems involves adjustments or
tuning rather than "replacement." All discussion of "replacement" should be taken to mean "replacement or
adjustment or other maintenance".
A basic principle in troubleshooting is to start from the simplest and most probable possible problems first.
always check the simple things first before calling for help
double check basic assumptions
[…] during the hypothesis creation phase to actually come up with as many possible causes of the problem as
[possible] can. Then […] try and choose ideas to test first based on how easy it is to test, and how probable the
idea is.
Occam's Razor - All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.
The following highlights are paraphrased from the "Debugging" chapter of "The Practice of System and
Network Administration":
Two things to know:
1. Know what the "fixed" version looks like.
2. Describe the problem at the right level.
Two strategies:
1. Additive: Keep adding components until the problem starts. The last thing you added is the problem.
2. Subtractive: Keep removing components until the problem goes away. The last thing you removed was
the problem:
Two bits of dumb luck:
1. […] The problem is being caused by the last change made to the system. (this works 99% of the
time... the problem is that 99% of the time you don't know what the last change actually was)
2. When all else fails, check for stupid things.
1. Write everything down.

2. Make only one change at a time.
3. If possible, reverse the change before trying another unless definite progress is being made.
Systems have lots of parts, if they are connected together or configured randomly then they won’t work as
desired. There are one or two very specific configurations which will work
You start out with an entire system like a map, you imagine a cloud of probability floating over the map
representing "where the problem is" and your job is to use experience and find tests to push the probability away

from some areas and towards others and to condense it down to points which are high probability problem
locations, then attack those. This comes back to the cause and effect point
look for places to carve the problem into a smaller one
relentlessly focus […] on narrowing down the scope of the problem.
Carve out chunks of "things it cannot be" as big as possible.
Understand the system
think basic - don't jump to the most complicated scenario because it's in your head, perform your basic
troubleshooting and let it lead you
start by checking the obvious. Is there an error message explaining what the problem is? Is everything connected
properly?
If the answer isn't obvious, line up some suspects and test those first. Only after you test the likely suspects
should you test the unlikely suspects. Then you can be as scientific as you want.
Another extract from Network Troubleshooting Tools:
(12.1: Generic troubleshooting)
1. Document
2. Collect information and identify symptoms
3. Define the problem
(This is not the same as identifying the symptoms but is the process of combining the symptoms
and making generalizations. You are looking for common elements that allow you to succinctly
describe the anomalous behavior of a system.
Your problem definition may go through several refinements.
It is natural to try to define the problem as quickly as possible, but you shouldn't be too tied to
your definition. Try to keep an open mind and be willing to redefine your problem as your
information changes.)
4. Identify systems or subsystems involved
5. Develop a testable hypothesis
(developing a set of tests is more important than having an exact definition of a problem […]
In general, you want tests that will reduce the size of the search space)
6. Select and apply tests
(Determining the optimal order for a set of tests is largely a judgment call. Clearly, the simple
tests that answer questions decisively are the best.)
7. Assess results
(As you perform tests, you will need to assess the results, refine your tests, and repeat the
process. You will want new tests that confirm your results. This is clearly an iterative process.)
8. Develop and assess solutions
(With many problems, there will be several possible solutions to consider. You should not
hastily implement a solution until you have thought out the consequences.)
9. Implement and evaluate your solution
(confirm the proper operation of your system)
One last word of warning. It is often tempting to seize on an overly complex explanation and
ignore simpler explanations. Frequently, problems really are complex, but not always. It is worth
asking yourself if there is a simpler solution. Often, this will save a tremendous amount of time.

4.3 Troubleshooting styles

Finally, some bits from an interesting slide-presentation by Bob Lonzo, “Basic Troubleshooting Strategy”, found
on SlideShare.net; he mentions “troubleshooting styles”, and devotes a fair amount of attention to describing
those styles and aspects of each style.
Table 4.1 lists these troubleshooting styles, with a short description and some advantages and disadvantages to
each of them.
Table 4.1: Troubleshooting styles and their advantages and disadvantages
Style Description Pro’s Con’s

Gamblers
Wanderers Relies on random chance Requires little knowledge Tends to waste time and
effort
May get lost searching
around
Risk takers Experiments with components May introduce new faults
Odds makers Bet on what they think is the Quickly become wanderers
correct solution, based on
symptoms they recognize
Swappers Replace components until the Can be very quick Risks ending up with lots of
system works again damaged components
Testers
Sensors Look, listen, smell Valuable strategy to Rarely a stand-alone method
obtain information
Tracers Start at a known good point,
work toward the fault Depends on good test
Or start from a fault and search equipment and schematics
backward to the source
Splitters Divide-and-conquer, Can quickly narrow May contribute to confusion
half-split method, down which part of the (due to component
successive approximation system to focus on interaction)
Thinkers
Readers Highly recommended in many Limited prior knowledge Must be able to switch to
situations required another style
Recallers Rely on memory Quickly solve common Tend to lose skills over time
problems in familiar
systems
Designers Use theoretical knowledge to Rarely efficient
evaluate faults
Analysers Use system knowledge and Systematic Requires detailed knowledge
observations to eliminate of the system
portions of a system from the
search in a logical way
Most of these styles have something of use in them, but as listed with one or two of them: it is often best (or even
necessary) to switch to another style at some point.
I would expand that to:
 recognize the different styles
 know the advantages and disadvantages of each of these styles
 use different styles as appropriate, up to the point where they stop being efficient
o switch to another style
o combine styles
o if necessary, switch back and forth

V Appendices DRAFT 1 Pre-installation check-list
V Appendices
1 PRE-INSTALLATION CHECK-LIST
NORTEK Oceanografische Instrumenten en Diensten B.V.
Schipholweg 333A Tel. +31(0)20 654 3600

1171 PL Badhoevedorp Fax +31(0)20 659 9830
Nederland KvK 2725091
Email Info@nortek-bv.nl VAT/BTW NL8107.05.825B01
SeaDarQ
Pre-Installation
Checklist
Location ..................................................... : ________________________________

Contact person .......................................... : ________________________________
Phone number ........................................... : ________________________________


General radar information

Make .......................................................... : ________________________________
Model ......................................................... : ________________________________
Radar signals
North Reset (Heading)
Level .......................................................... :  TTL  RS-422  _______ [V]1
Edge sensitivity .......................................... :  Rising  Falling
Termination................................................ :  50  75  1M
Connector and pin number ........................ : ________________________________
Mating connector type ............................... : ________________________________
Azimuth (Bearing)
Level .......................................................... :  TTL  RS-422  _______ [V]1
Termination................................................ :  50  75  1M
Trigger (Sync)
Level .......................................................... :  TTL  RS-422  _______ [V]1
Termination................................................ :  50  75  1M
Raw video2
Level (range) ............................................. : _______________ - ____________ [V]3
Termination................................................ :  50  75  1M
Rotation speed of antenna4 ....................... : ___________________________ [rpm]

Nr. of Azimuth pulses per rotation ............. : ________________________________
PRF in short pulse (SP) mode ................... : ____________________________ [Hz]
Maximum range of  15V allowed.

1
2
The video signal must be obtained before any clutter filter present.
Maximum range of  5V allowed.
3
4
For current measurement a minimum of 48 rpm is required.


Estimated cable length between radar

and SeaDarQ system5 ............................... : _____________________________ [m]
NMEA 0183 signals

GPS position
Level .......................................................... :  RS-232  RS-422  RS-485
Sentence ................................................... : $GPGLL
Heading
Level .......................................................... :  RS-232  RS-422  RS-485
Sentence ................................................... : $HEHDT
Depth6
Level .......................................................... :  RS-232  RS-422  RS-485
Sentence ................................................... : $SDDBT
Speed log6
Level .......................................................... :  RS-232  RS-422  RS-485
Sentence ................................................... : $VWVHW
All signals are available on one

channel (concentrated) .............................. :  One ch.  Separate channels
Estimated cable length between NMEA

devices and SeaDarQ system7 .................. : _____________________________ [m]
Estimated distance between display,

keyboard, mouse and SeaDarQ
system8 ...................................................... : _____________________________ [m]
Mains voltage9 ........................................... :  230VAC  115VAC
5
Standard cable length is limited to 3m.
6
Depth and Speed are optional.
7
Cables from the NMEA devices to the SeaDarQ system are not in the scope of delivery.
8
Standard cable length is limited to 2m.
9
A stable power supply must be available, otherwise a UPS must be present.


Mains frequency ........................................ :  50Hz  60Hz

10
Mains connector type .............................. : ________________________________
19” Rack provided ..................................... :  Yes11  Ordered with system12

x x ______
Please draw a map with the locations of the SeaDarQ system, display, radar
processing unit and NMEA devices.
Comment ................................................... : ________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Name ......................................................... : ________________________________

Organization .............................................. : ________________________________
Date ........................................................... : ________________________________
Place.......................................................... : ________________________________
Signature ................................................... : ________________________________
10
A minimum of three power outlets are required excluding radar.
11
A minimum free space of 5HE (222mm) x 700mm [w x d] is required with sufficient cooling for the system.
12
Specify the available space for the rack.

V Appendices DRAFT 2 On-site installation checklist
2 ON-SITE INSTALLATION CHECKLIST
checklist NQM 06-080 SeaDarQ

On-site Installation
rev. 01
SeaDarQ On-site Installation order number: date:
customer initials:
target ship date:
determine value
OK after reboot
set in driver
Description notes value
Site details
date

location
contact person & phone nr


physical installation
 position PC (rack-mounted ?)
 position RNI (rack-mounted ?)
 connect PC peripeherals
 screen (VGA / DVI / …)
 keyboard
 mouse / trackball
 power
 SeaDarQ PC
 screen
 RNI
connections
radar RNI radar

RNI PC PC
 video  
 trigger  
 azimuth  

 north reset  
 network / modem IP address
phone nr
 check (Ultra-) VNC access VNC password

V Appendices DRAFT 2 On-site installation checklist
determine value
OK after reboot
set in driver
Description notes value
On-site (final) configuration

 RNI readings: ARP ms
ACP Hz
PRF Hz
 PRF max  2000 Hz
  
(Pulse Repetition Frequency) adjust trigger dead time if too high
 Angular Encoder Pulses check: nencoder = fACP * tARP   
 Signal Levels (use ‘scope if possible)   
invert video ?   
SDQ Tuning auto  manual, gain 0 (left)
offset 0 (middle)
output offset   
input offset   
gain   
OK ? save RNI config to EEPROM 
 Radar image invert video ?   
number of lines ? (see PRF)   
 Trigger delay   
 North alignment   
 Position   
 ship: from GPS lat
  
 tower: static position driver lon
 Re-check all after re-boot 
 NMEA Configuration RS-232 / RS-422 baudrate
port 1  
port 2  
port 3  
port 4  
SeaDarQ “soft configuration”
 radar settings range
resolution
auto start
 oil spill / sea state from radar
 configuration ► setup: (base) file location
other User Interface adjustments nm / km
 save configuration
 PC BIOS behaviour after power loss

V Appendices DRAFT 3 SeaDarQ Installer
3 SEADARQ INSTALLER
Installation sequence:
1. Coastline Database.msi
2. SeaDarQInstaller_4.i.jjjj_x64.msi
3.1 SeaDarQ installer

Options:
 Program Legend:
 SeaDarQ Operational manual  Always install
 SeaDarQ AIS Module  Optional, if applicable / ordered
 SeaDarQ Geographic Snapshots ( ) Deprecated, no longer supported
 SeaDarQ Drivers  Do not install (development only)
 Aptomar Support
( ) ChartWorX Support
 Octopus Support
 Radar Dump Support
 GEM Radar Support
 FTP Wave Client




3.2 Driver Wizard


3.3 Device manager

3.4 Device Driver windows

GaGe CS 14200 GaGe CS 1422 (Razor)
Note that any change in the Device Driver for the GaGe card requires the Device Driver to be stopped and re-
started. Make sure that the SeaDarQ software is not running during this device driver restart !

ADDI-Data 1710 ADDI-Data 1711

Static Position Driver
NMEA Bus Enumerator

RNI NMEA Interface

V Appendices DRAFT 4 RNI Configurator
4 RNI CONFIGURATOR
4.1 Introduction
This appendix describes the RNI Configurator software (version 4.0), that can be used to adjust settings on the
RNI.
4.2 Start of the program

The primary communication connection from the PC with the new RNI (rev 4.0) is now through a device driver.
Connection or disconnection of the RNI is immediately reflected by the RNI NMEA Interface device driver
being loaded or not. (Figure 4.1 shows the Device Manager, and the RNI NMEA Interface device driver in its
list of loaded device drivers.)
Figure 4.1: The Device Manager window, showing the RNI NMEA Interface device driver (under NMEA
Devices)
Starting the RNI Configurator program starts with querying this device driver. If it isn’t loaded, this results in an
error message (figure 4.2), but after this error message, the program just loads (it gives no further indication that
no RNI is connected). If the RNI is powered up after the RNI Configurator program is already running,
communication between PC and RNI is not established; the (re-) appearance of the RNI NMEA Interface device
driver is not picked up after RNI Configurator is started. So the RNI Configurator program should always be
started after applying power to the RNI.
Note that there is no option to specify on which (mapped USB COM) port to look for the RNI; the program does
not scan any port, but communicates (or attempts to communicate) with the device driver.

Figure 4.2: The error message that appears if no RNI is connected (or powered) when the RNI Configurator
program is started
Another important aspect to be aware of, is that (especially with a Sperry radar) control of and communication
with the RNI now also happens in operational mode from within SeaDarQ 4.0 itself. Having both SeaDarQ and
RNI Configurator communicating with the RNI at the same time is bound to lead to unexpected results and
behaviour. As a general rule, only use RNI Configurator for first-time installation and configuration of the RNI
and radar. In day-to-day operations, only use control from within SeaDarQ itself.
4.3 Radar selection

The RNI revision 4.0 hardware, due to its more intelligent and expanded connection options, now needs to be
told what kind of radar is connected. The options are:
 Sperry BridgeMaster E, in master configuration
 Sperry BridgeMaster E, in slave configuration
 GEM
 Terma
 Other
Selection of the connected radar type is done by means of the front-panel display and selection dial. The last
section of this appendix gives some guidance and limited details of how to configure the RNI in general using
the front-panel display and selection dial.
The connected radar type is selected from the menu- and item sequence > Menu > Radar > Connection; once
there, rotating the dial cycles through the possibilities in the bottom right-hand corner of the display. With the
desired option showing on the display, click the dial to make the selection.
Do note that whereas almost all other configuration setting can be made either from the front-panel display or
from the RNI Configurator program, selection of the connected radar type can only be done from the front-panel
display. (Something that cannot be done from the display, but only from within the RNI Configurator program,
is the tuning procedure for the Sperry radar.)
Also note that merely making the selection will not make the setting permanent – settings that have not been
saved to the RNI’s internal configuration ROM will not survive a power-cycle. So after selecting the connected
radar type, make sure you store this setting. (On the display, storing the settings is done through the menu- and
item sequence > Menu > Save to EEPROM. After selecting Save to EEPROM (by clicking the dial), the display will
return to its normal, default view, and then blink twice to indicate the settings were saved (note that it can take a
few seconds before the blinks acknowledge the save to EEPROM).
Note that with a Sperry BridgeMaster E in slave configuration, a Sperry console (VisionMaster Display) is used
for control over the radar; in this setup, SeaDarQ and the RNI (and hence RNI Configurator) only “eaves-drop”
on the communication, and can thus display information and settings, but not actively change settings.

4.4 Screenshots / tabs
4.4.1 Sperry BridgeMaster E
Figure 4.3 shows the Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab in full; figure 4.4 shows a slightly enlarged part
of it, for better legibility. Table 4.1 lists the various controls on this tab, with brief descriptions and, where
needed, some extra remarks, to explain what the controls do.
Please be aware that this radar controller tab is only applicable to the Sperry BridgeMaster series E radar. If no
Sperry BridgeMaster E is found, this tab will actually become totally blank.
(Note: a fair amount of this information and control is also available inside SeaDarQ 4; exceptions are the
configuration of the blanking sectors).
Figure 4.3: The Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab

Figure 4.4: The Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab, somewhat zoomed in
Table 4.1: Items on the Sperry BridgeMaster E radar controller tab

Item Description Remarks
Enable Radar This tick-box toggles whether RNI Configurator It is important to not have RNI
Control exerts control over the Sperry radar or not. Configurator and SeaDarQ try to
control the radar at the same time.
Radar Power This tick-box toggles the operational state of the (check time)
connected Sperry radar.
When Radar Power is enabled, the radar will perform You should not use this to start
its start-up sequence, in particular its 2-minute warm- radar in normal day-to-day use,
up cycle. this is only for test of comms.
Real start (switch on) should be
Once the warm-up cycle is completed, the radar will
done from within SeaDarQ !
stay in stand-by mode, until (or unless) Transmit is
ticked. (If transmit is ticked before the warm-up
sequence is completed, the antenna will start rotating
as soon as the warm-up sequence is complete)
Pulse The radio buttons “Short”, “Medium”, and “Long”
allow switching between pulse-lengths that the radar
uses. For use with SeaDarQ, “Short” is the
recommended setting.
With a Sperry BridgeMaster E, the options for the (For details, see the Sperry
pulse-lengths are: documentation)
Short 50 ns Note that the pulse length
influences the radar PRF (longer
Medium 250 ns
pulse-length → lower max PRF;
Long 750 ns again, see Sperry doc)
Transmit This tick-box allows toggling transmit mode of the “Transmit on” also means antenna
Sperry radar on and off. Actual transmission of radar rotation
signals can only start after the unit has gone through
its warm-up sequence, as signalled under Alarm
Status


AFC This tick-box allows toggling on and off Automatic
Frequency Correction. Normal operating mode is
with AFC enabled (toggled on). AFC should be
switched off when performing the Sperry radar
tuning procedure.
Swept Gain This tick-box allows toggling on and off Swept Gain See Sperry documentation
PM Tune Allows tuning of the Performance Monitor, if present (Presence of a Performance
in the radar Monitor depends on model and
order)
Coarse / Fine The sliders “Coarse” and “Fine” are used to tune the The process is described in the
Sperry radar Sperry documentation.
Normally, this is done from
within the SeaDarQ 4 software.
(The tuning information is stored
in the RNI, but this does require a
“Save Settings” action)
Alarm Status The “LEDs” under “Alarm Status” show certain Green: OK
exceptional conditions as reported by the Sperry Red: problem.
radar turning unit.
See separate table below for
details
Note that all LEDs red generally
indicates either a cable problem,
or no power to the radar.
Blanking The boxes after “Min” and “Max” allow specification At present, only the first column,
of two separate blanking sectors, where radar for the first blanking sector, is
transmission will be switched off. Each blanking functional. The second column of
sector has a “Min” and a “Max” value, indicating the “Min” and “Max” values is non-
starting- and ending angles of the blanking sector. functional at present.
(The angles are actually given as a value between 0
and 4096. The values are relative to the radar unit
itself, so don’t take into account any North Offset
correction.)
Status The indicator bars under “Status” show the condition For details, see Sperry
of a small number of important parameters inside the documentation (service manual)
Sperry BM E turning unit (followed by a numerical
indication)
Tune The Tuning of the radar This should be tuned to as close to
100% as possible.
Magnetron The current through the magnetron, in Ampères [A] This should be on the order of 5 A
Modulator The voltage present at the modulator, in Volts [V] This should be on the order
of -500 V
30 Volt The actual value of the 30 Volt supply inside the Values from 26 V to 36 V are
Sperry turning unit acceptable
(roughly 30 V ± 15%)
12 Volt The actual value of the 12 Volt supply inside the Values from 11.0 V to 13.4 V are
Sperry turning unit acceptable
(roughly 12 V ± 10%)

Table 4.2: List of Alarm Status indicators

Comm Lost Red indicates loss of communication between the As a safety feature, this will
PC/RNI and the Sperry radar (e.g. because of a automatically result in shutdown
disconnected cable) of the radar
Warm-up Red: the radar has not completed its warm-up mode This state lasts for about
yet 3 minutes
TX RX Com Red indicates a communications error between radar
and RNI (although communication is happening)
This error indicates a problem from RNI to the radar
TX Data Red indicates a communications error between radar Green: no error
and RNI (although communication is happening) Red: an error occurred
This error indicates a problem from the radar to the
RNI (“the RNI does not understand what the radar is
saying”)
Safety Switch not implemented
Spark Gap Red: a spark occurred in the radar wave guide See Sperry documentation
Trigger Red: trigger signal not received from Sperry radar
ACP Red: ACP (azimuth) signal not received from Sperry
radar
ARP Red: ARP (north reset) signal not received from
Sperry radar

4.4.2 Video
Figure 4.5 shows the Video tab. Table 4.3 lists the items on the Video tab, with a short description of the
functionality of each item.
The Range Correction sections (Range Offset and Range Gain) are explained in separate sub-sections (sections
4.4.8 and 4.4.9).
Figure 4.5: The Video tab
Table 4.3: Items on the Video tab

Input The three radio buttons High, 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm allow 75 Ohm is the value normally
impedance selection of the input impedance for the video signal. expected for a video signal
Through The three radio buttons High, 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm allow The video through connection on
impedance selection of the through impedance. the RNI allows the incoming
video signal to be passed through
(unaltered) to other devices
Overall Slider to shift the video 0 V level to the maximum positive
Offset level of the data-acquisition input range (+1 V) [mV]
See figure 4.6 for an illustration
Accepted range: -1250 .. +1250 [mV] of the concept of adjusting the
Gain Slider to adjust the amplification of the (negative going) input offset to exactly 0 V, then
video signal [%] mapping the 0 V level to the
maximum of the input range, and
Accepted range: 0 .. 200 [%] finally adjusting the gain so the
Input offset Slider to shift the maximum level of the video signal to 0 V video signal uses the full range of
[mV] the acquisition card
Accepted range: -5000 .. + 5000 [mV]

Fine Tick-box to toggle the slider between coarse and fine
adjustments (when ticked, moving the slider changes the
setting by much smaller amounts) Each of the sliders has a tick-box
(Numerical This box shows the current setting for the quantity under and input box like this
input box) control of the slider (it is updated as the slider is moved). It
is also possible to type a value into the box.


Range offset The tick-box toggles the Range Correction Offset control See the section Range Correction
sub-section between enabled and disabled Offset (section 4.4.8) for further
details
Range gain The tick-box toggles the Range Correction Gain tab control See the section Range Correction
sub-section between enabled and disabled Gain (section 4.4.9) for further
details
4.4.2.1 Video signal adjustment

The levels of the video signal as available from the radar will in general not map well to the input range of the
SeaDarQ PCs data-acquisition cards. Figure 4.6 illustrates how the video levels are adjusted using the input
offset, output offset, and gain sliders on the Video tab in RNI Configurator. The concept is to adjust the input
offset to exactly 0 V, then map the 0 V level to the maximum of the input range, and finally adjust the gain so
the video signal uses the full range of the acquisition card The detailed procedure, illustrated with oscilloscope
screenshots, is presented in section II-6.7 of the Installation and Maintenance Guide.
+1V +1V
0V 0V
-1V
input output gain

offset offset
Figure 4.6: Illustration of the concept behind input offset, output offset, and gain

4.4.3 Trigger
The following figure, figure 4.7, shows the Trigger signal tab. Table 4.4 lists the items on the Trigger tab, with a
short description of the functionality of each item.
Figure 4.7: The Trigger tab
Table 4.4: Items on the Trigger tab

Input The three radio buttons High, 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm allow 75 Ohm would be the normally
impedance selection of input impedance for the trigger signal expected value for a video trigger
signal
Pull-up Tick-box to enable or disable the use of a pull-up resistor on
the trigger input channel
Rising Edge Tick-box to enable triggering on the rising edge of the input In most situations triggering on
video trigger signal, instead of the falling edge the rising edge will be fine
Manual Tick-box to enable manual adjustment of the trigger level; if
Level disabled, the trigger level will be adjusted automatically
Trigger If Manual Level is enabled for the Trigger mode, this slider
level (mV) becomes active and can be used to manually select the best
level to use for the trigger signal Tick-box “Fine” toggles between
coarse and fine adjustment (using
Accepted range: -15000 .. + 15000 [mV]
the same slider)
Dead time If the input frequency of the trigger signal is too high, the
The numerical input box shows
slider for Dead time can be used to skip trigger pulses for the
the current value, and allows
time specified, thereby artificially bringing down the
typing in a new value
frequency
Accepted range: 0 .. 25412 [ms]


Status In this group, the first line gives the output- frequency of the This takes into account any dead
trigger-out signal (in Hz) time adjustment to artificially
bring down the trigger frequency
(or PRF)
If the LED “Cable Fault or Low Level” is red, it indicates
that automatic determination of the trigger level does not
work (quite likely because of a cable problem or too low a A red LED indicates a problem;
trigger signal level) a green one indicates that the
If the LED “Triggered” is green, it indicates that the trigger situation is good
level selected (or automatically determined) leads to a good
trigger pulse

4.4.4 ACP
Figure 4.8 shows the ACP (Azimuth) tab. Table 4.5 lists the items on the ACP tab, with a short description of the
functionality of each item.
Figure 4.8: The ACP tab
Table 4.5: Items on the ACP tab

Input The three radio buttons High, 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm allow
impedance selection of input impedance for the azimuth signal
the azimuth input channel
Rising Edge Tick-box to enable triggering on the rising edge of the input
azimuth signal, instead of the falling edge
Manual Tick-box to enable manual adjustment of the trigger level to
Level use for the azimuth signal; if disabled, the trigger level will
be adjusted automatically
Trigger If Manual Level is enabled for the trigger mode for the
level (mV) Azimuth signal, this slider becomes active and can be used
to manually select the best trigger level to use for the
Tick-box “Fine” toggles between
azimuth signal
Accepted range: -15000 .. + 15000 [mV] the same slider)
Dead time If the input frequency of the azimuth signal is too high, the The numerical input box shows
slider for Dead time can be used to skip azimuth pulses for the current value, and allows
the time specified, thereby artificially bringing down the typing in a new value
frequency


azimuth-out signal (in Hz) time adjustment to artificially
bring down the azimuth frequency

that automatic determination of the trigger level for the
azimuth signal does not work (quite likely because of a cable A red LED indicates a problem;
problem or too low an azimuth signal level) a green one indicates that the
level selected (or automatically determined) for the azimuth
signal leads to a good azimuth pulse

4.4.5 ARP
Figure 4.9 shows the ARP (North Reset) tab. Table 4.6 lists the items on the ARP tab, with a short description of
the functionality of each item.
Figure 4.9: The ARP tab
Table 4.6: Items on the ARP tab

Input The three radio buttons High, 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm allow
impedance selection of input impedance for the north reset signal
the north reset input channel
Rising Edge Tick-box to enable triggering on the rising edge of the input
north reset signal, instead of the falling edge
Manual Tick-box to enable manual adjustment of the trigger level to
Level use for the north reset signal; if disabled, the trigger level
will be adjusted automatically
Trigger If Manual Level is enabled for the trigger mode for the north
level (mV) reset signal, this slider becomes active and can be used to
manually select the best trigger level to use for the north
Tickbox “Fine” toggles between
reset signal
Accepted range: -15000 .. + 15000 [mV] the same slider)
Dead time If the input frequency of the north reset signal is too high, The numerical input box shows
the slider for Dead time can be used to skip north reset the current value, and allows
pulses for the time specified, thereby artificially bringing typing in a new value
down the frequency


north reset -out signal (in Hz) time adjustment to artificially
bring down the north reset
frequency
that automatic determination of the trigger level for the north
reset signal does not work (quite likely because of a cable A red LED indicates a problem;
problem or too low a north reset signal level) a green one indicates that the
level selected (or automatically determined) for the north
reset signal leads to a good north reset pulse

4.4.6 NMEA
Figure 4.10 shows one of the NMEA Port tabs. Table 4.7 lists the items on the NMEA Port tab, with a short
description of the functionality of each item.
The tabs for the different NMEA Ports are all identical, the only difference between them is which NMEA Port
they apply to.
Figure 4.10: The NMEA Port 1 tab
Table 4.7: Items on the NMEA tabs

Interface The radio buttons allow selection of the protocol to use for Note that the pin-assignment for
the NMEA Port: either RS-232 or RS-422 the two protocols is different; see
table 4.8 and figure 5.11
Pass-Through This tick-box allows enabling or disabling pass-through of “Pass/Through on” results in
the NMEA signal on this port passing through of the NMEA
input signal on that port to the
corresponding output port. (Note
that there is no change in
protocol.)
The radio buttons “High” and “120 Ohm” allow selection
of a high output impedance (on the order of 1 MΩ) or a
120 Ω output impedance
Input The radio buttons allow selection of a high input
impedance impedance (on the order of 1 MΩ) or a 120 Ω input
impedance
Input bias The tick-box allows enabling and disabling of input bias “Input bias on” enables resistors
to +5V and GND, thereby pulling
the logic levels towards the
supply and ground
Baudrate The drop-down list allows selection of the baud-rate to use


Enable Filter This tick-box allows enabling or disabling filtering in Enabling message filtering
(passing) specific types of NMEA messages. includes those messages
HDT / GLL / GGA / VHW / DBT / VDM / VDO / MWV See table 4.9 for a list of the types
of messages (NMEA sentences)
that can be enabled by the various
filters
Substitute These tick-boxes allow NMEA Talker ID substitution See the subsection “HE/GP
NMEA Talker ID substitution”
for details
Status The “LEDs” indicate whether the input stream consists of The “LEDs” switch between
recognizable ASCII characters; this gives an indication of green and red.
correct or incorrect configuration of the port.
Underneath each “LED” a count is given, of recognizable The presence of Bad Characters
(good), and unrecognizable (bad) characters. shows that an input stream is
present; most likely, either the
baudrate does not correspond to
that of the connected equipment,
or the wrong protocol (interface)
is selected.
Note that once the “Bad
characters” LED has gone red, it
will not automatically go green
again, even if the input stream is
now recognizable as ASCII
characters. The “Bad Characters”
LED will only switch to green
again after selecting and un-
selecting some other option on
this tab.
4.4.6.1 Physical NMEA connections

The RNI provides 4 ports for connection of NMEA devices. Each device connected can use either RS-232 or
RS-422. Table 4.8 and figure 5.11 show the pin-assignment of the connectors on the RNI for the two protocols.
As shown in figure 4.10 and table 4.7, the type of connection also needs to be specified using RNI Configurator.
For wiring details of the NMEA devices to be connected, such as GPS and Gyro, consult the documentation of
those devices.
Table 4.8: NMEA signal connections for RS-232 and RS-422 on the RNI
RNI NMEA RS-232 RS-422
connection signal signal
pin nr
1 left TX A(-)
2 middle RX B(+)
3 right GND N/C

Figure 4.11: Schematic of the RNI NMEA signal connections for RS-422 (A-, B+) and RS-232 (view from top of
RNI)
4.4.6.2 NMEA message filter

The reason behind the (optional) NMEA message filters is, that some GPS devices provide multiple types of
information, say both location (GGA) and heading (HDT). Vice versa can happen, too: certain information may
be provided by multiple NMEA devices. If some of this information is provided by multiple devices (say,
heading by both the GPS and a Gyro), the system may become confused. In such a case, it may be necessary to
filter one of the message types to exclusively appear on only one of the NMEA ports.
Table 4.9 lists the type of messages that each of the filter buttons on the NMEA tab selects.
Table 4.9: NMEA sentence filters

Filter button text Messages selected Remarks
HDT Heading, True
GLL Geographic Position Latitude / Longitude
GGA Global Positioning System Fixed Data
VHW Water Speed and Heading
DBT Depth Below Transducer Only relevant if the vessel has a depth
sounder
VDM AIS position reports from other vessels
VDO AIS position reports from own vessel
MWV Wind speed and angle (see note 2)
NOTES:
1. Counter to what you might expect, enabling one of these filters means those messages (and only those
messages) are included. To disable a type of message on a NMEA port, toggle the button for that message
type to its de-selected, off state.
If filtering is disabled all together, all messages are included.
2. Wind speed and angle: relevant if the vessel (or stationary installation) that the SeaDarQ system is installed
on is equipped with a wind-sensor for wind-speed and –direction, which reports in NMEA format. Such a
system can feed wind information into SeaDarQ (via the RNI), allowing on-screen display of this
information.
4.4.6.3 HE/GP NMEA Talker ID substitution

NMEA sentences normally start with $ or !, followed by a two-letter Talker ID code indicating (defining) the
device emitting the sentence. A further three letters indicate the sentence contents (i.e., the type of information;
see table 4.9 for a small selection).
An example:
$GPGGA,100956.59,3553.156,N,01430.829,E,1,08,002,0011,M,037,M,,*7C
$ start of NMEA sentence
GP GPS receiver
GGA Global Positioning System Fixed Data
(followed by the data)

Some options for the two-letter device codes (aka Talker ID) are:
GP GPS receiver
HE Heading – North seeking gyro
SD Depth sounder
AI AIS (typically used as !AIVDM, …)
The SeaDarQ device drivers expect certain combinations of two-character Talker ID and 3-character sentence or
message type: e.g., Heading HDT is expected to come from an HE device ($HEHDT). Sometimes a NMEA
device provides other information than expected based on its Talker ID; e.g., a differential GPS can also emit
heading sentences ($GPHDT). The SeaDarQ device drivers cannot handle such sentences. To remedy this, HE
and GP Talker ID substitution lets the RNI replace the original Talker ID with the one the SeaDarQ device
drivers expect based on the 3-character sentence or message type (so, e.g., $GPHDT is replaced by $HEHDT).
Note that this is only implemented for HDT (heading) and GLL (geographic location) sentence contents.

4.4.7 Miscellaneous
Figure 4.12 shows the Miscellaneous tab; figure 4.13 shows it again, slightly zoomed in for better legibility.
Table 4.10 lists the items on the Miscellaneous tab, with a short description of the functionality of each item.
Figure 4.12: The Miscellaneous tab
Figure 4.13: The Miscellaneous tab, slightly zoomed in
Table 4.10: Items on the Miscellaneous tab

Update Firmware Allows putting new firmware into the RNI onboard Only do this when told to do so
processors. by Nortek personnel. Errors in
updating the firmware can lead
Pressing the button leads to a standard Windows file
to equipment malfunction.
selection dialog window, allowing selection of the
appropriate file. Note that firmware update can
also be done via the RNI
NMEA Interface Device Driver
(tab Advanced)


Save Settings Make (all) the current settings in RNI Configurator Clicking the button leads to
permanent, by storing them into the RNI’s onboard immediate execution of the
EEPROM command, there is no further
confirmation or cancellation
option.
Load Settings Take the current settings from the RNI’s onboard Clicking the button leads to
EEPROM, and use them to fill in the details in the RNI immediate execution of the
Configurator tabs command, there is no further
option.
Restore Default Return all settings in the RNI to their factory Clicking the button leads to
defaults. immediate execution of the
command, there is no further
All current settings will be lost.
(Note that this does not affect the EEPROM contents, option.
so it is still possible to get the settings from the
EEPROM using the “Load Settings” button)
Restart RNI Restart the RNI

Save Settings in Save the current settings to an XML file on the
File computer
Load Settings from Load settings for the RNI from an XML file on the
File computer

4.4.8 Range Correction Offset

Figure 4.14 shows the part of the Video tab that controls the Range Correction Offset.
Table 4.11 lists the control items in this section, with a short description of the functionality of each item. The
sliders become enabled when the Range Offset tick-box is ticked.
The idea behind the Range Correction Offset is explained following table 4.11.
Figure 4.14: Section of the Video tab that relates to the Range Correction Offset
Table 4.11: Items in the Range Correction Offset section of the Video tab
Input Offset The base offset for the correction curve, to apply to the
video signal
Accepted range: 0 .. 10000 [mV]
Range This determines the curvature of the correction curve
Accepted range: 0 .. 1500 [m]
Reset range The range (distance from the radar) that corresponds to the
time of the next trigger signal
Accpeted range: 6 .. 74 [km]
is also possible to type a value into the box
The idea behind the range correction is sketched in figure 4.15: the “envelope” of the actual video signal has a
certain distance-dependence, both in top-to-top levels of the video signal, and in the bottom level of the video
signal. Ideally, the bottom level would be zero, and the top-to-top level would be constant.
The range correction offset applies a correction curve to the video signal, such that the base level is translated to
zero. As the actual base level goes down (exponentially) over a single radar line, this base level correction varies
in a similar way.

(The second element, the decay in the video signal amplitude with distance, can be corrected through the Range
Gain section, described separately.)
video signal
offset
gain /
attenuation
Figure 4.15: Sketch of the range correction offset and gain

An additional complication is that after a certain time, there is a transition to the next video line, indicated by the
corresponding trigger pulse. For the correction curve, this means it has to start over as well. The trigger timing is
represented in the dialog box as the corresponding reset range; see figure 4.16 for an explanatory sketch.
The curvature of the exponential correction curve is determined by a range; this corresponds to a e-scaling
distance, considering the correction curve to be of a form
𝑥
−
𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
offset
reset range
Figure 4.16: Sketch of the reset range for the range correction offset

4.4.9 Range Correction Gain

Figure 4.17 shows the part of the Video tab that controls the Range Correction Gain. Table 4.12 lists the control
items in this section, with a short description of the functionality of each item. The sliders become enabled when
the Range Gain tick-box is ticked.
The idea behind the Range Correction Gain is explained following table 4.12.
Figure 4.17: Section of the Video tab that relates to the Range Correction Gain
Table 4.12: Items in the Range Correction Gain section of the Video tab
Attenuation The base attenuation for the correction curve, to apply to the
video signal
Accepted range: 0 .. 200 [%]
Range This determines the curvature of the correction curve
Accepted range: 0 .. 1500 [m]
Reset range The range that corresponds to the time of the next trigger
signal
Accepted range: 6 .. 74 [km]
is also possible to type a value into the box
The idea behind the range correction is sketched again in figure 4.18: the “envelope” of the actual video signal
has a certain distance-dependence, both in top-to-top levels of the video signal, and in the bottom level of the
video signal. Ideally, the bottom level would be zero, and the top-to-top level would be constant.

video signal
offset
gain /
attenuation
Figure 4.18: Sketch of the range correction offset and gain

The range correction gain applies a correction curve to the video signal, such that the top-to-top level remains
constant with distance. As the actual top-to-top level changes (exponentially) over a single radar line, this
attenuation correction varies in a similar way.
(The first element, the change in bottom level of the video signal amplitude with distance, can be corrected
through the Range Offset section, described separately.)
An additional complication is that after a certain time, there is a transition to the next video line, indicated by the
corresponding trigger pulse. For this correction curve, this means it has to start over as well. The trigger timing is
represented in the dialog box as the corresponding reset range; see figure 4.19.
The curvature of the exponential correction curve is given by a range; this corresponds to a e-scaling distance,
considering a correction curve of the form
𝑥
1−
𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
gain
reset range
Figure 4.19: Sketch of the reset range for the range correction gain (attenuation)

4.5 RNI Front Panel Display and Selection Dial
4.5.1 Introduction
The front of the RNI has a display panel and a selection dial. In principle, all RNI configuration settings can be
made either through the RNI Configurator program, or via the RNI front panel display and selection dial, with
only a very limited number of exceptions. Table 4.13 lists these exceptions.
Table 4.13: Configuration options exclusive to either RNI Configurator or the RNI front panel display
Option only via RNI Configurator only via front panel display
and selection dial
Sperry BridgeMaster E radar control  —
Update firmware  —
Restart RNI  —
Save Settings to File  —
Load Settings from File  —
Radar type selection — 
Due to the limitations imposed by the

size of the RNI front panel display and
by the input options of the selection
dial, the organization of the various
configuration options via the front
panel display differs slightly from the
organization of these options in the
RNI Configurator program. The Figure 4.20: RNI display and selection dial
organization via the front panel display
necessarily follows more of a
hierarchical menu structure. With that
in mind, the overall structure does
follow the structure as found in the
RNI Configurator window tabs fairly
closely.
Figure 4.20 shows a close-up of the
display panel and selection dial on the Figure 4.21: RNI display, normal view
front of the RNI.
Figures 4.22 and 4.23 show the display
panel after clicking the selection dial
(by pushing it) once and then a second
time. Turning the dial allows selection
of one of the options; clicking again
activates the selected option. The
menus that are brought up this way
mostly correspond to the tabs and the Figure 4.22: RNI display after clicking the dial the first time
options on the tabs of the RNI
Configurator program.
Figure 4.23: RNI display, main menu

The top row of the display shows a series of icons that (generally speaking) corresponds to tabs in the RNI
Configurator program.
The second row on the display shows
the current menu level. When a sub-
menu is entered, the name of the sub-
menu is added to the rest of the line
(see figure 4.24 for an example). The
bottom row shows the name of the
currently selected menu or option. If
the currently selected menu has a sub-
menu, this is indicated by three dots Figure 4.24: RNI display showing a selection with a further sub-menu
following the name (figure 4.24 shows
an example). If the current selection is
an option with a value that can be
altered, the current value is shown at
the right-hand side of the row (see
figure 4.25 for an example).
By rotating the dial, you can move
between menus or options in the top
row; the current selection is indicated Figure 4.25: RNI display showing an option with a value that can be
by a surrounding rectangle.
altered
Clicking the dial enters the menu, sub-menu or option. Clicking an option with a value that can be altered,
selects that value (and highlights it). At this point, rotate the dial to change the value until the desired value is
shown. Click the dial to accept the value that is shown, and return to the menu.
All sub-menus have an option
“Back…” at the right, to return the
menu one level up (see figure 4.26).
The top-level or main menu has an
option “Exit…” instead, that when
selected exits the menu system and
returns to the normal status display.
Figure 4.26: Moving back a level on the RNI display
When the normal status display is shown, rotating the dial adjusts the brightness of the display.
The following sub-sections show and describe the various RNI front panel display menus, albeit briefly. The full
hierarchy of displays is not shown, as this would make this section unwieldy.
Where useful, annotations above the pictures of the RNI display indicate the function of the icons in the top row
of the display.
4.5.2 Main display and top-level menu
Main display

Warning
Top level menu:
load from
EEPROM
EEPROM
defaults
NMEA
factory
save to
radar
Exit
► Menu
4.5.3 Radar type selection

► Menu ► Radar
Connection
north reset
azimuth
trigger
video
back
► Menu ► Radar…
Connection
Select between Sperry BridgeMaster E, SeaDarQ as master BME M

Sperry BridgeMaster E, SeaDarQ as slave BME S
GEM GEM
Terma Terma
other make of radar Other
Note: RNI firmware version 3.5 only has “Other” (as it lacks the hardware for the specific radar options)

4.5.4 Video
Video…
Overall offset
Range corr.
Range corr.
Input offset
termination
termination
offset …
Through
gain …
Input
Back
Gain
► Menu ► Radar ►
Video…
Input termination
The different menu selections allow the following configuration options:

Sub-menu selection options
Input termination 50 Ω
75 Ω
Through termination
1 MΩ
Overall offset –1250 mV … +1250 mV
Input offset –5000 mV … +5000 mV
Gain 0% … 200%
The “Range Correction offset…” and “Range correction gain…” sub-menus lead to a similar screen, allowing
the following configuration options:
Range correction offset … options
sub-menu selection
Enabled Yes / No
Offset 0 … 10000 mV
Range 0 m … 1500 m
Reset range 6 km … 74 km
Range correction gain … options

sub-menu selection
Enabled Yes / No
Attenuation 0% … 200 %
Range 0 m … 1500 m
Reset range 6 km … 74 km
For a description of the idea behind range correction, see sections 4.4.8 (“Range Correction Offset”) and 4.4.9
(“Range Correction Gain”).

4.5.5 Trigger, Azimuth, North Reset

The sub-menus and options for ► Menu ► Radar… ► Azimuth… and ► Menu ► Radar… ► North
Reset… are completely analogous to those for ► Menu ► Radar ► Trigger…; only the Trigger menu
structure is shown here; table 4.14 shows where detailed options differ (in terms of selectable values).
Trigger…
Trigger mode
Input pull-up
Trigger level
termination
Dead time
direction
Input
Edge
Back
► Menu ► Radar ►
Trigger…
Input termination
Each sub-menu leads to an option to select a value for the relevant setting (without further sub-menus), as
detailed in table 4.14.
Table 4.14: Configuration options for Trigger, Azimuth and North Reset
Trigger Azimuth North Reset
Input termination 50 Ω / 75 Ω / 1 MΩ
Input pull-up Yes / No
Edge direction Rising / Falling
Trigger mode Auto / Manual
Trigger level –15000 mV … + 15000 mV
Dead time off … 25412 us off … 5236 ms

4.5.6 NMEA ports
► Menu
NMEA
NMEA port 1
Substitute
(port 5)
port 2
port 3
port 4
Back
► Menu ► NMEA…
Port 1…
NMEA port 1
termination
termination
Loopback
Input bias
Baud-rate
Interface
Through
Filter…
Input
Back
► Menu ► NMEA… ►
Port 1…
Interface
Each sub-menu leads to an option to select a value for the relevant setting (without further sub-menus), with the
exception of the “Filter…” option, which does have a sub-menu of its own. The next table list the different
configuration options.
Interface RS-232 / RS-422
Loopback Yes / No
Input termination Yes / No
Through termination Yes / No
Input bias Yes / No
Baud-rate 600 bps 3600 bps 14.4 kbps 57.6 kbps
1200 bps 4800 bps 19.2 kbps 76.8 kbps
1800 bps 7200 bps 28.8 kbps 115.2 kbps
2400 bps 9600 bps 38.4 kbps 230.4 kbps
The “Filter…” sub-menu allows for the application of NMEA sentence filters to input NMEA message stream.
For more information on NMEA sentence filtering and the reason for its availability, see section 4.4.6.2.

Filter
Enabled Yes / No
HDT Cut / Pass
GLL Cut / Pass
GGA Cut / Pass
VHW Cut / Pass
DBT Cut / Pass
VDM / VDO Cut / Pass
Next to NMEA sentence filtering, NMEA Talker ID substitution can also be enabled from the RNI front panel
display. For an explanation of NMEA Talker ID substitution and the reason for its availability, see section
4.4.6.3
► Menu ► NMEA…
Substitute
The menu NMEA > Substitute controls the NMEA Talker ID susbstitution. It has no further sub-menus, but
when entered allows switching between the following options:
NMEA Substitute Off / HE / GP / HE & GP

4.5.7 EEPROM settings

Clicking this selection results in immediate execution of the option; after this, you will return to the main
display.
Save to EEPROM
load from
EEPROM
EEPROM
defaults
NMEA
factory
save to
radar
Exit
► Menu
“Save to eeprom” stores all current settings of the RNI into the on-board EEPROM. This ensures that after a
switch-off of the RNI, a subsequent switch-on has all current settings again.
Load from EEPROM
load from
EEPROM
EEPROM
defaults
NMEA
factory
save to
radar
Exit
► Menu
“Load from EEPROM” re-loads all settings for the RNI from the on-board EEPROM. This allows reverting to a
known configuration after experimenting with different settings, or temporarily changing settings.
Load factory defaults
load from
EEPROM
EEPROM
defaults
NMEA
factory
save to
radar
Exit
► Menu
“Load factory defaults” re-loads all settings for the RNI with factory defaults. Note that this does not affect the
settings in the on-board EEPROM, these latter are only changed after clicking “Save to EEPROM”.


SeaDarQ V 4 Installation and Maintenance Guide (Draft 4b)

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SeaDarQ V 4 Installation and Maintenance Guide (Draft 4b)

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DRAFT

Installation and Maintenance Guide

III Service and maintenance ............................................................................................... 48

4.5.2 Main display and top-level menu ................................................................................................... 105

1.3 Assumptions and scope

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

Table 1.2: Details for radars described in this guide

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

A note about operating systems and SeaDarQ versions:

Table 1.5: SeaDarQ version and Microsoft Windows version compatibility

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

II Installation and configuration

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

Figure 2.1: SeaDarQ RNI front view

Figure 2.2: SeaDarQ PC front view

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

Figure 2.4: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ PC (top view)

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

Figure 2.5: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ RNI (front view)

Figure 2.6: Outline drawing of the SeaDarQ RNI (top view)

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

3 REQUIRED / RECOMMENDED TOOLS

spare cables cables – useful extras

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

4 PHYSICAL HARDWARE INSTALLATION

Connections (details in section II-5):

Additional connections to consider:

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5 SYSTEM CABLING AND CONNECTIONS

5.2 General description

power USB video trigger ACP ARP ACP, ARP Sperry

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.3 PC and RNI

Figure 5.2: Connections at the back of the SeaDarQ PC

Figure 5.3: Connections at the back of the SeaDarQ RNI

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

RNI socket label signal description

SeaDarQ PC RNI Radar

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.4 Cabling requirements for a “generic” radar

power USB video trigger ACP ARP ACP, ARP Sperry

power USB ADDI- GaGe

Figure 5.5: Radar - RNI - PC connections - general case

5.4.1 Radar subsystem cabling

5.4.2 Radar – RNI connection

5.4.3 RNI – PC connection

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.4.4 Wiring details “generic” radar

signal RNI in RNI out cable socket PC

Trigger trigger in trigger out RG-59 (BNC-to-SMA) Trigger in

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.5 Cabling requirements with a GEM radar

power USB video trigger ACP ARP ACP, ARP Sperry

power USB COM1 ADDI- GaGe

5.5.1 GEM subsystem cabling

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.5.2 GEM radar – RNI cabling

5.5.3 RNI – PC cabling

5.5.4 GEM – PC cabling

SeaDarQ v 4 Oil Spill Detection

5.6 Cabling requirements with a Sperry radar

power USB video trigger ACP ARP ACP, ARP Sperry