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StarFish 453OEM 

System Manual 

 

 

21 

 

9.

 

Product Support 

Website 

For the latest software and firmware updates, as well as production information, manuals and datasheets, visit 
 

www.blueprintsubsea.com/starfish 

 
We welcome any feedback you may have about the StarFish system, from bug reports to ideas for new features or 
hardware to support 

 please use the contact details on the website (or shown below) to get in touch. 

 

Technical Support 

If your StarFish 

system is not operating properly, please consult the ‘Troubleshooting’ section of this manual and 

further information on the Blueprint website to see if the problem can be easily remedied. 
 

However, if you need further support, you can contact us via your distributor or directly at…

 

 

Web 

www.blueprintsubsea.com/starfish 

(for access to on-line resources and technical support) 

 

Email 

[email protected] 

 

Telephone 

+44 (0)1539 531536 
(9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, UK Time) 

 

For all the above please provide the following information to help us with your technical support request…

 

 

Part and Serial Numbers of the system components. These are located on the labels of each item, and 

are in the form “BPxxxxx.xxxxxx”.

 

 

Version number of the Scanline software and firmware you are using. 

 

The operating system name, version, type (32 bit or 64 bit) and service pack upgrade your computer is 
using. 

 

Brand and model of your computer (processor type and memory configuration is also useful if known). 

 

Name of the distributor where the system was purchased from. 

 
 If you need to return your StarFish 

system for servicing, please…

 

 

Contact us (using the details above) for returns information and shipping details. 

 

Pack your  StarFish  system  back  in  the  original  packaging  (or  other  suitable container),  and  include 
written documentation including your contact details (including contact phone number), a description 
of the problem and any symptoms occurring. 

 

If your product is still under warranty, please include a copy of your receipt (showing proof and date of 
purchase). 

 

Please return the product back to Blueprint Subsea, using an insured courier and delivery confirmation. 

 
 

 

Summary of Contents for Starfish 453OEM

Page 1: ...StarFish Sidescan Sonar 453OEM System Manual ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...e Look Like 12 4 3 Calculating Depth Below The Sonar Altitude 12 4 4 Calculating The Distance To A Target 13 4 5 Acoustic Shadows 13 4 6 Reflected Target Intensity 14 4 7 Example Side Scan Sonar Images 15 4 8 Gain Contrast Settings 16 4 9 Shallow Water Channels 16 4 10 Tips For Good Imagery 17 6 Safety 18 6 1 Electrical Safety 18 6 2 Operational Safety 18 7 Care Of Your Starfish 19 7 1 Operational...

Page 4: ...vices and experienced side scan sonar users alike alternately an SDK is available that allows StarFish data to be captured directly into your own application Before proceeding we recommend that you read the safety installation and operation guidelines in this user guide in order to get full benefit from the features of the StarFish system We hope you get many years of trouble free use from your St...

Page 5: ... working range Reflections from the hull may create a ghost or mirror image of the opposite channel on the sonar display Reduce vulnerability to grounding When mounting the sonar ensure there is always a point on the hull platform that is lower than the transducers location This will reduce the risk of damage to the transducer should you run aground or collide with any submerged obstacle Position ...

Page 6: ... that they are angled 30 down from the horizontal plane as shown To ensure a waterproof connection the cable boss protruding from the rear of the transducer is fitted with two 18 0mm 2 6mm O rings These should be greased with a small amount of suitable silicone lubricant and inserted into a suitable machined hole on the mounting housing that ensures a waterproof piston seal Alternately a waterproo...

Page 7: ...oard Mounting The StarFish electronics can be mounted onto a base plate using 4 M3 fixings that locate into the notches on the edge of the board circled in blue below The should be stood off a base plate using spacers with a minimum height of 3mm ...

Page 8: ...rFish electronics module has a 2 1mm DC input socket labelled J3 that will accept voltages between 9V and 28V and will require a supply capable of delivering 5W Typically this means the StarFish will require just under 500mA at 12V or just under 250mA at 24V The centre pin tip of the power connector is Positive and the outside of the connector ring is Ground 2 5 USB Data Connection The PC running ...

Page 9: ...e circuit board are labelled with Port and Starboard to indicate which transducer they should be connected to However in case the labels are missing the Starboard transducer should be connected to the Yellow Green wiring pair while the Port transducer should be connected to the Red Blue wires Wire Function Wire Colour Starboard Connector Pin Port Connector Pin J1 Connector Pin Ground Black 1 4 Not...

Page 10: ...g that the Topside box has correctly initialised The Activity Indicator will not illuminate until the USB connection is made Scanline is running and configured correctly Start the Scanline software or your application When the software opens the data connection to the StarFish electronics and starts the sonar pinging the Activity Indicator will start to flash 3 2 Software Development Kit The StarF...

Page 11: ...ion of the sonar known as backscatter and the travel time of the returned pulse is recorded together with its intensity As sounds travels at a known velocity of approximately 1500 metres per second through water we can directly relate the time we received an echo to the range of the target that reflected it This scan line of information is sent to a topside computer for interpretation and display ...

Page 12: ...afloor so a safe distance can be maintained and hazards avoided Looking at the previous image we can see a large black hour glass shaped area in the middle of the display where no echoes have been received In fact this area is showing us the height the sonar is above the sea bed As the figure opposite shows the nearest object to the sonar will always be the seabed below it assuming a relatively fl...

Page 13: ...und from the sonar hits a submerged target with any height above the seabed an acoustic shadow will be cast away from the sonar An experienced sonar operator can use the lengths of these shadows along with knowledge of the sonar altitude to get an idea of the size and height of the object To help understand this imagine you are in a darkened room with a flashlight standing above a ball If you shin...

Page 14: ...ready know about sonar imagery into account we can interpret the following White dots without any form of shadow are most likely either flat hard targets on the bottom or large mid water fish with their air filled swim bladder showing up on the sonar At the bottom of the image we can see a bait ball of fish identifiable as large spherical structure that protrudes above the seabed profile there is ...

Page 15: ... exposed the bedrock of the lake causing a brighter reflection The grooves are visible on the centre profile on the lakebed and the shore and slip way are visible in the top left Marina Shallow water with moored boats The bright white targets of the hulls are visible above craters in the silt caused by the movement of the mooring cables Note the large acoustic shadow on the left channel caused by ...

Page 16: ... be reduced to 25 to enhance shadows and submerged targets The best way to understand the operation of the Gain and Contrast controls is to experiment with these values while scanning the sonar over a known area of seabed Generally having set the operational range of the sonar you should then set the gain to a level where the background noise is just visible This should ensure that quiet signals a...

Page 17: ...at may cause shadows or reflections Be clear of any turbulence or cavitation from the hull in front of them Be clear of turbulence or aeration caused by the platforms thrusters propeller Boat Navigation When surveying an area think about the course you will steer your platform vessel Try to divide the area into a grid of long straight runs with 180 turns at the end Remember that as the sonar turns...

Page 18: ...wer line surge may occur such as a lightning storm or if the product is not used for a prolonged period of time Ensure that the power supply has suitable earthing and electrical shock risk is minimised through the use of fusing and or residual current detection RCD devices where appropriate 6 2 Operational Safety Do not rely on the product to necessarily represent the immediate sub surface conditi...

Page 19: ...ransducers and cables that may have been collected during its operation Additionally please observe the following precautions for cleaning and maintenance Do not clean with solvents and only use a damp cloth on the exterior of the unit Do not undertake maintenance of the unit outside the scope of that defined within this manual unless instructed to do so by Technical Support Do not insert extraneo...

Page 20: ...the StarFish from its own dedicated supply or battery Acoustic noise This is most commonly seen as large stripes or pulses of varying brightness over the image usually with some form of regular repeating pattern Try to identify and where possible remove the source of the acoustic noise Most commonly your platform or other vessels may have an echo sounder that is running at a frequency close to the...

Page 21: ...se provide the following information to help us with your technical support request Part and Serial Numbers of the system components These are located on the labels of each item and are in the form BPxxxxx xxxxxx Version number of the Scanline software and firmware you are using The operating system name version type 32 bit or 64 bit and service pack upgrade your computer is using Brand and model ...

Page 22: ...s in vehicles supply voltages or from any other circumstances that may arise after delivery that is out with the control of Blueprint Note The warranty does not apply in the event where a defect has been caused by isolation incompatibilities The warranty does not cover the transportation of personnel and per diem allowances relating to any repair or replacement The warranty does not cover any dire...

Page 23: ...rect at the time of going to press Blueprint Design Engineering Ltd cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions If you find an error or feel we have missed important or useful information please contact us The latest version of the manual is always available to download from the website Specifications and information contained in this document are subject to change without notice ...

Page 24: ...StarFish 453OEM System Manual 24 12 Specifications 12 1 Mechanical Drawings ...

Page 25: ... each transducer Weight in Air 0 35kg each transducer Construction ABS Reinforced polyurethane rubber Colour Black Depth Rating 300m Electronics Module Supply Voltage 9V to 28V DC Power Consumption 6W 500mA 12VDC Power Interface 2 1mm DC jack socket PC Interface USB 2 1 B Type connector Sonar Interface 2 x Molex 43025 0400 4 way 2x2 polarised latching crimp housings using Molex 43030 0010 crimps f...

Page 26: ...30kHz to 470kHz frequency chirp BW 40kHz Q 11 25 Plot radial range is 70dB with 5dB graticule markings VOS taken as 1475ms 1 Transducers are mechanically angled 30 down from the horizontal At centre frequencies the horizontal beam at the 3dB level is 0 54 and vertical beam is 58 2 The near field range varies between 27 19 and 29 72m during the sweep and is 28 45m at the centre frequency Horizontal...

Page 27: ......

Page 28: ...P N BP01006 3 UM 143 P01006 03 December 2017 Distributor ...

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