2

To Our Customer: Thank you for choosing the Interphase Ultrascan PC90 Forward Scanning Sonar. Throughout the development of this fine product, we have been primarily concerned with creating a unit that offers the best possible value for your money. Selection of features, ease of use, superior performance and outstanding reliability were the benchmarks upon which all important design decisions were made. We are proud of the Ultrascan PC90 Forward Scanning Sonar and your satisfaction is very important to us. We welcome any comments or suggestions that you might have about this equipment. It is very important that you complete and return the WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD within 15 days of purchase so that your unit may be protected under the warranty. Thank You Again, INTERPHASE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

©2010 Interphase Technologies, Inc.

Interphase Ultrascan PC90™ is a trademark of Interphase Technologies, Inc. Other brands or products are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.

Publication # = Ultrascan PC90 1.0 100414

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1 Introduction 6 General Information 6 Warranty Information 6 Unpacking and Inspection 7

2 Installing Ultrascan PC90 8 Transducer Installation 8

Thru-Hull Considerations 9 Thru-Hull Transducer Installation 10

Selecting a Location 10 Using a Fairing Block 14

Transom Mount Transducer Installation 13 Selecting a Location 13 Attaching the Bracket 13 Bracket Axel Assembly 15

Beamformer Module Installation 16 Software Installation 17 Connecting to Computer 18 Computer Network Settings 18 Setting Ultrascan PC90 Software’s IP Address 19

3 Quick Start 20 Running Ultrascan PC90 20 Defaults 20 Recordings 20 Beam Width 21

4 Basic Operation 22 Getting Started 22

The Toolbar 22 The Status Bar 23

Operating Modes 23 Playback Mode 23 LIVE Mode 23

Contents

4

Setting System Parameters 24 Beamformer IP Address 24 Transducer Mount Corrections 24

Level Adjustment 24 Align Adjustment 25 Keel Offset 25

Displays 26 Setting Color and Units 26 VERT: Vertical Scan Display 28 HORZ: Horizontal Scan Display 28 DOWN: Downlooker Display 28 VSPLIT: Vertical Split-Screen Display 29

Adjusting the Gain and Range 30 Gain Adjustment 30 Range Adjustment 31 Display Smoothing 32 Depth Window 32

Using the Alarm 33 Adjusting the Depth Tracker 34

Surface Masking 34 Threshold 34

Saving Data with Screen Capture 35

5 Advanced Operation 36 Working with NMEA Navigation 36 Logging Depth 36 Recording Live Data 38 Using Ultrascan PC90 Diagnostics 40

6 Interpreting Displays 40 Principles 40 Interpreting the Vertical Display 40

Forward Imaging Capabilities 40 Transducer Sidelobe Effects 41

Interpreting the Horizontal Display 42 Imaging the Bottom 42 Special Situations 43 Forward Imaging Capabilities 43

7 Reference 44 Maintenance 44 Troubleshooting Guide 45 Interference Problems 46

5

Specifications 47 How To Obtain Service 51

9 Advanced Networking Information 48

Warranty 55

6

General Information Thank you for choosing the Interphase Ultrascan PC90 Dual-Axis Forward Scanning Sonar. The Ul-trascan PC90 has been designed to work with your on-board PC or PC Network and will display water depth, bottom conditions, fish and other submerged objects and debris, all on your computer’s high resolution color display. If you already have an Interphase scanning transducer installed on your vessel, you can order a Ultrascan PC90 without a transducer (see page 46). To insure that you receive the maximum benefits available from the many features of the Interphase Ultrascan PC90, this manual includes a detailed guide to the use and interpretation of the system’s modes and displays. An instructive demonstration mode has been designed into the Ultrascan PC90 to familiarize you with the unit’s features. In addition, the Basic Operation chapter gives you the necessary information to get your system up and running as quickly as possible. Please read the Installation chapter carefully before attempting to install Ultras-can PC90 on your vessel.

Warranty Information Interphase provides a Limited Warranty on the Ul-trascan PC90 Forward Scanning Sonar. Please read this warranty (reprinted at the back of this manual) and closely follow its terms and conditions should your Ultrascan PC90 require repair. It is highly recommended that you save all packing materials so that, in the unlikely event that you must return your Ultrascan PC90 for repair, it can be fully protected. Should you experience a problem with your Ultrascan PC90, first refer to the Troubleshooting section (Page 45) of this manual. Most common problems and their solutions are described here. If problems persist, call

NAVIGATION WARNING Nautical navigation is a critical element in the safety and success of each open-water boating experience and should only be performed by experienced navigators. While the Ultrascan PC90 product is a useful navigation aid, it should never be relied upon as the only means of navigation. It is prudent to use more than one proven instrument and more than one accepted method in support of navigation decisions.

1 Introduction

Award Winning Technology

For its pioneering work in developing Phased Array Scanning Sonar, Interphase Technologies won the prestigious IMTEC INNOVATION AWARD . The Ultrascan PC90 Forward Looking Scanning Sonar is based on this same award-winning technology.

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Interphase Technical Service at (831) 477-4944, Ext 16. We will be happy to assist you, and if required, we will give you instructions on how to quickly get your unit repaired. The enclosed warranty registration card must be completed and returned to Interphase within 15 days of purchase so that your unit may be protected under the warranty. Failure to return the warranty card may cause unnecessary delays in processing your unit for warranty repair.

Unpacking and Inspection When unpacking your Ultrascan PC90, the following items should be found in the package. Please notify your Interphase dealer immediately if any items are missing.

Standard Equipment Description Part Number Beamformer Module D1-0400-001 Ethernet Cable, 10’ length 04-1107-00R 12VDC Power Supply Cable 04-1106-00R Ultrascan PC90 Software CD 52-1004-001 Operation Manual 25-4018-000

Transducer Options Description Part Number

Two Transom Transducers 200 kHz Vertical Scan T1-I200-025 200 kHz Horizontal Scan T1-I200-028

Single Thru-Hull Transducer 200 kHz Horizontal/Vertical Scan T1-I200-032

IMPORTANT NOTICE Please fill out and return the Warranty Registration Card immediately. This is our only method of contacting you should new features and enhancements become available for your Ultrascan PC90. During the first year of your warranty, any software upgrades will be free of charge, and after the warranty period has expired, software upgrades will be available for a nominal charge.

Beamformer Module Ultrascan PC90 Software CD 6’ DC Power Cable (2-pin connector) 10’ Ethernet Cable (RJ-45 Connectors)

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The diagram at left shows a typical installation of the Ultrascan PC90 using an on-board desktop or laptop PC. In this manual, the Ultrascan installation procedures have been divided into three major sections; 1) Location and Installation of the Transducer(s) 2) Installation of the Beamformer Module 3) Installation of the Ultrascan PC90 Software

Transducer Installation The Ultrascan PC90 can be ordered with one of two transducer configurations; two transom mount trans-ducers or with a single bronze thru-hull transducer or with no transducer (if you already have an existing Interphase scanning transducer installed). The Ultrascan PC90 uses two multi-element phased transducer arrays. The arrays are “potted” in a smooth-surfaced tough urethane material that is acoustically transparent. DO NOT allow any solvents (i.e. gasoline, acetone) to come in contact with the transducer(s) as this may dissolve the plastic housing. In the single thru-hull configuration all of the trans-ducer elements are enclosed in a single transducer. For transom-mount applications two transducers are required, each containing an 8-element array. One of the multi-element arrays is positioned to scan vertically from straight ahead to directly below the boat, while the other array is positioned to scan forward horizontally from side to side. When the two thru-hull configuration is chosen, each transducer contains an 8-element array. One is positioned for vertical scanning and the other for horizontal scanning.

2 Installing Ultrascan TYPICAL ULTRASCAN PC90

CONFIGURATION

30’ Vertical Scanning Transducer Cable

30’ Horizontal Transducer Cable

ETHERNET CABLE

Ultrascan Beam-former Module

Transducer -(single thru-hull

INTERPHASE

ULTRASCAN

PC (or PC Network)

10-36 VDC

Fuse

9

When selecting the transducer type and hull location for the transducer(s) keep in mind the primary rule for transducer operation. This is: the transducer can function as long as it has an unobstructed forward view and has smooth flowing non-aerated water surrounding it. ♦ Do not cut or splice your phased array transducer

cable or removing the 9-pin connector as it will void the transducer warranty.

♦ On both the thru-hull and transom mount trans-

ducers the blunt end is the forward end! See sketch at right.

♦♦♦♦ If you need a longer length cable than comes with the transducer (30’), then purchase the optional extension cables, Interphase Part # 04-0014-008R for 30’ or 04-1014-007R for 10’ lengths. Total transducer cable lengths over 60’ are not recommended as they will decrease the effective power and depth range.

♦ Choose a location where there is the least

amount of acoustic noise, air bubbles or turbulence caused by the boat’s movement. The transducer should not be located nearby or especially directly behind the propeller.

♦ Choose a location where the transducer can be mounted so that it will be level to the water’s surface and will not be tilted to either side. Otherwise the transducer will not scan from the surface ahead to directly beneath the boat.

♦ DO NOT install a bronze transducer housing

directly into an aluminum or steel hull because electrolytic corrosion will occur. Consult your boat-yard for more information on how to properly install transducers into these types of hulls.

♦ DO NOT allow any solvents i.e. gasoline, ace-

tone to come in contact with the transducer head unit as this may dissolve the urethane material. In addition, DO NOT force the cable by pulling on it. This may cause damage to the internal transducer wiring.

Forward

Forward

Thru-Hull Transducer(s)

Transom Mounted Transducer

Side View Top View

Scanning Directions. Vertical Scan mode shown above and Horizontal Scan mode below

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Thru-Hull Considerations Thru-hull transducers are for boats that exceed 40MPH and /or have inboard motors. Transducer placement depends on boat size, speed, hull configuration and sonar application. On displacement hulls, the transducer is generally located between 1/3 and 1/2 aft of where the bow meets the water line. This is the farthest forward the transducer should be mounted. It is important that the transducer be below turbulent aerated water created by the bow and does not come out of the water during normal operation or when the boat is pitching in a seaway. Make sure the transducer has a clear view ahead and that there are no forward hull obstructions that can cause any turbulence in front of the transducer. Mount so the transducer(s) bronze stem is within ap-proximately +/- 5 degrees of vertical to insure scanning in the proper directions. Most vessels will require a fairing block to compensate for the angle (dead-rise) of the hull. Special Thru-Hull Mounting Considerations On sailboats with a fin keel, the transducer is most often placed at the leading edge of the keel and sometimes faired into the keel. As this location may be where the sling rests when hauling the boat, the transducer may be placed on either side of the hull with the foremost face of the transducer even with the leading edge of the keel. Alternatley, the transducer may be placed forward of the keel ahead of the lifting strap location. This should not be ahead of 1/3 aft of where the bow meets the waterline. On planing hulls the transducer is typically placed near the transom. This is to provide smooth flowing water at the greastest speed. However, most planing hull boats create transducer aeration when on plane regardless of transducer location. It should be noted that thru-hull transducers can effect boat performance in two important ways. The first concern is cavitation created by the transducer that causes reduced engine performance by disrupting water flow around the propeller. This is smoothed out by the hull in some boats, but on planing hulls with the transducer near the transom, the hull is not able to clear the cavitation. The second concern is uneven drag on smaller high-speed boats. This may occur when the

Suggested Thru-Hull Transducer Locations

Fin Keel

Planing Hull

Displacement Hull

L = waterline length

~ 1/3 L

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thru-hull transducer is mounted far off of the centerline of the boat. At low speeds and on large boats the effect is negligible. On smaller boats at high speeds the drag can effect the steering. The effect increases as the boat’s speed rises. Boats with trim tabs can usually trim this out, but boats without trim tabs may feel a pulling sensation toward the transducer side of the boat. A less intuative mounting location for the single thru-hull transducer on a planing hull is on the centerline just forward of midship. The goal in this mounting is to place the transducer so that it is out of the water at planing speed. As most transducers are aerated at planing speeds, this removes the transducer from the water flow preventing cavitation and steering problems. Most applications for forward scanning sonar occur when the boat is at low non-planing speeds including fishing and navigating hazardous waters. Under these lower speed conditions the transducer is in the water. Installing the Thru-hull Transducer ♦ Drill a 1/8” pilot hole from inside the hull to

assure access to tighten the housing nut and clearance for the transducer cables.

♦ Use a 1-1/16” hole saw and drill the hole from the outside. Sand or clean the area around the hole, inside and outside to insure that the sealing compound will adhere properly to the hull.

♦ Remove the bronze hex nut from the housing and cable.

♦ Uncoil the transducer cable and thread it through the hole into the inside of the hull.

♦♦♦♦ Apply a 1/8” thick layer of sealant on the upper flat surface of the transducer, bronze alignment pin and fairing block (if used).

♦ From the outside of the hull, push the housing into the 1” hole. Twist the housing slightly to squeeze out excess sealant. Carefully confirm that the transducer is aligned so that the BLUNT front end is pointed directly toward the front of the boat.

♦ Install and tighten the bronze hex nut (allow for

swelling in wooden hulls) and remove excess sealant from the outside to assure smooth water flow over the transducer.

ULTRASCAN PC90—90-Degree Vertical and 90-Degree Hori-zontal Scan

The single ULTRASCAN PC90 thru-hull transducer (T1-I200-032) contains two phased ar-rays, one used to scan vertically and the other hori-zontally. The transducer has two cables, one con-nected to each array and each is color coded—green for the vertical array and blue for the horizontal array. Because this transducer scans horizontally, care must be taken to locate it at a position where it can see 45 degrees either side of the bow (see sketch at left with side and overhead views). The horizontal scan plan is angled downward by 10º to minimize surface clutter. It can be mounted in front of a fin keel, or just off to the side of the leading edge of the keel where unobstructed forward vertical and horizontal views are available. On deep full keel vessels (trawlers, etc) it is usually not possible to find a suitable location for a single transducer with the horizontal scan. These vessels should install the ULTRASCAN PC180 sys-tem with two transducers.

ULTRASCAN PC90

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DANGER: Wood hulls and wood fairing blocks will expand after the boat is put back into the water, so it is important that the transducer be only hand-tightened until the wood fully expands. Otherwise the wood fairing block may crack. DANGER: Be sure to check for leaks when the boat is placed in the water. Allow at least 24 hours after installation for any leak to appear. Nearly all vessels have some dead rise angle at the transducer mounting location. If the thru-hull transducer were mounted directly to the hull, the sound beam would be tilted off the vertical at the same angle as the dead-rise, so most thru-hull installations will require a fairing block to insure the transducer is mounted properly. If you’re installation requires a fairing block, you may either have one made locally, or purchase a molded plactic unit from Interphase or your Interphase distributor. The Interphase part num-ber for this fairing block is 40-2005-000.

NOTE The flat top of the transducer must be parallel to the water line. This will not necessarily be parallel to the boat’s hull.

Hull

Hull

Waterline

Waterline

Keep parallel to waterline !

Keep parallel to waterline !

FORWARD Transducer

Mount Transducer So Bronze Stem is Vertical

BronzeHex Nut

Fairing Block

Transducer

Boat’s Hull

Underwater Sealant

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Transom Mount Considerations Transom mounted transducers are intended for low speed boats with external props. Boats with inboard motors and boats that regularly exceed 35MPH can not use transom mounted transducers. This is because with inboard motors the prop is located in front of the transom transducers and create aeration and excess turbulence. I/O motors where the prop is aft of the transom do not create this situation, but be careful that the driveshaft of the I/O does not block the forward horizontal scan. Boats that exceed 40MPH run a risk of having the transom mounted transduers torn free of the transom. The transom mounted transducers are not designed to be used at these speeds. Transom mounted transducers are mounted on kick-up or break-away brackets. This allows the brackets to kick up at about speeds above 35-40MPH or if they strike an object. Once kicked up, the transducers must be manully reset in order to function.

Transom Transducer Kick-Up Bracket The transom transducer is attached to the boat with a heavy-duty stainless steel kick-up bracket to provide protection against impact. When the transducer strikes an object, or the water force exceeds the resistance of the bracket, the transducer automatically kicks up and becomes non-operational. The bracket does not automatically reset at lower speeds. The transducer must be manually returned to its operational position. Special Note: The kick-up feature is designed as a safety consideration to prevent the transducer from being removed from the boat due to impact or excessive speed. The kick-up bracket is not designed for repeated kick-up or to be pulled up manually during loading and unloading from boat trailers. Tests have shown that the bracket can kick-up as many as 30 times before there is a negative effect on the bracket. Repeated kick-up will cause the transducer to kick-up at progressively lower speeds. Excessive kick-ups can cause the transducer bracket to fail. Brackets that fail due to repeated kick-up are not covered under the transducer warranty. If the transducer must be kicked up for installation,

Suggested materials required for installation:

♦ Variable speed electric drill with a chuck capacity of 10mm (3/8”) or larger.

♦ Hole saw or spade bit 19 mm (7/8”) for transom hole to route cable and connector

♦ Chamfer bit or 6 mm (1/4”) drill bit

♦ Drill bit No. 28 or 4 mm (9/64”)

♦ Drill bit 3 mm (7/64”)

♦ Marine bedding/sealing compound

Note: Will Not Work at Speeds Above 35 MPH

Transom Mount Bracket in Released Position

14

boat service or loading, the nylok nut on the end of the bracket axle can be loosened. Tighten the nut to 50 inch pounds of torque before operating the boat. through the spacer. Note: The Forward Horizontal Transducer must be able to scan beneath the hull. The deadrise angle of the hull must be less than 10 degrees in order for the forward horizontal scan to sweep beneath the hull. Alternately, the transducer can be mounted at or below the lowest point on the hull. The transducer can be installed on either side of an outboard or inboard/outboard engine, or between twin outboards. For single engine installations, normally 18” to 24” outboard of the propeller center line is acceptable and the down stroke side of the propeller is preferred. Choose a location where water flow is smoothest. For dual engine installation, just off the center line is usually acceptable.

Because the transducer rotates back and upwards when the bracket releases, it must be mounted in a location where there is sufficient clearance and headroom to allow the full release. Attach the Transducer & Spray Shield to the Bracket Locate the Stainless Spray Shield inside the transducer’s stainless mounting ears. Make sure the spray shield is orientated as shown in sketch below. Then, assemble the stainless kick-up bracket to the transducers using the 4 screws, washers and lock nuts provided. Place the rubber grommet around the transducer cable and slide it into the slot in the spray shield. The bracket arms must be mounted outside the stainless steel mounting ears of the transducer. Do not fully tighten the lock nuts at this time. Tighten them after the transducer is mounted and the spray shield is positioned.

Position the transducer so that it is perpendicular from side to side and make sure the wider blunt end is pointed towards the front of the boat. Mounting the Transducer to the Boat After you have selected the optimum mounting location and have assembled the mounting bracket to the transducer, mount the bracket onto the hull as shown on the right.

Make sure to position the transducer so that it is level in the fore and aft direction and so it will look straight

Waterline

Rear View

Spray Shield

Transducer must be mounted vertically

Fasten Spray Shield with 4 screws & nylok

washers as shown

Bracket Axle

Rubber Grommet

Side View

Boat Hull

Mounting Bracket

Waterline

Fasten Spray Shield with 4 screws & nylok washers as shown

Spray Shield

18 - 24"Cables

Twin Outboards

Transducers

Cables

Transom Mount Locations

15

down. Check the location of your boat’s waterline and position the flat top surface of the transducer so that it is parallel to the waterline as shown below.

Note: If the transducer is not mounted so that its fore and aft direction is parallel to the surface, then the forward looking display will be distorted and flat bottoms will appear to be slanted upwards or downwards. After mounting the transducer and actually using the ULTRASCAN on the water, you may need to readjust the transducer’s mounting for optimum performance.

Bracket Axle Assembly On some boats it will be neccessary to remove the Bracket Axle during installation. See the diagram to the left and instructions below for details on assembling the axle. 1. Place one stainless steel washer onto the axle against the hex end. 2. Place one small stainless steel spacer against washer. 3. Slide two urethane spacers over the small steel spacer. 4. With the transducer bracket in place, align the long stainless steel spacer with the mounting holes of the mounting bracket and slide the axle in place.through the spacer. 5. Place one small stainless steel spacer against the transducer bracket. 6. Slide two urethane spacers over the small steel spacer.

7. Place one stainless steel washer onto the axel against the urethane spacer.

8. Place the nylon nut onto the threaded end of the axel and tighten to 50 inch pounds. If you do not have a torque wrench, tighten until the nut will not turn easily. The stainless steel spacers should pre-vent over-tightening.

Bracket Axle

Nylon Nut

12

3

5

4678

Kick-up Bracket Replacement Parts If during installation parts are somehow lost are damaged, they can be replaced as follows: Part# 17-0088-008 - Spray Shield Kit - Includes: Spray Shield, four Mounting Bolts and Nuts, Rubber Grommet and four Large Mounting Screws. Part# 17-0089-008 - Transom Transducer Hardware Kit - Includes: Complete Bracket Axle Assembly and four Large Mounting Screws. Part# 17-0056-008 - Kick-Up Bracket Assembly - Includes: Complete Bracket Axle Assembly, four Large Mounting Screws and the Stainless Steel Mounting Bracket.

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Beamformer Installation The red box that came with your Ultrascan PC90 system is called the Beamformer Module. It houses the transmitters and receivers that communicate with the transducers. The Beamformer Module must be connected by an RJ45 Ethernet cable to your ship-board PC or PC network, to the transducers and to a source of 10 to 36 VDC power. 1) Select a location to mount the Beamformer

Module. Keep in mind that the unit must be protected from from moisture and extreme temperatures. Also, you will need to route the Ethernet cable, the power cord and transducer cables to the location that you choose.

2) Connect the two-pin plug on the end of the

power supply cable to the power supply jack located at the front of the Beamformer Module.

Connect the red wire to a switch or breaker con-

nected to your ships positive (+) battery sup-ply.and the black wire to the negative of your boat’s battery. To prevent accidental damage—it’s recommended that an inline slow blow 2 Amp fuse also be inserted in the positive lead.

3) Connect one end the Ethernet Cable to the Red

Box and the other to the Ethernet connector on your PC or to an Ethernet connection on a net-work switch or router.

4) Connect the two transducer wires to the

matching ports on the back of the Beamformer Module. They are color coded as follows:

Cable label Port label Color HORZ HORZ Blue VERT VERT Green 5) The Ultrascan also includes a ground screw just

to the right of the red data LED. Grounding the case to a good water ground (engine block, bonding system, thru-hull, etc) is recommended as it will help minimize interference from sur-rounding sources of noise.

Ultrascan Beam-former Module

Transducer - (single thru-hull shown)

10-36 VDC

INTERPHASE

ULTRASCAN

2 Amp Slo-Blow Fuse Switch or Breaker

Water Ground

GROUND

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Software Installation The Ultrascan PC90 software includes a group of program files and a demonstration recordings. These files will all be automatically copied to your computer’s hard disk during installation. The total size of the Ultrascan PC90 installation is about 5 megabytes. We recommend that you make sure that there is at least 15 megabytes of free space on your hard drive before you begin the installation. If you plan to save screen-captured images or record raw sonar data, you will need additional space. We recommend beginning with a minimum of 100 megabytes of free space. Ultrascan PC90 will run on a computer with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. Take the following steps to install Ultrascan PC90 on your computer: 1) Exit all programs that are currently running. 2) Insert the Ultrascan PC90 CD Disk into your

computer’s CD drive.. 3) Follow the Setup instructions in each dialog box

that is displayed. Click the Next button to accept the defaults.

The dialog box (shown at right) will prompt you to

accept the default destination folder for the Ultras-can PC90 files or select a different folder.

The dialog box in the lower right will ask whether

you want to create a desktop icon or a Quick Launch icon. Most users choose to create an

Ultrascan icon on their desktop.

Ultrascan PC90’s Operating Software is located on a CD which is included with your system. The latest software is also

available for download at from the Interphase website at:

www.interphase-tech.com

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Connecting to a PC Set Your Computer’s Ethernet Port’s IP Address to 192.168.1.3 Using the Ethernet cable provided, connect the Ul-trascan PC90 to your Computer’s Ethernet port. The Ethernet port on the Computer should be set to a static IP address of 192.168.1.3. To set your computer’s IP address in Windows Vista, click START —> CONTROL PANEL —> NET-WORK AND SHARING CENTER. Then click on MANAGE NETWORK CONNECTONS Right click on the Network Connection that needs to be changed (usually the local area connection) and then select PROPERTIES as shown at top left. Select INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 4(TCP/IPv4) And the click on PROPERTIES as shown at mid left. A pop-up window like that shown at bottom left will appear. Choose “Use the following IP address”, and then enter 192.168.1.3 for the IP address, and 255.255.255.0 for the Subnet mask. Click OK to save your settings and exit the Local Area Connection Properties.

19

Connect to Ultrascan Beamformer After setting your PC’s IP address, turn on power to the Ultrascan PC90. After a few seconds the green power light will glow. Wait 30 seconds, then open the Ultrascan PC90 computer software. From Ultrascan PC90’s menu, choose SETUP—>BEAMFORMER, as shown at right. The Beamformer Settings pop-up window should appear as shown at right. Enter Beamformer IP Address of 192.168.1.20, and in the lower section of the window, highlight your computer’s IP port address which you previously set to 192.168.1.3 Press OK to close the beamformer settings window. The Orange light on the Ultrascan Beamformer Module should light when a proper connection between the Beam-former and PC is made. The Ultrascan PC90 should now be communicating with your PC. You should see a red/green blinking indicator on the bottom toolbar of the Ultrascan PC90. Also, the word “PLAYBACK” will be replaced with the word “LIVE”, as in the picture at lower right.

PING LIGHT—BLINKS RED/GREEN

WHEN COMMUNICATING

WITH BEAMFORMER

Ultrascan PC90’s Beamformer Module is shipped with the default IP address of 192.168.1.20.

If needed, the IP address can be changed by using the Ultrascan Web Server. For more information,

see page 50

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Running Ultrascan PC90

To start the Ultrascan PC90 system, turn on the switch or breaker that provides power to the beam-former module.. Then run Ultrascan PC90 by clicking on the Ultrascan PC90 icon on your com-puter’s desktop. If all components have been installed and all cables are connected, and the Beamformer Module is on, Ultrascan PC90 will immediately begin to collect and display data. Take the following steps to adjust Ul-trascan PC90 for basic operation:

1) Set defaults as described below. Be sure that Auto Gain and Auto Range are off.

2) Select a display (see p.26). 3) Select a range setting that is slightly greater than

your current water depth (see p.30). 4) Adjust the gain by first turning it down until little

imagery is visible on the display. Increase the gain until you begin to see noise, then decrease the setting by one (see p.30).

Defaults

The default settings for many of the Ultrascan PC90 features are shown in the table at left. Hard defaults are always reset when you exit the program. Soft defaults are recommended settings for general operation. If you are running Ultrascan PC90 for the first time, it will start with the default settings as shown at left. Change the settings by selecting the appropriate command from the specified menu.

Demo Recordings

Ultrascan PC90 installation software includes several actual recordings which can be played back and used to demo many of the Ultrascan’s features.

3 Quick Start

Parameter Menu Default Type

Auto-Screen Capture File Off Hard

Color Setup Normal Soft

Units Setup Feet Soft

Surface Masking Setup Off Hard

Depth Threshold Setup Normal Hard

Auto Gain Adjust Off Hard

Gain Adjust 10 Soft

Auto Range Adjust Off Hard

Range Adjust 25 Feet Soft

Alarm Adjust Off Hard

21

Running in PLAYBACK mode will allow you to practice and to get a feeling for the Ultrascan PC90’s many features before actually using the system in real situations on the water. Note: when you play back the recording, you will not be able to change the range. However, you will be able to use most of the other features.

Beam Width

The Ultrascan PC90’s Beam Width is approximately 12 degrees in both the vertical and horizontal scan modes. The diagrams at right and below show the approximate width of the vertical and horizontal scanning beams at different distances from the boat. The Ultrascan PC90 will generally image features within the shaded areas. The Ultrascan PC90 horizontal scan is oriented approximately ten degrees down from horizontal (see the diagram below). Thus, the depth to the center of the beam is approximately 18 percent of the distance from the boat.

TIP The width of the 12-degree main beam is approximately 1/5 of the distance from the boat

Distance Forward 12º Beam Width

Depth

Width of Acoustic Beam Horizontal Scan

Ultrascan PC90 can see targets within this area.

Width of 12 Degree Acoustic Beam

Distance Forward or Below Boat

Ultrascan can typically see targets within this area.

12 Degree Cone Angle

250

500

750

1000210

158

105

53

22

Getting Started This chapter will help you to learn the modes of operation and the basic features of the Ultrascan PC90 system. For more experienced users, this chapter can be used as a reference. Read Chapter 3 Quick Start to learn how to start the Ultrascan PC90 software. Ultrascan PC90 is a Windows application with a standard Windows menu structure. The Ultrascan PC90 screen includes a data display window as well as the Toolbar and the Status Bar. The Toolbar and Status Bar can be toggled on or off via the View Menu.

The Toolbar The Toolbar enables quick access to features which are used often including:

• Screen Capture, which saves the current screen to the hard disk (see p.35),

• About Ultrascan PC90, which displays the software version number, and

• Alarm Reset, which turns off the depth alarm after it has been triggered (see p.31).

The Toolbar also includes three digital data displays including, from left to right across the screen:

• Depth beneath the transducer calculated by Ul-trascan PC90 with the current units,

• Vessel Position information if it is available (e.g. 38º 58.95N 121º 58.49W; refer to the discussion of NMEA navigation input in Chapter 5 Advanced Operation), and

• Cursor Position. Depending on which display is active, the cursor position will include range (R), bearing (B, negative to port, positive to starboard) and/or depth (D). When the cursor is outside of a data display area, the position box displays the current range and gain settings (e.g. Rnge=25ft; Gain=20).

4 Basic Operation

Screen Capture Alarm Reset

Toolbar

About Ultrascan

Longitude Latitude

Water Depth

Units

Range Bearing

Depth

Vessel Position

Cursor Position

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The Status Bar The Status Bar displays current information about Ultrascan PC90 operation including:

• Status Message, • Ping Light, which alternates between red and

green on consecutive pings, • Mode, Live or Playback, • Capture Light, which flashes blue during a

screen capture, and • Capture Status, showing the screen capture

schedule and remaining hard disk space.

Operating Modes Ultrascan PC90 operates in one of two modes: Live and Playback. If all components have been installed, all cables are connected and the Beamformer Module is on when you start the software, Ultrascan PC90 will immediately begin to collect and display data in Live Mode. If a recording is being viewed the unit will be in the Playback Mode. Use the File Menu to switch between Playback and Live modes.

Playback Mode In Playback Mode, Ultrascan PC90 will continuously display the recorded data that was installed with the software or other user recorded videos. Ultrascan PC90 will look for the recorded data in a folder called ‘Data’ in the Ultrascan PC90 program folder. If no recording is selected, the display window will remain blank.

Live Mode When the Live Mode is selected, Ultrascan PC90 will attempt to find the beamformer module. When com-munications begins the ping light on the lower toolbar will blink between red and green.

Status Bar

Status Message Mode

Capture Status

Ping Light Capture Light

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Setting System Parameters There are several system parameters that you will usually need to set only once. Set these parameters using the Beamformer and Transducer commands on the Setup menu.

Beamformer I.P. Address The default I.P. address for the Ultrascan beamformer module is set to 192.168.1.20. Make sure your com-puter’s network I.P is set to the same subnet mask (i.e. 192.168.1) and the device number is different than the beamformer's “.20”. For example, set your computer’s IP network address to 192.168.1.3 or 192.168.1.4, etc.

Transducer Mount Corrections The Ultrascan PC90 software can compensate for minor transducer misalignments. These are important corrections, particularly if Ultrascan PC90 is being used as a collision avoidance aid. For example, if the vertical scanning transducer is tilted forward, a level bottom will appear to be getting shallower at greater distances. If it is tilted back, a level bottom will appear to be getting deeper. Level Adjustment In case the vertical scanning transducer has been mounted with a fore or aft tilt, Ultrascan PC90 can compensate for up to 14 degrees of tilt in either direction. To set the Transducer Level parameter, Run Ultrascan PC90 when the boat is over a known level bottom. The vertical display should also appear level. If, however, the bottom display is slanted upward (as shown in the “Before Level Adjust” picture at left), it means that the transducer was mounted with its nose pointing down slightly. If the bottom slopes upwards by 10 degrees, the Transducer Level correction should be 10 degrees DOWN. If the bottom slopes downward, adjust the Transducer Level in the UP direction to compensate. After setting the Transducer Level, view the VERT display to verify the correction.

Before Level Adjust

After Level Adjust

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Align Adjustment In case the horizontal scanning transducer has been mounted such that it points in a direction other than dead ahead, Ultrascan PC90 can compensate for up to 14 degrees of misalignment in either the port or starboard direction. To set the Transducer Align correction, point the boat directly toward a target (such as a piling, etc.) The target should appear at the center of the horizontal scanning display. If, however, the target is off to the port (as shown on the “Before Align Adjust” picture at right), it means that the transducer was mounted pointing slightly in the starboard direction. If the target is offset to the port by 7 degrees, the Transducer Align correction should be 7 degrees Stbd. If the target appears off to the right (Stbd), adjust to the Port direction to bring the target back to the center position. After setting the Transducer Align, view the HORZ display to verify the correction. Keel Offset If the transducer(s) are mounted in a position above the deepest point of your boat’s keel, Ultrascan PC90 can automatically adjust the depth scale bars to compensate for the offset. This will allow you to always work with depths that are relative to the bottom of your boat’s keel. Move the slide bar to specify the depth of the keel beneath the transducer(s).

Before Align Adjust

After Align Adjust

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Displays Ultrascan PC90 has four different scanning sonar display windows. They are VERT, HORZ, DOWN, and VSPLIT, as shown at right. View a display by clicking on its tab at the bottom of the window. Each display fills the current Ultrascan PC90 window. Change the size and/or aspect ratio of the Ultrascan PC90 window by dragging the sides or corners of the window.

Setting Color and Units The color scheme and distance units can be changed to suit your operating conditions and preferences. Access Color and Units controls using the Setup menu. Both parameters are consistent in Ultrascan PC90 regardless of which scanning display window is active. The units are also consistent in the depth window but the color scheme of the depth window cannot be changed. Display windows can be viewed in one of three color schemes:

• Normal, a color palette varying from light blue through red on a black background which is useful for operation in normal daytime conditions.

• Sunny, a gray-scale palette on a white back-ground which allows you to view contrast in very bright conditions

• Night, black, dark red and bright red which enable you to see contrast while preserving your night vision.

Each display includes scale bars showing distance in the selected Units. Units options include Feet, Meters and Fathoms. The selected units are displayed in the Status Bar for reference. In the pop-up window shown at left, there is also an adjustable slider labeled Noise Floor. When the slider is at the bottom the Ultrascan will displays the full dynamic range of echo signals Signal strength is related to color with red being the strongest. Raising the slider will eliminate the lower signal strength colors (blue) which can help reduce clutter in shallow water situations.

27

Horizontal Display Vertical Display

Downlooker Display Vertical Split-Screen Display

DISPLAY MODES

28

VERT: Vertical Scan Display The VERT display shows the image created by the vertical scanning transducer elements. This array scans through a maximum of 90 degrees in a sector starting horizontally in the direction that the boat is heading and ending vertically beneath the transducer (see figure at left). The vertical scan is shown with the transducer at the upper left corner of the display window with the selected range extending to the lower right corner of the window. As a result, the scale bars will usually indicate maximum distances that are less than the selected range.

HORZ: Horizontal Scan Display The HORZ display shows the image created by the horizontal scanning transducer elements. This array scans through a maximum of 90 degrees in a sector centered about the boat’s heading and tilted downward from horizontal by about 10 degrees (see figure at left, center). The horizontal scan is shown with the transducer at the bottom of the display window and the selected range extending to the top of the window, regardless of the window’s width. Thus, data will be clipped on the sides of a tall, narrow display (see figure at bottom left).

DOWN: Downlooker Display The downlooker display shows the region directly beneath the boat over time. The right edge of the display always shows the most recent ping. Since Ultrascan PC90 does not know boat speed, the downlooker display cannot be used to determine horizontal distances. Thus, there is no horizontal scale bar in the downlooker display. Ultrascan PC90 can only extract DOWN data from the vertical array.

Scanning Directions. Vertical Scan mode shown above and Horizontal Scan mode below

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VSPLIT: Vertical Split-Screen Display The VSPLIT display shows downlooker data in the left portion of the window and the forward vertical scan in the right portion of the window. The downlooker data occupies one quarter of the horizontal dimension of the window and the vertical scan occupies the remainder of the space. Both portions of the display are equivalent in function to the individual DOWN and VERT displays. However, Ultrascan PC90 will always use the Gain, Range and Alarm settings that are associated with the vertical scan.

30

Adjusting the Gain and Range The Gain and Range adjustments are perhaps the most critical features of Ultrascan PC90 in optimizing the system performance for different operating conditions. Gain and Range can be set manually or, alternatively, Ultrascan PC90 can set and vary the Gain and Range settings automatically. It is important to note that each scanning direction has its own Gain and Range settings. To change the Gain and Range settings for the current display, select Gain and Range... from the Adjust menu.

Gain Adjustment The Gain level controls the intensity of the signals shown on the display by varying the amplification of the sonar signals that Ultrascan PC90 receives. Click on the Auto box to turn Auto Gain on and off. A check in the box indicates that Auto Gain is on. The default setting is off. In the manual mode, Ultrascan PC90 allows you to choose from 32 different Gain levels, numbered from 1 to 32. The default level is 16. Select the Gain by sliding the pointer on the Gain bar. Level 1 provides the smallest amount of Gain. At this level, the screen will display little or no data. Higher Gain numbers will brighten the display. The Gain level required to see a specific target will vary with target range, water clarity and background noise. In addition, Range changes may also require changes in Gain. In the Auto Gain mode, Ultrascan PC90 will adjust the gain level automatically depending on the strength of the sonar signal returns. Note that it is still possible to make manual adjustments in the Auto Gain mode, but any adjustments you make could be changed by Ultrascan PC90.

Range Adjustment The Range is the maximum distance at which features will be displayed by Ultrascan PC90. In general, features at greater distances will be less clearly resolved. In addition, the water conditions will help to determine the greatest distance at which Ultrascan

31

PC90 can accurately image features. Click on the Auto box to turn Auto Range on and off. A check in the box indicates that Auto Range is on. The default setting is off. In the manual mode, Ultrascan PC90 allows you to choose one of twelve preset Ranges. Range can be varied between 25 and 1000 feet, 8 and 300 meters, or 4 and 160 fathoms. Select the desired Range by sliding the pointer on the Range bar. The default setting is the minimum range (25 feet). In the Auto Range mode, Ultrascan PC90 will adjust the Range automatically to keep the bottom within the center three-quarters of the range scale. If Ultrascan PC90 cannot find the bottom, it will step through the Ranges until the bottom is found. It is possible to make manual adjustments in the Auto Range mode.

TIP Leave the Gain and Range and/or Alarm boxes open if you plan to make frequent manual adjustments. Move a box by dragging it to a desired position

NOTE Auto Gain and Auto Range are always turned off when you exit Ultrascan PC90.

NOTE Each Ultrascan PC90 gain setting is actually a Time-Varied Gain (TVG) curve which applies higher gains to later returns. This is an important feature which works to counteract the inherent weakening of the acoustic signals with distance from the transducer.

32

Display Smoothing In turbulent or rough sea conditions, the picture may become cluttered. To minimize random noise and interference, use Ultrascan’s smoothing factor adjust-ment to average between multiple display frames. Go to ADJUST—>SCAN as shown in the menu at left to open a Smoothing Factor window with a hori-zontal slider control. The default slider position is mid-range, For less smoothing move the slider to the left or for more, move the slider to the right.

Depth Window In addition to the four scanning sonar displays, Ul-trascan PC90 includes a separate depth window that can be moved and resized to fill any portion of the screen. Open the window by selecting Depth Display from the View menu. The depth window includes a large numerical display as well as a graphical display of the depth over time. The window stays open when the Ultrascan PC90 application is minimized. Note that, if you use Alt-Tab to select Ultrascan PC90 from several applications running under Windows, an open depth display will remain in the background. Select Depth Display from the View menu to bring the window to the front.

33

Using the Alarm Ultrascan PC90 provides an audible alarm to alert you to nearby and shallow features. VERT, HORZ and DOWN displays use independent alarm settings. VSPLIT and HSPLIT displays use the vertical and horizontal alarm settings, respectively. Change the alarm settings by selecting Alarm from the Adjust menu. Turn the alarm on and off by clicking on the Alarm On box. Select an alarm distance by moving the slide bar. The distance covered by the alarm will appear in the scale bar of the display as a solid magenta bar, and a magenta line or arc will cross the display at the specified distance or depth. Vertical and downlooker alarms are triggered whenever a solidly displayed target appears shallower than the depth indicated by the alarm bar. The horizontal alarm is triggered whenever a solidly displayed target appears closer to the boat than the range indicated by the alarm arc. Once the Alarm has been triggered, it will continue sounding until it has been reset. Reset the Alarm by clicking on the Clear Alarm button in the Alarm box or by clicking on the yellow light bulb in the Toolbar.

NOTE An alarm setting of zero is equivalent to having the alarm off.

Vertical Alarm Bar

Horizontal Alarm Bar

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Adjusting the Depth Tracker (Digital Depth) With every vertical array ping, the Depth Tracker attempts to find the bottom. The depth that is found is displayed in the toolbar as well as the depth window if it is open (see p.22 for a discussion of the depth display). If the depth tracker cannot find the bottom, a question mark will be displayed in the toolbar. The tracked depth can be saved to a file and sent out over a serial port. Refer to Chapter 5 for a discussion of this utility. If Auto Range is on, Ultrascan PC90 will use the tracked depth to adjust the range (see p.30 for a description of Auto Range). If the depth tracker cannot find the bottom, Auto Range will step through the available range scales until the bottom is found. To adjust the parameters used by the depth tracker, select Depth Tracker... from the Setup menu.

Surface Masking The Surface Masking feature allows you to specify a range near the water surface in which the depth tracker will ignore any incoming returns. The default Surface Masking is off. Surface Masking is useful if there is a strong surface return, abundant floating debris, bubbles under the hull or surface bait schools. With blanking off in such situations, the depth tracker could mistake these shallow returns for the bottom. The maximum masking range is about 10 feet, 3 meters, or 1.6 fathoms. Use the slide bar to select the masking range. The selected masking range is shown in all display windows.

Threshold To avoid errant depth tracking on noise and suspended features, the depth tracker applies a Threshold. Normal is the default setting which should be used in most situations. However, if the gain is set so that the screen is dark, revealing only obstacles and very bright mid-water targets, the Low threshold setting may be required in order to continue to track the depth.

NOTE Depth Tracker settings always return to the defaults when you exit Ultrascan PC90.

35

Alternatively, if the gain is set high so that everything is bright, the High threshold may be necessary to avoid tracking depth on bait balls and other strong mid-water returns.

Saving Data with Screen Capture Images displayed in Ultrascan PC90 can be saved using the Screen Capture feature. There are four ways to capture an image: 1) Select Capture Screen Now from the File

Menu. 2) Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shft+C. 3) Click on the Screen Capture button of the

Toolbar. 4) Use the Screen Capture Scheduler accessed

from the File Menu to automatically create periodic screen captures.

Ultrascan PC90 will not carry out a requested or scheduled screen capture if there is less than 20 megabytes of space remaining on your hard disk. Whenever Ultrascan PC90 does a screen capture, the screen capture indicator (to the left of the screen capture status box in the Status Bar) flashes blue. Each screen capture image is saved in the folder specified in the Screen Capture Scheduler. The default folder is the Data folder in the Ultrascan PC90 program folder: C:\Program Files\Interphase\Ultrascan PC90\Data The Scheduler allows you to turn auto-saving on or off (click on the box labeled Enable Screen Capture) and specify the frequency of auto-saving. Files are saved in the JPEG (*jpg) format and each picture is approximately 40kB in size.

20101118164240R0048G31.jpg

Year Range Month Gain Day Hour Format Minute (jpg) Second

Screen Capture File Name Format

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Working with NMEA Navigation Ultrascan PC90 reads standard NMEA 0183 navigation strings from a serial or USB port, extracts the latitude and longitude and displays this information in the toolbar.Ultrascan PC90 accepts GGA, GLL, RMB and RMC strings. To activate this feature, select NMEA 0183 Setup… from the File menu, click in the check box labeled Enable NMEA 0183 Input and select the serial or USB port to which navigation input is connected. When NMEA 0183 input is enabled, the Ultrascan PC90 will look for data coming from the serial or USB port. If the NMEA strings are successfully parsed, the Ultrascan PC90 will display the most re-cent latitude and longitude in the navigation box on the toolbar. If no data is detected coming from the serial or USB port, a series of dashes will be dis-played in the navigation box. A blank navigation box indicates that NMEA 0183 input is disabled. Use the following connections to your serial port. If you have a 9-pin serial port: Pin#2 = RX = Out Pin #3 = TX = In Pin #5 = Ground

Logging Depth (and Position) Ultrascan PC90 can log the tracked depth in a file and send it out over a serial port. To activate this feature, select Depth Log Schedule… from the File menu and click in the check box labeled Enable Automatic Depth Log. Next, select a format for the logged depth. Choose ASCII format or NMEA 0183 sentence format. The ASCII format includes the date, the time and the depth below the transducer in the current Units. For the NMEA 0183 format, any or all of three sentence types can be saved. NMEA 0183 format

5 Advanced Operation

37

sentences begin with a dollar sign followed by the two-character talker identification followed by the three-character sentence type. The talker identification for Ultrascan PC90 is SS, for scanning sonar. Data fields in the sentences are comma-delimited and the sentences end with a star followed by the checksum. Ultrascan PC90 uses the following three sentence types: DPT - Depth with Keel Offset. This sentence includes the water depth, in meters, relative to the transducer followed by the offset from the transducer in meters. DBT - Depth Below Transducer. This sentence includes the water depth in feet; the water depth in meters and the water depth in fathoms, all referenced to the transducer. ZDA - Time and Date. This sentence includes, the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), the day, the month, and the year, all in UTC, and the local zone hours and minutes (Atlantic Standard Time is local zone 05 hours, 00 minutes). Once you have selected the depth log format, select a depth log frequency interval in seconds. If the frequency is set at 5, Ultrascan PC90 will log the depth every 5 seconds. Ultrascan PC90 will always log the depth to a file named with the current local date (year month day) and a file extension of .dep (e.g. 20100401.dep). By default, the file will be saved in the Ultrascan\Data directory (D:\Program Files\UltrascanPC90\Data\).

2010/03/31 16:43:29.01 12.2 ft.

Year Month Depth Day Hour Units Minute

ASCII Depth Format

20100401.dep

Year Month Day Depth file extension

Depth Log File Name Format

$SSDPT,4.2,0.0*46

Water Depth (m) Keel Offset (m) Checksum

NMEA Sentence Formats

$SSDBT,13.0,f,4.0,M,2.2,F*27

Depth in feet Depth in meters Depth in fathoms Checksum

$SSZDA,004635.18,01,04,2010,08,00*79

UTC (hhmmss.ss) Day (UTC) Month (UTC) Year (UTC) Local zone hours Local zone minutes Checksum

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If you wish to save to another directory, specify the new directory in the Depth log destination directory box. To send the depth information out a serial port as well, click in the box labeled Output to Serial Port and select a serial port from the pull-down menu. Ultrascan PC90 will automatically configure the protocol of the selected serial port to the NMEA 0183 standard.

Recording Live Data Ultrascan PC90 can record the actual raw sonar that’s transmitted over the Ethernet from the beamformer module to the PC. The data can be saved and later played back through the Ultrascan PC90 program. The Ultrascan will only record raw video data when the PC is actually receiving it from the beamformer mod-ule. Therefore, the Record button will not work when viewing previously recorded data. When video recording of the raw data is available, the record button will be a bright red color. To start the recording, depress the RED record button. When recording, the bottom toolbar will say RE-CORDING and the small box to the right will turn a blue color as shown at right. Recording will automatically be saved in the Program Files/Ultrascan PC90/Data file, unless another folder has been chosen in the record schedule file. To replay the raw data file, got o FILE—>PLAYBACK and choose the desired file. When running the re-corded file, you can make adjustments to most of the controls—except for the range. Also, if the recording was made in the vertical mode, it should be played back in the vertical mode, etc. If you are viewing a recording and wish to change to a different recording, you must first go to FILE—>RUN LIVE, and then go back to FILE—>PLAYBACK to choose a different file.

$GPGLL,2457.250,N,12120.714,E,104439.02,A*61

Latitude, N/S Longitude, E/W UTC(hhmmss.ss) Status A=data valid V=data not valid Checksum

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Using the Diagnostics The Ultrascan PC90 Diagnostics provide information about your computer system and the Ultrascan PC90 software. This tool enhances the ability of the Interphase Technical Support staff to troubleshoot any problem that you might have with your Ultrascan PC90. To gain the most information about your system, be sure that the Ultrascan PC90 hardware is connected to your computer and turned on before selecting Run Diagnostics… from the File menu. To save the results of the diagnostics, click on the Copy to Clipboard button and then paste into any word processor, any email application or the notepad. If you contact Interphase Technical Support via fax or email, it will be useful to include the diagnostics results in your correspondence.

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Principles The Ultrascan PC90 system provides a display of acoustic echoes from the underwater area beneath and ahead of your vessel. The Phased Array Transducer steers an acoustic beam over a sector which can be adjusted from approximately 6 to 90 degrees in width. As the Ultrascan PC90 steers the beam to different positions, it transmits a pulse of energy and then waits a defined period of time (depending on the range selected) to receive any returning echoes. As the energy from this acoustic beam strikes underwater objects or the bottom, a portion of the energy is reflected as an echo back to the transducer. When the echo is received at the transducer, it’s converted into a small electrical signal and processed for display. Since the Ultrascan PC90 knows the direction in which it sent the transmit pulse and the time it took to receive the return echo, it can determine the location of the object or bottom that created the return echo. As the Ultrascan PC90 sequentially steps through the scan sector, the computer’s display shows a continuously updated image of the returning echoes in their approximate positions relative to the vessel.

Interpreting the Vertical Display In the vertical mode, Ultrascan PC90 scans forward from horizontal down to vertical beneath the vessel. Since the resulting display shows only the acoustic echoes that are returned to the transducer, it cannot show forward bottom conditions that are hidden from its field of view or are hidden due to obstructions in the acoustic beam’s path through the water.

Forward Imaging Capabilities The distance ahead of the vessel over which the Ultrascan PC90 is capable of imaging features is dependent upon water depth, bottom structure and water conditions. Under typical conditions, the

6 Interpreting Displays

Strong Return from Up-sloping Bottom

Weak Return From Far-Forward

41

Ultrascan PC90 will show level or shallowing bottom contours for a distance forward of between 4-times and 8-times the water depth beneath the transducer. Obstructions in the water may be seen at much greater distances (within the Ultrascan PC90’s 1200-foot maximum range). Smooth bottom conditions far forward of the vessel are difficult to image as very little of the acoustic energy is reflected back as an echo (see the diagram at top left). Bottoms that are rough and rocky or are sloping upward will reflect more acoustic energy back to the transducer and will show strong far-forward returns (see diagram at bottom left). It is important to note that even if the bottom is smooth and does not show up far-forward, acoustically reflective obstructions in the same far-forward region (sea walls, large rocks, underwater shelves, submerged buoys, etc.) will typically send back strong echoes, as the diagram at right indicates. Regardless of the actual vertical dimension of such far-forward obstructions, they will often appear on the Ultrascan PC90 display as a vertical line or arc.

Transducer Sidelobe Effect The Ultrascan PC90’s transducer, like all transducers, does not form a perfect beam of acoustic energy. Some of the energy is contained in areas outside of the main beam called sidelobes (see diagram at right). In some situations, sidelobes can lead to echoes that are not placed in the proper position on the display. As the Ultrascan PC90 sends off its acoustic beam in a specific direction, it assumes that any return echoes are within the main beam. However, if the sidelobe energy strikes a reflective object (such as the bottom), creating a strong echo, the Ultrascan PC90 will display the “false” return as if it were located within the main beam. The most typical display of sidelobe echoes appears in the vertical display as an arc at the same distance as the bottom depth (see diagram on following page). After using the Ultrascan PC90 in different situations, with different gain settings, you should become proficient in identifying the bottom echoes caused by the transducer’s sidelobes. A gain reduction will help to minimize the sidelobe effect.

Strong Return from Wall Far-Forward

NOTE Poor water conditions such as surface chop, temperature inversion layers and muddy water may degrade the Ultrascan PC90’s performance

Transducer

Sidelobes Main Beam

False Echoes

Main Beam

Sidelobe

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However, in some situations, you may want to ignore the sidelobe effect and increase the gain to achieve a better display of the bottom far-forward of the vessel. In general, Ultrascan PC90’s adjustable gain settings help to minimize the sidelobe effect. This is because each gain setting represents a time-varied-gain (TVG) curve. These curves use lower gains for earlier returns, which may include unwanted sidelobe echoes, and higher gains for later returns which include the desired echoes. Refer to page 30 for a discussion of gain settings.

Interpreting the Horizontal Display In the horizontal scanning mode the Ultrascan PC90 scans from left to right across the vessel’s bow. The forward scanning elements in the transducer are positioned so that the plane of the horizontal scan is angled downward approximately 10 degrees from the water’s surface (see the diagrams at left and on p.21). This downward angle is designed to help reduce the effects of surface noise clutter when the water is choppy and to allow easier mounting of the transducer to the transom of smaller boats.

Imaging the Bottom As the acoustic beam is projected away from the boat, the cross-sectional area of the beam increases. At a range of approximately 3 to 3.5 times the depth of the water the sound beam will begin intersecting the bottom and some of the sound energy that intersects the bottom will be reflected back and will appear on the Ultrascan PC90’s screen as bottom echoes. Refer to the diagram at left. It is important to understand that the Ultrascan PC90 will often see the bottom and will show it on the forward display. This display information can be used to help understand the structure of the bottom ahead of the boat, but the bottom echoes can also mask or be confused with other desired targets. In the diagram at left, for example, a bait ball or school of fish is lost in the bottom echoes. However, as the vessel approaches the target, it will become distinct from the bottom echoes as it moves into the nearer

Bait

200 ft Forward Range, Water Depth of 36 Ft

“False” Echoes Caused by Sidelobe Returns.

43

ranges.

Special Situations With experience you should be able to use the fact that the forward beam will show the bottom, to your advantage. You will learn to recognize bottom structure such as varying water depths across the sector, drop-offs, ledges, and rocky patches on the bottom ahead. Two examples of changing bottom conditions are shown in the diagrams at right. In the upper diagram, a shallow bottom in the starboard direction is clearly imaged in the horizontal scan. In the lower diagram, a channel is imaged. The deepest point of the channel ahead of the vessel is indicated by the gap in the bottom echoes.

Forward Imaging Capabilities If the horizontal range setting is greater than the forward distance to the bottom, the Ultrascan PC90 can detect targets at distances beyond where the beam hits the bottom. This is because the acoustic beam can bounce off the bottom and keep going forward until it strikes a solid object and then returns as an echo. Even in shallow water it is possible to see several hundred feet ahead by using this “bounce” technique. When looking far-forward in shallow situations such as this, it is advisable to adjust the gain manually. Otherwise the Auto Gain feature will reduce the gain because of the strong close-in bottom reflections. Refer to page 30 for a discussion of gain settings.

Sides of Underwater Trench

Deeper water to port (left)

of boat.

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Maintenance The Ultrascan PC90 Forward Scanning Sonar has been designed to provide reliable, trouble-free performance for years. Follow the maintenance tips below to ensure that your Ultrascan PC90 remains problem-free. 1) Keep your Ultrascan PC90 Beamformer Module clean and dry. 2) If the power cord in-line fuse is blown, replace it with a 2 amp fuse. NEVER REPLACE WITH A

HIGHER AMP RATING ! If the fuse continues to blow, check the polarity of your 12 VDC power source. If the polarity is correct, check with the Technical Service Department at (408)477-4944.

3) In order to protect your transducer from water damage, we suggest painting it with a water based anti-

fouling paint. DO NOT use a ketone-based paint. Brands such as MDR, Woolsey and Pettit all make water based anti-fouling paints that can be found at your local marine supply store. Words like aqua or hydro on a paints label indicate a water based product. Never use spray paint on a transducer.

4) DO NOT allow any solvents, i.e. gasoline, acetone, to come in contact with the transducer or head

unit as these may dissolve the material.

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Troubleshooting Guide If you are experiencing trouble with your Ultrascan PC90, please refer to the following checklist:

PROBLEM SOLUTION

Beamformer Module will not turn on. Check power cord in-line fuse, battery voltage and power connections. Also, check for continuity through the in-line fuse holder

Power cord in-line fuse blows repeatedly.

Wiring is reversed or there is excessive current from the battery. The red wire should be “+” (positive) and have continuity with pin #1 on the female side of the power supply lead. Check the voltage to the Beamformer Module. It should be less than 16V and ideally 12-13V.

Will not run in Live Mode. Verify that the Ethernet l cable is connected to the Beamformer Module and your computer, and that the Beamformer Module is on. Check to see that the proper I.P address is selected. Select Run Live from the File menu

Screen remains blank in PLAYBACK Mode.

Ultrascan PC90 cannot find the PLAYBACK data. Move the data files (*.pcv) back into the Data folder in the Ultrascan PC90 program folder.

Loses picture at speed. Adjust the transducer angle or placement. Make sure that the transducer is installed in the area which has the least amount of water turbulence.

Screen is full of noise, or has dots running through it.

Reduce your gain setting and review the section on interference.

Known flat bottom slopes up/down. Adjust the transducer angle or perform the level/align procedure to compensate for transducer mis-installation.

Digital water depth not working. Increase your gain, and check that you are in the proper depth range. Refer to the section on Depth Tracker parameters.

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Interference Problems Interference can come from several sources. The most common of these are: 1) Other nearby depth sounders operating at the

same frequency. 2) Radiated interference from the boat’s electrical

system (alternator, distributor and spark plugs) or from nearby equipment that radiates electrical noise.

3) Conducted interference usually occurs when the Ultrascan PC90 shares a 12VDC power lead with other noisy equipment (i.e.; bilge pumps, motors, refrigeration systems, autopilots, etc.)

Interference caused by nearby depth sounders operating on or near the same frequency as the Ultrascan PC90 will typically appear as “rabbit tracks” that march up and down the screen. Reducing the gain will help minimize this problem. Radiated interference caused by the boat’s engine can usually be identified by observing the Ultrascan PC90 with both the engine running and turned off. If the interference disappears when the engine is turned off, it is safe to assume that the engine is the source of the interference. This type of interference can usually be eliminated by using the same techniques used in the automotive industry to eliminate interference to car radios, CB’s, etc. The following actions may be required: 1) Reduce the Gain setting to minimize

interference. 2) Make sure your boat uses resistor type spark

plugs and plug wiring. 3) Install a suppressor on the center lead of the

distributor. 4) Install an alternator filter to smooth the

alternator’s output signal. Interference may also be caused by radiation from other nearby equipment and can be detected by turning off all other equipment and observing the Ultrascan PC90 display as each suspected source is

turned back on. This type of interference can usually be eliminated by moving the Ultrascan PC90 Beamformer Module away from the source and checking to ensure that the interfering source is properly grounded. Interference causing the display to be unstable, to pulsate or periodically change size is usually caused when another piece of equipment shares the same 12 VDC power leads from the battery. This problem is especially severe when equipment requiring large current surges (i.e.; autopilots, refrigerators, or bilge pumps) share the same power leads. Minimize this type of interference by running the Ultrascan PC90’s 12VDC power leads, or those of the interfering equipment, directly to the battery. Alternatively, you may find it helpful to install a separate dedicated power supply battery that is used only to run your electronic gear (e.g.; fishfinders, VHF radios, radar units, etc.). If your unit shuts off during low voltage situations, such as when cranking your engine starter, you may want to install an isolator switch with an “A/B” type of battery system. An “A/B” system allows you to run your electronic gear on one battery, while the starter and alternator are hooked up to the other battery. Your authorized marine electronics dealer is familiar with the methods of reducing electrical interference and is qualified to assist you should a problem persist.

47 Specifications subject to change without notice.

Specifications

Single Thru-Hull Transducer Part # T1-I200-032 Optional Fairing Block #42-2005-000

Two Transom Transducers Part # T1-0200-025

& T1-0200-028

DC Power Cable 6’ Length

Part # 04-1106-00R

Ultrascan PC90 Software CD

Part # 25-4018-000 Beamformer Module Part # D1-0400-001

Ethernet Cable, 10’ Length

Part # 04-1107-oo

Transducer Options

Computer Requirements: 1.0 GHz CPU, minimum, available Ethernet port, WinXP, VISTA or Win7 operating system, CD drive, 10 MB available hard disk space.

Depth Ranges: Overlapping ranges; 0 to 30 ft min, 0 to 800 ft max.

Forward Ranges: Overlapping forward ranges, 0 - 50 ft. min to 0 - 1,200 ft max.

Transmit Frequency: 200 kHz

Pulselength and Sounding Rates:

Automatically optimized for selected range.

Transmitter Power: Automatically selected, 100 to over 1,000 Watts RMS

Power Requirements: 10.5 to 36 VDC, less than 0.5 Amp.

Standard Equipment: Sonar Module, Ultrascan PC90 Software on CD disk, 6’ long12 VDC power cable with in-line fuse, 10’ long Ethernet cable, and operation manual. Note: some configurations include transducer(s) with 33’ of cable. (below)

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How to Obtain Service

If you feel your set is not operating properly, first refer to the sections of this manual on Troubleshooting and Interference Problems. This information solves the most common problems. If problems persist, please call Interphase Technical Service at (831) 477-4944 or send your unit in with the information below filled out.

If you do need to return your set, send it to the following address:

Service Department Interphase Technologies, Inc. 2880 Research Park Drive, Suite 140 Soquel, CA 95073

In addition, to speed your repair please fill out the following, tear this page out of the manual (or photocopy it), and tape it to your unit for our technicians to review. For fastest warranty service, include a copy of your purchase receipt to verify the purchase date.

RETURN TO: (Your Name) (Street Address - No P.O. Boxes Please) (City) (State) (Zip) Daytime Telephone: ( ) Evening Telephone: ( ) Model: Ultrascan PC90 Serial #: Purchase Date / / Type of transducer: Transom mount Thru-Hull Other Please describe the problems you are having with the unit in as much detail as possible in the space below. Please use another sheet of paper if necessary.

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Ultrascan Network Information

The Ultrascan PC90 is designed to connect directly to a dedicated PC or to an Ethernet network. When connected to an Ethernet network, only one PC at a time can control the Ultrascan beamformer. This is to minimize possible conflicting commands coming from multiple computers. For proper operation, it is important that the Ultrascan’s IP address uses the same subnet which has been configured on the dedicated PC’s network card, or which the network is using. The subnet is the first three blocks of digits in the IP address. For example the subnet in the IP address 192.168.1.1 is 192.168.1, and the subnet in the IP address of 192.168.0.1 is 192.168.0. Also, the Ultrascan beamformer must have a unique device number (the last digit). For example, if you configure your PC’s network card for IP address 192.168.1.3, the Ultrascan beamformer must have the same subnet numbers (the first three sets of numbers –192.168.1), but it can not have the same device number (the last group of numbers—in this case “3”). The default IP address that is programmed into the Ultrascan beamformer prior to shipment is 192.168.1.20. In most situations when connecting to a dedicated PC, this will not have to be changed. However, if you are connecting the Ultrascan to an existing Ethernet network you may have to recon-figure the beamformer’s IP address so that it uses the same subnet—and has a unique device number. To find out the current IP settings of your PC, open a DOS window and type the command ipconfig Scroll to the top of the window to see the current setting on your PC. See the example below:

Scroll Slider

Wireless Network Card’s IP Address. Subnet is 192.168.0

Local Area Card’s IP Address. Subnet is 192.168.1

50

Ultrascan’s Web server Page The Ultrascan beamformer comes with a built-in web server page which can be conveniently used to change the beamformer’s IP address, subnet mask and several other important properties. Do not change any of these values unless required. Also, if you change the Ultrascan beamformer's IP address—make a note of the new address. If you forget the new IP address, you will not be able to connect to a PC or network and may have to return the red beamformer box to Interphase to reset to the factory default IP address! To access the Ultrascan’s web server page, connect a crossover Ethernet cable between a PC and the Red Ultrascan beamformer . Apply power to the Ultrascan beamformer and wait 30 seconds then en-ter the Ultrascan beamformer’s IP address into your browser. The default password to login and make changes is “quicksilver”. If you login, the following screen

51

Click here to make changes

should appear in your browser: If you make changes to any of the Ultrascan beamformer’s network settings, you will have to reboot the beamformer by cycling power off/on.

52

Connecting to a Network The Ultrascan Beamformer can connect directly to a dedicated PC or to an existing network by con-necting the beamformer to an Ethernet hub or switch. When connecting to a network, make sure the beamformer's IP address is set to run on the same subnet (the first three groups of numbers in the IP address). If you’re unsure about your network’s subnet, use the ipconfig DOS command (see page 49). When connecting to a network hub or switch a crossover Ethernet cable is usually required to connect between the Ultrascan beamformer and the hub or switch. However, many modern network cards, hubs and switches can use either a normal Ethernet patch cable or a crossover cable. The beamformer’s web server page (page 50) can then be used to set the Ultrascan’s beamformer IP to agree with the existing network settings (that is, to have the same subnet and to have a unique device identifier). For example:

Subnet #

device #

192.168.1.3

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This Page for Notes:

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This Page for Notes:

55

Interphase Technologies, Inc. Limited Warranty

Interphase Technologies, Inc. warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. Any unit that fails during the warranty period will, at Interphase’s option, be repaired or replaced at no charge to the customer provided it is returned to Interphase, freight prepaid with proof of date of purchase and a description of the malfunction. Repair or replacement during the warranty period will not extend the basic warranty period. This warranty does not apply to an Interphase product that has failed due to improper installation, misuse, or accident, nor does it apply to products which have been repaired or altered outside the Interphase factory. Any costs incurred with transducer replacement are specifically excluded from this warranty other than the cost of the transducer itself. This warranty does not include incidental or consequential damages and Interphase disclaims any liability for any such damages. All implied warranties, if any, are limited in duration to the above stated one year warranty period. Some states and provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, therefore, the above limitations may not apply to you. The completion and return of the enclosed Warranty Registration Card is a condition precedent to the warranty coverage. This warranty gives you specific legal rights which may vary from state to state and province to province. This warranty is limited only to the original purchaser of the unit.

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