Prerequisites
The Flow dialog box is only available if there is a PX Flow sensor connected to your system by means of the configurator cable.
NoteThe image above may not show real values. It has only been included for illustration purposes.
Description
Catch monitoring sensors are delivered from Kongsberg Maritime readily set up with common default settings. In some cases, you may find that the default parameters do not suit your operational needs. Each individual sensor can be configured to specify its communication channel, which measurements to make and some other relevant
operating parameters.
Details
This dialog box presents a number of parameters that are common to all Configuration dialog boxes and some that are specific to the type of sensor connected.
Read Sensor
You may prefer to check first the existing configuration of the selected sensor. Select Read Sensor so that the sensor can “send” its information to the computer. Prior to read the sensor’s data, the communication between the computer and the sensor must have been established.
Select Gear
Depending on the fishing scenario, you may prefer to use one or another gear setup, with the sensors placed in a different
position or with different readings. You can configure your catch monitoring sensor to fit into different fisheries and types of gears. When you select the type of gear you are going to work with, the illustration changes accordingly.
Select Location
The gear illustration corresponds to the one you chose in Select Gear in the Installation dialog box. It shows the possible locations of the selected sensor. The capital letter indicates where you can place the selected sensor. The selection you make here may affect the measurements offered by the sensor. Click in the illustration to specify where the current sensor shall be located. If you program a sensor for one function (or measurement) in one location, it will not work if you install it somewhere else.
Measurement
You can select the measurements you want your sensor to make. The available options will vary according to the gear system you are working with, the location you have chosen for the sensor
and where it points to. Once you have selected your measurement, the relevant additional required parameters are automatically shown.
NoteAll catch sensors with a software (SW) version higher than 2 can make up to eight measurements. This includes PX Flow.
Cell 1
Cell 1 refers to the volume of water starting 1 m away from the sensor and ending 2 m away from the sensor.
Cell 2
Cell 2 refers to the volume of water starting where Cell 1 ends, that is, 2 m away from the sensor and ending 3 m away from it.
Blanking zone
When the sensor is set up to measure height from the middle of a trawl door, the physical properties of the door can cause
false echoes and hence wrong height information. You can insert a “blank space” to inhibit false detections as the sensor will disregard all echoes received from objects inside
the defined zone. A typical blanking zone is 1.5 metres from the sensor to the bottom of the trawl door.
Channel
All sensors are provided by Kongsberg Maritime with predefined communication channels. The predefined communication channel will always be shown as the default channel. It may be required to change one or more communication channels, and there may be many reasons for this.
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You have more than one of each sensor. For example, if you have three temperature sensors, they MUST communicate on three different channels. |
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Other vessels near yours use the same catch monitoring system (or similar) and they have one or more of their sensors set
up to the same communication channels as you have. This will create interference as you will “read” other sensors. |
Update Interval
This value specifies at what time interval the update is to be done. A faster update rate gives you information more often, but will decrease the battery life. The default value is shown with an asterisk.
Output Power
If you work in shallow and/or confined waters you may find it useful to reduce the output power to avoid reverberation. A high output power may also provide added range capacity. The higher the power output, the lower the battery capacity. The default value is shown with an asterisk.
Program Sensor
Once you have defined the settings and measurements, select Program Sensor to apply them to the sensor you are configuring. Once the sensor has been programmed, the PX Configurator will automatically read the new sensor parameters back from the sensor to verify that they have all been set correctly.
Non editable information about the sensor
Every sensor has some unique settings. The information “read” from the sensor is shown in grey colour and cannot be edited.
FPGA Version
The field-programmable gate array (FPGA) version is unique for every sensor. This number identifies the sensor and its electronics.
PCB Serial Number
The printed circuit board serial number is unique for every sensor. This number identifies the sensor and its electronics. The serial number facilitates identification for later reparations.
Software Version
This number shows the current software version of the selected sensor. All catch sensors with a software (SW) version higher than 2 can make up to eight measurements.
Battery charge state
When working with wireless sensors, it is vital to know the current level of battery. If battery status is important for you, you can use one of the measurements available to report the current charging status.
Battery temperature
In order to check the performance of the sensor or any potential problem, the temperature of the battery will help diagnostics.
Lid Type
Some sensors can give different measurements depending on the type of lid they have. You can quickly identify the type of lid your sensor has, if any.
Pitch and roll readouts
The standard version of the sensor is provided with built-in roll and pitch sensors so that you can verify that the sensor
is aligned correctly. To verify that the roll and pitch sensors inside your sensor are operational, simply lift and move the sensor. The information in the two fields will change accordingly.
Measurements unlocked
The number indicates the amount of measurements unlocked; that is, the number of measurements your sensor can take. An additional license is required if you wish to make more than the default number of measurements.