OceanTools Ltd.

OceanTools MA500D
Precision Digital
Subsea Altimeter
User Manual Revision 2

OceanTools MA500D
User Manual
Revision. 2

NOTICE
Every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
Operators Manual; however, OceanTools Limited assumes no
responsibility for any errors or omissions.
No liability is assumed for any damages resulting from the use of
information contained herein.
OceanTools Limited reserves the right to change the information
in this manual without prior notice being given.
Any trademarks used are respected.
Copies of the manual may be made for in-house use only. Other
copying or distribution is forbidden.

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Contents
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ......................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 5
Safety ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 6
Unpacking and Setting to work ............................................................................................................... 6
Preparation for use .............................................................................................................................. 7
Power Supply .................................................................................................................................. 7
RS232/RS485 Communications ..................................................................................................... 7
Analogue Output ............................................................................................................................. 7
Free-running Output ........................................................................................................................ 7
Using the MA500 with the MA500 Software ........................................................................................... 8
Main Display .................................................................................................................................... 8
Settings Window ............................................................................................................................. 8
Global and Graph Settings .............................................................................................................. 9
Hardware Settings ......................................................................................................................... 11
Altimeter Settings .......................................................................................................................... 11
Recording and Replaying Altimeter Data ...................................................................................... 12
MA500D Serial Commands................................................................................................................... 13
Preliminary setup .......................................................................................................................... 13
List of commands (case insensitive for V3.05 and later) .............................................................. 13
Standard output format ................................................................................................................. 14
MA500 Analogue Output Calibration process ............................................................................... 14
Appendix 1 Risk of Serious Injury ...................................................................................................... 16

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TECHNICAL SUPPORT

MAIL

OceanTools Limited,
OceanTools House,
Claymore Drive,
Aberdeen,
AB23 8GD. UK.

TELEPHONE
FAX
MOBILE

+44 1224 709606

EMAIL

support@oceantools.co.uk

WEB

www.oceantools.co.uk

+44 1224 709616

+44 7989 536850

If you are unsure how to operate this system or require technical support, contact someone within
your organisation who holds a Supervisory role or contact OceanTools using the details above.
If you need to use our technical support please have the following information to hand:
Serial Number
Fault Description
Any remedial action taken

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CAUTION READ THIS!!

Introduction

This manual contains Operation and Maintenance information relating to the OceanTools
MA500D Precision Altimeter manufactured by OceanTools Limited, Aberdeen, UK.
This manual is only intended to provide information and instructions to personnel suitably
qualified to operate such equipment.
Please read this manual until you are familiar with the principles of operation of the equipment
and you are sure in your own mind that you know how to operate it safely.

Safety
This unit, when connected correctly and according to these instructions, will have DC voltages within
it.
Generally DC voltages at these levels are non-hazardous but safety procedures should always be
followed. These include but are not limited to the following:

Read and understand this manual and all relevant company procedures.
Make sure power is removed from the unit before cleaning or disconnecting any electrical
connectors.
Check the supply voltage is DC and not AC and is within specified limits.
If the unit is damaged then consider returning it to OceanTools rather than undertaking
repairs yourself.
Be aware that if the unit should flood underwater it is possible that high pressure water may
be contained within the unit. Follow appropriate procedures for reducing pressure BEFORE
opening the equipment.
Check the unit regularly for damages to any cables, connectors or anodising. If any damage
is detected then seek advice from OceanTools or an OceanTools approved agent.
Please also refer to Appendix 1: Risk of Serious Injury.

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Introduction
This document provides an overview of setting to work and using the OceanTools MA500D Precision
Digital Altimeter. The MA500D comprises of a microprocessor controlled set of electronics and
transducer contained in an anodised aluminium housing.

Unpacking and Setting to work

The MA500D is supplied with the following items:

Item

Qty

Category

Description

Main system unit

MA500D Altimeter

Accessories

CD containing Manual(s)

Accessories

Mating underwater connector

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Preparation for use
Power Supply
The unit requires a DC (Direct Current) supply voltage of +9V to +36V via the subsea connector on
top of the housing. Caution: ensure the supply voltage is DC and not AC. The pin out for this
connector can be seen in Figure 6:

Pin

Description

V+ (9V to 36V)

Gnd

232/485 SELECT

RS232 GND

RS232TX / RS485A

RS232RX / RS485B

Analogue Out GND

Analogue Out +

Figure 1
RS232/RS485 Communications
The unit can be operated in either RS232 or RS485 mode. To select RS232 mode, pin 3 of the
connector (see Figure 1) should be connected to pin 4. For RS485 mode leave this pin open.

Analogue Output
An analogue output is provided with the output between 0-5V representing minimum to maximum
ranges.

Free-running Output
Upon power-up, the MA500D will start transmitting data.

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Using the MA500 with the MA500 Software

The MA500D may be used with the OceanTools MA500 Display software. This provides a convenient
way to view the altimeter range data.

Main Display
The main altimeter display screen is laid out as shown below.

The measurements from up to 3 connected altimeters are displayed in column on the right. Each
altimeter has an associated colour. The graph shows the current measurements at the right (T-0) and
a trail of recent measurements for each connected altimeter in their respective colours.
Settings Window
To change the altimeter display or device settings, click on the upper-right icon that shows a set of
meshing gears.
Settings may be selected using standard Windows controls such as dropdown lists, tick boxes or
radio buttons. Numerical parameters may be edited using a keyboard and entering a new value.
Presets and Reset Default buttons are useful if your changes have an adverse effect.

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If a keyboard is not available, the up and down buttons to the right of a
numerical input can be used to increment and decrement the values.
Double-clicking a numerical input value produces a popup window
allowing any numerical value to be entered using the mouse alone. Click
OK to confirm the newly entered value.

The settings window is divided into a series of tabs:

Global - Speed of sound, measurement units and graphing options
Hardware - Serial port and baud rate for each altimeter
Altimeter X - Installation offset and plotting options for each altimeter
About - Software version information

Global and Graph Settings

The VSound setting specifies the
speed of sound through water that will
be used to calculate altitude from time
of flight measurements. The default
value is often suitable if a preferred
figure is not known.

The Units setting specifies whether

measurements are displayed in
metres or feet throughout.

The first of the graph settings specifies

whether to display the altitude
measurements from all connected
altimeters on a single graph, or
whether data from each altimeter
should be displayed on its own graph.

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The Plot Width affects the horizontal graph axis, specifying how many seconds of historical data to
display.
The Plot Range affects the vertical graph axis, specifying the maximum altitude range to
accommodate. If the Auto option is selected, the vertical graph axis will automatically adjust to fit the
current and historical data it needs to display.

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Hardware Settings
The software supports up to 3
connected altimeters. Each one must
be connected via a dedicated serial
port, COM1 to COM16. A baud rate of
9600 should normally be selected.

Altimeter Settings
Each connected altimeter has its own
installation offset and plotting options.
The Offset specifies the vertical
installation offset in mm from the
transducer face of the altimeter to a
preferred reference point. This offset
is added to the measured altitude.
For example, if the altimeter is
mounted such that the transducer face
is 200mm above the lowest point of
the ROV or other datum point,
applying an offset of -200mm causes
the displayed altitude to represent the
altitude of the lowest point of the ROV
or other datum point.
Each altimeter has an associated
colour used for graphing. Click the button next to the current colour to select a different one.

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The adjacent tick box specifies whether or not to display the data for each altimeter. This dictates
whether an altitude measurement is displayed on the right of the main screen, and whether a line of
the associated colour is displayed on the graph. If each altimeter has its own graph, this tick box
affects the number of individual graphs displayed.
The Frequency setting is for information only.

Recording and Replaying Altimeter Data

Altimeter data may be recorded to and replayed back from the PC hard drive. Recording and
playback is controlled via the controls at the bottom of the screen:

The blue Data button will flash when data is received from the altimeter or from a recorded data file.
To begin recording, click the red Record button. A dialogue box will appear asking for the name of file
to record to. When data is being recorded, the red Record button will be illuminated. To stop
recording, click the blue Data button.
To play back a recorded data file, click the green Play button. A dialogue box will appear asking for
the name of the file to play back. When data is being played back, the green Play button will be
illuminated. Playback progress can be determined using the playback progress indicator and
associated time displays. The playback speed can be adjusted between 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x real time
using the playback speed selector. You can also skip to any point in the recorded data by dragging
the progress indicator to the desired position.
Note that during playback some of the altimeter settings are disabled. This is because it is not
possible to change settings retrospectively when playing back recorded data.
Playback can be paused at any time by clicking the yellow Pause button. This button will flash to
indicate that playback is paused. Press the Pause button again to continue playback. To stop
playback and return to live altimeter data, press the blue Data button.

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MA500D Serial Commands

Preliminary setup
You may wish to use Hyperterminal or a similar program to configure the MA500D. The default
settings are:

Baud rate - 9600, data bits - 8, parity - none, stop bits - 1 and flow control none.

List of commands (case insensitive for V3.05 and later)

Commands are to be entered into a Hyperterminal window and followed with a line feed / carriage
return which can be sent by holding Ctrl and hitting the j key.

There is potential for some overlap with the transmitting and receiving of strings so commends such
as $T**** and $C**** should only be entered when the command $H has been used to halt the
data output from the Altimeter

$D, sets the speed of sound, the DAC offset and the DAC slope to defaults.

$ T****, sets the output from the altimeter to value in cm eg. $T0100 sets output to 1m. Set
output to 0cm to stop test mode (i.e. $T0000).

$O***, sets the offset value for the DAC.

$S******, sets the slope value for the DAC.

$C****, sets the speed of sound used by the Altimeter for calculations.

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$V, returns the firmware version to the PC.

$H, halts or resumes pinging (this may take more than one attempt in 485 mode as it is half
duplex)

$B0*, change the baud rate for the Altimeters communications, use lookup chart below.

9600

= 0

4800

= 1

19200 = 2

This will require a restart (power cycle) to change the baud rate.

Note: the settings and values changed by these commands are stored in non-volatile memory and so,
will be saved after restarts and power losses.

Standard output format

The standard output from the altimeter is in the form $R,00000,000000,0000*00.
Where the first set of zeros is the distance in centimetres, the second is the time of flight, the third is
the speed of sound the Altimeter is using and the last is a checksum value.
MA500 Analogue Output Calibration process
Set the altimeter up on a test lead (not supplied) with 24v DC power, connection to a computer with a
serial port and a Hyperterminal program and a voltmeter to measure the analogue output.
Power on the altimeter and type the following commands into the hyper-terminal;
$H Ctrl-J
$D Ctrl-J
$O+000 Ctrl-J
$S700000 Ctrl-J
$T3000 Ctrl-J
$H Ctrl-J
This should leave the altimeter in test mode, with digital output of 3000cm.
START LOOP

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The analogue output should be exactly 5.00v at this point. If it is not adjust the slope of the DAC
output until the output is 5.00v (use the commands $H Ctrl-J, $S****** Ctrl-J, $H Ctrl-J).

Once the slope is correct, change the test output to 100cm (command $H Ctrl-J, $T0100 Ctrl-J,
$H Ctrl-J) and check the analogue output. The correct value is 0.166v. Adjust the offset value until
the output is 0.166v.
Check the output at 3000cm to ensure it is still 5.00v, if not, go to START LOOP and continue until
this is acheived.
Reset the altimeter out of test mode (using command $H Ctrl-J, $T0000 Ctrl-J, $H Ctrl-J) and test
the altimeter in a test tank.

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Appendix 1 Risk of Serious Injury

Introduction
This document aims to set out the necessary precautions which should be taken to avoid serious
injury in the event of recovering an item of equipment, comprising an atmospheric enclosure that is
suspected of suffering an ingress of water, the following precautions shall be observed.
Additionally, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shall be provided as per Directive 89/686EEC as
amended by Directive 93/95/EEC, 93/68EEC and 96/58/EC. In particular, Eye Protection shall be
worn, Work Gloves shall be worn and it is advisable to wear Latex Gloves under Work Gloves as any
leakage from enclosures may be corrosive.

Do Not:

Remove end cap retaining screws without reference to the section regarding this procedure.

Do:
o

Securely clamp down item of equipment such that the end is facing away from all
personnel, preferably towards a solid wall or such like. When releasing any threaded
components endeavour to avoid placing any part of the body across the component.
Consider also, when dealing with threaded connectors, that under high pressure, once
rotation has commenced it is possible for the pressure to continue the rotation if the
thread is well lubricated.
Due consideration should also be given to the possibility that the air being released
maybe poisonous, explosive or both.

If the equipment is fitted with a vent plug that is pulled flush onto a spot face:
o Undo the plug, 2 or 3 turns, to pull the face seal free of the spot face. Using a paintbrush or
similar, apply a generous amount of slightly diluted washing-up liquid around the plug and
observe for the appearance of any bubbles. If any appear, leave the equipment to stand until
there are no more bubbles. If necessary re-apply more washing-up liquid. Undo the plug a
little more and re-check. The plug is fitted with a retaining nut internally, but a slow approach
is advised until convinced that there is no trapped air within.
If the equipment is fitted with a vent plug that is not flush with a spot face, or there is no spot
face present (A taper thread):
o Follow the above procedure but commence with less turns of the plug each time. Leave to
stand until it is no longer showing signs of venting.
If the equipment is not fitted with a vent plug, the above checks will have to be achieved via a
connector. If possible, obtain a data sheet for the connector and establish the location and
quantity of seals in the connector body. Then the following applies:
o Flanged connector, face seal only: Remove one screw to establish the length of thread
engagement in the end cap. Replace the screw finger tight, crack the remaining screws and
commence turning each screw equal amounts 2 or 3 turns at a time. Again, apply diluted
washing-up liquid and check for bubbles as the seal begins to break. Leave to stand until it is
no longer showing signs of venting.
o

Flanged connector, face and piston (barrel) seal: Establish the gap necessary between the
flange and the end cap to bring the piston seal to the upper edge of the bore. Remove one
screw to establish size, thread rate and engagement length in end cap. It will be necessary to
obtain one or possibly two sets of longer screws to ensure that it will be possible to maintain
sufficient engagement as the connector is withdrawn. Remove 2, diagonally opposed screws
and replace with screws that will have full engagement and reach the flange when the other 2
screws have at least 0.5D engagement. Remove the 2 shorter screws and replace with 2
screws that will fulfil the same function as above for the first pair of longer screws. Repeat this

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procedure until the piston seal has reached a point where it is just able to vent. Again, apply
diluted washing-up liquid and check for bubbles as the seal begins to break. Leave to stand
until it is no longer showing signs of venting.
o

Threaded connector, face seal only: Crack the thread and slowly turn until the face seal
begins to break. Do not continue turning. Again, apply diluted washing-up liquid and check
for bubbles as the seal begins to break. Leave to stand until it is no longer showing signs of
venting.

Threaded connector, face seal and piston (barrel) seal or piston (barrel) seal only: Check
with OceanTools as it may not be possible to turn the connector a sufficient number of
times to break the seal due to internal wiring. If this is the case it will be necessary to
release the end cap seal. Remove 1 end cap screw to establish size, thread rate and length
of engagement. Replace screw. Check with OceanTools to determine how far the end
cap will need to be released to allow the seal to break, and how many seals there are.
Obtain a range of screw lengths to allow 50% of the total number of end cap screws to
maintain 1D of engagement. Remove every alternate screw and replace with the next size up.
Consider that even if the end cap does not want to release, it is not a guarantee that
there is no internal pressure as the seals may have stuck due to internal corrosion. A
generous amount of diluted washing-up liquid should be applied around the end cap/body
tube interface. Continue up-sizing screws as described above until the last seal breaks
Leave to stand until it is no longer showing signs of venting.

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