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Desert Star Acoustic Release Control System Manual

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Acoustic Release Control System
The Acoustic Release Control unit (ARC), is designed to make it possible to secure a payload under
a body of water for an extended period of time. The ARC unit is attached to the anchor weight on
one side, and to the payload with a flotation device on the other. Once the ARC station is deployed
underwater in the desired location, it remains there in a sleep mode awaiting commands from the
surface.
Once the payload needs to be retrieved, the command is sent remotely from the surface to release
the ARC unit with the payload from the sea-floor.
The system consists of at least two main components: the submerged ARC unit "holding" the
payload in place under the body of water, and the Surface Transponder Module - or as commonly
referred in this manual - the STM Surface station, functioning as a remote control.
The two-way communication between the ARC unit and the STM Surface station (when deployed to
the sea-floor with the payload), is accomplish via acoustic sonar signals. The submerged ARC
station is designed to respond to the commands sent to it from the surface, and it will report back
various telemetry data such as unique self-ID, batteries status, current state of the operation,
distance.
A logical schematic of the submerged components.
A single ARC submerged station is monitored and controlled by one of the STM surface stations.
Desert Star Systems manufactures multiple STM surface stations specific to the application needed.

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Summary of Contents for Desert Star Acoustic Release Control System

  • Page 1 A logical schematic of the submerged components. A single ARC submerged station is monitored and controlled by one of the STM surface stations. Desert Star Systems manufactures multiple STM surface stations specific to the application needed.
  • Page 2 The ARC station placed at the sea-floor uses a unique release mechanism designed exclusively by Desert Star Systems. Once the command is sent to the ARC station from the surface, the release is accomplished by “melting” an easily replaceable nickel-chromium wire and subsequently releasing a hinge lever.
  • Page 4 Please make sure that you are familiar with a basic principle of the release mechanism, and the nickel-chromium wire replacement procedure so that ARC station can be redeployed after it has surfaced.
  • Page 5 ARC station successfully many times over and over again. Desert Star Systems engineers understand how critical and important your underwater mission is and this is why we would like to ask you to take special care in understanding the mechanics of the release mechanism to ensure your success in retrieving of the ARC station with the pay-load.
  • Page 6 The total diameter (including the plastic coat) of the wire/cable has to be ​ N O MORE​ than 1/8” (3.175mm) in order for the wire/cable to pass freely through the release mechanism assembly, once the release lever arm is opened. Two ends of the cable should be crimped together into a loop.
  • Page 7 If the ARC unit was previously deployed, make sure to ​ r emove any debris​ or remains of the nickel-chromium cable left from the previous deployment, in the holes drilled through body the posts on their sides. Make sure to inspect the holes in the posts. The holes must be clear, so that new nickel-chromium cable can be threaded through the sides of the posts.
  • Page 8 [PICTURE shows the assembly with the lever arm in open position with the arrow indicating the direction the lever should be moved.] STEP 3: Once the anchor wire/cable is loaded in to the release assembly, move the lever arm in to a closed position locking the anchor wire/cable.
  • Page 9 The assembly with the lever arm in closed position with the arrow indicating the direction the lever should be moved. Identify two posts and anchor cable been locked in the release assembly. STEP 4: Insert the nickel-chromium wire from the outside of the post and through the hole in the post so that the nickel-chromium wire passes across the lever arm and out through the hole of the second post.
  • Page 10 Two posts and the N-C wire path, with the end section of lever arm. STEP 5: Using the torque wrench set to the 4 inch-pound torque, tighten the screws in the posts securing nickel-chromium wire in place. While tightening the screws, make sure to hold the posts in alignment.

  • Page 11: Standard Option

    The final correctly installed nickel-chromium wire This concludes installation of the nickel-chromium wire in the release mechanism. 3. Installing/Changing the Batteries of an ARC Station You have two options powering your Acoustic Release Control (ARC) station. Please note that your ARC units will come pre-loaded with a standard alkaline battery configuration. STANDARD OPTION With the maximum total life time of ​...
  • Page 12 ● Type: Alkaline; ● Size: AA; ● Brand: Duracell; ● Model: MN-1500; ● Volts: 1.5 volt; ● Amps: 2.5 Ah. In this battery configuration, the two battery packs are used as follows: ● First pack of four (4) Alkaline batteries is used to power the release mechanism and the sonar transmitter.

  • Page 13: Battery Installation

    Due to hazardous material regulations, the “Lithium D Cell” battery has to be purchased separately by the user. We are unable to re-sell this type of the battery directly to the consumer. However, you are able to use this type of the battery with our ARC station.
  • Page 14 The side of the ARC station the sonar transducer end-cap is located and where the screws are. STEP 2: Once the six (6) screws are removed, carefully pull the sonar transducer end-cap out of the main ARC body, slightly twisting it back and forth while pulling away at the same time. ​ T ake care to prevent a jerking motion​...
  • Page 15 Locate the BLACK/WHITE cable with the connector used to link the sonar transducer end-cap to the internal electronic board. Disconnect it carefully. Make sure not to use excessive force when pulling the cable from the main housing of the ARC station. Put the sonar transducer end-cap aside. STEP 4: Pull the battery packs out one by one from the main body of the ARC station.
  • Page 16 The battery pack with one installed AA battery and the empty section next to occupied section so that the metal spring is visible and marked with the arrow and the (-) sign while the opposite side marked with the arrow and the (+) positive sign.
  • Page 17 O-ring. Please take special care handling the rubber O-ring because it is relatively fragile and can be damaged by sharp metal objects. Replace O-ring if it is necessary. If you determine that the O-ring needs to be replaced, contact Desert Star Systems LLC and ask for Rubber O-ring, Manufacturer: Parker 2-130, Compound E515 (qty 1) Desert Star Part#: ORI00058.

  • Page 18: Battery Life Expectancy

    When aligning and preparing to push the sonar transducer end-cap back in it’s place, make sure the holes around the edges of the sonar transducer end-cap aligned to the the threads for the screws in the main housing of the ARC station. Pay close attention to the proper alignment in order to avoid twisting the sonar transducer end-cap once it is inserted in it’s place.
  • Page 19 On a set of an Alkaline only batteries, ARC unit capable to initiate about 700 release cycles. Each release cycle will require communication with the surface. The more time the ARC unit spends communicating with the surface, the more energy will be depleted from the batteries. Use the following statistics in this table to estimate the number of release cycles and associated maximum communication time available per release cycle.
  • Page 20 The front panel of the STM surface station. The STM surface station is equipped with the internal rechargeable battery for mobile operations when an external power source is not available. The power supplied to the STM surface station via power cable with a standard IEC 60320 - C13 coupler. External power charges the internal battery as well as providing a main power for the continues operation.
  • Page 21 The standard power cable The “PC” inlet facilities a USB connection for the link to the PC running the “Acoustic Release Control” software. The GPS inlet serves as a communication link to optional GPS unit for automated recording of the GPS coordinates at the time of the ARC unit(s) deployment.
  • Page 22 “Sonar 1”. The STM surface station is equipped with the three sonar transducer sockets because the STM-3 is a component in other systems designed by Desert Star Systems LLC. For more information regarding these systems please refer to our website (desertstar.com) The STM surface station equipped with a STATUS LED located right below the power distribution switch.
  • Page 23 Battery charging is complete seconds off other blink The STM is not configured properly, please return to Desert Star Systems patterns The STM surface station is designed to work with a sonar transducer(s). The most common and simple application is an over-the-side sonar transducer connected to the STM surface station by the 50 ft cable (additional cable length options available upon request).
  • Page 24 The over-the-side sonar transducer, supplied with your STM surface station, has a directional range of a 180 degrees. When the sonar transducer is pointed directly down it will be able to “hear” an incoming sonar signal from underneath it within 180 degrees. Consider attaching a weight to the protective cage of the sonar transducer in order to maintain its orientation (pointing directly down).
  • Page 26 The the sonar transducer with it’s directional listening pattern. When dragging the sonar transducer behind a vessel in motion is anticipated, please be aware of the limitations of the directional range the transducer able to receive. For a vessel in motion, it is recommended to use a Through-hull sonar transducer.

  • Page 27: Software Overview

    6. Software Overview Acoustic Release Control Software v1.0 The remote control of the ARC unit(s) is done via Desert Star Systems software - “Acoustic Release Control” is installed on the portable Personal Computer (PC) supplied by Desert Star Systems with your purchase.
  • Page 28 When you receive the PC, please power it up, and log-in to the Windows Operating System. If applicable, the default password for Desert Star Systems customer PCs who buy the ARC system is ​ “ fish”​ without the quotes. Please contact Desert Star Systems customer support if this is not the default password.
  • Page 29 The STM unit and identified USB port on the front panel of the STM unit. STEP 3: Insert the other end of the USB cable with the USB “Type-A” connector in to one of the USB ports of the PC. The Windows 8 Operating System will detect USB device connected. Please allow Windows to finish its USB “mapping”...
  • Page 30 The drivers for the USB device should already be installed and working properly with your Desert Star Systems configured PC. If you have trouble completing further steps due to driver issues, please contact Desert Star Systems. STEP 4: Move the Power Switch into an “ON” position on the front panel of STM surface station. Pay attention to the blink pattern of the status LED located directly below the power switch.
  • Page 31 PC through a USB cable, the status LED will blink a steady pattern, approximately once every 1-2 seconds. STEP 5: It's time to run the “Acoustic Release Control” software. There will be a shortcut on the desktop named “Acoustic Release Control”. Double-click on the shortcut to start the software. STEP 5.1: In case you are unable to locate the shortcut on your desktop, please press the “Windows”...
  • Page 32 The logical connection of components: STM <—→USB port[(WIN COM PortX)<—→(ARC soft.COM PortX)] STEP 6.1: In order for the STM surface station to communicate with the PC via USB interface a correct COM port needs to be assigned to a USB device. [PICTURE] Please navigate to “Control Panel”...
  • Page 33 “Control Panel”→”Device Manager”→”Ports (COM & LPT)”...
  • Page 34 You will see under a “Ports (COM & LPT)” section a device named: “SeaLINK+232 USB to RS-232 Converter (COM X )” Please take a note of the COM port number listed at the end of the string. The number you are looking for is a COM number listed in parenthesis.
  • Page 36 Now the correct COM port must be selected in “Acoustic Release Control” software. Navigate to the “Options” menu of the “Acoustic Release Control” software and click on “Options”. In the drop-down menu navigate to the “Surface Station COM Port” item. By doing so you will be presented with a list of Com Ports.
  • Page 37 This will resolve the communication error message upon start up of the “Acoustic Release Control” software. To verify, close the “Acoustic Release Control” software, and re-open it again. The error message will no longer appear.
  • Page 38 Navigate to the “Action” menu of “Acoustic Release Control” software. Click on “Action” item to expand the sub-menu. In the presented sub-menu locate the item “Test Surface Station” and click on Upon executing this action, the “Current Status” field at the bottom right corner of the “Acoustic Release Control”...
  • Page 39 Please make sure that following testing procedure is done in a relaxed manner. Pay close attention to the testing procedure and allow yourself adequate time to execute the testing and understand the equipment. Before you begin testing, the following assumptions are made: The ARC unit(s) have a set of a fresh batteries installed.
  • Page 40 The ARC unit is programmed to enter a sleep mode if no active sonar communication signals are detected within 30 seconds since the last signal is “heard”. STEP 1: Begin by leaving the ARC unit untouched without any acoustic noise in its proximity. When the ARC unit is unable to detect any acoustic signals, it will enter a “stand-by”...
  • Page 41 STEP 5: Enter the unique Serial Number of the ARC unit to be tested into the “Serial Number” field. Enter the note with a brief description of the purpose of the ARC station in the comments field. When utilizing free entry note field in the “Station Data Dialog” window DO NOT use a comma symbol “,”! Using the comma symbol in this field will corrupt formatting of the log file.
  • Page 42 particular ARC unit will cause the ARC unit not to respond to the STM surface station effectively, leaving an operator unable to command and control the ARC unit. YOU HAVE TO KNOW EXACT SERIAL NUMBER OF THE DEPLOYED UNDERWATER ARC UNIT IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT.
  • Page 43 Please wait while communication is in progress. Upon successful completion of the communication test, the “Instruction” field will inform you of a successful test with an ARC unit and its Serial Number.
  • Page 44 STEP 6: Click “Continue” button. The ARC unit will be added to the main window's list.
  • Page 45 If you are using a external GPS unit connected to the STM surface station, be aware of the GPS coordinate recorded along with the ARC unit you just tested. Since this is a pre-deployment test, if you are NOT at the actual deployment site, the GPS coordinates recorded are NOT valid and have to be corrected once you reach actual site of the deployment.
  • Page 46 STEP 7: Once the ARC station is listed in the “Acoustic Release Control” software, direct your attention to the “Current Status” field at the lower right corner of the window. You will have to evaluate the current battery status to decide if the battery powering ARC unit is charged to acceptable level. The “Current Status”...
  • Page 47 The “current status” field . ● The “Battery: X.XX V” states the current Voltage of the battery. This parameter must report at least 5.00 volts value. If this value shows less than 5.00 Volts STOP! DO NOT deploy the ARC unit. This is an indication that the batteries must be changed. ●...
  • Page 48 Control” software, and ready to be deployed underwater once you reach the deployment site. If you are planning to deploy your ARC unit(s) for more than one month under the water, the release mechanism of ARC unit can be spray-painted with an anti-fouling paint to prevent bio-fouling build-up. 9.
  • Page 49 surface station is receiving power from an external power source onboard the vessel, unplug the STM surface station from vessel's power source and allow the STM surface station to operate on the internal built-in battery. Look for other man-made noise sources under your control and eliminate as appropriate. Follow these steps to conduct the noise test and adjust the STM surface station sensitivity as necessary.
  • Page 50 Once you are presented with a “Noise Test Dialog” window, you will be able to see a graph representing the noise level received by the sonar transducer underneath your vessel. When the noise level at your deployment site is very low, the graphical representation of the noise lever will show no noise signal at all.
  • Page 51 If your deployment site has a very low underwater noise, adjusting the “Threshold Level” slider to a minimum setting (all the way to the left) will increase the operating range of your STM surface station. This concludes the sonar noise level survey of your deployment site and STM unit tuning. 10.
  • Page 52 Use a weight measuring scale designed to measure a object's weight by suspending it under the scale. A typical mechanical fish-scale is acceptable for this evaluation. Suspend your payload attached to the scale and submerge it under the water so that the payload is completely under the surface of water.
  • Page 53 The best way to ensure release mechanism of ARC unit is NOT overloaded, is to not to exceed the maximum weight held by ARC unit of 40lbs or 18 Kilograms measured under water. Follow these steps to test if the payload with the flotation device you have chosen will be held down securely by the ARC unit: 10.2 Equipment Column Buoyancy Test You will temporarily use:...
  • Page 54 Attach the payload and flotation device to the mounting bracket. Make sure to leave about one to two feet (0.3 to 0.6 meters) of space between the mounting bracket of the ARC unit and the payload / flotation device. Attaching the payload / flotation device less than one foot or 0.3 meters away from ARC unit’s mounting bracket will greatly reduce the range the ARC unit will be able to send and receive acoustic sonar signal.
  • Page 55 If they are inadequate, causing excessive force on a release mechanism, the nickel-chromium release cable will break, resulting in an unintended separation of the equipment column from the anchor. If an unintended release occurs, the cable/rope you attached to the vessel from the equipment column via the mounting bracket will prevent the equipment from drifting away.
  • Page 56 10.4 ARC Unit Deployment Procedure STEP 1: Slowly submerge the entire equipment column ​ ( without safety cables/ropes attached)​ under the surface of water and only then let go of it, allowing the ARC unit with the payload and flotation device to descend to the sea-floor.
  • Page 57 the list. This will send a status request from STM surface station to the ARC unit under the water. ARC unit in turn will respond with distance reading and battery charge levels. This information will be displayed in the lower portion of the “Acoustic Release Control” software window, under “Range” and “Current Status”...
  • Page 58 STEP 2 Using the PC connected to STM surface station, run the “Acoustic Release Control” software. STEP 3 Locate the ARC unit you wish to retrieve on the list of deployed ARC units. Once you have visually looked through the list and located the ARC unit, double-click on it. This will cause the STM surface station to send a search and “awake”...
  • Page 59 Continue to watch the “Current Status” field. After a brief pause, the “Current Status” will change from “Activating… “ to “Station Activated”. A status of “Station Activated” means that the ARC unit successfully “heard” the commands, was able to interpret the signal, and exited the “sleep” mode. As a confirmation, the ARC unit will respond back to the STM surface station with current diagnostic data.
  • Page 60 At this point you have established a communication line with your ARC unit deployed under the water. STEP 4 If you wish to release the ARC unit with its payload from the anchor, click on the “Release” button. A confirmation window will be presented. Please pay close attention to the message in the window. It will display the Serial Number of the ARC unit you are about to release from its anchor.
  • Page 61 The confirmation window will disappear. Now direct your attention to the “Current Status” field. It will display: “Arming Station For Release. Please Wait.” Shortly thereafter this messages will be updated with: “Station Armed. Triggering Release”.
  • Page 63 The status field will finally display the message: “Station Release Command Acknowledged.” This means the ARC unit triggered its release mechanism and therefore should separate from the anchor and be on its way to the surface.
  • Page 64 Monitor the “Range” field: the range should be rapidly decreasing indicating that ARC unit separated from anchor successfully and raising to the surface.
  • Page 65 Monitor open waters around your vessel for signs of the ​ f lotation device​ attached to the ARC unit with its payload. This concludes the retrieval procedure of an ARC unit. 12. ARC-1XD Technical Specifications Summary ● 2.25” Diameter housing, approx. 21.5” long. ●...
  • Page 66 ● Standard Desert Star surface stations can be used as interrogators. Load Ratings Design strength of components (other than release wire): 200 lb Factory acceptance load test (with 26AWG wire): 80 lb Recommended pre-deployment load test: 50 lb Rated maximum load: 40 lb...
  • Page 67 Microprocessor battery: Four rechargeable eneloop batteries Nominal battery life: 630 days ● Note 1: Under laboratory conditions, assuming power consumption at maximum limit for factory acceptance testing (0.8 mA for microprocessor in sleep mode, less than 0.05 mA for sonar/release section in sleep mode). ●...