Features
Discover the innovative features that set our products apart, designed to streamline your workflow, enhance efficiency, and provide a seamless user experience tailored to your specific needs.
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Highlights
- Designed for laboratory flumes
- Observe load and mean particle size
- Uses multi frequency acoustic backscatter method
- 4 cabled transducers
- Cabled temperature and pressure sensors
- Profiles of <1 m to 10 m
- Deploy in fresh and seawater to 1000 m depth
- Internal batteries and memory for autonomous
deployment - Integral temperature and pressure sensors
Specifications
Explore the advanced capabilities of our instruments and systems through their technical specifications.
Sediment range | Sensitive to a wide range of grain sizes Size inversion typically feasible for 20 μm to 500 μm radius Typically 0.01 g/l to 20 g/l over 1 m, or more over shorter range |
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| Frequencies | 4 frequencies - 500 kHz, 1MHz, 2MHz, 4MHz |
| Transducers | Typically Ø10-25mm ceramic discs (beam width according to frequency), with other optional configurations. |
| Transducer arrangement | Individual cabled transducers |
| Gain | Software controlled transmitter and receiver gain adjustment |
| Range | 150 cm (typical), up to 10 m at frequencies below 2MHz depending on options. |
| Transmitted signal | 1 W rms typical transmit CW pulse, pulse length to match cell size. |
| Transmission rate | 128 Hz max pulse rate for each frequency (i.e. 512 pulses per second for four), subject to acoustic range limits. Minimum rate 1 Hz for calibration. |
| Data averaging | Cell ensembles averaged over time by powers of 2 up to 64 before storage |
| Range cells | 256 cells. 2.5 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm and 40 mm at 1500 m/s speed of sound. Start/end range set by software |
| Burst duration | Defined by number of profiles requested |
| Burst trigger | Either external hardware trigger when required or internal software trigger at regular intervals |
| Burst interval | Internally generated from once every minute to once every 255 minutes, user definable start time of first burst. |
| Trigger output | A digital output allows triggering of external instruments |
| Power requirement | 12V power supply |
| Additional sensors | Cabled turbidity, temperature, pressure |
| Disk storage | Compact Flash (proprietary format). 2 GB standard. |
| Data comms | RS232 up to 115 kbaud; USB 1.1 typically 2-3 Mbaud |
| Housing options | Plastic IP68 weatherproof instrument case |
FAQs
Can the instrument be used with 2 sensors of the same frequency?
Yes. The selection of transducers will depend on your research and what you are looking to measure. Please contact us with details and we will advise you of the most suitable selection.
How do I know which transducers to select?
The selection of transducers will depend on your research and what you are looking to measure. Please contact us with details and we will advise you of the most suitable selection.
I want to deploy the instrument in proximity to other instrumentation - will there be any interference between the signals?
Care should be taken in placing acoustic instruments of the same frequency as interference can occur. Please contact us with details and we can provide deployment advice.
How do you trigger the instrument to start logging?
The software provided with the instrument allows you to set a start time for sampling. Alternatively, the AQUAscat can be triggered by third party instruments via a trigger cable.
Can I deploy the instrument in the surf zone?
As an acoustic instrument, the AQUAscat is sensitive to entrained bubbles within the water column. If used in the surf zone where bubbles are prolific, the instrument will not be able to distinguish them from suspended sediment particles.