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Date: January 2022 This confidential document was prepared by the staff of Valeport Limited, the Company, and is the property of the Company, which also owns the copyright therein. All rights conferred by the law of the copyright and by virtue of international copyright conventions are reserved to the Company.
MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 1 Introduction The VA500 altimeter has been designed with the objective of providing an accurate, reliable and robust measurement of range from surface and underwater platforms. State of the art signal processing offers unrivalled range and performance from a 500kHz transducer.
±3° 2.1.1 Acoustic Footprint The acoustic beam angle of the VA500 is, for practical purposes ±3°. The beam pattern is a cone extending from the face with that angle so the foot print diameter is approximately 10% of the range as described in the table below: Range(m) Footprint Ø...
RS232 & RS485 fitted as standard Protocol: 4800 to 115200 baud, (8,1,N) Formats: Valeport NMEA / Tritech / Kongsberg / $SDDBT / NMEA Analogue output: 0-5/0-10 V fitted as standard RS485 is enabled by grounding pin 9 to pin 5 in the communications lead see Wiring Information 2.5 Power Requirements...
Section 4 | Configuration and Operation 4 Configuration and Operation The VA500 is supplied with a Valeport DataLog x2 and Terminal x2, setup and terminal communications program and configuration tools designed specifically for use with Valeport instruments. Install the program by opening the install package supplied (or download from https://valeport.download) and follow the on-screen instructions.
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VA500 Altimeter Operating Manual MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 Select the VA500 altimeter from the drop down list. Select the Read Configuration from the instrument to determine current settings Open previously saved configuration file to load a predefined setup. The first wizard screen will give information about the instrument.
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Latitude is used in the conversion from pressure to depth. Continuous output rates can be 1,2 or 4 Hz Alternatively the VA500 can be triggered with a serial command (S followed by a carriage return) or via TTL (see wiring schedule in section 6) Once configuration is complete, the wizard will summarise the commands to be sent to the instrument.
4.2 Manually Configuring the Unit Alternatively, the VA500 Altimeter can be manually configured via serial communications using a series of # code commands. This can be Valeport’s Terminal x2 or an alternative terminal program such as HyperTerminal. Valeport Terminal is preconfigured with the required settings, but for reference the settings...
Section 4 | Configuration and Operation 4.4 Range Settings The VA500 has a standard operational range of 0.1m to 100m. If required this can be restricted with the setting of a minimum range and maximum range. minimum and maximum ranges are set in metres regardless of the units programmed by setting...
VA500 Altimeter Operating Manual MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 4.5 Communications Settings The full-scale DAC range is set in metres regardless of the units programmed by setting #021 # code Followed By: Operation Sets the units baud rate #059 ;baud_rate<CR> 2400,4800,9600,19200,38400,...
MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 4.8 Pressure Settings The pressure sensor fitted to the VA500 measures absolute pressure, i.e. it includes atmospheric pressure. The pressure tare function allows the atmospheric pressure (as measured by the sensor before deployment) to be removed from the readings, so the output is simply pressure of water.
5 Output Data String Formats If the optional pressure sensor is fitted and enabled then the only data format that supports this is the Valeport NMEA format. A number of other formats have been implemented to provide compatibility with existing systems.
= Source ID (ID of Device responding - fixed) xx.xxx = Data – NO TARE applied (psia) <CR><LF> Telegram example: Valeport NMEA telegram appended by the DigiQuartz type telegram (without psia units) >#042;1 (enable DQ output) >#028 (run) $PRVAT,05.432,M,0010.076,dBar*39 *000114.614 With units: *0001xx.xxxpsia<CR><LF>...
Section 6 | Care and Maintenance 6 Care and Maintenance There are no user serviceable parts within the VA500. The VA500 is remarkably robust, being primarily constructed of titanium. The only maintenance required, other than periodic recalibration as necessary, is to keep the sensor as clean as possible.
VA500 Altimeter Operating Manual MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 7 Wiring Information It is advised that continuity checks are performed prior to all terminations. 7.1 SubConn MCBH10F SubConn Function MCBH10F Power Ground Power +V Analogue +'Ve Analogue -'Ve Enable 485 Link to Pin 9 for RS485.
VA500 Altimeter Operating Manual MANUAL-1969127270-2 | issue: 1.3 7.2.4 Test Lead with 6 Way Female RMG-6-FS Connector To mate to XSG-6-BCL connector END 1: END 2: END 3: FUNCTION END 2: 6 Way In Line ANALOGUE 9 Way D POWER IN...
Any changes or modifications to the product or accessories supplied, that are not authorised by Valeport Ltd, could void the CE compliance of the product and negate your authority to operate it. This product has demonstrated CE compliance under conditions that include the use of shielded cables.
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