Design of a Low-cost Acoustic Modem for Moored Oceanographic Applications

Bridget Benson, University of California - Santa Barbara
Grace Chang, University of California - Santa Barbara
Derek Manov, University of California - Santa Barbara
Brian Graham, University of California - Santa Barbara
Ryan Kastner, University of California - Santa Barbara

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NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Bridget Benson was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

This paper discusses the current state of the art systems of real time telemetry on oceanographic moorings and describes the design requirements for making acoustic modem data telemetry a more widely used form of data telemetry for moored oceanographic applications. We present the design of a low cost ‘mooring modem’ and the results of an initial pool test for its prototype. Based on these results, we describe how the mooring modem meets the design requirements for moored oceanographic applications by looking at how it meets the requirements for a specific mooring example – the SB CHARM. We conclude by presenting the future work required to create a prototype mooring modem, which will be tested on the CHARM mooring. The end goal is the production of a cheap, low power acoustic modem for real-time data collection in moored oceanographic applications.