SeaLINK Operation Manual V5.0

SeaLINK Software v 8.
053
Operation Manual Revision 5.0
Marine Magnetics Corp

135 SPY Court
Markham, ON
L3R 5H6 Canada
Tel: +1 905 479-9727
Fax: +1 905 479-9484
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.marinemagnetics.com
SeaLINK Software Operation Manual
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................... II
1 ... INSTALLING AND RUNNING SEALINK ........................................... 1

1.1 Installing SeaLINK 1
1.2 Running SeaLINK for the first time 1
2 ... INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 2

2.1 Chart Window – Quick Overview 3
2.2 Terminal Window – Quick Overview 3
2.3 NMEA Window – Quick Overview 3
2.4 GPS Information Pane – Quick Overview 3
2.5 Information Bar – Quick Overview 3
2.6 SeaLINK Toolbars 3
3 ... SEALINK BASIC CONFIGURATION ................................................. 4

3.1 Input Streams 4
3.2 Output Streams 5
3.3 GPS NMEA 5
3.4 Settings 5
4 ... USING SEALINK TO CONDUCT A SURVEY .................................... 6
5 ... CHART DISPLAY .............................................................................. 8

5.1 Chart Display in SeaLINK Mode 8
5.2 Chart Display in SeaQuest Mode 9
5.2.1 SeaQuest Longitudinal Gradient Calculation 9
5.3 Configuring the Chart Display Settings 10
5.4 Quick Scale Adjustment of Plots 11
6 ... LOGGING YOUR DATA .................................................................. 12

6.1 SeaLINK Raw Data Log 13
6.2 .XYZ File Log 13
6.3 Starting and Stopping Data Logging 14
6.4 Quickly Starting a New File 14
6.5 Real-time Repeat 14
7 ... INFORMATION BAR........................................................................ 15

7.1 Introduction 15
7.2 Configuring the Information Bar 15
7.3 Interpreting the Information Bar 15
8 ... PLACING FILE MARKERS .............................................................. 17

8.1 Standard File Markers 17
8.1.1 Introduction 17
8.1.2 How to Use File Markers 17
8.1.3 Quick Adjustment of Marker Settings 17
8.2 Custom File Markers 18
8.2.2 How to Use Custom Event Markers 19
8.3 Remotely Triggering Markers by Ring or DSR Events 19
SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 ii

8.3.2 Enabling Ring or DSR triggers for Event Markers 19
8.4 Remotely Triggering Markers via Serial ASCII 19
9 ... REVIEWING YOUR DATA ............................................................... 21
10 USING YOUR GPS .......................................................................... 22

10.1 Introduction 22
10.2 Configuring GPS Integration 22
10.3 Verifying Communication with the GPS 23
10.4 Synchronizing with the GPS 23
10.5 Tagging Co-ordinate Data 23
10.6 Appended GPS Data Format (SeaLINK Raw Data Log) 24
10.7 Logging Incoming NMEA data 24
10.8 Using the Real Time Layback (Lag) Correction 25
10.8.2 Enabling the Layback Correction 25
11 PRINTING ........................................................................................ 26
11.1 Epson Compatible 24-pin Dot Matrix Printer Support 26
11.1.2 Configuring the Plot 26
11.1.3 Starting Line-Printing 27
11.1.4 Interpreting the Plot 28
11.2 Isys V8.5e Thermal Plotter Support 29
11.2.2 Important Notes 29
11.2.3 Configuring the Plot (Printer Preferences) 29
11.2.4 Starting Real-time ISYS Printing 30
12 USING SEALINK TO PERFORM A GRADIOMETER SURVEY....... 31

12.1 Introduction 31
12.2 Setting the Input Streams 31
12.3 Configuring the Gradiometer or Smart Transceiver 31
12.4 Synchronizing the Towfish 31
12.4.1 Using a GPS with the Gradiometer or Smart Transceiver 32
12.5 Switching Back to Magnetometer Mode 32
13 TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................................... 33
13.1 ‘Failed to Open Specified COM port’ error on Start-up 33
13.2 GPS Tagging Errors 33
13.3 GPS Synchronization Error 33
13.4 Cannot Communicate with the Magnetometer 34
14 HOW TO REACH US ....................................................................... 35
SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 iii

1 Installing and Running SeaLINK
1.1 Installing SeaLINK

Instructions for installing SeaLINK:
1. Insert the SeaLINK Installation disk into the CD-ROM drive
2. Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen
3. Click on the „Run…‟ selection from the menu that is shown
4. Type in the following text in the dialogue box:
D:\SETUP
If „D‟ is not the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive then substitute the
correct drive letter in place of the letter „D‟ above.
5. Press the ENTER key.
A setup program will guide you through the installation of the product. Depending on
the configuration of your machine you may or may not need to reboot after the
installation.
1.2 Running SeaLINK for the first time

To run SeaLINK, click the SeaLINK icon in your start menu, under the „Marine
Magnetics‟ menu heading.
The first time you run SeaLINK, you will be required to enter a registration code. This
code and your user information are located on a registration letter at the beginning
of this manual. If you cannot find your registration letter, please contact Marine
Magnetics using the information at the end of this manual.
It is very important that your registration information is entered exactly as shown in
the registration letter. The correct user name and registration code will unlock your
copy of SeaLINK.
SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 1

2 Introduction
SeaLINK is a Windows application that will help you get the most out of your Marine
Magnetics magnetometer. SeaLINK interfaces with your magnetometer, allows
interaction, and displays and records incoming data. Commands can be sent to your
magnetometer in a variety of ways including: 1) typing keyboard commands in a
terminal window, 2) selecting menus with your mouse and 3) clicking shortcut
buttons on toolbars.
SeaLINK must be installed on a computer running Windows 95/98/ME or Windows
NT/2000/XP/Vista/7. The following refers to SeaLINK version 8.047. If you
currently have an older version of SeaLINK contact Marine Magnetics for a free
product upgrade.
The main SeaLINK window is divided into five regions: the Chart window, the Main
Terminal window, the NMEA window, the Information bar and the GPS Information
pane (see figure 2-1). Each of these regions can be sized according to your
preference by dragging the dividing lines, or closed using the View menu.
Command Toolbar Standard Toolbar
Chart Window
Chart Toolbar
Information Bar
GPS Information
Pane
Terminal Window
NMEA Window
Status Bar
figure 2-1: Main SeaLINK Window.

2.1 Chart Window – Quick Overview

The Chart Window is used to display towfish data (e.g. magnetic, altitude and
depth readings) as a profile line graph. It supports plotting multiple profiles
simultaneously with individual scaling. The Plot Settings Window can be accessed
by right clicking on the chart or by clicking the button on the Chart Toolbar.
For more information on the Chart Window refer to chapter 5.
2.2 Terminal Window – Quick Overview

The Terminal Window allows interaction with the magnetometer via keyboard input
and displays events and responses from the magnetometer. Note that although the
terminal can be used to send commands to the towfish, most commands can be sent
through menus or toolbars located at the top of the main window.
2.3 NMEA Window – Quick Overview

Below the Terminal Window is the NMEA Window, which displays the ASCII data
sent by your GPS receiver (i.e. NMEA sentences). You can open and close the NMEA
Window by pressing the button.
2.4 GPS Information Pane – Quick Overview

The GPS Information Pane displays the incoming NMEA sentences in a more user-
friendly form. This region can also be closed if desired by clicking the button.
2.5 Information Bar – Quick Overview

The SeaLINK Information Bar‟s purpose is to give the user a quick graphical
overview of the status of the SeaLINK software and the connected magnetometer.
For more information refer to chapter 7.
2.6 SeaLINK Toolbars

SeaLINK includes three main toolbars that allow quick access to both SeaLINK and
magnetometer commands when using a mouse. By default, only the Standard
Toolbar is displayed. The Command and Chart toolbars can be enabled from the
View | Toolbars menu. Clicking on the toolbar and dragging will allow you to
customize the toolbar locations (e.g. see chart toolbar location in figure 2-1). You
can hold the mouse pointer over a toolbar button to get a description of its function
(tool tip) on the left hand side of the Status Bar.

3 SeaLINK Basic Configuration

The first thing you should do when you first run SeaLINK is bring up the
Preferences Window. Do this by selecting the File | Preferences menu option.
The following window will appear:
figure 3-1: Input streams tab.
The Preferences Window is where all of SeaLINK‟s key features are configured.
Note the tabs along the upper edge of the window. Each of these tabs is used to
adjust a different section of SeaLINK. For now, let‟s stay on the Input Streams tab.
3.1 Input Streams

SeaLINK communicates to peripherals over RS232 COM ports using devices known
as streams. Each stream represents a specific data type that usually (but not always)
requires exclusive access to a COM port.

In the „Magnetometer/Gradiometer Data‟ area, specify the COM port and baud rate
used to communicate with the towfish. For most applications, only Port 1 will be
used. Port 2 is only used for SeaQuest array. The default baud rate is 9600bps for
SeaSPY and Explorer systems and 115200bps for SeaQuest systems.
In the „NMEA GPS Data‟ area, you can enable the use of a GPS receiver. Specify the
COM port number that the GPS is connected to, as well as the baud rate of the data
stream. Most GPS receivers transmit data at a rate of 4800bps, but some are
capable of transmitting data at faster rates.
3.2 Output Streams

The Output Streams tab is where the format and storage location of the log files are
configured. By default all log files are saved in the root directory of the C drive (c:\).
To change the file name and location, select the „Enable change of file location‟
checkbox and browse to the desired folder.
The SeaLINK Raw Data Log filename can be selected as desired and will have a .mag
file extension. For more details about file logging refer to chapter 6.
3.3 GPS NMEA

Use this tab to select the format of the GPS data to be appended to the
magnetometer data string and to optionally configure a log of the raw GPS data.
3.4 Settings
For SeaSPY and Explorer systems, select the „SeaLINK‟ option from the „Mode‟ area
of this tab. For SeaQuest and SeaQuest array, select the corresponding option.

4 Using SeaLINK to Conduct a Survey
1) Connect the Magnetometer

Follow the steps in the Getting Started section of your magnetometer‟s operation
manual. If the magnetometer is communicating properly then proceed to the GPS
setup. Otherwise refer to the troubleshooting section of your magnetometer‟s
operation manual.
2) Connect the GPS (optional)
If you are using a GPS, connect the GPS receiver to an additional COM port, and
configure the GPS to output NMEA-0183 data that includes either or both GGA or
RMC sentences. For more information refer to chapter 10.
A valid GPS connection can be verified by opening the NMEA Window by clicking
the button. You should see one or more NMEA sentence types streaming in
(see figure 4-1B). Make sure that an RMC and/or a GGA sentence is present in the
data stream.
If the data is not displaying properly in the NMEA window then make sure that you
have configured the COM port and baud rate settings for your GPS receiver
correctly in the Preferences Window (see section 3.1). Once the raw GPS data
appears in the NMEA Window, you should also see the relevant GPS information
summarized in the GPS Information Pane.
3) Set the Towfish Time
The magnetometer time can be entered manually using the T command or it can be
synchronized to either the PC time or the GPS time.
If you are using the PC time, then click the button on the Standard Toolbar.
If you are using a GPS, then click the button on the Standard Toolbar.
After a few seconds you should see the following dialogue box:
4) Zero the Pressure Sensor

The pressure sensor should be zeroed before each survey. If your system contains a
pressure sensor and it has not already been zeroed, then zero it now.
5) Check the Status of the towfish
SeaSPY and Explorer: Check the current status of the towfish with the S
command. For now, make sure all settings are set to
their default values (see figure 4-1A).
SeaQuest: Check the current status of the towfish with the d

command. For now, make sure the battery voltage B is
above 30V.

6) Deploy the Towfish

Lower the unit away from the towing vessel until a safe distance has been reached
(about three times the length of your vessel).
7) Start Sampling
Select the sampling rate from the Command menu or by pressing 1-6 in the
Terminal Window.
8) Check the Information Bar
Check the Information Bar to ensure that the Signal Strength and Quality
indicators are „Excellent‟, „Good‟ or „Acceptable‟ (gray or yellow), and ensure that
there is no high magnetic gradient („G‟ in data string). For SeaQuest systems check
the data for each sensor in the Terminal Window to ensure adequate signal
strength. Also verify that the altitude, depth, tilt and heading sensors are measuring
correctly.
9) Append GPS Coordinates to Magnetometer Data (if using GPS)
Depress the Tag GPS coordinates button: on the Standard Toolbar. You
should see GPS coordinates being appended to each magnetometer data string in the
Terminal Window. For more information please refer to chapter 10.
10) Start Logging Data
To start saving data to disk, depress the LOG button on the Standard Toolbar.
Note that the file-logging indicator on the Information Bar turns from red (OFF) to
gray (ON), to indicate that data is being saved to disk. The log filename or directory
can be changed in the Preferences Window under the Output Streams tab. Use the
Browse buttons to select the save file location for both the „Raw Data Log‟ and
optional „Geosoft XYZ Data Log‟ files. For more information on file logging refer to
chapter 6.
A
Recommended
Minimum Specific
GPS/TRANSIT Data
(RMC sentence)
B
Global Positioning
System Fix Data
(GGA sentence)
figure 4-1: A. Towfish Status (S command). B. NMEA terminal window showing

NMEA sentences streaming in from the GPS receiver.

5 Chart Display
The range or scale of the selected profile is indicated by the numbers on the left side
of the chart. To select a profile, click on the name of the desired profile on the upper
left corner of the chart. The chart can have different ranges and scales for each data
type, so each scale is color coded to match the corresponding profile. Note that these
numbers always represent the range or full-scale from the bottom of the chart to the
top of the chart. This is done to accommodate multiple scales and ranges for several
profiles on the same chart display. By Default the plotting of magnetic data uses a
relative „floating‟ scale. When the magnetic trace goes beyond one side of the chart,
it will reappear on the other side.
5.1 Chart Display in SeaLINK Mode

In SeaLINK Mode, all of the plot lines are displayed in the same chart window. Table
5-1 describes the different data types that can be displayed as plot lines.
Code Description
Total magnetic field reading of the first connected towfish.

Mag 1 (nT)
Units in nanoTeslas.
Data from altimeter on the first towfish. Height of the

Mag 1 Altitude (m)
towfish above the bottom in meters.
Data from pressure sensor on the first towfish. Depth of the

Mag 1 Depth (m)
towfish below the water surface in meters.
Total magnetic field reading of the second connected towfish.

Mag 2 (nT)
Units in nanoTeslas.
Data from altimeter on the second towfish. Height of the

Mag 2 Altitude (m)
towfish above the bottom in meters.
Data from pressure sensor on the second towfish. Depth of

Mag 2 Depth (m)
the towfish below the water surface in meters.
Difference in total field readings between the two

magnetometers (e.g. Front – Rear). To get the true gradient
Gradient (nT)
divide this value by the distance between the two fish to
obtain nT/m.
Bottom profile calculated from altitude and depth information

Mag 1 Bottom (m)
from the first towfish. (in meters below the water surface)
Bottom profile calculated from altitude and depth information

Mag 2 Bottom (m)
from the second towfish. (in meters below the water surface)
table 5-1: Available data for plotting in SeaLINK mode.

5.2 Chart Display in SeaQuest Mode

In „SeaQuest mode‟, the chart area is divided into 4 different windows. The upper-
left window displays the total magnetic field from each sensor; while the upper-right
window displays the axial gradients and the lower-right window displays the total
gradient (i.e. analystic signal). The lower-left window displays all of the platform
stability and positioning data (e.g. altitude, depth, pitch, roll). Figure 5-1 describes
the different data types that can be displayed in each window.
Upper Left Chart – Total Field Profiles Upper Right Chart – Axial Gradients
Can Display Can Display

1) total field reading of vertical sensor (nT) 1) horizontal grad (transverse) (nT/m)
2) total field reading of starboard sensor (nT) 2) horizontal grad (longitudinal) (nT/m)
3) total field reading of port sensor (nT) 3) vertical grad (nT/m)
4) total field reading of rear sensor (nT)
Lower Left Chart – Stability Information Lower Right Chart – Total Gradient
Can Display Can Display

1) altitude - platform dist. to bottom (m) 1) total gradient (nT/m)
2) depth – platform dist. to surface (m)
3) pitch of platform (degrees)
4) roll of platform (degrees)
5) bottom - water column depth (m)
6) Alt Signal – altimeter signal strength
figure 5-1: Available data for plotting in SeaQuest mode.
5.2.1 SeaQuest Longitudinal Gradient Calculation

In a 4-sensor SeaQuest, a fourth sensor is mounted to the rear of the central core.
In this case, the longitudinal gradient is calculated by subtracting the magnetic field
strength of the Rear sensor from the average of the magnetic field strengths of the
Port and Starboard sensors, and then dividing by the longitudinal distance between
the Port and Rear sensors.
Since the 3-sensor SeaQuest does not have a Rear sensor, it calculates the
longitudinal gradient by subtracting the magnetic field measurements at two
locations in the „along-track‟ direction. This result is then divided by the straight-line
distance between the two points to calculate the magnetic gradient in the „along-
track‟ direction. The straight line distance between the two field readings is obtained
by comparing the GPS readings at the current sample and the sample nine readings
prior.

5.3 Configuring the Chart Display Settings

To access the chart display settings, right-click on the desired chart window or
click the button on the chart toolbar. The Plot Settings dialog box will appear
(figure 5-2).
Here you can decide which profiles will be plotted on the chart by highlighting the
data type in the „Plot Line(s)‟ area, and selecting or deselecting the „Show Plot Line‟
checkbox (see figure 5-25-2). Each data type will appear as a different colour on the
chart. The style, colour, and thickness of the each plotted profile can be customized
in the „Line Preference‟ area (see figure 5-2).
You can alter the plotted scale of each available profile in the „Range‟ area. The
„Chart recorded wrap-around style‟ checkbox means that when the trace goes
beyond one side of the chart, it will reappear on the other side (i.e. floating scale).
Click OK to accept the chart settings.
Data field „Mag 1‟ selected

to plot as profile
Available data
fields to plot
Configuration of
scale or range of
this data field
figure 5-2: Plot Settings Window.

5.4 Quick Scale Adjustment of Plots

A quick way to change the scale of the plots in the Chart Window is to select the
profile data you wish to adjust by left-clicking the profile name on the top of the
chart or by clicking the button on the Chart Toolbar. Each click activates the
next profile plot. The name of the active profile appears at the top left corner (see
figure 2-1).
Now that the desired profile is selected use the up/down arrow keys on the
keyboard to adjust the scale up and down. The magnetic field and gradient profiles
have floating scales that will increment or decrement by factors of 10, while other
profiles have fixed scales that will be adjusted by factors of 2/3. Holding the Shift
key while pressing the up/down arrow keys will adjust the position of the profile if
the profile is set to plot with a „floating scale‟.
Note: Plot properties that are adjusted in this manner will not be saved for future
SeaLINK sessions. Only the plot properties that are adjusted using the Plot Settings
Window (see figure 5-2) will be saved for future SeaLINK sessions.

6 Logging your data
To quickly begin logging data to disk, press the button on the Standard
Toolbar. When the button is depressed file logging is on. SeaLINK will choose a
default filename if you haven‟t specified one in the Preferences Window, and by
default will store in the last save location. The right hand side of the Status Bar will
display the file path where the data is being stored (see figure 2-1). If the statement
„File logging off‟ appears, then file logging is not enabled.
The name and location of the log files can be changed in the Preferences Window
(File|Preferences), under the Output Streams tab (see figure 6-1). Click the
Browse buttons to select a file name and a directory for both the SeaLINK Raw Data
Log and the XYZ Data Log.
figure 6-1: The output streams preferences tab.

6.1 SeaLINK Raw Data Log

The SeaLINK Raw Data Log records the ASCII data generated by the magnetometer
electronics. The file has a .mag extension and can be opened and viewed by any
text editing program (e.g. Notepad). The data string format will vary slightly
depending on the model of magnetometer being used. All data strings begin with a
“*” followed by the Julian Date and 24-hour time. The data that follows this are
labeled with letter prefixes that indicate the data type. For example, the magnetic
field value can be identified in the data string by the “F:” prefix and the signal
strength by the “S:” prefix. “D” indicates the towfish depth data, “L” is the leak
detector value, and “Q:” indicates signal quality. For more information on the raw
data format of your magnetometer please consult your instrument‟s operation
manual.
There are three options for what data is included in the SeaLINK Raw Data Log (see
figure 6-16-1A). Selecting the „Mag Readings Only’ option ensures that only the
magnetometers readings are recorded. Any other messages from the instrument or
software omitted. The ‘Mag Reading with Markers’ option will include user event
markers in the file. Selecting the „All Data from Mag’ option means that any
messages generated by the instrument (e.g. initializing tuning) or the software (e.g.
markers) will also be logged with the magnetometer readings.
If you are using a GPS, position coordinates will be appended to each reading of the
magnetometer. Refer to chapter 10 for more details.
6.2 .XYZ File Log

The purpose of the XYZ Data Log is to provide an ASCII data format that can be
easily imported into data processing and analysis software (e.g. Geosoft’s Oasis
Montaj™, or Golden Software’s Surfer™) or other plotting programs such as
Microsoft Excel.
The file format is based on the industry standard Geosoft XYZ format, and can be
imported directly into an Oasis Montaj database. The log consists of a header that
indicates the survey date and time as well as labeling the recorded data fields.
The data is recorded below the header in space- or comma-delimited columns as
shown below.
/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/ Marine Magnetics Corp. SeaLINK Magnetometer Data Log [ 2003/10/03 11:07:55.5 ]
/ Filename -- [ C:\Survey1\xyz_test.XYZ ]
/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/
/Date Time Field_Mag1 Long Lat UTM_Easting UTM_Northing UTM_zone
2003/10/03 11:08:08.0 560001.056 108.279933 -59.901765 347859.8 3356403.6 49E
2003/10/03 11:08:08.2 560001.071 108.280126 -59.901862 347871.1 3356393.3 49E
2003/10/03 11:08:08.5 560001.130 108.280416 -59.902007 347887.9 3356377.7 49E
2003/10/03 11:08:08.7 560001.132 108.280609 -59.902105 347899.1 3356367.4 49E
You have several output options for the XYZ File Log (see figure 6-1B). You can
include total field, altitude, depth pitch, and roll in the file log by selecting the
corresponding checkboxes. Gradient(s) can also be included if you are using a
Gradiometer system to conduct the survey. The format of the position data (Lat/Long
and/or UTM) can also be selected. Double-check to make sure that the Enable File
Logging checkbox is checked if you which to save the data to disk. Click OK to close
the window.

6.3 Starting and Stopping Data Logging
Back at the main SeaLINK window you will notice that the button is depressed
because of your actions in the dialog box. If you click this button, logging will be
temporarily interrupted. Click it again and it will resume in the same file.
If you close SeaLINK and restart it, and then click the File Logging button, SeaLINK
will open a new log file, but it will append a _000 extension to the filename in order
to prevent overwriting the older log file. SeaLINK will never erase or overwrite
data that is saved to disk.
6.4 Quickly Starting a New File
Pressing the button on the Standard Toolbar will end the logging of the
current file and immediately begin logging to a new file with the suffix “_000”
appended (the “_000” will automatically be incremented each time this button is
clicked). This is useful if you wish to break your survey files into individual survey
lines. An optional way of quickly starting a new file is to use the Custom Event
Marker feature described in section 8.2.
6.5 Real-time Repeat

If you wish to send SeaLINK data to an additional data logging system you may need
to enable the Real-time Repeat feature of the SeaLINK software. This feature is
available in the Preferences Window on the Output Streams tab (see figure 6-1C).
Enabling this feature sends the SeaLINK Raw Data Log to a specified COM port for
output. You have the option to send the raw data format alone, or with the other
messages as described in section 6.1. Note that the baud rate of the repeat port will
be equal to that of the incoming stream.

7 Information Bar
7.1 Introduction
The Information Bar gives the user a graphical overview of the status of the critical
SeaLINK software settings and the quality control data sent from the magnetometer.
You can display the SeaLINK Information Bar by pressing the button or by
using the View menu.
figure 7-1: SeaLINK Information Bar.
Under normal survey conditions (using a GPS receiver), all of the indicators in the
Information Bar should be gray. Generally, any red indicator notifies the user that
some critical software setting (e.g. data logging), is disabled, or that the quality
control data sent by the magnetometer is unacceptable (e.g. high magnetic
gradient). Yellow indicators appear when the „Signal Strength‟ is lower than optimal,
but still satisfactory for surveying.
7.2 Configuring the Information Bar

In the Preferences Window, under the Warning Bar tab, you can specify the
threshold at which the warning is triggered for the Depth and Altitude fields. By
default a depth warning is displayed when the towfish depth exceeds or is equal to
275m (note that standard towfish are rated to 1000m but the pressure sensor may
only be rated to 70m or 300m). The default setting for the altitude warning is 5m
(i.e. a warning will appear when the towfish is within 5m of the bottom). Click OK to
accept any changes you make to the thresholds.
7.3 Interpreting the Information Bar

table 7-1 describes the indicators for each field on the Information Bar.
Field RED YELLOW GREY

Data Logging “OFF” – Incoming “ON” – Incoming data
data is not saved to is being logged to the
disk. hard disk
GPS Tagging “OFF” “ON” – GPS
coordinates are being
appended to each
magnetometer
reading.

Layback “ON” – GPS Layback “OFF”

calculations are being
applied to the GPS
coordinates.
Quality (SeaSPY and “Poor” – signal below “Acceptable” – signal “Excellent” signal
Explorer only) 49 above or equal to 49 above 98
but below 98
Signal Strength “Poor” – signal below “Acceptable” – signal “Good” signal above
(SeaSPY and 110 above or equal to 110 or equal to 150 or
Explorer) but below 150 “Excellent” - signal
above 180
Signal Strength “Poor” – signal below “Acceptable” – signal “Good” signal above
(SeaQuest) 150 above or equal to 150 or equal to 200 or
but below 200 “Excellent” - signal
above 300
Gradient “YES” – magnetic “OK” – Gradient
gradient conditions conditions
are not acceptable for satisfactory for
surveying surveying
Depth “Warning” – towfish “OK” – towfish depth
depth is deeper than is shallower than user
user specified specified threshold.
threshold.
Altitude “Warning” – towfish “OK” – towfish
altitude is higher than altitude is lower user
user specified specified threshold.
threshold.
Leak “Yes” – Leak sensor “No” – Leak senor
detects water. does not detect water
Retrieve towfish in the interior of the
immediately! towfish.
Last Update This field displays the last time the warning bar was updated with new
information from the magnetometer.
table 7-1: Description of indicator fields on the Information Bar.

8 Placing File Markers
8.1 Standard File Markers

8.1.1 Introduction
SeaLINK supports auto-incrementing numerical file markers. The marker is stored in
the data file as a new line beginning with the word „Marker‟ and ending with the
number of the marker. A vertical yellow line with a marker value will appear in the
Chart Window indicating the position of the marker with respect to the incoming
data. Markers are also plotted by SeaLINK print outputs.
8.1.2 How to Use File Markers
To place a file marker, press the F11 key, or use the button on the
Standard Toolbar. Alternatively you may select the Commands|Add-Marker
menu option.
The marker settings can be configured in the Preferences Window under the
Marker tab (see figure 8-1). Here, you can enter the starting marker value, select
whether to increment or decrement marker values, and select the increment or
decrement step size. You may also choose the number of leading zeros of the marker
value.
figure 8-1: Standard Event Marker Settings
8.1.3 Quick Adjustment of Marker Settings

The standard marker settings can be accessed quickly by pressing the F10 key, or
by pressing the button on the Standard Toolbar. This will evoke the
Standard Event Marker Settings Window (see
figure 8-2), to allow the user to quickly change the marker settings while surveying.
Note that the changes made here are temporary, and will only exist for the

current SeaLINK session. To have your marker preferences saved for the next
session, the changes must be made through the preferences panel.
figure 8-2: Standard Event Marker Settings (F10 Hotkey)
8.2 Custom File Markers

8.2.1 Introduction
SeaLINK supports user-customizable file markers. These behave similar to the
Standard Event Marker, with the exception that they do not auto-increment. The
user may enter any text, numerical value, or a combination of the two. This custom
text will appear on the SeaLINK Main Chart (see figure 8-3), and will also be logged
in the SeaLINK Raw Data Log. Some uses of the Custom File Marker include marking
magnetic targets (e.g. “Shipwreck 1”, “Sonar Buoy 5”), or to aid in navigation (e.g.
“End of Line 15”, or “Line 1”). Another important feature of the Custom File Marker is
its ability to automatically start a new SeaLINK data log file upon receipt of the
marker.
figure 8-3: Custom Marker inserted on Chart

8.2.2 How to Use Custom Event Markers

A Custom event marker can be placed by pressing the F12 key, or by clicking on the
button on the Standard Toolbar. This action will invoke the Add Custom
Event Marker Window (see figure 8-4). In the „Add Marker‟ field you may enter
your desired text or numbers. Pressing the Enter key will place the marker. Note
that the marker is NOT placed when the dialog is initiated but rather when it closes.
Check the „Use “Marker” as prefix‟ checkbox if you wish to have the word “Marker”
appear before your custom text. For example, if you enter the text “Line 10” with the
checkbox enabled, the marker will be placed as “Marker Line 10”. If the checkbox is
unchecked it will read “Line 10”.
figure 8-4: Add Custom Event Marker Window (F12 hotkey)
If the „Start new log file on this marker‟ checkbox is checked, a new SeaLINK log file
will be opened when the marker is placed. The previous files will be terminated by
the custom marker, and the new log files will begin with the same custom marker.
The new file logs will have a „_000.mag‟ extension appended to the filename to
prevent overwriting data. The „000‟ suffix automatically increments in value with
each new file.
8.3 Remotely Triggering Markers by Ring or DSR Events

8.3.1 Introduction
SeaLINK supports triggering of standard markers upon receipt of a DSR (pin 6) pulse
or Ring (pin 9) pulse on the magnetometer‟s RS-232 COM port. A separate
navigation computer usually triggers the event. Note that if you are using Windows
98 or earlier, only the DSR event (pin 6) is supported. Please contact Marine
Magnetics directly for wiring instructions for your specific magnetometer model.
8.3.2 Enabling Ring or DSR triggers for Event Markers

This feature must be enabled in the Preferences Window under the Settings tab by
selecting the „Incoming <Ring> or <DSR> Event on Mag port‟ checkbox in the „Event
causing a Marker‟ area.
8.4 Remotely Triggering Markers via Serial ASCII

SeaLINK supports triggering of Custom Markers through the NMEA data stream. This
is an alternative to using DSR pulses, where GPS Fix events are sent from a separate

navigation computer. SeaLINK will place user specified text in the data file when the
following string is received in the NMEA data stream:
$M, [marker text here] CR LF
The text following the “$M” can be up to 80 characters in length and will be placed in
the file log as well as plotted in the Chart Window and print output (if used).

9 Reviewing your Data

SeaLINK has the capability to playback the recorded magnetometer data in the Chart
window. To do this click the button on the Standard Toolbar or select the
Playback option from the File menu. The following window will appear (see figure
9-1):
Position in file
File being
displayed
Check here to
start playback
figure 9-1: SeaLINK Data Playback Console
Press the Open File button to select a .mag file (SeaLINK Raw Data Log) for
playback. Once you choose a file, a binary (.bmg) form of the .mag file will be
created and loaded into memory. If the .bmg file already exists, SeaLINK will load
this file to reduce loading time.
To begin reviewing the loaded data, check the „Start cycling at‟ checkbox and select
the rate of playback using the radio buttons to the right. Please note that you can re-
record a file as it is played back by enabling data logging (see chapter 6). You may
also print a recorded file by enabling one of the printing options during playback.
To exit playback mode and return to communication with the towfish, press the
Close File button, or uncheck the „Switch to playback mode‟ checkbox.

10 Using your GPS
10.1 Introduction
SeaLINK allows you to use an NMEA compatible GPS in order to assign a position to
your magnetometer data in real time. When enabled, this feature will tag a GPS
coordinate to each SeaLINK data reading as you survey.
The GPS feature requires your PC to have a separate COM port to connect to your
GPS receiver. It also requires that you configure your GPS receiver to output NMEA-
0183 standard data over an RS-232 serial port. SeaLINK expects GPS data in
either the GGA (Global Positioning System Fix Data) or RMC (Recommended
Minimum Specific GPS/TRANSIT Data) sentence format. At least one of these
two NMEA formats must sent by your GPS receiver over the serial connection. Check
to see if your GPS receiver supports either of these NMEA sentences. The NMEA data
rate required is 1 Hz or faster.
10.2 Configuring GPS Integration

From the Preferences Window, select the Input Streams tab (see figure 3-1). In
the „NMEA GPS‟ area make sure the „NMEA Enabled‟ checkbox is active and enter the
COM port that the GPS is connected to and the appropriate baud rate. Note that the
formal NMEA standard is always 4800 bps, but many GPS units allow the selection of
higher baud rates.
Now select the GPS NMEA tab. This tab allows you to configure how SeaLINK will
process the GPS data.
B
C
D
figure 10-1: GPS NMEA tab in Preferences Window

The „GPS Data Integration‟ area indicates if any layback value is currently applied to
the coordinate data (see figure 10-1A) and allows selection of the tagged coordinate
format. In addition to tagging the latitude and longitude coordinates (see figure
10-1B) the software can also project the latitude and longitude coordinates to the
Universal Transverse Mercator projection (UTM projection) in real time (see figure
10-1C). All coordinate data output by SeaLINK is based on the World Geodetic
System 1984 reference ellipsoid (WGS84). Latitude and longitude coordinates use
decimal degree units, while the UTM coordinates are output in meters.
If you are using SeaLINK‟s layback correction feature (see section 10.8) it may be
desirable to include the unprocessed GPS coordinates (ship coordinates) along with
the layback processed coordinates (towfish coordinates) (see figure 10-1D).
10.3 Verifying Communication with the GPS
Open the NMEA Window by pressing the button. You should see one or more
NMEA sentence types streaming in (figure 4-1B). Make sure that an RMC and/or a
GGA sentence is present in the data stream.
10.4 Synchronizing with the GPS

Before you can tag each magnetic reading with a GPS coordinate you must time
synchronize the magnetometer to the GPS’s time (UTC time) since the
integration is time based. This can be done automatically by pressing the F8 key or
by the button on the Standard Toolbar. Before you attempt time

synchronization make sure:
1) The towfish is properly connected, is not cycling and responds to

commands.
2) You have valid NMEA data visibly streaming in the NMEA terminal
window (see figure 4-1B).
3) The incoming NMEA data rate is 1Hz or greater.
Occasionally the towfish will fail to synchronize precisely due to communication

delays. If this occurs a warning dialog will appear stating that the synchronization
failed and that you must attempt it again.
10.5 Tagging Co-ordinate Data

Once the time synchronization has succeeded, you can enable coordinate tagging by
depressing the button on the Standard Toolbar. You should now see the
coordinates being appended to the incoming magnetometer data strings in the
Terminal Window. If the magnetometer cycling rate is faster than the NMEA data
rate, then some magnetic readings will have positions that are mathematically
interpolated. This requires that the magnetic readings be buffered in memory until
the next valid GPS data string is acquired. This means SeaLINK can only update as

fast as the incoming NMEA data (e.g. 1Hz) resulting in an apparent stuttering effect
at sample rates faster than 1 Hz. The appended GPS data includes the text indicators
<INTERP> and <REAL> to indicate interpolated and actual GPS positions
respectively.
10.6 Appended GPS Data Format (SeaLINK Raw Data Log)

An example of the added fields is displayed below:
X:575004.1 Y:4834439.8 Z:17T x:-80.069796 y:43.659176 <INTERP>
Table 10-1 gives the meaning of the identifier prefixes.
If you include the ship position when using the real-time layback algorithm (see
section 10.8), then the vessel‟s coordinates will be tagged as:
NOLBX: 575004.1 NOLBY: 4834439.8 NOLBZ:17T NOLBx:-80.069796 NOLBy: 43.659176 <real>
Letter Meaning
X: UTM easting reading following (metres)
Y: UTM northing reading following (metres)
Z: UTM zone number and letter following
x: Longitude reading following (signed decimal degrees)
y: Latitude reading following (signed decimal degrees)
NOLB_: Indicates ship position (no layback correction applied). This may apply to all of the
above data prefixes.
<real> String that states that the tagged GPS coordinates for this data point was recorded
by the GPS.
<interp> String that states that the tagged GPS coordinates for this data point was
interpolated by the software. This will occur when the GPS sampling rate is less
than the magnetometer sampling rate.
<layback Notifies the user that the layback calculation has started, and that the first few
interpolation> calculated fish positions should be interpreted with caution.
table 10-1: Letter designators in the appended GPS data
All coordinate data tagged to magnetic readings by SeaLINK is based on the World
Geodetic System 1984 reference ellipsoid (WGS84 datum). Latitude and
longitude coordinates use decimal degree units, while the UTM coordinates are
outputted in meters. UTM coordinates are also assigned the appropriate UTM zone
number and letter designator automatically.
10.7 Logging Incoming NMEA data

In addition to logging your magnetic data you can record incoming data from the
GPS. This may be useful if your GPS receiver can transmit other NMEA strings, which

contain more detailed information such as satellite geometry or water depth

measurements.
To enable logging of NMEA data go to the GPS NMEA tab and check „Enable File
Logging‟ in the „NMEA Log‟ area. Specify the file name and location using the
Browse button.
10.8 Using the Real Time Layback (Lag) Correction

10.8.1 Introduction
SeaLINK has the capability to correct the GPS coordinates to account for the distance
offset between the GPS antenna and the towfish. This allows one to obtain an
estimate of the coordinates of a magnetometer when it is over a target in real-time,
rather that the position of the ship when the magnetometer is over the target.
Usually this correction is applied to the data post-cruise.
The algorithm employed by the software accounts for basic tow-cable dynamics and
provides a good estimate of the towfish position, even if the ship makes a turn. This
means that this method is superior to applying a simple „shift-type‟ lag correction
during post-processing.
If this option is enabled the coordinates tagged to each magnetic reading will be
corrected for the tow cable offset. Note that the original GPS readings (the ship
position) can also be recorded. These are coordinates are tagged „NOLB‟.
10.8.2 Enabling the Layback Correction
To enable real-time layback correction, press the button and enter the
horizontal offset distance between the towfish and the ship (in meters) in the „New
Length‟ box. Note that if the towfish is being towed at depth, the distance may be
considerably less than the amount of tow cable let out. To disable the feature simply
enter zero here.
Make sure that the survey vessel is traveling faster than 2 knots and is not making
a turn. This is not essential but will provide more accurate positioning of the towfish
for the first few readings. Enable GPS tagging by depressing the button.
The layback calculation will begin when the magnetometer starts cycling with GPS
tagging enabled.

11 Printing
11.1 Epson Compatible 24-pin Dot Matrix Printer Support

11.1.1 Introduction
SeaLINK has the ability to print incoming data as profile plots in real-time on any
EPSON 24-pin compatible dot matrix (impact) printer. You can also print any
previously recorded .mag file by playing back the file (see chapter 9) and enabling
line printing. The print output utilizes a “floating-type” scale similar to the SeaLINK
main display chart. When the data trace goes beyond one side of the chart, it will
reappear on the other side. This eliminates the need to constantly re-size and re-
scale the plot. Text stamps can be printed along the left hand side of the plot. This
includes: event markers, time, Pen data value, and GPS position in Lat/Long or UTM
coordinates.
The line printing feature requires the „Marine Magnetics Line Printer‟ driver to be
installed on your system. This driver will appear as a printer in the Microsoft
Windows Printers dialog (Access via the Windows Control Panel). If you do not have
the driver it can be installed by pressing the button on the standard toolbar.
Note that depending on your system settings, you may require your Windows CD-
ROM disc to complete the driver installation.
11.1.2 Configuring the Plot
The print settings can be configured in the Preferences Window on the Printing tab
(see figure 11-1).
In the „General‟ area (see figure 11-1A) you can set the printer port (usually LPT1).
You can also enable the plotting of one or more profiles by checking the „Pen 2
Enabled‟ and „Pen 3 Enabled‟ checkboxes (note „Pens‟ refer to individual profile
plots). You can also select the x-scaling of the plot. This determines the density of
the plotted points along the length of the print paper. The „Compress‟ setting prints
approximately 9 data points per centimeter of paper. The „Normal‟ setting has a
spacing of 5 data values per centimeter.
In the „Data‟ area (figure 11-1B) you can set what data field is plotted for each Pen.
Select the data types from the drop-down lists.
In the „Y-Scale and Offset‟ area (figure 11-1C) you can set individual scales for each
plotted profile. Note that the output plot will have major gridlines separated at 1/10 th
the full vertical scale and minor gridlines at 1/50th of the selected scale, so it is
advantageous to choose a scale that is divisible by 5 or 10.
Vertical offsets can be entered to separate the plotting height of the pens. Note that
the vertical offset applied is specified in the units of the current pen. For example, if
Pen 1 was plotting the magnetic field value at a scale a 100nT, an offset of 10nT
would raise the plotted line on the chart by 1/10 th of the full-scale of the chart.
In the „Line Stamps‟ area (see figure 11-1D) you have the option to stamp the
printed profile with text, indicating the survey time, data reading value, and GPS
coordinates. The stamps are printed along the left hand side of the output and
spaced every 10” (25 cm) of page length.

A
C
B
figure 11-1: Printer Preferences
11.1.3 Starting Line-Printing

To begin printing to your Epson compatible printer use the File|Print...|Line
Printing menu command or depress the button on the Standard Toolbar.

When the button is depressed you will receive a notification that line printing will
start. Click OK to continue. Incoming data will begin spooling in the „Marine
Magnetics Line Printer‟ driver, and printing should start shortly after. To stop
spooling data to the printer press the Line Printing button or menu command again.
A confirmation dialogue will appear. Click OK to stop spooling data. Note that the
printer may continue for some time after pressing the button if data has already
been sent to the print driver. You can check the status of the print job (and cancel it
if need be) by accessing the „Marine Magnetics Line Printer‟ driver through your
Windows operating system.

11.1.4 Interpreting the Plot

figure 11-2 shows an example output plot.
F F
E D
figure 11-2: SeaLINK Line Printer example plot.
A) Plot Header. States the survey date and time, and provides the legend for
the plot. The Legend indicates that Pen 1 is plotting the magnetic field of the
first connected magnetometer (Mag 1) with a scale of 10nT. Pen 2 is plotting
the same data (Mag 1) with a scale of 100nT. The plot header will be printed
whenever the printing is started.
B) Plot Gridlines. There are 10 major gridlines (thick dashed lines). The space
between each of the major gridlines is divided by 4 minor gridlines (thin

dashed lines). It is advantageous to choose a scale for your pens that is

divisible by 10. The top of the plot is always on the right hand side.
C) Data Stamps. Time, Pen reading, and GPS position can be stamped. In this
example only the time and the data reading of Pen 1 was selected. Note that
the position of the stamp corresponds to its relative position of the Pen
profiles.
D) Pen 1 data plot. This is the plot of Pen 1. Its scaling is 10nT. In this
example each minor gridline represents 0.2nT for this pen, while the major
gridlines have a 1nT separation.
E) Pen 2 data plot. This is the plot of Pen 2. The full-scale of Pen 2 is set at
100nT. In this example each minor gridline represents 2nT for this pen, while
the major gridlines have a 10nT separation.
F) Chart wrap around. When the magnetic trace goes beyond one side of the
chart scale, it will reappear on the other side.
G) Marker Event. Marker event from user input (F11 key) or Ring Event on the
serial port.
11.2 Isys V8.5e Thermal Plotter Support

11.2.1 Introduction
SeaLINK version 7.81 or later has the ability to print directly to an ISYS V8.5e
Thermal Plotter. SeaLINK sends a raster plot image of the incoming magnetic data to
the printer via the LPT1 parallel port.
11.2.2 Important Notes

For optimal operation the ISYS V8.5e plotter must have ISYS Firmware
release 7-1 installed. This firmware upgrade allows simultaneous mixed ASCII
printing and raster plotting. Please contact ISYS group to obtain this firmware
upgrade.
Note that your ISYS V8.5e plotter must be set in black and white mode (not
grayscale). Please consult your plotter‟s operation manual.
A print driver is required to buffer outgoing data in the event that the printer
needs to be paused or shut-down during surveying. Make sure that you have
either the „ISYS V8.5e‟ print driver or the „Marine Magnetics Line Printer‟
driver installed and configured for the LPT1 port on your computer. Also make
sure that one of these print drivers is set as the default printer.
11.2.3 Configuring the Plot (Printer Preferences)

The ISYS V8.5e plot is currently configured to the Mineral Management Services
(MMS) settings. This consists of two continuous profile plots of the magnetic field
values at 1000 nT and 100 nT scales. The x-axis of the plot is stamped with the
survey time every 10 inches. Received marker events are also plotted. Time and
position stamps are also plotted when marker events are received.
The x-scaling of the ISYS print output is the only configurable option. This can be set
in the Preferences Window under the Printing tab. Under „Isys Plotter Specific
Setup‟ area (see figure 11-1E) you can select data densities of 3, 4, 5, 9, 13, 27, 40
and 80 readings per centimeter of paper. The default setting is 27 readings per
centimeter.

11.2.4 Starting Real-time ISYS Printing
To begin printing to your ISYS V8.5e plotter depress the button on the main
toolbar, or use the File|Print...|ISYS Printing menu command. Incoming data will
be sent to the printer through the LPT1 port immediately after the button is
depressed. To stop sending data to the printer press the button again so that the
button is not depressed. If the button is depressed with the printer turned off or not
connected, the data will be buffered in the current print driver.

12 Using SeaLINK to perform a Gradiometer Survey
12.1 Introduction
A gradiometer survey employs two magnetometers to measure the gradient of the
Earth‟s magnetic field (nanoTeslas per meter), rather than just the magnitude of the
field (nanoTeslas). A Gradiometer Transceiver or a Smart Transceiver is
required for this type of surveying when using the SeaLINK software.
The Gradiometer and Smart transceivers have a Gradient mode that allows
communication with multiple towfish simultaneously. The transceivers receive data
from the individual magnetometers, perform the necessary calculations and output a
single ASCII text stream. This means that only one magnetometer COM port is
required to receive gradient data (an additional COM port is still required for a GPS
receiver).
12.2 Setting the Input Streams

To configure SeaLINK for a gradiometer survey, configure the preferences exactly as
you would if you were conducting a standard survey (see chapter 3).
12.3 Configuring the Gradiometer or Smart Transceiver

Before the transceiver can communicate with the array it must know the serial
numbers of the towfish connected to it. In the Terminal Window, press the c key.
The transceiver will respond by stating its current mode (MAG or GRAD) and the
current towfish serial numbers that the transceiver will attempt to communicate
with.
Switch to GRAD mode if you are currently in MAG mode by pressing y. If the
transceiver is currently in GRAD mode, then press n to continue. You will now be
asked if you wish to change the towfish serial numbers. Press y to continue. Enter
the serial numbers for the front and rear towfish when prompted. For horizontal
gradiometers, the two towfish can be arbitrarily assigned front and rear positions.
After entering the serial numbers the transceiver will initialize and synchronize the
clocks of the towfish in the array.
12.4 Synchronizing the Towfish

Having properly synchronized towfish is essential for the proper operation of any
magnetic gradiometer.
The transceiver clock will automatically set the clock of any connected towfish
whenever it detects a magnetometer power-up header, indicating that a towfish has
recently been connected. This applies to both magnetometer and gradiometer
modes.
When you switch between magnetometer and gradiometer modes with the c
command, the transceiver will automatically try to synchronize the clock(s) of any
connected units. In gradiometer mode, this can take up to 10 seconds.
If you unplug one or both towfish and plug them in again, the transceiver will stop
everything, and attempt to resynchronize the clocks of both towfish. This ensures
that both towfish are always synchronized.

If you need to synchronize the towfish manually, you can do so with the w
command. If you set the transceiver clock while it is in gradiometer mode the
transceiver will automatically resynchronize the times of the connected towfish.
The expected output from the transceiver after switching from MAG mode to GRAD
mode is displayed below. Make sure the times for the transceiver (Xcvr), the front
towfish (FT) and rear towfish (RT) are perfectly time-synchronized.
The array is now ready to begin surveying. You

can now use the standard magnetometer
commands to communicate with both towfish at
once. For example, the p command will zero
the pressure sensors in both towfish. Once the
towfish is deployed and is a safe distance from
the towing vessel (about 3 times the length of
your vessel) select the sampling rate from the
Command menu or by pressing 1-6 on the
keyboard. Consult your magnetometer‟s figure 12-1: Setting the
operation manual for more information about towfish serial numbers for a
the transceiver and available commands. gradiometer survey.
If you received a message saying that a towfish is not responding make sure that
you entered the serial numbers correctly. You can also test the functionality of each
individual towfish in the array by switching to MAG mode (c) and selecting the front
or rear towfish.
12.4.1 Using a GPS with the Gradiometer or Smart Transceiver
Before SeaLINK can append GPS coordinates to the incoming gradiometer data you
must click the button or press the F8 key to set the transceiver time to the
GPS time. Note that this can only be done when you have properly configured the
transceiver to communicate with your magnetometers. Once the transceiver is
synchronized to the GPS time it will then automatically synchronize the connected
magnetometers to the GPS time. Depress the button to begin appending GPS
data to the gradiometer data stream. For more information regarding the use of your
GPS please refer to chapter 10.
12.5 Switching Back to Magnetometer Mode

To change the transceiver back to magnetometer mode, use the c command. The
transceiver will ask you which towfish to activate (front or rear). This allows you to
have both towfish connected and powered by the same tow cable, and access either
one of the towfish as a magnetometer using the standard magnetometer text
interface.
This is useful if you wish to change a setting for one towfish only. In gradiometer
mode, all commands are always sent to both towfish simultaneously.
Note that if you power down the entire system while the transceiver is in
magnetometer mode, and then power it back on, both towfish will be
activated, and the transceiver will not be able to communicate properly with
either one. In this case, you should switch immediately to gradiometer
mode.

13 Troubleshooting
13.1 ‘Failed to Open Specified COM port’ error on Start-up

This error occurs when SeaLINK cannot obtain exclusive access to the COM port
specified in the SeaLINK Preferences Window. This can occur for several reasons:
When powering-up the PC, Microsoft‟s Plug and PlayTM feature may have
incorrectly detected the magnetometer activity on the serial port as a serial
mouse and automatically installed a device driver to that COM port (thus
making it unavailable to SeaLINK). To resolve this problem power down the
magnetometer and reboot the PC. Do not restore power to the magnetometer
until Windows has finished loading.
Another program running in the background has the specified COM port open.
Close the program using the COM port and restart SeaLINK.
The COM port specified in the SeaLINK preferences does not exist on the
system. If you are using a removable serial port, make sure that it is installed
correctly and the drivers are properly configured.
13.2 GPS Tagging Errors

The following are some things to check if you are having difficulty appending GPS
coordinates to the magnetometer data stream:
Be sure that you have first synchronized the magnetometer to the GPS. Click
the button or press the F8 key (see section 10.4).
To enable GPS tagging depress the button, or use the Command|Tag

GPS Data menu option.
Be sure that you can see the NMEA-0183 data streaming in on the NMEA
Window (see figure 2-1) and that the update frequency is once per second
or faster. If you don‟t see data actively streaming in check your
communication settings (see section 10.2).
Ensure that the transmitted NMEA-0183 data stream contains sentences
starting with $GGA and/or $RMC.
13.3 GPS Synchronization Error

The GPS synchronization may fail for the following reasons:
Updated NMEA data is not available. Be sure that you can see the NMEA-
0183 data streaming into the NMEA window (see figure 2-1) and that the
update frequency is once per second or faster. If you don‟t see data actively
streaming in, check the SeaLINK communication settings (see section 10.2)
as well as the configuration of your GPS receiver. Ensure that the transmitted
NMEA-0183 data contains sentences starting with $GGA and/or $RMC.
Magnetometer is not connected or not powered. This will result in a
“Failure to communicate with magnetometer” error. Before attempting a GPS-
time synchronization ensure that you are able to communicate with the
magnetometer.

Synchronization did not occur within the timeout. If synchronization is

not successful within a few seconds a timeout will occur. Close the dialog box
and attempt synchronization again.
13.4 Cannot Communicate with the Magnetometer

If your magnetometer does not respond to basic commands typed in the SeaLINK
Terminal window:
Verify that the magnetometer is receiving power within its operating voltage
and that all connections are secure (refer to you magnetometer‟s operation
manual).
Verify that the magnetometer is connected to the COM port specified in the
SeaLINK Preferences (see section 3.1).
It is possible that the previous user has changed the transceiver baud rate
from its factory setting. Try setting baud rates of 115200, 9600, 4800 and
2400 in the Input Streams tab (see section 3.1).
The magnetometer may have been left in a state in which it is awaiting a
command. Try powering-down and powering-up the magnetometer to reset
the magnetometer electronics.
Refer to your magnetometer‟s operation manual for hardware related
troubleshooting.

14 How to Reach Us
If you encounter a problem using the SeaLINK software or you have
recommendations for ways of improving the software please contact Marine
Magnetics directly:
Marine Magnetics
135 SPY Court
Markham, ON
L4B 1L9 Canada
Tel: +1 905 479-9727
Fax: +1 905 479-9484
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.marinemagnetics.com

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SeaLINK Software v 8.

Marine Magnetics Corp

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................... II

1 ... INSTALLING AND RUNNING SEALINK ........................................... 1

2 ... INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 2

3 ... SEALINK BASIC CONFIGURATION ................................................. 4

4 ... USING SEALINK TO CONDUCT A SURVEY .................................... 6

5 ... CHART DISPLAY .............................................................................. 8

6 ... LOGGING YOUR DATA .................................................................. 12

7 ... INFORMATION BAR........................................................................ 15

8 ... PLACING FILE MARKERS .............................................................. 17

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 ii

9 ... REVIEWING YOUR DATA ............................................................... 21

10 USING YOUR GPS .......................................................................... 22

12 USING SEALINK TO PERFORM A GRADIOMETER SURVEY....... 31

14 HOW TO REACH US ....................................................................... 35

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 iii

1 Installing and Running SeaLINK

1.1 Installing SeaLINK

5. Press the ENTER key.

1.2 Running SeaLINK for the first time

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 1

Command Toolbar Standard Toolbar

figure 2-1: Main SeaLINK Window.

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 2

2.1 Chart Window – Quick Overview

2.2 Terminal Window – Quick Overview

2.3 NMEA Window – Quick Overview

Window by pressing the button.

2.4 GPS Information Pane – Quick Overview

2.5 Information Bar – Quick Overview

2.6 SeaLINK Toolbars

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 3

3 SeaLINK Basic Configuration

figure 3-1: Input streams tab.

3.1 Input Streams

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 4

3.2 Output Streams

3.3 GPS NMEA

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 5

4 Using SeaLINK to Conduct a Survey

1) Connect the Magnetometer

4) Zero the Pressure Sensor

SeaQuest: Check the current status of the towfish with the d

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 6

6) Deploy the Towfish

figure 4-1: A. Towfish Status (S command). B. NMEA terminal window showing

SeaLINK Version 8.047 Revision 5.0 7

5.1 Chart Display in SeaLINK Mode

Total magnetic field reading of the first connected towfish.

Data from altimeter on the first towfish. Height of the

Data from pressure sensor on the first towfish. Depth of the

Total magnetic field reading of the second connected towfish.

Data from altimeter on the second towfish. Height of the

Data from pressure sensor on the second towfish. Depth of

Difference in total field readings between the two

Bottom profile calculated from altitude and depth information

Bottom profile calculated from altitude and depth information

table 5-1: Available data for plotting in SeaLINK mode.