APPLICATION NOTE NO. 17

Instructions for use of SBE 14 Remote Depth Readout
Revised June 2003

Application note in pdf format

This Application Note describes the installation and use of the SBE 14 Remote Depth Readout, a large-format, 4-digit, liquid crystal display and sonic alarm in a weatherproof, plastic housing. The SBE 14 is intended for mounting at the CTD winch operator’s position, and is operated in one of the following modes:

• Connected directly to the computer: In this configuration, the SBE 14 and the SBE 11plus Deck Unit (original 11plus or V2) each connect to the computer. The SBE 14 is powered by the computer’s RS-232 serial port and controlled through SEASAVE. The computer must have an extra RS-232 serial port to accommodate the SBE 14, in addition to the port(s) needed for the SBE 11plus.

• Connected directly to an SBE 11plus V2 (EPROM version 5.0 or greater) Deck Unit: In this configuration, the SBE 14 connects to the SBE 11plus V2, and the SBE 11plus V2 connects to the computer. The SBE 14 is powered and controlled by the SBE 11plus V2.

Installation and setup for these modes differ significantly; see below for details.

Cable:

     SBE 14 to computer: 32809

     SBE 14 to SBE 11plus V2: 32433

Top assembly: 40136

PCB assembly: 40100

Schematic: 30108

 

1. Mount the SBE 14 where the winch operator can easily read the display.
2. Wire the SBE 14 and SBE 11plus (original or V2) as follows:

1. Using the 3-pin to DB-9 cable (drawing 32809), connect the SBE 14 to the computer RS-232 COM port.
2. Connect the SBE 11plus (original or V2) to the computer -

1. Connect SBE 11plus data to GPIB parallel port or RS-232 COM port.
2. If applicable, connect SBE 11plus modem to RS-232 COM port.

The SBE 14 is set up in Sea-Bird’s SEASAVE software. SEASAVE is available in both a Windows and a DOS version. These setup instructions assume that you are running the Windows version.

1. Select Remote Display in the Configure menu. The following dialog box appears:

The dialog box entries are:

• Send Data to SBE 14 Remote Display: Select to enable computer to interface with SBE 14.
• Remote Display Data Type: Select parameter to display on SBE 14 --
  Altimeter height
  Depth
  Pressure
  Altimeter height (3 digits) + depth (4 digits)       (alternate on display)
  Altimeter height (3 digits) + pressure (4 digits)   (alternate on display)
• Depth Type: Select fresh or salt water.
• Remote Display Port: Select computer COM port connecting to SBE 14.
• Number of seconds (data time) between Remote Display Updates: SBE 14 updates display at this interval. If Altimeter height + depth or Altimeter height + pressure was selected, display alternates between altimeter height and other parameter at this interval. Do not set this to less than 1 second.

Enter the desired settings and click OK to save the settings when done.

2. Set up the SBE 14 alarms (see the figure for alarm operation details):

1. Select Alarms/Remote Display Alarm in the Configure menu. The following dialog box appears:

The dialog box entries are:

• Enable Remote Display Minimum Pressure Alarm: Select to enable minimum pressure alarm.
• Enable Remote Display Maximum Pressure Alarm: Select to enable maximum pressure alarm.
• Sound Alarm when Pressure is Less than: Enter a value that corresponds to a fairly shallow depth chosen to alert winch operator that CTD is about to reach surface on way up.
• Sound Alarm when Pressure is Greater than: Enter a value that corresponds to maximum operating depth capability of CTD, or some less depth at which you want winch operator to stop descent of CTD.

Enter the desired settings and click OK to save the settings when done.

2. Select Alarms/Altimeter Alarm in the Configure menu. (Note: Alarms/Altimeter Alarm will be grayed out if the CTD configuration does not include an altimeter. If desired, add the altimeter to the configuration .con file before proceeding). The following dialog box appears:

The dialog box entries are:

• Enable Altimeter Alarm: Select to enable altimeter alarm.
• Alarm Set Point and Alarm Hysteresis: Enter values for alarm set point (distance above bottom for alarm to turn on) and alarm hysteresis. Alarm will remain on until CTD is above (alarm set point + alarm hysteresis). This prevents alarm from cycling on and off due to ship heave.
• Minimum Pressure to Enable Altimeter Alarm: Set minimum pressure to at least 20 db. This prevents SEASAVE from sending alarm on/off commands when system is sitting on deck or entering water (when altimeter is measuring distance to deck or top of water surface).

Enter the desired settings and click OK to save the settings when done.

3. Change other configuration settings in the Configure menu, if desired.
4. Select Save Seasave Configuration as in the File menu to save all configuration changes.

The SBE 14 can be tested by running SEASAVE using either a real-time connection to an SBE 911plus system, or with archived data.

Sea-Bird’s terminal program is used to set up the SBE 11plus V2 to transmit data to the SBE 14. The terminal program is available in both a Windows (SEATERM) and a DOS (TERM11) version. These setup instructions assume that you are running SEATERM, the Windows version.

1. Temporarily connect the SBE 11plus V2’s Remote Out port to a COM port on the computer, using the supplied test cable (PN 80114).
2. Select SBE 11 Remote Out in the Configure menu. The following dialog box appears:

The dialog box entries are:

• COMM Port and Baud Rate: Select COM port and baud rate for communication between SBE 11plus V2's Remote Out port and computer. These will be used while setting up the interface with the SBE 14; during operation, the Remote Out port is not connected to the computer.

Enter the desired settings and click OK or Save As to save the settings when done.

3. Turn on the power switch on the SBE 11plus V2.
4. Click the Connect button on the Toolbar. SEATERM returns an S> prompt, showing that correct communications between the computer and the SBE 11plus V2 Remote Out port have been established.
5. Send the following commands to set up the SBE 14 display and alarm parameters (see the figure for alarm operation details):

• BAUD=300: Set baud rate for data transfer between the SBE 11plus V2 and SBE 14 to 300.

• ALARMS=x: Enable/disable alarms:
  If ALARMS=0, all alarms are disabled. Any combination of bottom contact switch, pressure, and altimeter alarm can be enabled by adding alarm value (bottom contact = 1; pressure = 2; altimeter = 4) to x.
  Example: To enable all alarms, set ALARMS=7 (1 + 2 + 4 = 7).

• FORMAT=x: Set data type for display on SBE 14:
  x=129 Altimeter height
  x=130 Depth
  x=144 Pressure
  x=145 Pressure + Altimeter height (these parameters alternate on display)
  x=131 Depth + Altimeter height (these parameters alternate on display)

• PENABLE=x: Set minimum pressure to enable alarms (bottom contact, pressure, and altimeter) to x decibars.

• PSET=x: (if pressure alarm enabled) Set pressure alarm to x decibars.

• ALTSET=x: (if altimeter alarm enabled) Set altimeter alarm to x meters.

• ALTHYST=x: (if altimeter alarm enabled) Set altimeter hysteresis to x meters. Alarm will remain on until CTD is above ALTSET + ALTHYST, to prevent alarm from cycling on and off due to ship heave.

• LAT=x: Set latitude to use for pressure to depth conversion to x degrees.

• NAVG=x: Set number of scans to average to x (6 or greater). With NAVG=6, the SBE 14 display updates every 0.25 seconds (6 scans/24 scans/second = 0.25 seconds).

6. Send other commands to configure the remote output, if desired.
7. Disconnect the SBE 11plus V2’s Remote Out port from the computer COM port.

1. Mount the SBE 14 where the winch operator can easily read the display.
2. Wire the SBE 14 and SBE 11plus V2 as follows:

1. Using the 3-pin to 5-pin cable (drawing 32433), connect the SBE 14 to the 5-pin Remote Out port on the SBE 11plus V2.
2. Connect the SBE 11plus V2 to the computer -

(1) Connect SBE 11plus V2 data to GPIB parallel port or RS-232 COM port.

(2) If applicable, connect SBE 11plus V2 modem to RS-232 COM port.

The SBE 14 can be tested using either a real-time connection to an SBE 911plus system, or with archived data on tape.

Last modified: 06-Apr-2007

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