Appendix F: Cerulean Sounder API

S-500 Sounder User Manual

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S500 Sounder User Manual

Introduction

General Specifications

Transducer Mounting

PCB mounting

Overview of system components

Communicating with the Sounder S500

Appendix A: Sounder Instructions for Penetrator

Appendix B: Pinout diagram: Transducer

Appendix C: Pinout diagram: Power

Appendix D: Pinout diagram: Serial Interface

Appendix E: Transducer Assembly Drawing

Appendix F: Cerulean Sounder API

API Compatibility: S500 communication uses a binary packet format compatible with the Blue Robotics Ping-Protocol. It supports most of the Blue Robotics Ping1 packet types, and maintains compatibility with the Blue Robotics Ping Viewer.
Documentation: The generic packet format is documented below, as are the specific payloads. These packet types are recommended for new applications targeting the S500 sounder.
Apology: The terms "altitude," "distance," and "depth" are used somewhat interchangeably here. They all mean the sensed distance from the device to some object, which is usually the bottom. 
Packet Format 
Byte
 
Data Type
 
 
Name
 
 
Description
 
0 to 1
 
char[2]
 
 
start_of_packet
 
 
2 byte ASCII string "BR" marks start of packet
 
2 to 3
 
u16
 
 
payload_length
 
 
number of bytes in payload
 
4 to 5
 
u16
 
 
packet_id
 
 
corresponds to ID field in packet payload definitions below
 
6
 
u8
 
 
reserved
 
 
set to 0
 
7
 
u8
 
 
reserved
 
 
set to 0
 
8 to n
 
u8[]
 
 
payload
 
 
payload message. Format varies with packet id per payload definitions below
 
(n+1) to (n+2)
 
u16
 
 
checksum
 
 
sum of all the bytes in the packet. Truncated to 16 bits
 
Packet Payload Definitions
General 
Name
ID
Data Type
Name
Description
nop
0
​
none
clients may ignore. Sometimes useful to keep things awake
ack
1
u16
id
id being acked
nack
2
u16
id
id being nacked
​
​
char[]
msg
optional ascii text message describing error*
ascii_text
3
char[]
msg
any ascii text string*
general_request
6
u16
id
request client to respond with packet id type
*STR_LEN: Length of the string determined based on payload_length in packet header.
Request Info Response Packets
These are the responses that the device will send to the host in response to a general_request packet (id = 6, see above). Alternatively, host may send any one of these packet ids with no payload and device will respond with same id and the payload indicated here.
Name
ID
Data Type
Name
Description
fw_version
1200
u8
device_type
​
​
​
u8
device_model
​
​
​
u16
version_major
​
​
​
u16
version_minor
​
speed_of_sound
1203
u32
sos_mm_per_sec
current speed of sound setting in mm/sec default is 1500 m/sec
range
1204
u32
start_mm
normally 0
​
​
u32
length_mm
start_mm + length_mm is max range
ping_rate_msec
1206
u16
msec_per_ping
minimum time between successive pings. Can be longer depending on range
gain_index
1207
u32
gain_index
current gain index setting
altitude
1211
u32
altitude_mm
result of most recent calculated distance from device to bottom (or other target)
​
​
u8
quality
measure of confidence of altitude measure 0 (no idea) to 100 (quite sure)
processor_mdegC
113
u32
mdegC
device CPU temperature degrees C * 1000
Commands  
Name
ID
Data Type
Name
Description
set_speed_of_sound
1002
u32
sos_mm_per_sec
default value is 15000000 mm/sec (1500 meters/sec)
set_ping_params
1015
u32
start_mm
start of ping range, normally 0
​
​
u32
length_mm
end of ping range
​
​
i16
gain_index
set to -1 for auto gain, otherwise 0-MAX_GAIN_INDEX sets gain for manual gain
​
​
i16
msec_per_ping
set to -1 to start a single ping. Otherwise sets minimum ping interval
​
​
u16
ping_duration_usec
normally should be 0 for auto duration
​
​
u16
report_id
​
​
​
u8
chirp
set to 1 for chirp, 0 for monotone ping
​
​
u8
decimation
set to 0 for auto range resolution
​
​
u8 
window_type
set to 1 (Hamming window)
Ping Response Packets 
These packet types can be returned after each ping by specifying their packet id in the set_ping_params above.
altitude id reports a simple distance measurement.
profile2_t and profile6_t report a measure of signal strength at all depths within the ping range. This could be used to present a "waterfall" type display similar to a commercial marine depth sounder or fish finder. The Blue Robotics Ping Viewer is an example of such a display.
The native number of results reported is 1024 for monotone pings. For chirp pings, the range resolution is set by the "decimation" field in the set_ping_params command. If decimation is set to 0, the device will vary decimation depending on range. The smallest decimation will be used that does not exceed 6000 reported data elements.
For profile2_t, the number of results reported (and therefore the distance resolution of the profile data) can be specified in the "num_results_requested" field of the set_ping_params command above. This is done by interpolating the native results as described above and reporting a fixed number of results.
Keep in mind the bandwidth of the communication channel in use when considering which profile report to use. For example, profile6_t can generate a lot of data, and is probably best used with the ethernet interface. 
Name
ID
Data Type
Name
Description
profile6_t
1308
u32
ping_number
sequentially assigned from 0 at power up
​
​
u32
start_mm
​
​
​
u32
length_mm
​
​
​
u32
start_ping_hz
​
​
​
u32
end_ping_hz
​
​
​
u32
adc_sample_hz
​
​
​
u32
timestamp_msec
​
​
​
u32
spare2
​
​
​
float
ping_duration_sec
​
​
​
float
analog_gain
​
​
​
float
max_pwr
db value if is_db
​
​
float
min_pwr
ditto
​
​
float
step_db
​
​
​
float
smooth_depth_m
smoothed calculated depth
​
​
float
fspare2
0
​
​
u8
is_db
if true, results are scaled linearly in db, else linearly in pwr
​
​
u8
gain_index
​
​
​
u8
decimation
​
​
​
u8
reserved
0
​
​
u16
num_results
​

Appendix E: Transducer Assembly Drawing

Last modified 1mo ago

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Contents

Packet Format

Packet Payload Definitions

General

Request Info Response Packets

Commands

Ping Response Packets