Platform attitude data acquisition system

Abstract

A system for automatic acquisition of underwater platform attitude data has been designed, developed and tested in the laboratory. This is a micro controller based system interfacing dual axis inclinometer, high-resolution digital compass and an echo ranging altimeter. Additional analog channels are available for further expansion of the system. Large number digital input/output TTL compatible lines provide flexibility for further developments. Real time clock based acquisition enables user to select required time interval. The design provides sufficient battery backed memory to log data and can provide a serial output of the same to any other instrument. The data obtained can be transferred, on retrieval, to an IBM compatible Personal Computer. Turbo C has been used to write a program to convert raw data to appropriate sensor values. These are displayed on the screen with simultaneous archival. This system can be advantageously used to monitor two dimensional attitude of an underwater platform and close to seabed (less than 99 Meter height) can monitor even vertical movement. It can also be made applicable to any system requiring this kind of information.