VESSEL-MOUNTED

10/07/2024

VM Ocean - 100|75|55 kHz

Delivers vessel-mounted ADCP capabilities with either an optional scientificechosounder for biomass measurements (100 kHz) or very long-rangemeasurements (55 kHz)

Until now, epipelagic and mesopelagic VM ADCP surveys could not deliver the resolution, precision or range to
examine the ocean boundary layer in detail. The VM Ocean system with the Signature100 ADCP enables biomass
studies in the upper-ocean boundary layer simultaneous to current measurements, with a combined ADCP andscientific echosounder. The innovative dual-frequency design of the Signature55 ADCP allows for both very longrange (up to 1000m) current profiles as well as higher-resolution measurements.

Highlights
Comprehensive, easy-to-use system
Automated processing fir data viewing
onboard
Instrument allows for flexible deployments,
either vessel-mounted or standalone
Take both long-range and high-resolution

Applications
Internal wave detection using echosounder(100 kHz)
Upper-ocean boundary-layer studies,
profiling up to 300m (100 kHz)
Detection of krill or plankton in the watercolumn (100 kHz)measurements from one instrument with

Deep-water current profiles (up to 1000m),

innovative dual-frequency transducers

ocean discharge (55 kHz)

(Signature55)
Profile currents up to 300m and gather
biomass information with scientificechosounder (Signature100)

Technical specifications
Water Velocity Measurements - Signature VM 100 kHz
Profiling range**

300-400 m

Doppler processing

Broadband & Narrowband

Cell size

3-16 mMax no. cells

200

Min. blanking

2

Minimum accuracy

1% of the measured value ± 0.5 cm/s

Velocity resolution

0.1 cm/s

Maximum sampling rate

1 Hz (1/3 Hz with BT and echosounder)

Velocity range (along beam)

5 m/s

No. of beams

4 slanted at 20°** Depending on acoustic scattering condition.

Water Velocity Measurements - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Profiling range**

685/900-1000 m

Doppler processing

Broadband/Broadband & Narrowband

Cell size

5-20 mMax no. cells

200

Min. blanking

2

Minimum accuracy

1% of the measured value ± 0.5 cm/s

Velocity resolution

0.1 cm/s

Maximum sampling rate

1 Hz

Velocity range (along beam)

5 m/s

No. of beams

3 slanted at 20°** Depending on acoustic scattering condition.

Bottom velocity measurements - Signature VM 100 kHz
Single ping std @ 3 m/s

TBA

Long-term accuracy

TBA

Minimum altitude

5m

Maximum altitude

540 m

Velocity resolution

0.01 mm/s

Maximum sampling rate

1/2 Hz (1/3 Hz with VP and echosounder)

Bottom velocity measurements - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Single ping std @ 3 m/s

TBA

Long-term accuracy

TBA

Minimum altitude

50 m

Maximum altitude1000 mVelocity resolution

0.01 mm/s

Bottom velocity measurements - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Maximum sampling rate

1/2 HzEcho intensity (slanted beams) - Signature VM 100 kHz
Sampling

Same as velocity for slanted beams

Resolution/dynamic range

0.5 dB/70 dB

Dynamic range

70 dB slanted beams

Transducer acoustic frequency

100 kHzNo. of beams

4 slanted at 20°

Beam width

6.1°

Echo intensity (slanted beams) - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Sampling

Same as velocity

Resolution/dynamic range

0.5 dB/70 dB

Dynamic range

70 dB slanted beams

Transducer acoustic frequency

75 and 55 kHz

No. of beams

3 slanted at 20°

Beam width

4.5°-5.5°

Echosounder option - Signature VM 100 kHz
No. of beams

1 vertical

Transducer acoustic frequency

70-120 kHzSampling

1 Hz (1/3 Hz with VP and BT)

Transducer beam width

15° @ 70 kHz, 8.7° @ 120 kHz

Resolution

0.375 –4 m

Resolution/ dynamic range

0.01 dB/130 dB

Transmit pulse

Monochromatic 70 kHz, 90 kHz and 120 kHz or frequency
chirp (90 kHz, 50% BW)

Transmit power

7.5-120 W adjustable

Chirp signal processing

Pulse compression or binned frequency response

Echosounder option - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
No. of beams

N/ATransducer acoustic frequency

N/ASampling

N/ATransducer beam width

N/AResolution

N/AResolution/ dynamic range

N/ATransmit pulse

N/ATransmit power

N/AChirp signal processing

N/A

Other - Signature VM 100 kHz
Temperature sensor range / accuracy-4 °C to 40 °C / 0.1 °C

Other - Signature VM 100 kHz
Pressure

Piezo resistive

Standard range

0-1500 m (inquire for options)

Accuracy/precision

0.1% FS / Better than 0.002% of full scaleCompass and tilt

Solid-state magnetometer and accelerometer

Data recording

16 GB (inquire for options)

Data cable10 m Ethernet cable. Other lenghts available

IO

Ethernet

DC input

24-48 V DC

Other - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Temperature sensor range / accuracy-4 °C to 40 °C / 0.1 °C

Pressure

Piezo resistive

Standard range

0-1500 m (inquire for options)

Accuracy/precision

0.1% FS / Better than 0.002% of full scaleCompass and tilt

Solid-state magnetometer and accelerometer

Data recording

16 GB (inquire for options)

Data cable

30 m Ethernet cable (inquire for options)

IO

Ethernet

DC input

48 V DC

Dimensions - Signature VM 100 kHz
Maximum diameter

455 mmMaximum length without room for

392 mminternal batteries
Weight in air

29 Kg (5 beams)

Dimensions - Signature VM 75/55 kHz
Maximum diameter

650 mmMaximum length without room for314 mminternal batteries
Weight in air

57 Kg

Environmental, Signature VM ADCP
Operating temperature-4 °C to 40 °C

Storage temperature-20 °C to 60 °CVibration

IEC 60068-1/IEC60068-2-64

EMC approval

IEC 61000

Depth rating

1500 m – Bottom track is limited to surface vessels

Connectors

Straight fitted MCBH6F (Ethernet)

Housing

Small instrument housing

MaterialPOM with titanium fasteners

Processing unit
Processor/memory

Intel i5/8 GB

Processing unit
Hard disk

SSD, 256 GB

Operating system

Windows® 10

Housing

19" rack-mountable 2 HE

Dimensions

482x87x400 mm

Input

110-240 V AC, 100 W Max

Total weight

7 kg

Connections*Power, Signature ADCP, 2x DisplayPort, 1x LAN, 2x USB, 4x
RS232|RS422|RS485 configurable port** Processing unit requires heading and GNSS input over Serial or Ethernet

Nortek Signature VM acquisition software
Acquisition

Signature VM - binary, GNSS compass - binary

Timing< 0.6 s, IEEE1588/PTP for absolute time stamping(GNSS/Signature VM)

Configuration

Signature VM (partly) GNSS Advanced navigation

Display

Vessel track in map, Bottom-track velocity, Bottom-track
depth, Velocity magnitude and direction, Echo amplitude(slanted beams), Echo correlation (slanted beams), corrected
relative volume backscatter (100)

StatusSignature VM + AN_GNSS compass

OutputOnline: NMEA data formats. Offline: CSV, ASCII VMT, MATLAB,MATLAB VMT, MATLAB QRev, KML

AHRS option
Accelerometer dynamic±2g

Gyro dynamic range± 250°/sec

Magnetometer dynamic range± 1.3 Gauss

Pitch and roll range/resolution± 90° (pitch), ± 180° (roll)/0.01°

Pitch and roll accuracy± 2° (dynamic)3), ± 0.5° (static, ± 30°)

Heading range / resolution

360°, all axes/0.01°

Heading accuracy± 3° (dynamic)3), ± 2° (static, tilt < 20°)

Sampling rate

Same as measurement rate