6
NORTEK
1 System Overview
The Signature VM system is a highly integrated system with the sole purpose of accurately measuring
vertical profiles of the water’s velocity and direction from a moving platform.
Velocity of the water is measured using a Signature series sensor. The Signature sensors are advanced
five-beam current profiling systems. Built on the entirely new AD2CP platform, they are designed for
unprecedented performance in high energy turbulent environments. The Signature also measures its own
speed and direction across
the bottom of the channel using a technique known as ‘bottom tracking’
Position and movement of the moving platform (usually a vessel) is recorded using a high precision Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, which also provides accurate timing. By combining the
measured movements from both the GNSS and bottom track it is possible to correct the measured water
velocities for the movement of the platform itself.
A dedicated computer system with Signature VM software collects the data, takes care of accurate timing
and continuously monitors the quality of the data. Since no additional data from any external sensors is
required and the computer comes fully configured, the whole system is basically ‘Plug and Play’
Figure 1 Complete system overview
Signature VM Computer
PoE
adapter
Ethernet
Switch
Eth1
USB
Pwr (90-
230VAC)
Interface Box
Signature Sensor
GNSS
User supplied Laptop or PC
with Remote Desktop
Eth2
90 - 260VAC
48 VDC
PSU
LED Driver
48 VDC
DC/DC
12-36 VDC
DC Option
AC Option
90 - 230VAC
