Multiplex System
The IDRONAUT OCEAN SEVEN 3xx multi-parameter CTDs, acquire and send real-time acquired data to a remote PC. The “Multiplex System” allows the deployment of up to nine (9) OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs contemporarily.
The “Multiplex System” is composed by a dedicated hardware: “Multiplex Deck Unit”; by a special data acquisition software running under the Windows Microsoft operating system “Multiplex Program”.
The OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs are connected to the Multiplex deck unit by means of a special multi-conductor polyurethane submersible cable. The OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs are powered, through the multi-conductor deployment cable, directly from the Multiplex Deck Unit internal AC/DC power supply. The multi-conductor cable can be up to 200m long.
The Multiplex Deck Unit is connected to the Windows Personal Computer running the Multiplex program by means of a Ethernet (TCP/IP protocol) interface and cable. Therefore the Ethernet cable make it possible to control all the nine (9) OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs connected to the Multiplex Deck Unit from a single Personal Computer.
The Multiplex Deck Unit powers and interfaces the OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs by means of a “Serial Server” and a dedicated AC/DC power supply. The serial server guarantee simultaneous full-duplex communication in real-time between the OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTDs and the Deck Unit. The Deck Unit is housed in a plastic watertight box and is designed for on-board operations (see below characteristics).
Deck Unit characteristics:
Cable characteristics:
Aim of multiplex program is to provide simultaneous real time data acquisition from the nine (9) OCEAN SEVEN 3xx CTD and from the optional GPS connected to the Multiplex Deck Unit. The Multiplex program show, acquires and stores acquired data in binary files which can be later-on easily imported in REDAS5 program to carry out data post-processing, data extraction, plotting and data export in text files. Thus the purpose of Multiplex is data collection from the CTD and GPS.
