Testing the transmitter channels with the BITE Matrix functionality
The Matrix page allows you to monitor the average signal values or signal phases from each of the channels and transducer elements in the ME70 system. The Matrix page offers a good tool for testing the transmitter and receiver circuitry. The presentation is provided on a matrix corresponding to the element locations in the transducer. For transmitter testing, the ME70 must be operational, and both operational and BITE parameters must be known.
Prerequisites
The ME70 system is installed as specified in the Installation Manual.
•  The ME70 system is turned on and operates normally.
•  The vessel is berthed or at sea.
Caution
You must never set the ME70 system to "ping" unless the transducer is submerged in water. The transducer may be damaged if it transmits in open air.
Context
When you move the cursor over the matrix presentation of the transceiver channels, each element in the transducer can be clearly identified as a rectangle. If you place the cursor on top of one of these rectangles, a small yellow tool-tip will identify key information.
A rectangle with 32 black elements in the matrix view indicates a failure with a single transceiver board. Restarting the ME70 system will normally fix the problem. Failure of eight or nine consecutive transceiver boards indicates a problem with the power supply.
•  Weak signals indicate a problem with the +6 VDC supply voltage to the analogue amplifiers.
•  No response indicate a problem with the +12 VDC supply voltage to the digital circuitry.
•  A failure in the +75 VDC supply voltage can only be detected in the transmit test.
Procedure
1 On the Main menu, set Beam Mode to Test - SAT Config.
2 Open the Operation menu.
a Set Operation to Normal.
b Set Range to: 100 m.
c Set Ping to On.
d Set Ping Mode to Interval.
e Set Ping Interval to s.
f Set Tx Mode to Active
g Set Tx Power to Maximum.
3 Open the BITE Matrix page.
a Open the Setup menu.
b Select BITE to open the dialog box.
Image
Observe that the BITE (Built In Test Equipment) dialog box opens.
c Open the BITE Matrix page.
4 Choose these settings:
a Select Element amplitude.
b Set Start Averaging to 20.
c Set Averaging Range to 100.
d Set Scale to Automatic.
e Set Element size in pixel to Height 24 pixels and Width 12 pixels.
f Set Transmit pulse to Current.
5 Observe the average of the samples starting from sample 20.
6 In the event of unserviceable elements:
a Set Scale to Manual.
b Set Minimum value to 35.
c Set Maximum value to 45.
d Evaluate the level for the functional elements with the maximum deviation.
Result
This test shows the weighting used during transmission of a normal beam. In order to test all transmitters with equal level, select beam mode Example 1 Beam Uniform Weighting, and run the transmitter test one more time.
These samples are all inside the transmit pulse and the weighting of the elements during transmission will be visible.
If a single element, or a group of elements (transceiver boards), reports signal levels with abnormal deviation from it's neighboring elements, you may have a failure. If the receiver test of the relevant elements performs well, you probably have malfunctioning transmitter electronics.
Note
The combination of Uniform weighting and automatic scaling makes the BITE view use the full colour scale on a relative small difference between elements. This will not “look good” even for a fully functional transducer. You must look in the numerical data for large difference between neighboring elements, and notice any differences between the strongest and weakest element.