Beam Mode Admin dialog box
The Beam Mode Administration dialog box is used to create, edit and delete beam modes for the ME70 system.
The Beam Mode Administration dialog box is opened by selecting the Beam Mode Administration button on the Setup menu.
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Beam Mode Adm. is located on the Setup menu.
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Description
The Beam Mode Administration dialog box allows you to create and delete beam modes for the ME70 system. By means of the Beam Mode dialog box you can also view and edit the beam modes.
The beam mode describes the acoustic properties of the ME70 system. You can create and maintain several different beam modes, and use these to set up the ME70 system for specific survey activities.
The Beam Mode Administration dialog box is used to create, edit and delete beam modes for the ME70 system.
Whenever applicable, the Beam Mode dialog box is opened to adjust the mode parameters. The list of defined beam modes is shown. The currently selected mode is highlighted when you open the dialog. When you close the dialog box by means of the Ok button, or when you apply changes using the Apply button, the highlighted mode becomes the new selected mode.
Each beam mode is accompanied by a mode description. You can enter and edit the descriptive text in the text box on the right hand side. You can enter and edit the descriptive text in the text box on the right hand side.
Note
The beam mode specifications are stored in XML format. Do not attempt to rename these files manually. This will cause problems when the ME70 shall load the file.
Details
A selection of predefined beam modes are provided to get you started. These beam modes must be regarded as examples and test modes.
•  Default
This is the default beam mode.
•  Example — Close to bottom
This is an example mode for surveys close to the bottom. Key parameters are narrow beams and shorter pulse duration to increase, slightly wider beams. to reduce beam sidelobe level, and higher Fc factor to reduce the side lobe level in range. In addition the beam sidelobe level is reduced, the Fc factor is increased to reduce the side lobe level in range.
•  Example — Long range
Example mode for long range surveys. Key parameters are longer pulse duration and fewer beams in each transmit group to increase transmit energy. The frequency band is limited to lower part to reduce absorption loss.
•  Example — Shallow water
This is an example mode for shallow water surveys. Key parameters are fewer beams and shorter pulse duration to reduce the TX blind zone. Wider beams are used for increases coverage.
•  Example — Short-Medium Range
This is an example mode for short and medium range surveys.
•  Example — Wide swath
This is an example mode to create a wide swath. Key parameters are higher number of beams in the acoustic fan to increase the coverage. The frequency distribution set to inverse V. This is because low frequency beams can be steered more than high frequency beams without generating repeated main lobes.
•  Test — Example 1
This is a test mode with one beam. It is mainly intended for BITE testing. It provides uniform weighting of all elements to check transmission levels.
•  Test — Example 2
This is a test mode with one 7x7 degrees beam. It is intended for system testing.
•  Test — SAT Config 1
This is a test mode with a fan with 7 beams. It is intended for system testing.
•  Test — SAT Config 2
This is a test mode with a fan with 17 beams. It is intended for system testing.
Beam Modes
This text field lists the current beam modes. To delete or edit one of them, select the name and then select Edit or Delete.
Tip
The four numbers in the Beam Mode button at the top of the Main menu will select the four beam modes listed at the top of the beam mode list in the Beam Mode Administration dialog box. This list is sorted alphabetically. To control which modes to choose using the four numbers, name your beam modes accordingly, for example by means of prefixes.
Mode Description
This text field lists the text description provided for the beam mode currently selected in the Beam Modes text field. This text field is open for edits, and you can freely enter or modify any descriptive information.
Edit
This opens the Beam Mode dialog box for the appropriate beam mode. The Beam Mode dialog box allows you to edit the beam mode’s current operational parameters. When editing a calibrated mode you must ensure the changes you have made are compatible with the calibration data stored with the configuration.
Delete
Select this button to delete the highlighted beam mode. When deleting a beam mode you will receive a verification question if you really want to delete the beam mode. If the beam mode has been calibrated previously you will receive a second verification question on whether or not you want to delete the beam mode.
New
This button creates a new beam mode. The Beam Mode dialog box is provided to enter the name of the new beam mode. The new beam mode will be created with a default configuration, and you must edit these parameters using the Edit button.