GAPS USBL

IXSEA has won a contract from the French based submarine cable installation company, LD TravOcean for a GAPS USBL. The portable and calibration free Global Acoustic Positioning System (GAPS) combines USBL, INS and GPS technologies. It works both in deep or extremely shallow water. After a number of trials in extreme environments, such as very shallow water, GAPS remained fully operational. (read more)

2008-07-11 12:20:34

USBL for Noisy Waters

iXBlue (France) has sold two GAPS pre-calibrated USBL systems and a PHINS 6000 inertial navigation system to Ashtead Technology (UK). GAPS (Global Acoustic Positioning System) is designed for high-accuracy tracking of ROVs, AUVs, divers and sonar or other towed systems. It can be used in a wide range of water depths, but performs particularly well in shallow, acoustically noisy waters. The units have their own internal inertial navigation system, which is pre-calibrated with the USBL before delivery to clients. This removes the need for a USBL calibration every time the system is mobilised. PHINS 6000 is a subsea... (read more)

2011-04-08 02:31:06

TrackLink USBL Systems

LinkQuest Inc. has received an order from Nekton Research LLC of Durham, North Carolina for a TrackLink 1500MA system with integrated two-way acoustic communication capability. This system will be used to track the AUV (manufactured by Nekton) while the operator performs command and control of the vehicle. The tracking system is required to work reliably in a 150 x 100m quarry, where the acoustic signal is highly reverberated due to rock walls and bottom. The order followed on successful specification tests. MacArtney A/S of Denmark has also ordered a LinkQuest system to be installed on a client's Seaeye Falcon ROV.... (read more)

2004-03-03 12:00:00

TrackLink 5000 USBL Systems

LinkQuest has released the TrackLink 5000 series of USBL tracking systems designed to work at the medium operating frequency of 17kHz. The working range of these systems is extended to 5,000 metres with high-power directional transponders and three models are ready for world-wide distribution. The TrackLink 5000LC system has a positioning accuracy of 3 degrees, TrackLink 5000MA is a medium accuracy system with a positioning accuracy of 1 degree and TrackLink 5000HA is a high accuracy system with a positioning accuracy of 0.25 degree. TrackLink 5000 systems also include integrated communication functions that share the same hardware and transducer with... (read more)

2003-11-11 12:00:00

Guidelines for Vessel USBL

The publication Guidance on Vessel USBL Systems for Use in Offshore Survey and Positioning Operations (IMCA S 017) is intended for use by offshore construction, survey and inspection companies when chartering third-party vessels with USBL system(s) already installed, when commissioning new USBL installations on new-build or existing vessels, or when maintaining existing systems. Advances in system design and sensor performance, together with high-accuracy GNSS surface positioning, have led to a significant increase in the capability, performance and accuracy of modern ultra-short baseline (USBL) acoustic positioning solutions. This has made it possible for such solutions to be used... (read more)

2011-05-09 11:48:29

Subsonus USBL Released

Advanced Navigation has released the Subsonus USBL underwater acoustic positioning system. This is a next-generation USBL underwater acoustic positioning system that, according to the manufacturer, provides high-accuracy position, velocity and heading at depths of up to 1,000 metres. The system features a hydrophone array combined with an internal tightly coupled INS, all packed into a miniature titanium enclosure small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. Subsonus is currently undergoing final in-field testing and will start shipping to customers in Q2 2015. Subsonus features an eight channel calibrated hydrophone array, offering angular and ranging accuracy. Subsonus's hydrophones are... (read more)

2015-01-19 09:16:49

TrackLink USBL Systems Sales

LinkQuest has been delivering a significant number of its USBL tracking systems to international customers recently. In October 2003 alone, LinkQuest received orders for ten TrackLink systems. SeaBotix of San Diego, California has ordered six TrackLink 1500LC systems to be instalaled on its LBV remotely operated vehicles. These ROVs will be delivered to a US Navy EOD unit in Europe in November. SeaBotix has also ordered another TrackLink 1500LC system to be used by USGS in the Great Lakes to track its newly purchased LBV. Elcome Marine Services of India has ordered two TrackLink 1500MA systems, along with four transponders.... (read more)

2004-02-02 12:00:00

USBL System for Mexican Market

C&C Technologies, headquartered in the USA, has purchased the iXBlue fourth-generation GAPS USBL acoustic positioning system for the company’s Mexico division. This will be the first time the system is directly available to customers in Mexico. The system will be used to track subsea systems in shallow and deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico and to support a range of other subsea applications such as ROVs, subsea equipment placement and diver operations. As part of the formal qualification programme, C&C staff put the new GAPS system through a number of challenging test scenarios, enabling C&C Technologies to track and... (read more)

2014-05-26 12:04:54

200th USBL System Sale

Applied Acoustic Engineering (AAE, UK), recently sold its 200th USBL system to rental company Sonar Equipment Services (SES, UK). The sale was celebrated with a short ceremony and presentation by AAE’s Sales Advisor Julian Rickards to SES’s managing director, Scott Johnstone. The system bought was the Spread Spectrum rack-mount Easytrak Nexus USBL, the fifth purchased by the company, destined for its rental pool. This product, one of a range of USBL tracking systems manufactured by Applied Acoustics, incorporates digital spread spectrum technology that reduces the transmitted acoustic signals’ susceptibility to interference. According to Mr Johnstone, the Nexus system is very... (read more)

2012-11-30 09:47:47

TrackLink USBL System Goes Inverted

LinkQuest has recently released the TrackLink 1500I acoustic tracking system, an inverted USBL (Ultra Short BaseLine) acoustic positioning system. Based on popular TrackLink 1500 systems, the depth rating of the 1500I USBL transceiver is increased to 1000 feet while all position calculation and calibration functions are included in the transceiver pressure housing. No external computer is needed for tracking. This inverted USBL system can be used for applications where the entire system needs to be submerged in deep water. With field proven Broadband Acoustic Spread Spectrum (BASS) technology, the TrackLink 1500I inverted USBL system is capable of reaching long range... (read more)

2004-12-16 12:00:00