Introduction

With the release of controller 8.3 controller Firmware, we have integrated two of our common NDT (non-destructive testing) sensors directly into our hand controller, the Cygnus ultra sonic thickness gauge and the OceanTools DigiCP cathodic potential probe, eliminating the need for an external pc to take valuable infrastructure measurements. This integration utilizes the serial over IP  feature released in controller 8.2 to utilize the RS signal of either probe both on screen as well as in data logging. This feature can be setup in one of two ways as described in the guide below.

Overview of Changes

The end result of either setup is the same, however depending on your vehicle configuration you will input/patch the data one of two ways.

External Setup 

Before the introduction of the serial over IP feature, Deep Trekker vehicles utilized tethers with a multi line design, passing data though the vehicle and out an aux tether (pigtail) connection on the reel. In this design, both controller tether and the data from either sensor will still be transferred through this aux tether, but rather than plugging into a pc, it will be plugged into one of the USB ports (directly or through a HUB) on the controller. Navigate to MENU>SETTINGS>SERIAL DEVICES and select the respective port that you have plugged the serial adapter into. Choose either CP probe or cygnus provider. Confirm the Baud rate matches the device you are connecting through the chart included on screen. 

Internal Setup

In new vehicles, or vehicles that have had the necessary hardware updates will be able to utilize the serial over IP feature. This system forgoes the multi line tether design in favor of processing the RS data local on the vehicle and communicating that through the main tether line to the controller. This also allows us to simply "patch" the data internally in the controller. To configure this patch, navigate to MENU>SETTINGS>SERIAL DEVICES and configure the ROV port to use the desired device along with the corresponding baud rate, same as above.

Using the Cygnus UT Gauge

Navigate to MENU>SETTINGS>CYGNUS and select the target material. A custom value can also be set representing the velocity of sound through a material not listed. This data is displayed as a measurement consistent with the controller units setting (Metric/Imperial) just above the GUI compass as well as can be added to the combined data log and OSD for recording. A dash indicates no material detected. 

Using the OceanTools DigiCP CP Probe

Once the CP probe is connected through the above serial port setup, the Data will be displayed as a voltage pop up just above the GUI compass. it will also be recorded to the combined data log and can be added to the OSD through the OSD MENU.