Operation Manual
FarSounder, Inc.
F31552 (Rev. 3.8.0)
Page 18 of 69
It is also strongly recommended that the Ethernet network be private. For best performance results,
the network should not be shared with other non-FarSounder network traffic. A private network can be
established by keeping the network used to connect the user interface computers to the Power Module
physically separate from any other Ethernet networks on the vessel. If the Power Module and user interface
computer are connected to a network that has other devices connected to it, high network traffic generated
by these other devices may reduce the update rate of the FarSounder sonar.
All sonar data from the Transducer Module is transmitted to the SonaSoft™ user interface via the Power
Module. The Power Module connects to the network via a standard Ethernet cable and RJ-45 plug. All
Ethernet cables should be capable of 1 Gbps data rates. Cat-5e is the minimum Ethernet cable requirement.
Ruggedized Cat-6 or better is recommended.
When connecting to a single user interface, the Power Module can be connected directly to the user
interface's network adapter using a standard Ethernet crossover cable. When connecting the sonar to
multiple user interfaces, the Power Module should be connected a network switch. Each of the user
interfaces then connect to the network switch with a standard Ethernet patch cable. The switch should be
1 Gbps capable.
Note
FarSounder recommends unmanaged switches as incorrect configuration of managed switches
may cause performance issues.
Network Configuration
By default, FarSounder's current products are configured to operate on the 192.168.0.xxx subnet. Each
Transducer Module is built upon multiple sonar data acquisition boards. Each board uses its own IP address
on the network. An additional IP address is used for system maintenance. An internal gigabit network switch
bundles the data from all cards into a single Ethernet connection accessed via the sonar's connection cable.
FarSounder's legacy products operate on the 192.168.95.x subnet. IP addresses for FarSounder's products
are shown in table 4.
Product
IP Addresses
FarSounder-500
192.168.0.2
192.168.0.3
192.168.0.254
FarSounder-1000
192.168.0.2
192.168.0.3
192.168.0.4
192.168.0.5
192.168.0.254
Legacy Sonars: FS-3DT
192.168.95.6
Table 4. Transducer Module IP Addresses
For installations with bow and stern navigation sonars, the IP addresses of the stern node are offset by 12.
