An Autonomous Seafloor Recording Capsule
R. Currier, R.A. Harriss, C. Nickles, William S. Hodgkiss · 1991
The need for a general purpose, seafloor mounted oceanographic recording package has prompted the development of an instrument capable of long-term autonomous data acquisition. An electronics package is described that contains a microprocessor-based data acquisition and storage system. The flexible nature of the electronics design allows for the inclusion of several appropriate kinds of mass storage including both disk and tape-based systems. A real-time kernel based software control system is described that also is modular and easily adapted to a variety of hardware and software configurations. A network-based software development environment allows for rapid software modification and testing both in the laboratory and under rigorous sea-going conditions.The construction of a modular, extensible frame is discussed with attention given to a design that may be adapted to a variety of applications. Finally, the selection of a power source is discussed with emphasis on the classical tradeoffs of cost, power and time.