Kongsberg Flexview Reference Manual Download

Page: 94 / 160

922-20207001/1.0

Head Firmware Configuration dialog box

The

Head Firmware Configuration

dialog box allows you to upgrade the Sonar Head

firmware.

How to open

This dialog box is opened from the

Setup

menu.

Note

This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused. To
pause the Sonar Head, click

Setup

→

Connect

, then open the Menu Widget in the top-right

corner of the sonar view. Click

Pause

Flexview Reference Manual

Summary of Contents for Flexview

Page 1: ...Reference Manual Flexview Multibeam Sonar ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...ch Limited Flexview Multibeam sonar Reference Manual Release 1 0 This manual provides you with reference information required to operate and fully understand the commands menus modes and options provided by the Kongsberg Flexview Multibeam sonar ...

Page 4: ...intenance may cause damage to the equipment and or injury to personnel You must be familiar with the contents of the appropriate manuals before attempting to operate or work on the equipment Kongsberg Mesotech disclaims any responsibility for damage or injury caused by improper installation use or maintenance of the equipment Disclaimer Kongsberg Mesotech Limited endeavours to ensure that all info...

Page 5: ...ng the IP address on the Sonar Processor network adapter 20 Changing the frequency 21 Testing operation of the Sonar Head 21 Testing the Sonar Head telemetry 23 OPERATING PROCEDURES 26 Setting up and running the sonar 27 Starting operation of the Sonar Head 28 Configuring your preferences 29 Choosing the sonar range 30 Adjusting the sonar view 31 Applying filters 34 Adjusting the TVG Time Variable...

Page 6: ... 67 File menu 68 Display menu 69 Setup menu 71 Sonar Applications menu 72 Advanced menu 73 Help menu 74 FUNCTIONS AND DIALOG BOXES 75 File menu 76 Recording Format 76 Display menu 78 Target Marker Export dialog box 80 Playback Console 82 Setup menu 83 Geo Projection dialog box 84 Preferences dialog box 86 Head Network Setup dialog box 89 Head Firmware Configuration dialog box 92 System Configurati...

Page 7: ...24 Help menu 126 Tool bar description 127 Arrow 129 Wiper 129 Zoom windows 129 Tape Measure 130 Protractor 131 String Measure 131 Text Label 131 Reference cursors 132 Image Quality Analysis System 132 Save image with or without overlays 133 TVG Setup dialog box 134 Filters 137 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 138 Introduction to technical specifications 139 Interface specifications 140 Performance specifi...

Page 8: ...6 922 20207001 1 0 Flexview ...

Page 9: ...nctionality We assume that you are familiar with the basic acoustic principles of sound in water We also expect that you have some experience with sonar operation License information The Flexview Software is included with the Flexview system and updates are available free of charge and can be downloaded from http www km kongsberg com mesotechsoftware Software version This Flexview Reference Manual...

Page 10: ...8 922 20207001 1 0 Flexview Topics System description page 9 System diagram page 10 System units page 11 Support information page 13 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 11: ...ects at a long range whereas a high frequency transducer provides high resolution images at short range Multibeam sonars have an array of transducers that simultaneously transmits pings sound pulses at a specified frequency to cover a large area in less time than a single beam transducer To generate data computer software assigns a colour range corresponding to the amount of sound reflected off a ...

Page 12: ...e main components of a basic Flexview system Only the main connections between the units are shown Detailed interface capabilities and power cables are not shown A ROV Topside Unit B Sonar Processor C ROV Junction Box MUX D Flexview Sonar Head Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 13: ...922 20207001 1 0 11 System units Topics Sonar Processor page 12 Power supply page 12 Sonar Head page 13 Flexview ...

Page 14: ... standard Ethernet cable If you purchase a computer locally make sure that the chosen model meets the functional and technical requirements The computer must be designed for rugged use and the construction must be able to withstand the vibrations and movements of a vessel Related topics Minimum computer requirements page 146 Power supply The Sonar Head requires a DC power supply to run Normally th...

Page 15: ...on The Sonar Head s black polyurethane transducer is delicate Avoid impacts to the transducer when installing or handling the Flexview Prolonged exposure to ultra violet rays and excessive heat may damage the surface of the polyurethane transducer face Always store the Flexview in the provided equipment case when not in use If the Flexview is mounted on an ROV cover the transducer when not in use ...

Page 16: ...14 922 20207001 1 0 Getting started Topics Turning the Flexview on and off page 15 Starting normal operation page 17 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 17: ...The Flexview software is not automatically started when the Sonar Processor is turned on Double click the Flexview icon on the Sonar Processor desktop to start the software Note The Flexview is not provided with an on off switch Procedure 1 Power up the Sonar Head using the power supply Note It may take up to 60 seconds for the Flexview software to connect to the Sonar Head once the power is appli...

Page 18: ... off switch Context When you do not use the Flexview turn off the entire system Procedure 1 If you are running the sonar click Setup Disconnect in the Flexview software 2 Switch off the Sonar Processor a Close the Flexview software and any third party software b Shut down Windows 3 Disconnect the power cord leading to the power supply Alternatively switch off the breaker supplying power to the Fle...

Page 19: ... the basic procedures Once you have powered up the complete Flexview system and started the Flexview program you are ready to start the actual operation Observe these brief procedures to familiarize yourself with the basic operation When starting up the Flexview will automatically apply its previous settings The procedures are partly provided to get you acquainted with the basic functionality offe...

Page 20: ...link on the right side of the window Observe that the Power Options dialog box opens b In the menu on the left select Create a power plan c Select the High performance radio button d Give your new custom plan a name then click Next e Select Never for both Turn off the display and Put the computer to sleep when plugged in f Click Create Tip Once you have created a custom plan you can adjust some mo...

Page 21: ...eding Note When running the Flexview software for the first time a Windows Firewall dialog box may appear Allow access for all networks Procedure 1 Launch the installer Flexview_V0100 Setup exe 2 Follow the installation wizard s instructions a When prompted use the default folder location b When prompted check the Create a desktop shortcut box c Click Yes to install the KML USB Converter when prom...

Page 22: ...n your Sonar Processor you will only need to do this once Procedure 1 On the Sonar Processor close the Flexview software 2 Open the Network Connections dialog box a In the bottom left corner of your desktop select the Windows Start button b On the menu select Settings c Observe that the Settings window opens d Select Network Internet e Select Change adapter options f Select the network adapter you...

Page 23: ...r of the sonar view 2 Click one of the buttons to select a frequency in kHz 3 Click the Display Widget icon to hide the widget Note You cannot select a sonar application or change the range until you connect to a Sonar Head Click Setup Connect Testing operation of the Sonar Head You can test the operation of the Sonar Head by confirming that sonar data is being correctly displayed in the Informati...

Page 24: ... shown in the Output Messages window under the Host Messages or Head Messages tab 4 Make sure there are no errors in the Connection Status and Head Status windows a Click on the text Active located in the lower right corner of the status bar Observe that the Connection Status window opens b Make sure that all items listed under the FlexviewSonar show check marks If any items are shown with an X in...

Page 25: ...not detected at the edges make sure there are no obstructions preventing the Sonar Head s receive for example proximity to the vessel hull keel Related topics System Configuration dialog box Sonar Setup page page 93 Testing the Sonar Head telemetry You can run a telemetry test to make sure the link between the Sonar Head and the Flexview software is working correctly Prerequisites For this test yo...

Page 26: ... the applied override telemetry bandwidth is less than the telemetry bandwidth required by the sonar application range the ping rate is reduced Procedure 1 Click Setup Connect to start the Sonar Head 2 Add the Ethernet Test application to your list of favourite applications a Open the Sonar Apps menu on the top bar then select Customize Apps b Double click on Ethernet Test 100Mbps shown under Othe...

Page 27: ...zation is at least 80 Note If the Network utilization is less than 80 disconnect the sonar close all other programs then reconnect the sonar In general make sure that your network environment supports the required link speed e In the Flexview software look for any messages in the Output Messages window Make sure there are no lost packets Tip The contents of the Output Messages window are also save...

Page 28: ...01 1 0 Operating procedures Topics Setting up and running the sonar page 27 Saving and recalling screen captures page 38 Using sonar view overlays page 46 Configuring the Sonar Head page 52 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 29: ... operation of the Sonar Head page 28 Configuring your preferences page 29 Choosing the sonar range page 30 Adjusting the sonar view page 31 Applying filters page 34 Adjusting the TVG Time Variable Gain setting page 34 Controlling the rotator page 35 Operating procedures ...

Page 30: ... error in the Output Messages window make sure that the Sonar Head has been discovered a Click Setup System Configuration Devices Sonar Setup b Click Discover Sonar Heads to search for the sonar on the network c If the Sonar Head is found select it then click Use Discovered Head A discovered Sonar Head appears in the Online Sonar Heads list If the Sonar Head does not appear the Ethernet connection...

Page 31: ...enshot images and recorded sonar data files Procedure 1 Click Setup Preferences 2 Choose the unit of measurement for all the readouts related to range and distances in the Flexview user interface 3 Choose whether you would like to display the range and bearing or X and Y coordinates of your mouse cursor position 4 Fill out the Overlay Text boxes if you wish to display information on your screensho...

Page 32: ...ar Head is connected Right clicking in the sonar view and the range slider bar will both be disabled until the sonar is running Procedure 1 Click Setup Connect to start the Sonar Head 2 Right click inside the sonar view to display the range menu 3 Select the desired near and far range from the menu Tip You can change the units of measurement in the Preferences dialog box 4 You can increase or decr...

Page 33: ... mouse to increase or decrease parameter values For fine adjustments use the mouse scroll wheel to move the slider by one increment Note If you have a high frequency Flexview transducer you can change the frequency using the Display Widget The Display menu allows you to configure a number of options in the sonar view including making the sonar view full screen and adjusting the annotations palette...

Page 34: ...er to increase or decrease the gain The Display Gain controls the visual amount of echo that are displayed in other words the strength of the echo presentation Uncheck the box if you want the software to adjust the gain automatically Note Adjusting the display gain manually will disable the Sidelobe Reduction function found in the Display menu e Drag the Contrast slider to increase or decrease the...

Page 35: ...ferent angle of orientation for the sonar view You can rotate the sonar view so that it is facing left right up or down f If your Sonar Head is forward looking click Heading Overlay to enable or disable this feature When this feature is enabled the degree annotations in the sonar view will change to reflect the current sonar heading g Click Speckle Filter to enable or disable this function This fi...

Page 36: ...o adjust the strength of the filter 3 Click the No Filter button to turn off all filters Related topics Filters page 137 Adjusting the TVG Time Variable Gain setting You can adjust the time variable gain for each sonar application in the TVG Setup dialog box Context TVG Time Variable Gain compensates for the loss of acoustic energy due to geometric spread and absorption Procedure 1 Click Setup Con...

Page 37: ... You can control your rotator s with the Rotator Control dialog box Prerequisites You must set up your rotator s by clicking Setup System Configura tion Devices Rotators Setup If necessary configure your rotator axis offsets relative to the sonar by clicking Setup System Configuration Deployment Mounting Offsets This dialog box will only appear if the sonar is running Context If you have more than...

Page 38: ...t controls Dual axes rotator Procedure 1 Click Setup Connect to start the Sonar Head Observe that the Rotator Control dialog box opens 2 Click Connect to enable the rotator controls or Disconnect to disable the rotator controls Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 39: ...Head If you have a single axis rotator the arrow buttons will either pan or tilt depending on the orientation of the rotator installation Tip Drag the slider to control the rotator speed Related topics Rotator Test dialog box page 102 System Configuration dialog box Mounting Offsets page page 108 System Configuration dialog box Rotators Setup page page 99 Operating procedures ...

Page 40: ...g and recalling screen captures Topics Saving and retrieving images page 39 Recording sonar data page 39 Playing back a recording page 40 Converting your recordings page 41 Saving GeoTiff files page 43 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 41: ...indows Taskbar click the File Explorer shortcut Alternatively press Win E to open the File Explorer b Click This PC c Navigate to C KML Flexview_V0100 Images Alternatively navigate to where you saved your images earlier d Open the images with your preferred image viewer Recording sonar data You can record a sonar data sequence and save it in a time stamped digital format You can also re record dat...

Page 42: ... Flexview_V0100 Recordings by default You can change this save location in the Preferences dialog box Related topics Recording Format page 76 Playing back a recording You can play back a previously recorded data file to view the sonar image sequence captured during operation of the Sonar Head Prerequisites Open the Preferences dialog box to change the default save location choose your own filename...

Page 43: ...k Related topics Playback Console page 82 Converting your recordings If you want to keep your recordings in mmb format but process your data in imb format you can convert mmb files to imb files using a batch conversion utility Context The Flexview software records sonar data in two formats raw element data mmb or beamformed data imb If you wish to convert a selected clip of data you can play back ...

Page 44: ...wse button beside Destination to select where you want to save the converted files If you are saving a single recording then you must give the file a name Tip When converting the contents of a folder the files will automatically be renamed However we recommend selecting different source and destination folders to avoid filename duplications 4 Click Convert A dialog box will notify you when the fil...

Page 45: ... add sensors click Setup System Configuration Devices Sensors Setup Your Master Reference must be set up to use the sensor inputs or to use a fixed location by entering Latitude Longitude and Heading To set up the Master Reference click Setup System Configuration Deployment Master Reference Your mounting offsets must be configured correctly To configure your mounting offsets click Setup System Con...

Page 46: ...meters select Distance and enter a value To automatically save a GeoTiff file every set number of seconds select Time and enter a value b To save a cropped GeoTiff image for mosaicking purposes enter the percentage to crop 3 Press F11 to enable or disable GeoTiff auto save The status bar will display GeoTiff in green when auto save is enabled When GeoTiff autosave is enabled GeoTiff files will be ...

Page 47: ...s by default You can change this save location through the Preferences dialog box Related topics System Configuration dialog box Sensors Setup page page 96 System Configuration dialog box Master Reference page page 106 System Configuration dialog box Mounting Offsets page page 108 Geo Projection dialog box page 84 Preferences dialog box page 86 Operating procedures ...

Page 48: ...g sonar view overlays Topics Measuring distances page 47 Measuring angles page 48 Defining an area page 48 Placing text labels page 49 Placing reference cursors page 50 Placing target markers page 51 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 49: ...line will not remain on the display when you release the mouse button 3 To keep the measurement line on the display place a measurement overlay a Click and hold the right mouse button on your first target b Drag the mouse to your second target and release the mouse button c Move the mouse to a place on the screen where you would like to place the overlay length and bearing label Note Once the meas...

Page 50: ...ine a Choose where you want the second line to intersect the baseline by moving the mouse along the length of the baseline b When ready click the left mouse button 5 Choose where you want the second line to end a Move the mouse to any point on either side of the baseline to adjust both the length and angle of the second line b Click the left mouse button to place the overlay Tip To remove this ove...

Page 51: ...ext labels The text label tool allows you to place comments on the screen Prerequisites Text labels will not appear on sonar data recordings To place a text overlay on a recording click Setup Preferences and fill out the Overlay Text boxes Procedure 1 Click the Text Label button This button is located on the tool bar 2 In the sonar view click the area of interest that you want to label 3 Click and...

Page 52: ...ace the cursor Tip To make fine adjustments to the cursor position drop a reference cursor into a Zoom window 3 Click the left mouse button to place the cursor as an overlay in the sonar view The range and bearing of the cursor s position relative to the Sonar Head is shown in the bottom left corner of the view 4 Click the Reference Cursor 2 button 5 Move the mouse to where you want to place the c...

Page 53: ...a serial port from the drop down list Note The default serial settings cannot be altered 3 Click OK to enable serial port export Alternatively click Cancel to use the Target Marker function without exporting to a serial port UDP export is always available whether you enable serial port export or not 4 Move the mouse cursor to the location in the sonar view where you wish to place a marker 5 Press ...

Page 54: ...52 922 20207001 1 0 Configuring the Sonar Head Topics Upgrading the Sonar Head page 53 Changing the Sonar Head IP Address page 55 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 55: ...ware This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused Procedure 1 Click Setup Connect to start the Sonar Head 2 Open the Head Firmware Configuration dialog box a Click the circular icon in the top right corner of the sonar view to open the Menu Widget b Click Pause c Click Setup Head Firmware Configuration Observe that the Head Firmware Configuration dialog box opens 3...

Page 56: ...e under Configuration type i Click the file folder icon under Configuration file to browse and select the TXF file on your local drive j Click Write then click Yes to start the upgrade Note This file may take a few minutes to program k Close the Head Firmware Configuration dialog box 5 Confirm the upgrade was successful a Click Setup Disconnect b Disconnect the power to the Sonar Head then power i...

Page 57: ...rk parameters such as the IP address This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused You can program the IP address and the IP port of the Sonar Head for various network environments The factory default IP address is 192 168 1 234 and the default port number is 30 Procedure 1 Set up the Sonar Head and Flexview software a Connect the Sonar Head directly to the computer...

Page 58: ...Sonar Head a Power off the Sonar Head for three seconds then power it back up b If necessary change the computer s network adapter address to place it on the same network as the Sonar Head c Click Setup System Configuration Devices Sonar Setup d Click the Discover Sonar Heads button The Sonar Head with its updated IP Address should appear in the Online Sonar Heads table e Select the Sonar Head in ...

Page 59: ...22 20207001 1 0 57 User interface Topics Flexview presentation overview page 58 The Flexview software menu system page 60 Sonar view page 61 Tool bar description page 63 Status bar page 65 User interface ...

Page 60: ...clicking on the window border then dragging it to create a smaller or larger window Click the pin icon on the window title bar to auto hide the window To show the window hover your mouse over the labelled tab that appears on the side of the presentation A Menu system The menu system is located on the top of the presentation To open any of the menus click the menu title B Range slider bar When the ...

Page 61: ...ols to record data play or pause playback and configure the grid H Display Widget The Display Widget allows you to adjust the filter strength change the display gain and choose your echo colours If you have a high frequency Flexview transducer you can change the frequency using the Display Widget I Playback Console Control playback using the Playback Console You can stop pause fast forward or adva...

Page 62: ...rdinate system upgrade the Sonar Head firmware or change the Sonar Head IP Address D The Sonar Applications menu lists various operating modes used for different applications Each mode has its own pre defined characteristics such as differing ranges angular resolutions and pulse types You can configure which applications will appear by opening the Customize Apps dialog box which is the last item i...

Page 63: ...nd latitude longitude coordinates from external sensors Click the icon in the bottom right corner of the sonar view to open the Display Widget The Display Widget allows you to adjust the filter strength change the display gain and choose your echo colours Right click inside the sonar view to display the range menu You can increase or decrease the range using the range slider bar to the left of the...

Page 64: ...reflections from the target itself The shadow will often reveal the shape of the target but you must remember that the shape will usually be distorted according to the position of the Sonar Head relative to the target and the bottom and according to the slope of the bottom It is often possible to estimate the height of a bottom target based on the length of the shadow and the known height of the S...

Page 65: ...p to four true zoom windows when running a Sonar Head D Tape Measure Measures distances on the sonar view Also allows you to place a measurement overlay on the sonar view E Protractor You can use the protractor to measure the angle between two lines then place the resulting overlay in the sonar view F String Measure You can use the string measure tool to define an area The size and perimeter of th...

Page 66: ... placed in the sonar views O Save image without overlays Click this button to save sonar view images excluding any overlays you ve placed in the sonar views P TVG Setup dialog box TVG Time Variable Gain compensates for the loss of acoustic energy due to geometric spread and absorption Q Average Filter Clicking the A button will enable the Average Filter This filter reduces noise Slow moving featur...

Page 67: ...by disconnecting then reconnecting the Sonar Head C Sound Speed The sound speed is displayed in green after filtering and thresholding This text will display in blue during playback if Override Sound Speed is enabled D GeoTiff If GeoTiffs are automatically being created then this text will display in green E Disk space monitor Displays the percentage of hard drive space you have available for data...

Page 68: ...onfigure it You can show or hide any of the information displayed here Related topics Recording sonar data page 39 System Configuration dialog box Master Reference page page 106 System Configuration dialog box Mounting Offsets page page 108 Saving GeoTiff files page 43 System Configuration dialog box Sonar Setup page page 93 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 69: ...922 20207001 1 0 67 Menu system Topics File menu page 68 Display menu page 69 Setup menu page 71 Sonar Applications menu page 72 Advanced menu page 73 Help menu page 74 Menu system ...

Page 70: ...layback Clicking Stop Playback will stop the playback of a recording You can also use the Playback Console to control playback Recording Format Click Recording Format to choose between recording raw sonar data to a mmb file or recording beamformed sonar data to a imb file Load User Settings Click to browse for a UsersInfo xml file in the folder C KML Flexview_V0100 bin SettingsFlexview from a prev...

Page 71: ...creen Press the Esc key to exit full screen mode Output Messages window Click to show or hide the Output Messages window The Output Messages window displays information diagnostic and error messages Playback Console Click to show or hide the Playback Console Control playback using the Playback Console You can stop pause fast forward or advance through the recording one ping at a time You can also ...

Page 72: ...on This filter reduces noise the grainy salt and pepper pattern in uniform areas of the sonar view Distinguishable details in features and targets will be retained Sidelobe Reduction Click Sidelobe Reduction to enable or disable automatic sidelobe reduction This function improves overall image quality by reducing the sidelobes of strong targets Sidelobe reduction is especially useful at short rang...

Page 73: ...sed to set up system preferences such as units of measure time format etc Head Network Setup Click to open the Head Network Setup dialog box The Head Network Setup dialog box allows you to change the Sonar Head network parameters such as the IP address This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused Head Firmware Configuration Click to open the Head Firmware Configura...

Page 74: ... is less sensitive to motion than EIQ Fine EIQ Fine 500 kHz transducer only This sonar application captures very high quality images At short ranges the images are relatively insensitive to the motion of the sonar At longer ranges the sonar should be relatively motionless Ethernet Test 100Mbps You can test your 100 Mbps link to make sure that the link throughput is available The test uses 95 perce...

Page 75: ...og box The Power User Settings dialog box allows you to configure advanced controls You can also override the beamlist or processing type during playback The Ping Rate Update Rate and Mode ID are displayed for your information Program Head Click to open the Program Head dialog box You can perform advanced tasks in the Program Head dialog box such as configuring production settings making head corr...

Page 76: ...Description About dialog box The About dialog box displays the software version of the Flexview program The version described in this Reference Manual is 1 0 User Manual Click User Manual to open the Flexview Reference Manual in PDF format This manual is only applicable to the software version you are using If you are using an older version of software it will not be the latest version Tip You can...

Page 77: ... Functions and dialog boxes Topics File menu page 76 Display menu page 78 Setup menu page 71 Sonar Applications menu page 72 Advanced menu page 73 Help menu page 74 Tool bar description page 63 Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 78: ...mb file Load User Settings Click to browse for a UsersInfo xml file in the folder C KML Flexview_V0100 bin SettingsFlexview from a previous software version You can import your previous settings to a new version of the Flexview software Exit Click to close the Flexview software Topics Recording Format page 76 Recording Format Click Recording Format to choose between recording raw sonar data to a m...

Page 79: ...ize is determined by the number of beams and samples Different modes may form a different number of beams Therefore data body size may change depending upon the mode imb files are easier to work with when using the Flexview MATLAB toolbox and can be used with third party software such as Echoview Note If files are recorded in imb format they cannot be converted to mmb Related topics Recording sona...

Page 80: ...ress the Esc key to exit full screen mode Output Messages window Click to show or hide the Output Messages window The Output Messages window displays information diagnostic and error messages Playback Console Click to show or hide the Playback Console Control playback using the Playback Console You can stop pause fast forward or advance through the recording one ping at a time You can also repeat ...

Page 81: ...ny salt and pepper pattern in uniform areas of the sonar view Distinguishable details in features and targets will be retained Sidelobe Reduction Click Sidelobe Reduction to enable or disable automatic sidelobe reduction This function improves overall image quality by reducing the sidelobes of strong targets Sidelobe reduction is especially useful at short ranges when targets are very close In add...

Page 82: ...alog box opens when you enable the Target Marker function Choose a serial port in the Target Marker Export dialog box then click OK to enable serial port export Click Cancel to use the Target Marker function without exporting to a serial port UDP export is available in both cases Once the Target Marker function is enabled pressing number keys 0 to 9 will place a marker at the location of the arrow...

Page 83: ...ds on the U definition c E East W West U f Northing Easting in feet Variable number of digits for Northing Easting and variable number of digits for decimal fraction of Northing Easting m Northing Easting in metres Variable number of digits for Northing Easting and variable number of digits for decimal fraction of Northing Easting l Lat Lon in degrees For Latitude two fixed digits of Latitude degr...

Page 84: ... file in use and the time and date of the recording B The playback progress bar Click and hold then drag your mouse along the bar to search through the recording Click anywhere in the bar to jump to a specific point C Click to stop the recording D Click to pause the recording E Click to fast forward through the recording F Click to advance through the recording one ping at a time G Click to repeat...

Page 85: ...ts of measure time format etc Head Network Setup Click to open the Head Network Setup dialog box The Head Network Setup dialog box allows you to change the Sonar Head network parameters such as the IP address This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused Head Firmware Configuration Click to open the Head Firmware Configuration dialog box The Head Firmware Configurat...

Page 86: ...ensors Setup page page 96 System Configuration dialog box Rotators Setup page page 99 System Configuration dialog box Master Reference page page 106 System Configuration dialog box Mounting Offsets page page 108 Geo Projection dialog box You can configure the coordinate system using the Geo Projection dialog box How to open This dialog box is opened from the Setup menu Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 87: ... system of your choice For example you may wish to match the coordinate system used in your survey maps You can display location data as Easting and Northing coordinates measured from a horizontal datum You can also set the zone so that accurate location data is embedded in any GeoTiff files that you create Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 88: ...es and minutes or degrees minutes and seconds Datum Parameters The Datum Parameters button will become available when selecting the BEIJING_1954 datum Clicking the Datum Parameters button will open a dialog box with a number of fields specific to this datum Calculator You can use the calculator as a tool to convert your location from one coordinate system to another Preferences dialog box The Pref...

Page 89: ...The Preferences dialog box allows you to customize the software In addition you can configure features such as GeoTiff Auto Save and UDP Data Export You can also configure unique filenames and save locations Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 90: ...rdinates of the mouse position at the bottom of the sonar view Tip You can configure the coordinate system using the Geo Projection dialog box Time System Local Time Select to use the current time at your location UTC Time Select to use Coordinated Universal Time UTC Note During the winter Local Time equals standard time During the summer Local Time equals Daylight Saving Time DST Note that the of...

Page 91: ...oTiff Auto Save Distance Time To automatically save a GeoTiff file every set number of meters select Distance and enter a value To automatically save a GeoTiff file every set number of seconds select Time and enter a value Tip Press F11 to enable or disable GeoTiff auto save The status bar will display GeoTiff in green when auto save is enabled Cropped Width To save a cropped GeoTiff image for mos...

Page 92: ...t number is 30 To change the Sonar Head IP address click Read from Head to get the information from the Sonar Head Edit the fields then click Write to Head Details Head Name The name assigned to the Sonar Head You cannot change this parameter it is read only Serial Number The unique serial number of the Sonar Head You cannot change this parameter it is read only Automatic IP address allocation Det...

Page 93: ...erforming the Testing the Sonar Head telemetry procedure VDSL SNR Margin The VDSL Signal to Noise Ratio SNR Margin controls the amount of noise and tolerance in the cable It is the difference between the actual SNR and the minimal SNR required to sync at a specific speed For longer cables use 6 dB instead of 9 dB IP Address Port Subnet Mask and Default Gateway These network parameters are used to ...

Page 94: ...irmware Configuration dialog box allows you to upgrade the Sonar Head firmware How to open This dialog box is opened from the Setup menu Note This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused To pause the Sonar Head click Setup Connect then open the Menu Widget in the top right corner of the sonar view Click Pause Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 95: ...lder icon to browse for the latest software or firmware file on your local drive Read Enter a filename in the Configuration file box then click Read to save the firmware or software to a file You can create a backup of your current software or firmware with this feature Write Click this button to start the upgrade process You will be prompted to confirm the upgrade Related topics Upgrading the Son...

Page 96: ...escription This dialog box allows you to connect to the Sonar Head You can connect manually or automatically each time you start the software This dialog box also provides diagnostic network tools Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 97: ...chronize the Sonar Head with another acoustic device such as a second Flexview Sonar Head or a sub bottom profiler Set the trigger mode to Master to send out a sync pulse so that the other acoustic device can be triggered Set the trigger mode to Slave to be triggered by the sync pulse from the other device For the Flexview the default is set to Master Time Sync Mode Your computer can keep accurate...

Page 98: ...l provided ranging from none No logging to high Detailed info When logging is enabled ping loss packet loss and the last ping data rate will be displayed on the status bar Discover Sonar Heads Click Discover Sonar Heads to search for the sonar on the network Use Discovered Head Click Use Discovered Head to connect to the discovered head Related topics Starting operation of the Sonar Head page 28 T...

Page 99: ... external sensors that provide speed heading or latitude longitude coordinates then this dialog box allows you to set them up Readings from these sensors will appear in the Information Widget located in the sonar view Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 100: ...can be a COM port a UDP Ethernet port or a port on the Sonar Head Port This drop down lists the available port numbers Select the port where the device is connected Baud Rate Specify the baud rate speed for the serial communication The standard baud rate defined for NMEA communication is 4800 Data Bits Select the number of data bits for the serial communication Note The standard number of data bit...

Page 101: ... dialog box Master Reference page page 106 System Configuration dialog box Rotators Setup page Rotators are required if you wish to pan or tilt the Flexview during operation Use the Rotators Setup page to set up and test your rotators How to open This dialog box is opened from the Setup menu Select the Devices Rotators Setup tab Note This page is not available while the Sonar Head is running Funct...

Page 102: ...Kongsberg OE 10 102 Dual Axes Pan and Tilt unit Kongsberg OE10 103 Single Axis Pan unit Kongsberg Mesotech 806 00360000 SS350 Single Axis high precision Pan unit You must connect your rotator to a PC COM port Details Add Device Click this button to add a rotator Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 103: ...t Mounting Offsets and select each axis in the Rotators section Observe the animation to see the rotation of each axis Port Location Select which port the rotator is connected to can either be a COM port or a Sonar port Port This drop down lists the available port numbers Select the port where the device is connected Baud Rate Specify the baud rate speed for the serial communication Data Bits Sele...

Page 104: ...Test your rotators in this dialog box by making sure you can connect to the rotator and send commands to it How to open This dialog box is opened from the Rotators Setup page in the System Configuration dialog box Click the Test Device button to open this dialog box Description Use this dialog box to test the rotator rotation speed rotator movement and pan and tilt operation for dual axes rotators...

Page 105: ...OE10 103 The Kongsberg Mesotech 806 00360000 SS350 is similar except a Calibrate button appears You must click this button to correctly align the rotator after powering down and powering up this rotator does not keep absolute zero indexing In addition there is no option to set up soft stops this rotator has fixed hard and soft stops Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 106: ... to the rotator Disconnect Click this button to disconnect from the rotator Current Position Shows the current rotator position in degrees A Calibrate button will appear here is you are using the Kongsberg Mesotech 806 00360000 SS350 rotator Click this button to reset the zero index after powering down then powering up Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 107: ...e a software function to set the rotator stops so that the rotator will not rotate beyond the stops during operation To avoid hitting objects or twisting cables when rotating hard stops pins are usually bolted onto the rotator mount to stop rotation at predefined positions However soft stops allow you to program the rotator stops in the Flexview software to mitigate mechanical wear and avoid shear...

Page 108: ...n to position fields then click the associated button to move the Sonar Head to that position on the tilt or pan axis Click the Stop Move button to cancel the rotation Rotator Control Dialog Type Set the Rotator Control Dialog Type before you start operation of the sonar Select Pan Tilt Control if you wish to manually move the Sonar Head up down or sideways during operation The 3D Scan option is n...

Page 109: ... set to Fixed When setting a value to Fixed you can enter the fixed value into the adjacent text box Details Configuration Select the desired configuration from the drop down list Click New to create a new configuration based on the default settings Click Save As to save the current configuration or Delete to delete the current configuration Master Reference Position A location derived from measur...

Page 110: ...entered manually A sound speed sensor is required to accurately measure in water speed near the Sonar Head This parameter can be changed while the Sonar Head is running Check the Override Sound Speed box if you want to replace the sound speed value in your recording with a fixed value during playback This may be necessary for example if your recorded sound speed is not accurate Note You can overri...

Page 111: ...scription When you mount your Flexview Sonar Head on an ROV you will need to specify where the Sonar Head is positioned in three dimensional space relative to the GPS antenna Inaccurate mounting offsets will display your sonar data incorrectly in the sonar view Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 112: ...Sonar Head orientations Observe the animation to make sure your Sonar Head is facing in the correct direction for the selected orientation The orientation depends on how you are using the Flexview For example a forward facing orientation can be used for obstacle avoidance on a remotely operated vehicle ROV If you wish to create your own orientation select Custom then enter in the precise pitch rol...

Page 113: ...the Sonar Head is installed at an angle to the rotator then enter that value here Override Mounting Parameters Enabling this option will apply the current offsets on this page during playback instead of the offsets recorded in your data file Related topics System Configuration dialog box Rotators Setup page page 99 Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 114: ...n is less sensitive to motion than EIQ Fine EIQ Fine 500 kHz transducer only This sonar application captures very high quality images At short ranges the images are relatively insensitive to the motion of the sonar At longer ranges the sonar should be relatively motionless Ethernet Test 100Mbps You can test your 100 Mbps link to make sure that the link throughput is available The test uses 95 perc...

Page 115: ...ly or is stationary for at least a few seconds Description The Fine EIQ applications overlap beams to improve image quality EIQ uses four pings EIQ Fine uses eight pings Note that the Fine EIQ applications have a slower sonar view refresh rate Details Sonar Application Names EIQ EIQ Fine Range 0 4 m to 150 m Angular Resolution 0 95 x 30 Pulse Type Continuous Wave and Linear FM Chirp Imaging Imagin...

Page 116: ...114 922 20207001 1 0 Details Sonar Application Names Imaging Imaging Enhanced Range 0 2 m to 150 m Angular Resolution 1 6 x 30 Pulse Type Continuous Wave and Linear FM Chirp Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 117: ... production settings making head corrections or changing transmit pulse definitions This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused Raw Data Frequency Spectrum Click to open the Raw Data Spectrum window The Raw Data Spectrum window allows you to find and observe any noise in the data Enable Network Sniffer Click to open the Network Sniffer window The Network Sniffer w...

Page 118: ...ation for the current sonar application Details Advanced Controls RX Amplitude and Phase Correction This feature allows you to make sure the RX Amplitude and Phase Correction has been successfully written to the Sonar Head during production configuration Unchecking this box will not apply the correction stored in the Sonar Head to the raw data before beamforming Azimuth Processing This feature all...

Page 119: ...t settings you may notice a black line appearing around the same range of the bright target Playback Controls Note You can also edit the Playback Controls settings in the PowerUsersInfo xml file Override Beamlist This feature allows you to replace the beamlist of a recorded mmb file with a new beamlist XML file The recorded raw data will be beamformed based on the new beamlist Checking the Overrid...

Page 120: ...You can perform advanced tasks in the Program Head dialog box such as configuring production settings making head corrections or changing transmit pulse definitions How to open This dialog box is opened from the Advanced menu Note This dialog box is only available when the Sonar Head is connected and paused To pause the Sonar Head click Setup Connect then open the Menu Widget in the top right corn...

Page 121: ...cription Use the Production Config page to view or change advanced Sonar Head parameters such as the Serial Number or MAC Address This page is primarily intended for use by production test engineers Functions and dialog boxes ...

Page 122: ...onar Head Write Config Click this button to re program the Sonar Head with the parameters displayed in the Production Configuration table Read Config Click this button to populate the Production Configuration fields with the current parameter values values are read from the Sonar Head Program Head dialog box Head Corrections page You can perform advanced tasks in the Program Head dialog box such a...

Page 123: ...shows you the serial number and IP Address of the Sonar Head Configuration type Select the type of configuration you wish to apply Configuration file Click the folder icon to browse for the latest configuration file on your local drive Click the Write button to apply the configuration parameters in your file to the Sonar Head Click the Read button to save the current Sonar Head configuration to yo...

Page 124: ...Setup Connect then open the Menu Widget in the top right corner of the sonar view Click Pause Select the TX Pulse tab Description Use the TX Pulse page to apply a new TX pulse definition to the Sonar Head if a new TX pulse is designed for the Flexview software database Details Configuration file Click the folder icon to browse for the latest configuration file on your local drive Click the Write b...

Page 125: ...indow displays the normalized real time raw data spectrum The baseband sampling frequency range of the received signal is shown on the x axis and the normalized spectrum amplitude is shown on the y axis in dB You can also view the carrier frequency of the raw data the normalized transmitted signal frequency spectrum and the maximum signal strength averaged across the elements Functions and dialog ...

Page 126: ...load and install a free XML file editor such as Notepad Navigate to C KML Flexview_V0100 bin SettingsFlexView Open the PowerUsersInfo xml file with your XML file editor Description You need a software license key to apply the values in the PowerUsersInfo xml XML file to the Flexview software If you do not have a software license then the default values will be used The new values will be applied a...

Page 127: ...XML tag OverrideBeamlistFile Enter the beamlist file s address into the XML tag ProcessingTypeOverride Enter a value of Yes or No in the XML tag Leave this setting as No to use the original processing type for beamforming in post processing Note The other parameters in the Power User Settings XML file are for profiling applications only and are not supported by the Flexview Related topics Power Us...

Page 128: ...ware version of the Flexview program The version described in this Reference Manual is 1 0 User Manual Click User Manual to open the Flexview Reference Manual in PDF format This manual is only applicable to the software version you are using If you are using an older version of software it will not be the latest version Tip You can download the latest software from http www km kongsberg com mesote...

Page 129: ...our true zoom windows when running a Sonar Head D Tape Measure Measures distances on the sonar view Also allows you to place a measurement overlay on the sonar view E Protractor You can use the protractor to measure the angle between two lines then place the resulting overlay in the sonar view F String Measure You can use the string measure tool to define an area The size and perimeter of the area...

Page 130: ...ar views O Save image without overlays Click this button to save sonar view images excluding any overlays you ve placed in the sonar views P TVG Setup dialog box TVG Time Variable Gain compensates for the loss of acoustic energy due to geometric spread and absorption Q Average Filter Clicking the A button will enable the Average Filter This filter reduces noise Slow moving features persist on scre...

Page 131: ...e button on an overlay Drag it to where you want it then release the mouse button Wiper Removes items from the sonar view When selected click on each overlay you wish to delete If your sonar view becomes too cluttered with overlays you may wish to remove some of them Click the Wiper button then left click on any overlay that has been placed in the sonar view such as a Reference Cursor for example ...

Page 132: ...ar view To measure the distance between two targets click the Tape Measure button Click and hold the left mouse button on your first target then drag the mouse to your second target The length and bearing between the targets is displayed dynamically The measurement line will not remain on the display when you release the mouse button To place a persistent measurement overlay click and hold the rig...

Page 133: ...point Move to the second point then click again Click as many times as necessary to create the required area Double click on the last point to finish The area will automatically be closed and a rectangular label will appear providing information about the area and perimeter Move the label to a position on the screen where it is most legible then click the left mouse button to place it Tip You can ...

Page 134: ... the bottom left corner of the view When you place both cursor 1 and cursor 2 on the sonar display the cursor range and bearing relative to the Sonar Head will be displayed Delta shows the range and bearing from cursor 1 to cursor 2 Related topics Placing reference cursors page 50 Image Quality Analysis System The Image Quality Analysis System IQAS analyzes the image quality of a point target or c...

Page 135: ... dB Integrated Side Lobe Ratio ISLR The ISLR is the ratio of the energy in the Near Region to the energy within the Main Lobe Region The unit of measurement is dB Save image with or without overlays With one click you can capture an image of the sonar view either with overlays or without overlays Click this button to save sonar view images including any overlays you ve placed in the sonar views Cl...

Page 136: ...dually lose its energy The greater the distance between the Sonar Head and the target s the greater the loss of energy TVG Time Variable Gain compensates for the loss of acoustic energy due to geometric spread and absorption How to open Note Each sonar application has its own TVG profile Before changing the TVG settings start the sonar click Setup Connect then select the sonar application you want...

Page 137: ...ompensation converts the echo presentation as a function of range This makes the targets with the same strength appear with the same intensity independent of their physical distance from the Sonar Head Details The TVG compensation is expressed as a logarithmic curve You can choose from a selection of curves Each curve has a different slope creating a different gain compensation Four adjustable fac...

Page 138: ...001 1 0 that the signal is not being clipped A slider is provided so that you can exclude the low end percent of the gain Related topics Adjusting the TVG Time Variable Gain setting page 34 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 139: ...cking the B button will enable the Background Removal filter This filter removes stationary parts of the background to enhance moving objects such as fish for example Edge Enhancement Clicking the E button will enable Edge Enhancement This filter enhances the edge of moving features This filter provides some persistence for the image Edge Enhancement is especially useful when you wish to view a sc...

Page 140: ...o technical specifications page 139 Interface specifications page 140 Performance specifications page 143 Mechanical specifications page 144 Power requirements page 145 Environmental requirements page 146 Minimum computer requirements page 146 Flexview Reference Manual ...

Page 141: ...eristics of the Flexview Multibeam sonar It also provides information related to power requirements physical properties and environmental conditions Note At Kongsberg Mesotech we are continuously working to improve the quality and performance of our products The technical specifications may be changed without prior notice Technical specifications ...

Page 142: ... as a selection of position quality factors Supported datagram formats for speed information The Flexview supports the following datagram format for speed information NMEA VTG The NMEA VTG datagram contains the actual course and speed relative to the ground Supported datagram formats for heading information The Flexview supports the following datagram formats for vessel heading and or gyro informa...

Page 143: ... contains a 10 byte message Octans STD1 This is a third party proprietary datagram format for heading speed and motion It was created by iXSea http www ixblue com for use with their Octans gyrocompass Supported datagram formats for sound speed sensors The Flexview supports the following datagram format from a sound speed sensor Valeport This is a third party proprietary datagram format created by ...

Page 144: ...PRI Sync INPUT must be held low for 25μs in order to trigger the Sonar Head The Sonar Head will transmit a 100μs sync OUTPUT pulse when configured as Master on the Sonar Setup page The sync OUTPUT is generated each time the Sonar Head transmits Host Time Sync Mode Host mode synchronizes the Sonar Head time with the computer time This mode is critical for Bathymetry applications Host mode only work...

Page 145: ...ion Ethernet Data Rates 10 100 Mbps Synchronization PRI Synchronization master slave operation Sync Input 0 to 5 VDC hold off when high Sync Output 0 to 5VDC active low pulse 100μs Imaging mode 500 kHz Horizontal Field of View 140 Vertical Beamwidth 30 Angular Resolution 1 Update rate up to 40 Hz eIQ mode 500 kHz Horizontal Field of View 140 Vertical Beamwidth 30 Angular Resolution 0 95 Update rat...

Page 146: ...or later is required for applications using a long cable and VDSL telemetry Note that you only need to upgrade the Sonar Head receive firmware file RXF and the Sonar Head software file ASW You do not need to upgrade the Sonar Head transmit firmware file TXF You can download these files from our website https www km kongsberg com mesotechsoftware Mechanical specifications These mechanical specifica...

Page 147: ...86 mm 3 40 Depth 249 mm 9 82 Weight 3 75 kg air 1 38 kg water Materials Hard Anodized Aluminium Stainless Steel 316 Elastomeric Polyurethane Connector type SubConn Connector model 8 pin Power requirements These power characteristics summarize the supply power requirements for the Flexview system Sonar Processor Power adapter input voltage 120 240 VAC Laptop input voltage 19 5 VDC 180W max Sonar He...

Page 148: ...s for the Sonar Head in water The Sonar Head can be powered on and started at temperatures between 20 to 45 C There is a built in temperature monitor that will display a software warning message and automatically power down the Sonar Head before it overheats Caution The Sonar Head must not be exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time Prolonged exposure to ultra violet rays and exces...

Page 149: ...requirements made by the Flexview and you may need to add extra Ethernet and serial adapters Note The computer design and construction must allow for maritime use easy access to connectors parts and cables and a safe installation The minimum technical requirements are Processor 2 80 GHz Intel quad core i7 Memory minimum 8 GB Hard disk minimum 500 GB Graphics card RAM 256 MB Network interface 100 1...

Page 150: ... 10 book purpose 7 target audience 7 button Arrow 129 Average Filter 137 Background Removal Filter 137 Edge Enhancement 137 IQAS 132 No Filter 137 Protractor 131 Reference cursor 1 132 Reference cursor 2 132 Save image with overlay 133 Save image without overlay 133 String measure 131 Tape measure 130 Text label 131 Wiper 129 Zoom windows 129 C Calculator Geo Projection dialog box 86 changing freq...

Page 151: ...133 Save image without overlay 133 Setup menu 71 83 Sonar Applications menu 72 112 113 sonar view 61 status bar 65 String measure 131 system 9 System Configuration dialog box 94 97 100 107 109 Tape measure 130 Target Marker function 80 Text label 131 tool bar 63 127 TVG 135 Wiper 129 Zoom windows 129 details Geo Projection dialog box 86 Head Firmware Configuration dialog box 93 Head Network Setup ...

Page 152: ...f files saving 43 Get Default Head Network Setup dialog box 91 System Configuration dialog box 95 getting started procedures 17 GPS information datagram formats 140 gyro information datagram formats 140 H Head Head Firmware Configuration dialog box 93 Program Head dialog box 120 121 Head Firmware Configuration dialog box Configuration file 93 Configuration type 93 description 93 details 93 Head 93...

Page 153: ...urpose 72 112 information support 13 installation software 19 installation requirements environmental 146 temperature 146 interface specifications 140 Interface System Configuration dialog box 98 101 interpret sonar view 62 introduction power supply 12 Sonar Head 13 Sonar Processor 12 IP address network adapter 20 IP Address Head Network Setup dialog box 91 network adapter 20 System Configuration ...

Page 154: ...tput Messages function purpose 69 78 Overlay Text Preferences dialog box 88 Override Beamlist Power User Settings dialog box 117 Override Mounting Parameters function purpose 111 Override Network Link Speed System Configuration dialog box 95 Override Processing Type Power User Settings dialog box 117 OverrideBeamlistFile Power User Settings XML file 125 overview power supply 12 Sonar Head 13 Sonar...

Page 155: ... 49 playing back a record file 40 recording sonar data 39 saving and retrieving images 39 saving GeoTiff files 43 testing the sonar and sensors 23 testing the Sonar Head 21 turning off 16 turning on 15 upgrading the Sonar Head 53 procedures getting started 17 processed data formats 142 ProcessingTypeOverride Power User Settings XML file 125 Production Configuration Program Head dialog box 120 Prog...

Page 156: ... Device System Configuration dialog box 98 100 requirements computer 146 environmental 146 mains power 145 power 145 supply power 145 temperature 146 Reset to Default Layout function purpose 70 79 Roll Angle System Configuration dialog box 110 rotator controlling 35 Rotator Control dialog box purpose 69 78 Rotator Control Dialog Type Rotator Test dialog box 106 Rotator Test dialog box Connect 104 ...

Page 157: ... suggestions send us 7 supply power requirements 145 support information 13 switch off 16 on 15 synchronization specification 142 system description 9 diagram 10 System Configuration dialog box Add Device 98 100 Angle 110 Autoconnect at program start 95 Baud Rate 98 101 Configuration 107 Data Bits 98 101 Depth 107 description 94 97 100 107 109 details 95 98 100 107 110 Device Axis 101 Discover Son...

Page 158: ...easure description 130 Text label description 131 Wiper description 129 Zoom windows description 129 trademarks registered 7 Trigger Mode System Configuration dialog box 95 turn off 16 on 15 TVG adjusting 34 description 135 details 135 U Unit System Configuration dialog box 101 Update Rate Power User Settings dialog box 117 upgrading Sonar Head 53 Use default location Preferences dialog box 88 Use...

Page 159: ......

Page 160: ... 2019 Kongsberg Mesotech ...

Search results

Summary of Contents for Flexview

Reviews:

Related manuals for Flexview

Brands by name

Popular brands

Kongsberg Flexview, Reference Manual

Search results

Summary of Contents for Flexview

Reviews:

Related manuals for Flexview

Brands by name

Popular brands