Echo sounders

Trimble Access supports a number of echo sounder models as standard. An ESD file for each supported echo sounder is provided in the C:\ProgramData\Trimble\Trimble Data\System Files folder. To edit the ESD file, edit the file in a text editor. The name of the ESD file appears in the Type field in the Echo Sounder screen.

Trimble Access supports as standard the following models of bathymetric echo sounders:

• CeeStar Basic High Freq

  CeeStar Dual Frequency echo sounders, BASIC output format, when the High Frequency depth is to be stored. The unit must be set to output 'prefixes' and not 'commas' in the output data Menu / Advanced / Prefix / Comma outfm set to [Use prefix].

• CeeStar Basic Low Freq

  CeeStar Dual Frequency echosounders, BASIC output format, when the Low Frequency depth is to be stored. The unit must be set to output 'prefixes' and not 'commas' in the output data Menu / Advanced / Prefix / Comma outfm set to [Use prefix].

• NMEA SDDBT device

  Any generic echosounder device that can output the NMEA DBT (Depth Below Transducer) sentence. The "talker ID" must send the standard "SD" identifier (so that output lines all begin with "$SDDBT,..". Trimble Access will accept the data in feet, meters, or fathoms and will convert values as appropriate.

• SonarMite

  Any SonarMite device. The unit will be switched into 'Engineering mode' (output format 0) and other settings may be adjusted by Trimble Access.

NMEA strings for echo sounders

Echo sounders may output one of several NMEA 0183 sentences. The most common sentences are described below for reference.

NMEA DBT – Depth Below Transducer

The NMEA DBT sentence reports water depth referenced to the transducer's position. The depth value is expressed in feet, meters, and fathoms.

For example: $xxDBT,DATA_FEET,f,DATA_METRES,M,DATA_FATHOMS,F*hh<CR><LF>

NMEA DBS – Depth Below Surface

The NMEA DBS sentence reports water depth referenced to the surface. The depth value is expressed in feet, meters, and fathoms.

For example: $xxDBS,DATA_FEET,f,DATA_METRES,M,DATA_FATHOMS,F*hh<CR><LF>

To add support for another model of echo sounder

The Trimble Access software uses XML Echosounder protocol description (*.esd) files and so may support bathymetric echo sounders that are not supported as standard, provided that their communications protocols are similar to the protocols currently supported. To do this, use one of the ESD files provided with the software and use it as a template. You will need to find out the format for your echo sounder and modify the ESD file accordingly.

1. Tap and select Settings / Survey styles / <Style name>.
2. Tap Echo sounder.
3. Select an instrument from the Type field.
4. Configure the Controller port:
   • If you set the Controller port to Bluetooth, you must configure the echo sounder Bluetooth settings.
   • If you set the Controller port to COM1 or COM2, you must configure the port settings.

5. If required, enter the Latency value.

   The latency caters for echo sounders where the depth is received by the controller after the position. The Trimble Access software uses the latency to match and store the depth when it is received with continuous topo points that were saved previously.

   There are many factors involved in correctly pairing positions with accurate depths. These include sound velocity – which varies with water temperature and salinity, hardware processing time, and the speed at which the boat is moving. Make sure that you use the appropriate techniques to achieve the required results.

6. If required, enter the Draft value.

   The Draft affects how the antenna height is measured. If the Draft is 0.00 then the antenna height is the distance from the transducer to the antenna. If a Draft is specified, then the antenna height is the distance from the transducer to the antenna, minus the draft.

7. Tap Accept.
8. Tap Store.

To connect to the echo sounder, enable Bluetooth on the echo sounder. In Trimble Access, tap and select Settings / Connections and then select the Bluetooth tab to scan for devices and pair with the echo sounder. The default PIN to pair with the Ohmex SonarMite echo sounder is 1111. For more information, see Bluetooth connections.

1. Connect the echo sounder to the controller using a cable or Bluetooth.
2. Configure the Echo sounder settings in the survey style.
3. To store depths with measured points, use the continuous topo method for your survey type.

   The depth is displayed in the Continuous topo screen and in the map. If you have configured a Latency value in the survey style, the continuous topo points are initially stored without depths and later updated. When a latency has been configured, the depth that is displayed is an indicator that depths are being received but it may not be the depth that is stored with the point name that is displayed at the same time.

4. To change Latency and Draft values, tap Options. For more information, see To configure echo sounder settings in the survey style.

5. To disable storing depths with continuous topo points during the survey, tap Options and then clear the Use echo sounder check box.

The elevations of continuous topo points stored in Trimble Access do not have the depth applied to them. Use Export custom format files to generate reports with depths applied.

The following report stylesheets are available for download:

• Comma Delimited with elevation and depths.xsl
• Comma Delimited with depth applied.xsl

To download these stylesheets, go to Trimble Access Downloads and click Style Sheets / General SurveyStyle Sheets and then select the appropriate report link.