Simrad SX90 Fish finding sonar User Guide

•

Website

: http://www.simrad.no

Spain

•

Company name

: Simrad Spain

•

Address

: Poligono Partida Torres 38, 03570 Villajoyosa, Spain

•

Telephone

: +34 966 810 149

•

Telefax

: +34 966 852 304

•

E-mail address

•

Website

: http://www.simrad.es

USA

•

Company name

: Kongsberg Underwater Technology Inc / Simrad Fisheries

•

Address

: 19210 33rd Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036, USA

•

Telephone

: +1 425 712 1136

•

Telefax

: +1 425 712 1193

•

E-mail address

•

Website

: http://www.simrad.com

Malaysia

•

Company name

: Kongsberg Maritime Malaysia Sdn. Bhd

•

Address

: Unit 27-5 Signature Offices, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran

Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

•

Telephone

: +65 6411 7488

•

Telefax

: +60 3 2201 3359

•

E-mail address

•

Website

: http://www.simrad.com

386619/B

This chapter describes how to get started with the basic operation of the SX90.

It contains a brief overview of the basic system operation and procedures. If you are a first time user, we recommend that you read through this chapter while operating the

SX90 so that you can familiarize yourself with the menus, dialog boxes and display presentations.

Operating Panel

The Operating Panel is the primary means of user interface to access the SX90 functionality.

The most frequently used functions are directly available using the designated control buttons on the Operating Panel.

You can enter operational commands directly by the push of a button. To use the functions provided by the menu system, use the trackball and the

Select

View

and

Object

buttons. These three buttons correspond to the three buttons on a standard computer mouse.

The buttons on the Operating Panel are grouped in fields according to their purpose.

Main switch

: Power the sonar on (and off), lower and hoist the transducer

Symbol

: Control the target markers providing exact latitude and longitude positioning.

Mode

: Select your favourite presentation mode or user setting with the push on a button.

Gain

: Separate gain control for horizontal and vertical sonar presentation.

Range

: Separate range control for horizontal and vertical sonar presentation.

Cursor

: Menu and cursor control.

Tilt

: Easy control of the sonar's tilt angle, or start automatic search program.

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Simrad SX90

Various

: Store interesting screen captures, and zoom in on details.

Train

: Manual control of beam training, start automatic search and tracking programs.

Power on/off procedures

These procedures explain how to switch the SX90 system on and off.

The operation is made using the buttons on the Operating Panel.

Powering up the SX90

Purpose

This procedure explains how to power up the Simrad SX90 system.

Note

Make sure that you have sufficient water below the hull before you lower the SX90 transducer!

Procedure

Press the

Power

button on the display.

Press the

Power

button on the Operating Panel, and keep it depressed for approximately two seconds.

The green lamp on the right side of the button will flash to indicated that the power has been switched on, and that the computer is starting up.

After a short period you will see the sonar picture on the display.

Note

If the sonar system has been disconnected from AC power, the Processor Unit must be started manually.

On the Enix computer, use the on/off switch on the front or rear panel.

Check that the water depth beneath the keel is sufficient to lower the transducer.

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Press the

Down

button on the Operating Panel to lower the transducer.

The green lamp next to the button will flash, and an audible signal indicates that the transducer is lowered.

When the lower position has been reached, the lamp will be lit continuously, the audible signal stops, and the top button in the

Status

parameter dialog shows

Transducer:Down

Note

By default the transmit power is disabled when the sonar is powered up. This is for safety reasons. On the

Horizontal

menu, you will see that the

TX power

button flashes to remind you of this.

On the

Horizontal

menu, click

TX power

to select

Full

Tip

The sonar will start up even if circuit boards in the Transceiver Unit are malfunctioning. The sonar will then need more time to perform the start-up procedure, and a short message will be provided above the progress bar.

System ready for ping, but with reduced number of TRX32

After the sonar has started up, the

TRU On/Off

dialog can be opened by clicking the

TRU On/Off

button on the

Test

menu. Click the

Advanced

button to obtain more information.

Powering off the SX90

Purpose

This procedure explains how to power off the Simrad SX90.

Procedure

Press the

button on the Operating Panel.

The green lamp next to the button will flash, and an audible signal indicates that the transducer is hoisted.

When the upper position has been reached, the lamp will illuminate continuously, the audible signal stops, and the upper button in the

Status

menu shows

Transducer: UP

Press the

Power

button on the Operating Panel, and keep it depressed for approximately two seconds.

The sonar is switched off. Note that you must not use the green button on the

Processor Unit, only this

Power

button on the Operating Panel.

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Simrad SX90

Tip

If you forget to hoist the transducer before you press the

Power

button to switch off the SX90, the transducer is hoisted automatically. You must then wait some extra time before the sonar switches off.

If the sonar is switched off uncontrolled with the transducer in its lowered position, the transducer will normally be hoisted automatically after approximately one minute. You must however verify that this takes place. If the transducer is not hoisted automatically, it can be raised manually by means of the hoist/lower switch in the Motor Control Unit. If mains power is lost, you can also use the hand crank provided.

Switch off the display.

Operating principles

The SX90 is operated using the dedicated Operating Panel. An optional mouse (or trackball) can also be connected.

Important

In this manual, the phrase “click” means that you shall place the cursor over the specified button, field or function, and press the

Select

button on the Operating Panel (or the left mouse button) once. The phrase “double-click” means that you shall press the

Select

button (or the left mouse button) twice rapidly.

The phrase “press” means that you shall press a physical button with your finger, this is typically any button on the Operating Panel.

Controlling the cursor

Purpose

This procedure explains how to use the trackball and adjacent buttons to control the display cursor.

You use the cursor and these buttons to access the functions provided by the menu system, and to open the shortcut menus.

Tip

The trackball and the

Select

button correspond to a standard computer mouse with its left mouse button.

CURSOR

Select

V iew

Object

SONAR OPERA TING PANEL

(CD015022L)

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Procedure

Use the trackball (A) on the Operating Panel.

Observe that the cursor moves on the SX90 display, and that it changes its form depending on its location.

Observe the location of the

Select

button (B).

Place the cursor over a button on the menu, and press the

Select

button to activate the selected function.

Place the cursor in the echo presentation, and press the

View

button.

Observe that a dedicated

View

shortcut menu opens.

Which shortcut menu that opens depends on the current presentation mode, and in which view your cursor is located when you press the

View

button.

Tip

V iew

You can open the same

View

shortcut menu by pressing the

Select

button twice rapidly.

The functions on the

View

shortcut menu are all related to the visual presentation.

Place the cursor in the echo presentation, and press the

Object

button.

Observe that a dedicated

Object

shortcut menu opens.

The functions on the

Object

shortcut menu are all related to the objects you have defined, such as tracked targets or markers.

Object

Understanding the menu button principles

Purpose

This procedure explains the operational principles of the menu buttons.

Each menu contains several buttons. Each button shows both the function and the current parameter. The majority of the buttons in each menu field have three functions:

• You can select a lower parameter value.

• You can select a higher parameter value.

A C

• You can open the applicable parameter dialog at the bottom of the menu.

(C D015010A )

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Simrad SX90

Procedure

Use the trackball on the Operating Panel, and position the cursor over the left side of the button (A).

Observe that the shape of the cursor changes to a “minus” sign. This means that the value of the parameter will decrease when you press the

Select

button on the

Operating Panel.

Click on the left side of the button to decrease the parameter value

Position the cursor over the right side of the button (B).

Observe that the shape of the cursor changes to a “plus” sign. This means that the value of the parameter will increase when you press the

Select

button.

Click on the right side of the button to increase the parameter value

Position the cursor on the centre of the menu button (C).

Observe that the shape of the cursor changes to a “menu” symbol. This means that the applicable parameter dialog will open when you press the

Select

button. The dialog appears in the lower part of the menu field, and offers an overview of the available options.

Click on the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Changing a parameter value

Purpose

Observe this generic procedure to change a parameter value. Once you have gained more experience, and have become more familiar with the available options, you will select the parameters directly from the buttons.

A C

Important

(C D015010-002 )

In this manual, the phrase “click” means that you shall place the cursor over the specified button, field or function, and press the

Select

button on the Operating Panel (or the left mouse button) once. The phrase

“double-click” means that you shall press the

Select

button (or the left mouse button) twice rapidly.

The phrase “press” means that you shall press a physical button with your finger, this is typically any button on the Operating Panel.

Procedure

Move the cursor to the middle of the menu button (A). Observe that the cursor changes its shape to a menu symbol.

Press the

Select

button on the Operating Panel.

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Observe that the corresponding parameter dialog (B) opens at the bottom of the menu.

Move the cursor down to the dialog, position the cursor over the requested parameter value (C), and press the

Select

button again.

Certain parameter settings are identified with an asterisk (*). This symbol indicates the default setting known to perform well under normal conditions. If you get

“lost“ in the parameter settings, the

Default settings

function will bring up these normal parameters. The

Default setting

function is available on the

Setup

menu, and a dedicated parameter dialog is used.

Observe that the change you have requested takes immediate effect on the sonar.

This makes it easy to test the effect of each parameter setting. Note however that transceiver related parameters will first be operational in the next ping.

Move the cursor down to the

Close

button (D) in the parameter dialog, and press the

Select

button again.

Observe that the parameter dialog closes.

Tip

In the Simrad SX90, all parameters are stored automatically. This function will cause the SX90 to remember all the selected parameter settings, even when it is switched off.

Understanding the menu structure

Purpose

The menu contains several different buttons, tabs and parameter dialogs. Observe this procedure to familiarize yourself with the menu.

Procedure

Observe the blue field (A) at the top of the menu structure.

This is the

Sonar type

. This field simply states the name of the sonar.

Observe the second button (B) from the top.

This is the

Mode

button. It is present on the top of every menu.

Click this button to change presentation mode. If you click on the middle of the button you will open a dedicated menu for mode selection. If you click on the right or left side of the button you can scroll through the available modes.

Observe the vertical tabs on the right side of the menu body

(C).

These are the

Tabs

, and they are used to bring forward the different menus.

Click on one of them to see the relevant menu.

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Simrad SX90

Observe the main body of the menu (D).

This is the actual

Menu

. It contains a number of command buttons. Each menu provides a separate set of buttons. Some of them may have buttons that are unavailable in the present mode or system configuration.

Observe the buttons on the menu (E).

You can click on any

Button

to change the applicable parameter. If you click on the middle of the button you will normally open a dedicated parameter dialog for parameter selection. If you click on the right or left side of the button you can scroll through the available choices.

At the bottom of the menu, observe the

Parameter dialog

(F).

When you click a menu button, the relevant parameter dialog opens at the bottom of the menu. Each parameter dialog holds one or more buttons or menus. To close a parameter dialog, click the

Close

button.

Most dialogs provide a

Help

button for access to the on-line help. In this example you can see the

Status

dialog, which is replaced when a parameter dialog is opened.

At the very bottom of the menu system, observe the

Messages

(G).

The button at the bottom of the menu is used to provide relevant messages from the sonar system. The background colour changes to reflect the importance of the message.

Investigating the echo presentation and menu

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to familiarize yourself with the menu and echo presentation area on the SX90.

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Procedure

Once the SX90 is up and running, observe the layout of the display presentation:

(CD015008A)

On the right side, observe the menu system (A).

On the left side, observe the sonar echo presentation (B).

On the Operating Panel, press the

Menu

button (located above the large trackball).

Observe that the menu disappears from the display presentation.

When the menu is removed the echo presentation is extended to cover the entire display.

Use the trackball, and move the cursor over to the left or right side of the display.

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Simrad SX90

Observe that the menu reappears on the selected side (A), and that the remaining echo presentation area is not re-scaled.

(CD015008C)

Move the cursor towards the centre of the display, and observe that the temporary menu disappears.

On the Operating Panel, press the

Menu

button one more time, and observe that the menu reappears.

Starting normal operation

Once you have powered up the complete SX90 system, you are ready to start the actual operation.

When started up, the SX90 will automatically apply its previous setup parameters.

Observe these brief procedures to familiarize yourself with the basic operations with echo presentations and menu operations.

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Selecting the presentation mode

Purpose

Your SX90 is equipped with several presentation modes. Observe these procedures to choose the mode best fit for your current operations.

Procedure

1 Basic procedure a

Locate the

Mode

field on your Operating

Panel.

Press one of the four buttons to choose presentation mode.

Using this method, you can only choose between the four modes predefined fort these buttons. Which modes to choose from are defined in the

Sort Modes

menu.

2 Alternative method a

Locate the

Mode

button on the top of each menu.

Click

Mode

to choose presentation mode.

Click the left or right side of the

Mode

button to choose mode, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Changing the menu language

Purpose

The menu system on your SX90 sonar is available in several languages.

Procedure

Click the

Display

tab to open the menu.

On the

Display

menu, click

Language

Use this function to choose the language used on the menu buttons.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Changing the presentation colours

Purpose

The echo presentation on your SX90 sonar can be provided using many colours and different palettes to suit your preferences.

Procedure

Click the

Display

tab to open the menu.

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Simrad SX90

On the

Display

menu, click

Palette

This parameter allows you to choose a presentation colour palette to suit your personal preferences and the ambient light conditions.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

On the

Display

menu, click

Colours

This parameter allows you to control how bright colours you wish to use. The colour bar in the menu shows the colour range currently in use.

On the

Display

menu, click

Resolution

This parameter allows you to use 16 or 64 colours in the display presentation. This is a personal preference. The chosen resolution is shown in the colour bar below the button.

Changing the operational range

Purpose

The range of your SX90 sonar can be set individually for the horizontal and vertical presentations.

Range

H-

Range

H+

• The range applied to the horizontal presentation modes can be changed using the Operating Panel or the

Range

button on the

Horizontal

menu.

• The range applied to the vertical presentation modes can be changed using the

Operating Panel or the

Range

button on the

Vertical

menu.

Note

When this parameter is changed on a horizontal menu, the chosen setting is only put to use on the horizontal sonar presentation. If you change the parameter on a vertical menu, it is only applied to the vertical sonar slice presentation.

Procedure

1 Basic procedure a

Observe the

Range

field on the Operating Panel.

It provides separate gain controls for the horizontal and vertical sonar presentations.

Range

V-

Range

V+

Press the

Range H-

and

Range H+

buttons to decrease or increase the horizontal range.

Press the

Range V-

and

Range V+

buttons to decrease or increase the vertical range.

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Alternative method: Horizontal range

Click the

Horizontal

tab to open the menu.

On the

Horizontal

menu, click

Range

This parameter is used to control the range of the SX90, that is the distance from the vessel to the outmost edge of the sonar beam.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Alternative method: Vertical gain

Click the

Vertical

tab to open the menu.

On the

Vertical

menu, click

Gain

This parameter is used to control the range of the SX90, that is the distance from the vessel to the outmost edge of the sonar beam.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Adjusting the vertical and horizontal gain

Purpose

The range of your SX90 sonar can be set individually for the horizontal and vertical presentations.

Gain

H-

• The gain applied to the horizontal presentation modes can be changed using the Operating Panel or the

Gain

button on the

Horizontal

menu.

• The gain applied to the vertical presentation modes can be changed using the

Operating Panel or the

Gain

button on the

Vertical

menu.

Note

Gain

H+

Procedure

1 Basic procedure a

Observe the

Gain

field on the Operating Panel.

Gain

V-

Gain

V+

It provides separate gain controls for the horizontal and vertical sonar presentations.

Press the

Gain H-

and

Gain H+

buttons to decrease or increase the horizontal gain.

Press the

Gain V-

and

Gain V+

buttons to decrease or increase the vertical gain.

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Simrad SX90

Alternative method: Horizontal gain

Click the

Horizontal

tab to open the menu.

On the

Horizontal

menu, click

Gain

The

Gain

parameter is used to control the receiver gain, that is how much amplification that is used on the received echoes.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Alternative method: Vertical gain

Click the

Vertical

tab to open the menu.

On the

Vertical

menu, click

Gain

The

Gain

parameter is used to control the receiver gain, that is how much amplification that is used on the received echoes.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Changing the operational frequency

Purpose

In addition to the standard 26 kHz frequency, you can select any operational frequency from 20 to 30 kHz in 1 kHz steps.

This is a very useful function when it is necessary to suppress interference from other sonars.

Note

Procedure

1 Operational frequency, horizontal a

Click the

Horizontal

tab to open the menu.

On the

Horizontal

menu, click

Frequency

This parameter is used to control the transmitter and receiver operational frequency.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

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2 Operational frequency, vertical a

Click the

Vertical

tab to open the menu.

On the

Vertical

menu, click

Frequency

This parameter is used to control the transmitter and receiver operational frequency.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Saving the current user settings

Purpose

All the parameter settings you make can be saved for later use.

Procedure

Click the

Setup

tab to open the

Setup

menu.

On the

Setup

menu, click

User setting

button to open the parameter dialog.

This function allows you to save the current user settings (including parameter selections), and to retrieve previously saved factory or user settings.

Click the

Save current setting

button.

The current setting is saved with the default identification name.

The

Rename

button permits you to change the user name.

Note

When you create a user name you can in principle use any name, but the

Mode

buttons on the Operating Panel will only choose from the names “User 1”, “User

2”, “User 3” and “User 4”. These names must also be on the top of the list. If you wish to add users, apply names like for example “User 5 Charlie”.

The name you choose can only contain normal alphanumerical characters; A-Z and/or 0–9. Do not use “special” characters like comma, full stop, backslash, hyphens etc.

Adjusting the Automatic Gain Control (AGC)

Purpose

The AGC (Automatic Gain Control) function adjusts the gain using an image processing algorithm. This processing depends on the strength of the incoming echo signal.

The image is analyzed, and reverberation and echoes are identified. Based on the analysis, weak echoes are amplified, while strong echoes are reduced. The result is a

“normalizing” effect that reduces noise and reverberation. The AGC is functional up to

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Simrad SX90 the sonar’s maximum range. As show in the menu, the AGC has four different settings.

These settings define the difference between the maximum and minimum echo level for the filter to take effect.

Note

Tip

The most practical way to use the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) is to first switch it off. Adjust the echo presentation using the gain until you have the best possible result, then activate the AGC.

The AGC works best with even background (homogenous noise conditions) and pronounced targets. With uniform sonar conditions you may benefit from strong AGC compensation. However, if you are looking at scattered fish, reduce the AGC, and try to add gain instead.

If you work close to other vessels, the noise from their propellers may be misinterpreted as echoes. This will also reduce the visibility of other echoes. Reduce the AGC. The same applies if the bottom conditions place your vessel with decreasing depth on one side of the vessel and your targets on the other side.

If you have very strong echoes from a large school located close to your vessel (typically closer than 150 meters), we recommend that you reduce or switch off the AGC. This is because the AGC filter misinterprets the school for noise.

Keep in mind that the filters in the SX90 are implemented in “series”. The gain compensations are made before the AGC. For this reason, your gain setting will always have an effect on the AGC.

Procedure

Click either the

Horizontal

Vertical

tab to open the respective menu.

Observe the

AGC

button.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Adjusting the Reverberation Controlled Gain (RCG)

Purpose

The Reverberation Controlled Gain (RCG) regulates the receiver gain individually for each of the receiving beams.

386619/B

If you select weak or medium filter strength, signals with small variations, like propeller noise, surface and bottom reverberations will be removed, while signals with fast variations, like target echoes or bottom echoes, will not be removed. If you select a strong filter, a special function removes the bottom, while echoes on the bottom will be presented.

Scattered fish can be perceived as reverberation. The RCG function must therefore be used with care if scattered schools are to be detected.

Note

Tip

We recommend that the RCG is active all the time, but be careful in the vertical presentation. The Reverberation Controlled Gain (RCG) works best on small objects.

Setting “1” is intended for schools. Setting “2” is made for schools with higher density.

Try “3” for schools close to bottom, as this setting will also reduce the bottom echoes.

If you are looking for scattered fish, use RCG setting “4” or “5”.

Settings “6” and “7” are also intended for schools, while ”8” and “9” can be used on scattered fish. These settings use alternative algorithms.

Procedure

Click either the

Horizontal

Vertical

tab to open the respective menu.

Observe the

RCG

button.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Adjusting the Time Variable Gain (TVG)

Purpose

The

TVG

parameter allows you to choose the Time Variable Gain setting in the SX90.

This function will automatically adjust the gain in the SX90 to compensate for geometric spreading and absorption.

Note

386619/B

Simrad SX90

Tip

For normal use, set the TVG to its default setting

20 log R

. To increase the detection at longer range, try to use

30 log R

20 log R

. If you use

20 log R

the bottom will always be presented with the same echo strength.

If you wish to examine weak echoes very close to your vessel, you may wish to use

10 log R

5 log R

, or turn off the TVG.

Keep in mind that the filters in the SX90 are implemented in “series”. The TVG compensations are made before the AGC (Automatic Gain Control). For this reason, your TVG setting will always have an effect on the AGC.

If you disable the TVG compensation, maximum gain will be used on all ranges.

Procedure

Click either the

Horizontal

Vertical

tab to open the respective menu.

Observe the

TVG

button.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Typical parameter settings

The SX90 offers numerous parameter settings. Choosing the correct settings for each individual type of fisheries and species can be a challenge. In the following, we suggest a selection of typical parameter settings. We acknowledge that sea and weather conditions, vessel independent properties and personal preferences play a vital part when you “tune” your sonar for best performance. These settings have however proven to be efficient for several individual users, and may also serve you as a “base” for your own adjustments.

Setting the net

Parameter

Presentation mode

Gain

Pulse form

Beam

Frequency

TVG

AGC

RCG

Horizontal beam

Bow Up / 270 Vertical

FM Auto

Narrow

28 kHz

20 log R

Weak

Vertical beam

FM Auto

N/A

28 kHz

20 log R

Weak

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Parameter

Noise Filter

PP Filter

Blue whiting

Parameter

Presentation mode

Gain

Pulse form

Beam

Horizontal beam

Medium

Herring

Parameter

Presentation mode

Gain

Pulse form

Beam

Frequency

TVG

AGC

RCG

Noise Filter

PP Filter

Horizontal beam

Bow Up / 270 Vertical

FM Auto

Narrow

26 kHz

20 log R

Medium

Pollock and saithe

Parameter

Presentation mode

Gain

Pulse form

Beam

Frequency

TVG

AGC

RCG

Noise Filter

PP Filter

Horizontal beam

Bow Up / 270 Vertical

FM Short

Normal

28 kHz

10 log R

Medium

Horizontal beam

Bow Up / 270 Vertical

CW long

Narrow

Vertical beam

N/A

Medium

Vertical beam

FM Auto

N/A

28 kHz

20 log R

Weak

N/A

Medium

Vertical beam

FM Short

N/A

28 kHz

10 log R

Weak

N/A

Medium

Vertical beam

FM Auto

N/A

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Simrad SX90

Parameter

Frequency

TVG

AGC

RCG

Noise Filter

PP Filter

Mackerel

Parameter

Presentation mode

Gain

Pulse form

Beam

Frequency

TVG

AGC

RCG

Noise Filter

PP Filter

Horizontal beam

21 kHz

20 log R

Strong

Medium

Vertical beam

28 kHz

20 log R

Weak

N/A

Medium

Horizontal beam

Bow Up / 270 Vertical

FM Auto

Narrow

30 kHz

20 log R

Weak

Vertical beam

FM Auto

N/A

30 kHz

20 log R

Off

N/A

Weak

Echo presentations

The information provided by the SX90 is presented in individual views. Basically, three different views are used.

• Omni presentation (horizontal)

• Vertical slice presentation

• Catch data presentation

The size of each view can easily be adjusted.

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Investigating the omni presentation

Purpose

Observe this procedure to familiarize yourself with the omni presentation provided by the SX90. The presentation can be arranged in three different ways.

True mode, in which the picture is locked to a geographical position, and the vessel moves around the screen according to its present course and speed.

Bow up, in which the vessel symbol is stationary on the screen with the bow pointing upwards.

North up, in which the vessel symbol is stationary on the screen with true north always up.

When the Omni beam is tilted, the total beam picture can be compared with folding an umbrella, which means that all beams in 360 degrees around the vessel have the same tilt angle.

In several presentation modes, the omni presentation is combined with a vertical slice, and/or with a catch data presentation.

Procedure

Locate the

Mode

button on the top of each menu.

Click

Mode

to choose presentation mode Bow Up/Vertical.

Observe the omni presentation, and compare it with the example provided.

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Simrad SX90

This screen capture has been taken from an sonar working on a Norwegian fishing vessel somewhere in the North Sea. The Bow Up/Vertical mode is used, and several distinctive schools can be seen.

The information in the top left corner shows the current range, gain and tilt settings.

The information in the top right corner shows the location of the cursor. The depth of the cursor is calculated based on the selected tilt and the distance from your own vessel.

In this mode, the vessel is placed at the centre of the omni presentation with the ship's head pointing straight up. The compass rose on the outer presentation circle will move to reflect the heading, observe the N, E, S and W characters to identify the compass bearings.

The echoes immediately under and around the vessel symbol are noise from the water passing the hull.

Not all fish schools are interesting for the skipper. The three schools identified are obviously too small.

This is the school of fish that the skipper is interested in. He has placed a target track on it (3P) indicating that this is target no 3, and that this is his priority target. The audio channel (the white line) is automatically placed on this priority target, this allows you see the same school in the vertical slice presentation.

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The line after the target shows the movement history of the target (school of fish). The vertical line pointing up from the target track symbol indicates the target's calculated course (direction) and speed (length).

The information in the bottom left corner provides the target's bearing and distance (relative to the ship) and its speed. If you click on the target symbol, the information will also appear in the parameter dialog under the menu.

The triangle identified as “17” is a standard marker.

The information in the bottom right corner provides the course, depth and speed of the latest marker relative to the previous marker. Marker 17 is shown here, and the current information is then relative to the position of marker 16.

This information is provided when you first establish the latest marker. It will thus remain unchanged even if you move marker 17 manually.

The white line shown after the ship symbol indicates the previous movements of your vessel.

Investigating the vertical slice presentation

Purpose

Observe this procedure to familiarize yourself with the vertical slice presentation provided by the SX90.

In addition to seeing the target from above, it is also possible to see the target from the side, by using the vertical slice presentation. In this case the beam covers a continuous vertical beam from 0 to -60 degrees in one transmission.

This vertical slice, which is presented by the white bearing line (also referred to as the

“audio line”) in the horizontal picture, can be selected to any bearing by the manual training control.

In addition to the Omni picture, the vertical slice is especially useful for visualizing the vertical distribution of a school of fish. In that way, it is not necessary to go over the target to see the distribution on the echo sounder, which often results in a spreading of the school.

Important

Note that this view is by default located on the right hand side of the

SX90 presentation, and often hidden behind the menu. In order to see the view, press the

Menu

button on the Operating panel, or click the

Full Screen:On

button on the

Display

menu.

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Simrad SX90

Procedure

Locate the

Mode

button on the top of each menu.

Click

Mode

to choose presentation mode Bow Up/Vertical.

Observe the vertical slice presentation, and compare it with the example provided.

This is the same screen capture one more time, but this time with focus on the vertical view in the bottom right corner. Note that the vertical view is made along the white audio line in the omni presentation.

This information at the bottom left corner of the vertical views provides the tilt, distance and depth of the cursor.

The information is only valid when the cursor is located within the view. Once you move it outside, any spurious values may be displayed.

This is the same target as shown in the omni presentation. In the vertical view, however, you see it sideways, like on an echo sounder. Note the appearance of the bottom below the main school. The bottom can not be seen in the omni presentation due to the reverberation filtering.

This is the school of fish that the skipper is interested in. He has placed a target track on it (3P) indicating that this is target no 3, and that this is his priority target. The same information is provided by the omni presentation.

This line indicates the current tilt. This is the same information as in the top left corner of the omni presentation.

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These are the depth lines in the vertical presentation. They are used to indicate how deep the various targets are located. The units can be changed in the

Units

parameter dialog.

Investigating the catch data presentation

Purpose

The combination of the Omni mode and the vertical slice will give an optimal visualization of the catch situation. Observe this procedure to familiarize yourself with the catch data presentation provided by the SX90.

The Catch Data view is only available in the following presentation modes:

• Bow up/Vertical

• True motion/Vertical

• 270°/Vertical

The purpose of this view is to offer information related to the catch phase.

There are two catch data presentation modes, depending on the gear you have chosen in the

Gear

parameter dialog on the

Setup

menu. The screen capture shown here reflects a purse seine.

Important

Note that this view is by default located on the right hand side of the

SX90 presentation, and often hidden behind the menu. In order to see the view, press the

Menu

button on the Operating panel, or click the

Full Screen:On

button on the

Display

menu.

Note

In order to see the echo in this view, you must start a target track on the chosen target.

Procedure

Locate the

Mode

button on the top of each menu.

Click

Mode

to choose presentation mode Bow Up/Vertical.

Choose any echo on the sonar presentation, place the cursor on top of the echo, and press the

Target Track

button on the Operating Panel to start a target track.

Observe the catch data presentation, and compare it with the example provided.

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Simrad SX90

This is the same screen capture one more time, but this time with focus on the presentation in the top right corner.

This information at the bottom left corner of the catch data presentation provides data related to the target. You can read its depth, position, movements, area and the estimated volume of fish.

The quantity of fish depends on the parameters you have entered in the

School

parameter dialog on the

Setup

menu.

This

Net state

button is only available if you use a purse seine. It initiates the catch sequence, in which the SX90 can be used in a “tactical mode”. In this mode, the purse seine is indicated as a yellow circle on the omni presentation.

If you use a trawl, this button is replaced with a temperature read-out. This information however assumes that you have the applicable sensors connected to the SX90.

This line of yellow X'es indicates the height of the purse seine. This is the depth you have defined in the

Gear

parameter dialog on the

Setup

menu. It is thus a fixed value, and it is not visible when you use a trawl.

The vertical axis of the coordinate system specifies the depth. The range is defined in the

CatchView

menu. By default, the depth range is automatic, but you can override this in the

Range

parameter dialog.

To open the

CatchView

menu, press the

View

button on the Operating Panel, or the middle mouse button, when the cursor is located in the Catch data view.

Then, click

View Menu

in the

View

pop-up menu.

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The information provided at the top of the view depends if you use a trawl or a purse seine.

With a purse seine (as shown in the screen capture), the horizontal line at the top of the presentation does not by itself offer any information. However, the digits shown above it are important.

• The left digits are a timer. It will measure the time elapsed since you “shot” the purse seine. The timer starts when you click the

Net state

button to change its status from Ready to Shot.

• The middle digits measures the length of the purse seine that you have released. As the length increases, a yellow bar provides a visual presentation.

The current depth of the footrope is also shown with in yellow.

• The right digits reflect the total length of the purse seine. This is the length you have defined in the

Gear

dialog on the

Setup

menu. It is thus a fixed value.

With a trawl, the horizontal line is used as a reflect the course of the trawl. If you have an ITI system connected to the SX90, a trawl symbol will be shown to indicate the position of the trawl opening relative to the target. You can then easily manoeuvre your vessel to obtain the best possible catch.

This is the echo from your target. It is shown as in a vertical slice, which means that it vertical position in the view reflects its actual depth. The echo appears smaller than in the vertical slice presentation because the beam width is only 11 degrees.

This information shows the course and speed of your own vessel.

Visual aids and cosmetics

The sonar display contains not only the sonar picture and the menu system, but also other information that is useful for efficient operation.

Investigating the common information on the display

Purpose

Observe this procedure to familiarize yourself with the common information provided at the top of the SX90 presentation.

Procedure

Locate the

Mode

button on the top of each menu.

Click

Mode

to choose presentation mode True Motion.

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Simrad SX90

Observe the information provided on the top of the presentation.

In nearly all presentation modes, the following information is provided.

B A

C D

(CD015013A)

Current horizontal gain.

Current horizontal range.

The cursor's current geographical position (provided that the necessary sensor is connected to the sonar).

The cursor's current bearing relative to the vessel or true north.

Current tilt.

Current range and depth of the cursor position.

Moving the boundary lines

Purpose

In most presentation modes with multiple views, the size of each view can easily be modified by moving the boundary line between the views.

Observe the following procedure.

Select

Procedure

Place the cursor on the boundary line. Observe that it changes its shape to a double arrow (↔).

Press and hold the

Select

button on the Operating Panel (or the left mouse button)

Move the cursor with the

Select

button depressed.

Observe that the boundary line is moved.

Release the

Select

button.

Observe that the boundary line has been relocated to the new cursor position.

Adjusting the variable range marker

Purpose

The Variable Range Marker (VRM) consists of an adjustable range ring with range read-out. It can be used for any type of distance marking relative to the vessel.

Select

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• Visual aids (cosmetics): Variable Range Marker, Compass Card and Vertical Ring on page 40

Procedure

Click the

Display

tab to open the menu.

Click the

Cosmetics

button to open the

Cosmetics

menu.

This menu allows you to control the amount of support information on the SX90 presentation.

Click the

VRM

button to activate the variable range marker.

A red dotted circle is shown on the sonar presentation. The range from the center

(vessel) is indicated in the lower right quadrant of the circle.

Place the cursor anywhere on the dotted line.

Press and hold the

Select

button on the Operating Panel (or the left mouse button)

Move the cursor to increase or decrease the diameter of the circle.

Release the

Select

button to lock the variable range marker to its new size.

Moving the bearing (audio) line

Purpose

The bearing line is shown as a while line starting at the center of the omni presentation

(vessel) and stretching out to the outer circle. The bearing line serves several important purposes.

• It shows you the bearing to a selected target

• When you are using a presentation mode with a vertical slice, the bearing line defines the direction of the vertical view.

• When you are using sound, the bearing lines defines the direction from which the sound is extracted.

Tip

The white Bearing line is also frequently referred to as the “Audio line”.

Procedure

1 Basic procedure a

Observe the

Train

field on the Operating Panel.

It provides two separate buttons to move the bearing line.

Press either of the two buttons to change the direction of the bearing line.

2 Alternative method 1 a

Place the cursor anywhere on the bearing line.

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Simrad SX90

Press and hold the

Select

button on the Operating Panel (or the left mouse button)

Move the cursor to change the direction of the bearing line.

Release the

Select

button to lock the bearing line to its new direction.

3 Alternative method 2 a

Click the

Horizontal

tab to open the menu.

On the

Horizontal

menu, click

Bearing

The

Bearing

parameter is – when opened from the

Horizontal

menu – used to control the bearing of the horizontal sonar beam.

Click either side of the button to leaf through the options, or the middle of the button to open the parameter dialog.

Modifying the amount of visual aids (cosmetics) on the presentation

Purpose

The choices in the

Cosmetics

menu allows you to enable or disable a range of visual aids in the sonar picture.

• Visual aids (cosmetics): Depth Dividers, Minute Markers and Bow Marker on page 41

Procedure

Click the

Display

tab to open the menu.

Click the

Cosmetics

button to open the

Cosmetics

menu.

This menu allows you to control the amount of support information on the SX90 presentation.

Observe a range of parameters available to provide you with additional information on the sonar picture.

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Visual aids (cosmetics): Bearing Card, Wind Marker and

Distance Rings

Bearing Card

The

Bearing Card

(A) shows the current bearing relative to the vessel.

The markers are shown as short white lines for every 10th degree along the outer circle of the sonar view.

400 300 200 100

Wind Marker

The

Wind Marker

(B) is shown as an arrow drawn from the Compass card pointing towards the centre of the display. If a wind sensor is connected to the sonar, it will automatically show the

C current wind direction.

Otherwise, the wind direction may be entered

(CD015013B)

Bearing Card (A), Wind Marker (B) and Distance Rings (C)

manually. The arrow has a fixed length, it is not scaled according to the current wind speed.

Distance Rings

The

Distance Rings

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Simrad SX90

Visual aids (cosmetics): Variable Range Marker, Compass

Card and Vertical Ring

Variable Range

Marker (VRM)

The

Variable Range

Marker (VRM)

(D) consists of an adjustable range ring with range read-out. It can be used for any type of distance marking relative to the vessel. To adjust the marker, locate the cursor on the marker ring, press the

Select

on the

Operating Panel, and move the cursor with the

Select

button depressed.

When the button is released, the variable range marker radius will be locked to the new position.

Compass Card

Variable Range Marker (D), Compass Card (E) and

Vertical Ring (F)

The

Compass Card

(E) is shown as short yellow lines for every 10th degree along the outermost circle of the sonar view. A triangle symbol indicates each 90th degree. It has labels indicating North,

East, South and West. It is updated when the heading of own ship has changed more than 1 degree.

Vertical Ring

The

Vertical Ring

(F) shows the selected range of the vertical slice as a full circle in the horizontal presentation. This is an indication of which distance a target should be presented in the vertical view. The Vertical Ring will only be visible in those modes that support a vertical slice.

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Visual aids (cosmetics): Depth Dividers, Minute Markers and Bow Marker

Depth Dividers

The

Depth Dividers

(G) are horizontal dotted lines used to visualize the depth steps in the vertical slices.

Minute Marker

The

Minute Markers

(H) are shown as small circles on the track history of the ship.

Bow Marker

The

Bow Marker

(I) is heading marker. It is a dotted line drawn from the bow of your own ship.

Depth Dividers (G), Minute Markers (H) and Bow Marker

(I)

Online help

Purpose

The Simrad SX90 sonar is equipped with a comprehensive context sensitive online help system.

Help is provided in two levels;

• On-line and

• Free

The help system is available from all the parameter dialogs and menus by clicking the

Help

button.

Important

The online help is only available in English.

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Simrad SX90

Procedure

Click the

Horizontal

tab to open the menu.

Click the middle of the

Range

button to open the parameter dialog.

In the parameter dialog, click the

Help

button.

Once pressed, the first help text will appear in the bottom of the menu. This is the On-line text. It is short, context sensitive, and designed not to interrupt the operation of the sonar.

In the help dialog, click the

Free

button.

This will open the complete interactive manual. It contains the same information as the printed SX90 Reference Manual, but the information is made available using the menu on the left hand side and interactive links throughout the document.

Click

Free

in the bottom left corner to return to the small on-line parameter dialog.

Important

If you click

Close

button to close the large interactive manual window (Free), this view will automatically reappear the next time you click a

Help

button.

In the help dialog, click the

Close

button.

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• Powering off the SX90 on page 11

Preparing the SX90 for vessel docking

Purpose

Location of S302 in the Motor Control

Unit

When docking the vessel, great care must be taken not to damage the sonar trunk and protecting blister.

S302

HOIST

REMOTE

STOP

LOWER

Observe the following procedure before the ship is placed in dry dock

WARNING

The sonar must never be powered up when the ship is in dry dock. The transducer will be damaged if it transmits in open air. To prevent inadvertent use of the sonar, set the main on/off switch on the Processor Unit to Off, or disconnect the mains power, whenever the vessel is in dry dock.

Related topics

Procedure

Ensure that the transducer shaft is fully retracted.

Power off the sonar system.

Disconnect the mains power to the Processor Unit.

Place a label on the Operating Panel to inform all users that the sonar can not be powered up while the ship is in dry dock.

As an extra safety measure, set switch

S302

to position STOP.

This will disable the controls on the Operating Panel, and thus prevent inadvertent use

Tip

Remember to set the switch back to REMOTE when the vessel is out of dry dock and the sonar shall be put to use!

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Simrad SX90

Presentation modes

The SX90 sonar provides you with several different presentation modes. These have been created to cover all your operational needs for various types of fishing and fishing gear.

'Bow up' presentation mode description

When Bow up mode is selected, the vessel symbol is stationary on the screen with the bow pointing upwards.

The echo presentation covers 360 degrees around the vessel, and all echoes are updated for every ping. The distance from the vessel symbol to the outer echo ring is equal to the selected range. The movement of the echoes across the presentation is controlled by a combination of the vessel’s course and speed, and the target’s own movements.

'Bow up/Audio' presentation mode description

When Bow up/Audio mode is selected, the upper half of the screen shows a bow-up presentation, while the lower part is used for a recording of the audio channel.

The audio channel is shown with a continuous white line in the horizontal picture, and it can be trained in any direction. The recorded echoes are a direct replica of the echoes under the white audio line.

As the audio channel is recorded over a period of time, this mode is especially useful for detection of weak echoes mixed with reverberation or noise. The information recorded by the audio channel is always stored in the computer, even if another mode is selected. That means that this recording will always be presented when selecting the Bow up/Audio mode.

Note that the vessel symbol can be moved to any position in the horizontal view with the cursor and the

Off Centre

button on the Operating Panel.

'Bow up/Vertical' presentation mode description

When Bow up/Vertical mode is selected, the picture is divided into three sections.

The left side is a bow-up presentation similar to the Bow up mode previously described.

The upper part on the right hand side is a Catch data presentation, while the lower part is a Vertical slice presentation.

'Bow up/Dual Vertical' presentation mode description

When Bow up/Dual vertical mode is selected, the upper part of the screen shows a curtailed bow-up presentation, while the lower part shows two vertical slice presentations.

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Presentation modes

The bearing of the left vertical presentation is indicated by the white audio line in the horizontal presentation, while the bearing of the right vertical presentation is indicated by the yellow-dashed line. All borders between the different views may be moved to any position by means the trackball.

'Bow up/180° Vertical' presentation mode description

When the Bow up/180° Vertical mode is selected, the upper part of the screen shows a curtailed Bow up presentation, while the lower part shows a 180 degrees Vertical slice presentation.

This mode is mainly intended for trawlers, where the vertical view acts as a multibeam echo sounder.

The bearing of the vertical slice can be selected in the

Vertical View

menu. You can control the audio line by means of the white indicator line, and you can set it to be locked in forward, aft or athwart ships position. As the cylindrical transducer has a “blind zone” straight down, an echo presentation in this direction will be limited to two approximately

60 degrees sectors. To avoid this “blind zone”, the vertical slice is made “tippable”, and by selecting a -60 degrees tip angle (or less), a full 180 degrees coverage is obtained.

The tip angle can be adjusted from +10 to -90 degrees. In addition to the read-out in the

Tip

menu button, the selected tip angle is shown with a dotted yellow line in the tilt indicator in the upper left corner.

'True motion' presentation mode description

When True motion mode is selected, the picture is locked to a geographical position, where the vessel moves around the screen according to its present course and speed.

All echoes are always presented in their correct position relative to the vessel, and their movements on the screen will be a true representation of the movements of the targets through the water. When the vessel symbol reaches the edge of the screen, it will automatically be moved back to the centre, or to a position determined by the

Off Centre

button on the Operating Panel. This position is reset to the screen centre whenever the mode is changed.

When you press the

Target Track

button on the Operating Panel, the target will automatically be moved to the screen centre.

'True motion/Vertical' presentation mode description

When True motion/Vertical mode is selected, the picture is divided into three sections.

The left side is a True motion presentation similar to the true motion mode previously described. The upper part on the right hand side is a Catch data presentation, while the lower part is a Vertical slice presentation.

'North up' presentation mode description

When North up mode is selected, true north is always up on the screen.

The vessel symbol is stationary with the bow pointing in the vessel’s course direction.

The movement of the echoes across the screen are controlled by a combination of the vessel’s course and speed and the target’s own movements.

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Simrad SX90

'Dual 1' presentation mode description

The Dual 1 mode is a kind of “two sonars in one” operation, where each presentation is updated for every second transmission.

All settings can be set individually for each of the two presentations. This makes the dual mode especially useful for optimizing settings by directly comparing the two presentations. To optimize the horizontal settings, use the

Horizontal

menu to try different settings in the upper picture. These settings are automatically transferred to the other modes. The dual operation may also be used for other user applications, where different range, tilt, frequency and other parameters can be selected.

'Dual 2' presentation mode description

The Dual 2 mode is very similar to the Dual 1 mode previously described, but the “two sonars” are presented next to each other.

All settings can still be set individually for each of the two presentations.

'270°/Vertical' presentation mode description

The 270°/Vertical mode is specially designed for purse seining. The vertical half slice is displayed in the lower left corner for normal setting with the net on the starboard side.

If the net is set on the port side, the 60 degrees vertical slice will be displayed in the lower right hand corner. With this presentation, it is easy to keep the best contact with a school in both the vertical and horizontal presentation, and to determine its size distribution. The position of the school relative to the bottom is another important information provided by this presentation. The Catch data presentation for purse seining is shown on the right hand side. It shows all the net data relative to the target and the bottom, as well as all available target data.

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The Simrad SX90 sonar is equipped with an extensive menu system, and you will use this to choose parameters for the various modes and functions.

The chapter gives you a short description of each menu choice.

This chapter does not describe all the menu buttons on the SX90. For a complete description of these, refer to the SX90 Reference Manual.

In order to select active menu and to click the various buttons, you must use the cursor.

The cursor is controlled by the trackball on the Operating Panel, and to “click” you simply press the

Select

button.

Tip

This chapter only provides the purpose of each function and dialog box. If you wish to learn more about the functionality and the parameters offered, refer to the Simrad SX90

Reference manual or the context sensitive online help.

Active menus

The active menus are those relevant for the different presentation modes. The menus are shown with vertical selector tabs on the right hand side, and each menu can easily be selected using the trackball and the

Select

button on the Operating Panel. All menus have access to on-line help through a

Help

button.

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Simrad SX90

Horizontal menu

The

Horizontal

menu is used to control the horizontal presentations. The parameters chosen are present in all presentation modes. When a horizontal parameter setting is selected and defined in one mode, the chosen settings will automatically be applied to all modes.

The

Horizontal 2

menu is identical to the

Horizontal

menu. It is used during operations in presentation modes Dual 1 and

Parameters

Mode

The purpose of the

Mode

button is to choose the presentation mode.

Range

This parameter is used to control the range of the

SX90, that is the distance from the vessel to the outmost edge of the sonar beam.

Tilt

The

Tilt

parameter allows you to manually control the angle of the sonar beam tilt.

Bearing

The

Bearing

parameter is – when opened from the

Horizontal

menu – used to control the bearing of the horizontal sonar beam.

Gain

The

Gain

parameter is used to control the receiver gain, that is how much amplification that is used on the received echoes.

The chosen gain is only applied to the horizontal presentation.

If you activate the

AGC

(Automatic Gain Control) function, this gain setting is influenced.

Pulse Form

The

Pulse Form

parameter dialog is used to select the shape of the transmitter pulses.

The pulse forms can either be CW (Continuous Wave) with different pulse lengths, or FM (Frequency Modulation) with different pulse lengths and a continuous frequency sweep.

TX Power

The

TX Power

parameter dialog is used to select the output power from the SX90 transmitters.

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Beam

The

Beam

parameter allows you to control the vertical beam width in the horizontal presentation.

Ping Sector

The

Sector

parameter is used to select the type of search sector the SX90 shall use; Omni or Sector

Use Omni to transmit in 360 degrees, or Sector to transmit a single beam

Frequency

This parameter is used to control the transmitter and receiver operational frequency.

TVG

The

TVG

parameter allows you to choose the Time Variable Gain setting in the

SX90. This function will automatically adjust the gain in the SX90 to compensate for geometric spreading and absorption.

AGC

This parameter controls the Automatic Gain Control. This function will automatically reduce the gain if you experience reverberation and noise, or increase it if the conditions permit it.

RCG

This parameter is used to control the Reverberation Controlled Gain. This function will automatically remove unwanted reverberation from the bottom or from the sea surface. It may however also remove scattered fish from the presentation.

Noise Filter

This parameter allows you to control the built-in filter designed to remove unwanted acoustic noise from the SX90 presentation.

It will reduce the interference from other acoustic systems (sonars and echo sounders) on your own vessel and from other vessels in the vicinity. It will also suppress the noise from your own and other vessels’ propellers, and from other similar noise sources.

PP Filter

This parameter controls the ping-ping filter, which reduces the amount of unwanted noise and echoes on the screen. The filter will only show you the echoes if they are still present after several consecutive pings (2, 4 or 8). This function will provide you with a more stable echo presentation, as spurious echoes will be suppressed.

Help

Click this button to open the online help system.

Status

The

Status

parameter dialog contains a transducer position indicator, as well as presentation of current time, date, latitude, longitude, heading and speed. Some of the buttons allow you to adjust these parameters.

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Simrad SX90

Vertical menu

The

Vertical

menu is only shown in modes with a vertical slice function.

All relevant settings, except the

TX Power

, can be selected separately for the vertical modes independent of the horizontal settings. When a vertical setting is selected and defined in one mode, the setting will automatically be applied to all vertical presentation modes.

Parameters

Mode

The purpose of the

Mode

button is to choose the presentation mode.

Range

This parameter is used to control the range of the

SX90, that is the distance from the vessel to the outmost edge of the sonar beam.

Bearing

The

Bearing

parameter dialog controls – when opened from the

Vertical

menu – the bearing of the vertical slice, and thus the audio line.

Gain

The

Gain

parameter is used to control the receiver gain, that is how much amplification that is used on the received echoes.

The chosen gain is only applied to the vertical presentation.

If you activate the

AGC

(Automatic Gain Control) function, this gain setting is influenced.

Pulse Form

The

Pulse Form

parameter dialog is used to select the shape of the transmitter pulses.

The pulse forms can either be CW (Continuous Wave) with different pulse lengths, or FM (Frequency Modulation) with different pulse lengths and a continuous frequency sweep.

TX Power

The

TX Power

parameter dialog is used to select the output power from the SX90 transmitters.

Frequency

This parameter is used to control the transmitter and receiver operational frequency.

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TVG

The

TVG

parameter allows you to choose the Time Variable Gain setting in the

SX90. This function will automatically adjust the gain in the SX90 to compensate for geometric spreading and absorption.

AGC

This parameter controls the Automatic Gain Control. This function will automatically reduce the gain if you experience reverberation and noise, or increase it if the conditions permit it.

RCG

PP Filter

Help

Click this button to open the online help system.

Status

The

Status

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Simrad SX90

Vertical 180 menu

The

Vertical 180

menu is only shown when the Bow

up/180° Vertical mode is chosen.

All relevant settings, except the

TX Power

, can be selected separately for the vertical modes independent of the horizontal settings. When a vertical setting is selected and defined in one mode, the setting will be automatically applied to all vertical presentation modes.

Parameters

Mode

The purpose of the

Mode

button is to choose the presentation mode.

Range

This parameter is used to control the range of the

SX90, that is the distance from the vessel to the outmost edge of the sonar beam.

Tip

This parameter controls the angle of the vertical slice in the Bow up/180° Vertical mode. Use this feature to avoid the vertical blind zone.

Bearing

The

Bearing

parameter dialog controls – when opened from the

Vertical

menu – the bearing of the vertical slice, and thus the audio line.

Gain

The

Gain

parameter is used to control the receiver gain, that is how much amplification that is used on the received echoes.

The chosen gain is only applied to the vertical presentation.

If you activate the

AGC

(Automatic Gain Control) function, this gain setting is influenced.

Pulse Form

The

Pulse Form

parameter dialog is used to select the shape of the transmitter pulses.

The pulse forms can either be CW (Continuous Wave) with different pulse lengths, or FM (Frequency Modulation) with different pulse lengths and a continuous frequency sweep.

TX Power

The

TX Power

parameter dialog is used to select the output power from the SX90 transmitters.

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Frequency

This parameter is used to control the transmitter and receiver operational frequency.

TVG

The

TVG

parameter allows you to choose the Time Variable Gain setting in the

SX90. This function will automatically adjust the gain in the SX90 to compensate for geometric spreading and absorption.

AGC

This parameter controls the Automatic Gain Control. This function will automatically reduce the gain if you experience reverberation and noise, or increase it if the conditions permit it.

RCG

PP Filter

Help

Click this button to open the online help system.

Status

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Display menu

The

Display

menu is shown in all display modes, and provides access to parameters controlling the visual presentation of the SX90 presentations.

Note that some of the choices on the menu are simple on/off buttons.

Parameters

Mode

The purpose of the

Mode

button is to choose the presentation mode.

Full Screen

This is an on/off switch. When switched “on” the menu system is removed from the SX90 presentation. To recall the menu, move the cursor to the left side of the screen, observe that the menu appears, then switch

Full Screen

“off”.

The same function is provided by the

Menu

button on the Operating Panel.

Palette

This parameter allows you to choose a presentation colour palette to suit your personal preferences and the ambient light conditions.

Display Gain

The

Display Gain

controls the “amount” of echo that are displayed – the strength of the echo presentation on the display. Use this control together with

Gain

to control the SX90 sensitivity.

Colour Threshold

This function is provided to control how many colours you wish to use in the echo presentation. The selected colour threshold is reflected in the colour bar in the

Display

menu.

Colours

This parameter allows you to control how bright colours you wish to use. The colour bar in the menu shows the colour range currently in use.

Resolution

Select 16 or 64 colours in the display presentation. This is a personal preference.

The chosen resolution is shown in the colour bar below the button.

Panel Backlight

This function controls the intensity of the button backlighting in the Operating Panel.

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Mode buttons

Use this button to choose how the

Mode

buttons on the Operating Panel shall work.

You can either choose between the four most frequent modes, or the four most frequent user settings.

Language

Use this function to choose the language used on the menu buttons.

Units

This parameter allows you to choose the measurement units used by the SX90.

Cosmetics

Click to access the

Cosmetics

menu, which allows you to control the amount of support information on the SX90 presentation.

Bearing

Set up the vertical slice – and thus the sound channel – bearing to be relative or related to true north.

Menu

This function allows you to choose if you wish to see the complete menus (as described in this manual), or just the most important settings.

Help

Click this button to open the online help system.

Status

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Setup menu

The

Setup

menu is shown in all display modes, and gives access to parameters controlling the processing and algorithms in the SX90.

It also provides access to specific system parameters and functions such as

Test

and

Store/Recall

Parameters

Mode

The purpose of the

Mode

button is to choose the presentation mode.

Store/Recall

Click this button to record and playback SX90 images.

Test

Click this button to access the test software in the SX90. These utilities are only provided for certified service technicians, and they are not documented.

Gear

This function allows you to select the type of fishing gear you use. This will draw the gear in the right size and position relative to the own vessel symbol in the SX90 presentation.

School

This function allows you to obtain information of the volume estimation of a school. The information is used in the automatic target tracking program.

Dead Reckoning

This is an on/off function. When switched “off”, the GPS is used to calculate the position of your vessel. When “on”, the position is calculated based on the current speed and the input from the gyro.

Stabilizer

This is an “on/off” switch. When the stabilizer function is active, the SX90 will automatically adjust the presentation to compensate for the ship's movements in the sea.

Movements

This function makes it possible to estimate the position of a tracked school at a given future time.

Track window

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This command enables you to adjust the size of the “window” the SX90 places on the chosen target. The SX90 will use the echoes detected within this “window” to control the tracking.

Wind direction

If you do not have a wind sensor connected to your SX90, you can use this parameter to set the wind direction manually.

Wind speed

This is not a parameter. It is only a presentation of the current wind speed provided that a wind sensor is connected to the SX90.

Sort Modes

Click this button to open the

Sort Modes

menu. This menu is used to select the presentation modes to be activated by the four

Mode

buttons on the Operating Panel.

The four upper presentation modes in the

Sort Modes

menu will always be the four modes activated by the four

Mode

buttons in the order they are sorted.

External sync(hronisation)

This function makes it possible to eliminate interference from other Simrad sonars on board your vessel. If the sonars are connected together, you can use these settings to synchronise their transmissions.

Fish alarm

This function makes it possible to set up the SX90 to warn you when a school of fish are detected inside a selected search sector. The selected sector is shown with white dashed lines in the horizontal presentation.

User setting

This function allows you to save the current user settings (including parameter selections), and to retrieve previously saved factory or user settings.

Default Setting

Click this button to retrieve the default factory settings.

Help

Click this button to open the online help system.

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Objects menu

The

Objects

menu is shown in all display modes, and displays the Range (R), Bearing (B) and Depth (D) to all selected objects. The identifying abbreviations for the different objects are:

• AT: Automatic Target Track marker

• Ci: Circle marker

• M: Target marker

• OS: Own Ship marker

• PT: Position Track marker

• F: Radio Buoy marker (if a GPS buoy system is connected)

To delete an object, select the relevant marker in the list, and click the

Delete

button in the lower part of the menu.

Click the

Delete All

button to delete all objects.

The number behind the identifying abbreviation refers to the same number on the object in the sonar presentation. The P after the

Automatic Target Track

marker indicates the priority level where the audio channel is locked to the target.

When selecting an object in the list, a list with all the available object data will be shown below the

Objects

menu. When selecting a

Target

marker,

Automatic

Target Track

marker or a

Radio Buoy

marker in the list, a dotted bearing line from the vessel to the marker will be presented.

The parameters for each marker are shown in the

Inspect Object

parameter dialog. Click on a marker to investigate its parameters.

Temporary menus

The temporary menus are those selected from the active menus. They are also shown with vertical tabs on the right side of the menu, and can easily be selected by the trackball and the

Select

button. The temporary menus must however be closed and removed manually using the

Close

button in the bottom of menu.

All temporary menus have access to on-line help through a

Help

button.

Cosmetics menu

The

Cosmetics

menu is activated by pressing the

Cosmetics

button in the

Display

menu.

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