EC150-3C Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) & echo sounder

The EK80 once again confirms its position as the leading scientific instrument for measurements of aquatic ecosystems. With the EC150-3C transducer, the EK80 repeats its performance as an innovative acoustic system. It combines the absolute backscatter measurements from the split-beam echo sounder with physical oceanographic measurements from the acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) beams. And it all happens in one single instrument.

Key features

• Combined ADCP and echo sounder in a single unit
• Transducer and transceiver in the same housing. Only power, Ethernet, and synchronization (optional) to connect
• State of the art current velocity and backscatter measurements
• Controlled by the EK80 software
• Easy synchronization of ADCP and scientific echo sounder
• Wideband capability: 150 ± 12kHz
• Built-in sphere calibration of echo sounder
• Auxiliary sensor data are integrated into the data files, such as heave, pitch, roll, GPS information, sound speed, and temperature values
• User-friendly and flexible user interface
• Low installation costs by reducing the system complexity

Typical application

• Ocean Observatories
• Oceanographical studies
• Water column profiling

The acoustic doppler profiler (ADCP) and narrow split-beam functionality offered y the EK80 system are based on the EC150-3C transducer. The EC150-3C is a phased array transducer with advanced transceiver circuitry inside. The common EK80 user interface is used for operational control. You can use the EK80 and the EC150-3C transducer as a "stand-alone" system. You can also add the EC150-3C to an existing EK80 system by simply connecting the additional unit to your Ethernet switch.

The EC150-3C is provided with a dedicated power supply to feed the built-in electronic circuitry. The transducer is easily installed using mounting- and clamping rings. The open-ended cable between the transducer and the power supply is provided with the delivery.

This screen capture presents four typical views from a Simrad EK80 using the EC150-3C transducer and ADCP functionality. The top three views present the current water velocity in the north/south, east/west, and vertical (down/up) directions. The colours indicate the water speed as specified by the colour scale. The bottom view contains the traditional echogram provided by one of the four ADCP beams. In this view, the colours indicate the backscatter intensity.