Contents

3

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction

5

Chapter 2 System Overview

6

Chapter 3 Getting Started

8

3.1

Checking.................................................................................................................................
the Inventory
8

3.2

Installing.................................................................................................................................
Software8

3.3

Connecting.................................................................................................................................
the Instrument to PC via Ethernet
8

3.4

Initial.................................................................................................................................
Ethernet Connection
9

Chapter 4 Preparation

11

4.1

Functionality.................................................................................................................................
Test
11

4.2

Changing.................................................................................................................................
Batteries
14

4.3

Guide
.................................................................................................................................
rail harness removal
16

4.4Compass.................................................................................................................................
Calibration
17

4.5

Before.................................................................................................................................
Deployment
18

Chapter 5 Software

19

5.1

Discovery.................................................................................................................................
Tool
19

5.2

Deployment.................................................................................................................................
Wizard20

5.3Stand-Alone.................................................................................................................................
Deployment
29

5.4

Online.................................................................................................................................
Data Collection
31

5.5

Recorder.................................................................................................................................
Data Retrieval
32

5.6

Data
.................................................................................................................................
Conversion
33

Chapter 6 Maintenance

35

6.1

Biofouling................................................................................................................................. 35

6.2

Instrument.................................................................................................................................
Care
35

6.3

Connector.................................................................................................................................
Care
36

6.4

Cable
.................................................................................................................................
Care
36

6.5

O-ring.................................................................................................................................
Care
36

6.6

Securing.................................................................................................................................
Screws37

6.7

Replacing.................................................................................................................................
Desiccant Bag
37

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

38

7.1

Communication................................................................................................................................. 38

7.2

Network................................................................................................................................. 40

7.3

Software.................................................................................................................................
Problem
40

Chapter 8 Appendices41

Nortek AS

3

4

Signature Series Operations Manual
8.1

Glossary................................................................................................................................. 41

8.2

Applications................................................................................................................................. 43

8.3

Communication.................................................................................................................................
and Ethernet
44

8.4

Terminal.................................................................................................................................
Emulator
46

8.5

WEB
.................................................................................................................................
interface47

8.6

Universal.................................................................................................................................
Plug and play48

8.7

Synchronization................................................................................................................................. 49

8.8

Connector.................................................................................................................................
Pin Configurations
50

8.9

Proforma.................................................................................................................................
Invoice
52

Nortek AS

Introduction

1

5

Introduction
This manual is designed to help users of Signature Series product line to get familiar with thesystem. The manual includes chapters covering how to get the instrument up and running as quickly
as possible, functional testing, software information, and tips for maintenance and troubleshooting.
For system integrators, there is a System Integrator's Guide available, covering modes of operation,commands and data format.
Nortek WEB
At our website, www.nortek-as.com, you will find technical support, user manuals, and the latest
software and firmware. General information, technical notes and user experience can also be foundhere.
Your feedback is appreciatedIf you find errors, omissions or sections poorly explained, please do not hesitate to contact us. We
appreciate your comments and your fellow users will as well.
Contact Information
We recommend first contacting your local sales representative before the Nortek main office. If you
need more information, support or other assistance, you are always welcome to contact us or any of
our subsidiaries by email, phone or fax.
Email: inquiry@nortek.no (general) or support@nortek.no (for technical support questions)
Phone: +47 67 17 45 00
Fax: +47 67 13 67 70
You can also write us at:
Nortek AS
Vangkroken 2
1351 RUD
NorwayManual Revision
Preliminary
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3 - Software updates
Version 4 - Instrument updates
Version 5 - Software updates
Version 6 - Software updates
Version 7 - Release 1, 2017

Nortek AS

28.10.2014
17.11.2014
02.12.2014
09.06.2015
24.11.2015
29.02.2016
15.09.2016
10.02.2017

6

2

Signature Series Operations Manual

System Overview
Signature1000, Signature500 and Signature250, three advanced five-beam current profiling systems,
are made with the most demanding scientific user in mind. Built on the entirely new AD2CP platform,
Signature1000, Signature500 and Signature250 are designed for unprecedented performance in highenergy turbulent environments, while also giving users the freedom to employ several measurement
schemes at one time.
The figures below show the Signature1000 system but can be easily translated to the Signature500
and Signature250. The Signature1000 and Signature500 sensor heads have five acoustic
transducers, four slanted at 25 degrees from vertical, and a fifth vertical beam. The Signature250
uses beams angled at 20 degrees and an optional fifth vertical beam. Note that the optional verticalbeam on the Signature250 is operating at 500 kHz. On the Signature500 and Signature1000 all
beams operate at the same frequency. For dimensions, please refer to the specific instrument data
sheet, available for download from our web site.
The pressure sensor, temperature sensor and LED light are all visible from the outside. Note also thebeam configuration, with beam one pointing in the positive X-axis (see the engraved axis definition on
the head)

Figure 1. Signature1000 beam and sensor overview

Nortek AS

System Overview

7

Figure 2. Signature1000 housing, end cap and connectors overview

Connector
2-pin + 6-pin brass Subconn by McArtney. Optional 8-pin + 6-pin if the instrument is ordered with
serial communication. Option to install the more robust Souriau connector intended for long term online use.
Power requirements:
Internal battery:
Signature1000: 90 Wh, 3*10AA cells and 15VDC.
Signature500: 180 Wh, 12 C cells and 18VDC.
Signature250: 540Wh 18 V alkaline, or 1800Wh 19V Li
External battery: Single or double alkaline 540Wh, or single or double lithium 1800Wh.
DC input: 12-48 (Sig500/1000), 15-48V (Sig250).

Nortek AS

83

Signature Series Operations Manual

Getting Started
This chapter deals with installation of the accompanying software, connecting to the instrument andother information that is important for first time use of the instrument.

3.1

Checking the Inventory
Check the content of the received package against the packing list included in the shipment. Do nothesitate to contact us if you find any part of the delivery missing.

3.2

Installing Software
The Nortek Deployment software is an important part of the Signature Series and has been designed
to aid you in the planning, execution and recovery of your instrument deployment. A thoroughdescription of the software and its features can be found in the Software chapter. We recommend
you to have the most up to date version installed to ensure that you have all the new functionality
accessible. To install the software:
1. The installation file is located on the memory stick that came with the instrument. It is alsoavailable for download from our web site: http://www.nortek-as.com/en/support/software
2. Run the NortekDeployment.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions and keep the default settings
System requirements:
Component
Requirement
Processor
1 GHz or faster processor
Memory1 GB RAM
Hard disk
100 MB (programs)
Operating system The software will run on Windows Vista or newer with .NET framework 4.5.
If you use Mac OS platform: you have to rely on Windows-on-Mac virtualization
programs such as Parallels Desktop
Display
1024x576 or higher resolution monitor
License:The Deployment software itself does not require a license to run. However, certain functions of the
Signature instrument are protected under different licenses, so register your licenses (refer to thesoftware help file for how to do this) in order to get the instrument to operate in a certain mode.
Register purchased licenses while connected to your instrument under Instrument > Licenses.
Licenses that are ordered with the instrument are already registered. You will not need a license
when updating the firmware version.

3.3

Connecting the Instrument to PC via Ethernet
The Ethernet communication has been implemented by using a dedicated network processor, andneeds to be powered by connecting a power supply to the external power breakout on the cable.
Note that powering through the Ethernet cable will also power the rest of the electronics.
1. Connect the supplied test cable to the communication output on your instrument and apply power
to the breakout cable. The blue LED should be turned on shortly.
2. Use a direct connection or an Ethernet switch to connect the Ethernet connector to yourcomputer.
3. If you use a computer Ethernet port that has status lights, verify that the link is active by looking
for a solid green light on the port. If an Ethernet switch is used, the Ethernet port should also
show an active Ethernet link. If the status light is not lit refer to our Troubleshooting Guide.

Nortek AS

Getting Started

9

Figure 3. Pow er distribution. When the Ethernet cable is connected to the instrum ent, it w ill need to be
pow ered from the pow er breakout cable. This w ill pow er both processor system s. If pow er is supplied
through the Serial or external battery connector, the Ethernet processor is unavailable.

3.4

Initial Ethernet Connection
The first time using the instrument, the network address needs to be properly configured for the
network. For new users who are unaware of how the network is set up, the instrument should be
plugged either directly into a computer (Ethernet cable) or via an Ethernet switch connected to thecomputer. For more information consult the Appendix.
Remember that external power must be supplied to connect using the Ethernet interface. Ensurethat the correct cable is used to connect the instrument to the Ethernet port. Refer to the previous
section or the Troubleshooting Guide if the LED on the instrument, the PC port or the switch are notlit in the correct manner.
1. Check the internet access status at the notification area in the taskbar of your PC. The
screenshot below shows that a local connection has been established (the IP address has been
set).

Figure 4. Local connection dialog box.

2. Open the Nortek Deployment software and click Connect to launch the Discovery feature (figure5). This will produce a window with a list of instruments available on the network. It may take a few
minutes before the Discovery tool lists a newly connected instrument. This is due to the IP
address assignment process (more details are available in Appendix). If the instrument is notshown in the list, wait approximately 90 seconds and click Discover again. The computer iscapable of communicating with the instruments shown with a white background in the list.
If an instrument in the list has a red background, it is not possible to connect to it (seesection Software Problem).
3. Select the instrument by finding the Serial number that matches your instrument and click
Connect.
With multiple instruments, assigning a suitable nickname for identification purposes should
be useful. This can be found under Instrument > Nickname once you are connected.

Nortek AS

10Signature Series Operations Manual

Figure 5. Discovery dialog

Nortek AS

Getting Started

411

Preparation
From this point on it is assumed that a stable, reliable connection with the instrument has been
established. This is necessary to continue onwards for the next few sections of the manual. If the
instrument is unable to connect with your PC please revisit the Getting Started chapter or consult
the Troubleshooting chapter.

4.1

Functionality Test
Before any sort of deployment test it is strongly recommended to undergo a functionality test toensure that the various components are working as intended. Before continuing make sure that yourinstrument is connected as described in Initial Ethernet Connection. The Functionality Test
procedure also assumes that you are familiar with the Deployment Software as described in the
Deployment Wizard section.
First we need to create a .deploy file which preferably samples at the maximum rate. To do so selectall the default options except Average interval and Measurement interval which should be set to thelowest common value.
Once connected, select Online > Start Data Collection, and select the .deploy file we just created
which will start real time sampling. An easy way to tell if the instrument is sampling is to check the
LED which will blink every time a ping is sent by the instrument.
Once the instrument is sampling you will find information regarding the various sensors in the main
screen, refer to Online Data Collection for more information.
First check that your firmware version is up to date with the Nortek download site. When you
purchase a brand new instrument, it has a firmware version matching the PC software, hence nofirmware upgrade will be needed before you start using the instrument. However, new functionality(and bug fixes) is likely to be offered in the future, requiring that the firmware be updated. New
firmware is posted on the Nortek site, at http://nortek-as.com/en/support/software. Download theversion corresponding to your instrument type. Click Instrument > Firmware Upgrade and follow
the on-screen instructions.
Note: If you leave the instrument collecting data using the internal batteries it will run until depletion.
Always make sure to stop data collection when testing is complete.
Temperature
To test the temperature sensor simply read off the corresponding value and compare with your room
temperature.
Pressure
The pressure sensor outputs the absolute pressure value in units of dBar. During production, thesensor is adjusted to 9.5 dBar to output the gauge pressure (pressure relative to the atmosphericpressure). The pressure sensor cannot output negative values. The outcome is that when the
instrument is in air, you will see a value of 0.2-0.7 dBar, depending on atmospheric conditions.
Test the pressure sensor by submerging the instrument in approximately 0.5 m of water. The value
should read 0.5dBar + the ambient pressure of 0.2-0.7.
An alternative way to test whether the sensor is functioning is by forming a seal around the sensor
with your mouth and blowing to observe an increase in pressure.

Nortek AS

12Signature Series Operations Manual

Tilt

Figure 6. Definitions of beam num ber, pitch and roll

1. Find the X mark located on the instrument and identify which direction it is pointing.
2. Hold the instrument as level as possible while aiming the X direction away from you. The values for"Pitch" and "Roll" should now be close to zero.
3. Tilt the instrument 10º to the right. The "Roll" value should read approximately 10.
4. Tilt the instrument 10º to the left. The "Roll" value should read approximately -10.
5. Tilt the instrument 10º forwards. The "Pitch" value should read approximately -10.
6. Tilt the instrument 10º backwards. The "Pitch" value should read approximately 10.
7. Now turn the instrument upside-down, still aiming the X direction away from you. Repeat steps 2 6 and ensure you have the same values.
Note: While holding the instrument upside-down the Accelerometer Z value should read -1.
Compass
Point the X-direction towards North. Rotate the instrument around the Z-axis and check the values at
0, 90, 180, 270 degrees corresponding to North, East, South and West respectively.
Electromagnetic interference from magnets, metals, etc in the vicinity can interfere with themeasurement so take this into consideration when evaluating the result. Check the Compass
Calibration section for more information.
Amplitude
Each beam measures amplitude in dB and should be checked individually. Do this by shooting one
beam at a time into water (or a water filled bag as in picture below), you should see a peak in
amplitude corresponding to the individual beam number you are testing. The beams are numbered 14 starting with the beam facing the X-direction and going clockwise with the fifth beam in the center.
Remember that you will need a license that covers fifth beam operation to test its functionality. The
data from the fifth beam can be found in the raw data.

Nortek AS

Preparation

13

Figure 7. Exam ple of an am plitude test. Covering one beam at a tim e w ith a w ater
filled glove.

Check and record the noise floor (amplitude) for the instrument in air. Values should be between 20
and 30 dB, this will vary with bandwidth and frequency used. Submerge the sensor head and checkthe maximum amplitude, values should increase significantly. Since the instrument relies onscattering particles, clean water will give low returned signal strength. The purpose of the test is tosee that the returned signal has a significant increase in strength relative to the noise floor. All the
beams should have approximately the same values.
Note: Background noise is very prone to interference from nearby sources, such as a power supply.
During testing make sure the instrument is far enough away from other electronics.
Correlation
Correlation values should be observed before the transducers are submerged in water and comparedto the values while underwater. You should notice a significant increase.
Recorder/Memory
1. Test the recorder by selecting Deployment > Start Recorder Deployment.
2. Name the file "test" and start deployment. A notification may appear warning the instrument isrunning off an external power supply, press Yes to continue.
3. A popup confirming your deployment will appear, press Ok. You will be taken back to the Home
screen while the instrument is deployed.
4. After a few minutes, stop the data collection by reconnecting to your instrument.
5. Find the "test.ad2cp" file you created under Deployment > Recorder Data Retrieval and press
the
icon.
6. Select Deployment > Data Conversion and find your downloaded "test.ad2cp" file using theAdd file feature. Specify the folder you want to save the converted Matlab file in and press Start.
Note: If you leave the instrument collecting data using the internal batteries it will run until depletion.
Always make sure to stop data collection when testing is complete.
Note: We recommend starting new deployments with an empty memory. Before you erase therecorder, make sure that you have transferred all the data you want to retain.
Click Deployment > Recorder Data Retrieval and Erase Recorder.

Nortek AS

14

4.2

Signature Series Operations Manual

Changing Batteries
The internal battery pack is located inside the housing. Note that the instruments are shipped withthe battery disconnected.
You can estimate the power consumption before the deployment using the planning module in the
Deployment Software. We encourage using new batteries for each deployment.
To connect the battery pack for the first time or to replace it with a new one, follow the guidelines
below.
Remove any existing connections from the instrument. Place the instrumentwith the end cap facing up and remove the four bolts using the provided tool(see toolkit). Take a second to note how the end cap is matched with the
housing (refer to image). The positive X-axis points in the direction of thelabels.

If the lid is stuck, use the supplied tools (see picture) and place them in anotch on each side of the canister. Twist in opposite directions to loosen thelid then slowly lift up the end cap.
Disconnect the 3-pin (or 9-pin if serial communication) and 9-pin cables fromthe end cap. It may be necessary to have another person holding the end cap
while disconnecting. Set the end cap aside and make sure not to scrape,
damage or lose the O-rings. Remove the old batteries and slide the newbattery pack carefully into the housing, making sure to thread the cables
through the hole (see picture). Connect the battery harness (female) to thetwo 2-pin connector (male).
-Connect the 3- or 9-pin connector (female) to the end cap (male), to enable
the use of an external battery canister.
-Connect the 9-pin to the end cap and check that the grounding cable (green/
yellow) is fastened.
Check the O-rings on the end cap are maintained as per described in the Oring Care section. This is perhaps the most crucial step as it ensures the
instrument does not leak in water.
Make sure the end cap is oriented correctly as you put it back in place. Takespecial note that none of the wires are squeezed when placing the end cap.
Loosely cross tighten each screw before tightening properly. Refer to the
Securing Screws section for more detailed information. Note the washer andlock-washer sequence.

Note: It is required to do a new compass calibration after changing your battery as the magnetic
interference will be different from before.
Note: The Signature500 alkaline battery pack holds 12 C cells and gives a nominal starting voltage of
18 VDC. The Signature1000 has 3*10AA cells and gives a nominal starting voltage of 15V. The
Signature250 alkaline battery pack gives a nominal starting voltage of 18VDC. The voltage of alkaline

Nortek AS

Preparation

15

cells falls quickly at the beginning, slowly during most of its life, then again quickly at the end.
When is the battery pack considered dead, you may ask. We do not have a clear cut answer,
because the measured voltage of the battery will vary greatly depending whether a load is applied or
if you measure just using a voltmeter. The internal Sig500 18V batteries should be considered"empty/used" below 17V and completely dead at 12V if using a voltmeter. For the Sig1000, thecorresponding numbers are 15V, 14V and ~12V. The instruments will be able to measure <12V
when a load is applied. The best way to estimate how much is left of the battery is to use theestimates given by the Deployment Software. For example: The internal Sig500 batteries are 180Wh.
With a configuration setup that uses approx 0.7Wh per day, and a total run time ~126 days will leadto ~88Wh used with ~90Wh remaining.
External Battery Canister
The following procedure outlines how to connect the external battery pack or install a new one.
Remove the three screws and washers holding the end cap to the pressurecase, and remove the end cap.

Disconnect the 2-pin connector and pull the old battery out of the pressure
case.

Slide in a new battery and connect the connectors.

Check the O-rings are maintained as per described in the O-ring Care section.
Place the end cap and mount the three screws and washers.
Test the instrument by collecting data without using an external power source
to ensure that the battery is properly connected. Make sure to stop datacollection so that the instrument will power down after the testing is finished.
Note: Make sure to always include a desiccant bag in the housing and canister. Humid air cancondense enough water to cause damage.
Check and follow local regulations about proper disposal of batteries (alkaline or lithium) as thisvaries between countries.

Nortek AS

16

4.3

Signature Series Operations Manual

Guide rail harness removalThis section is relevant for Signature500, Signature250 or Signature55 with long housings that will be
powered by Lithium batteries. With the Lithium batteries there is not enough room in the housingwith the standard guide rail installed, so the solution is to remove it. The following describes theprocedure.

Figure 8: 1: Housing, 2: Set
screw s, 3: Rail, 4: Bracket,
5: Screw s

Open the battery compartment as described in the previous section
Remove the two screws (5) that fix the bracket (4) to the housing (1). (Thenumbering refers to the figure above)
Remove the bracket, and carefully slide the guide rail harness (3) out. It is
fixed to the base plate with set screws (2) so it should not be difficult to pull itout.

Connect the battery. Follow the guidelines in the previous section for details
If the harness should still be secured to the side, the rail can be replaced by a piece of duct tape tomake the installation of a new battery a bit easier.

Nortek AS

Preparation

4.4

17

Compass Calibration
1. Assemble the frame/buoy with the instrument, battery canister, extra ballast, etc. so as tosimulate the intended deployment setup as closely as possible.
2. Connect the system to the computer. Click Instrument > Compass Calibration.
3. Be prepared to rotate the entire system slowly around the Z axis of the instrument. Click Start.
Note that when doing this in the field, you cannot expect to produce a perfect circle. However, werecommend you to do this slowly, approximately 30 seconds per 360º, in an attempt to come as
close to the ideal circle as possible.
4. Success will be indicated by green light.
5. To utilize the obtained values, click Done. You will be prompted to confirm that the offset values
shall be transferred to the instrument to serve as the new compass setting.

Figure 9. 2D Com pass calibration dialog box

If you run a verification after the calibration, you can expect to get a more perfect circle, as in the
figure above.
Note: Be aware of any material that may be disrupting the magnetic field in the vicinity duringcalibration as this may skew the directionality of your data. This is likely to occur at magnetic fields
stronger than 5 Gauss. Velocities with respect to X, Y and Z and according to each beam will becorrect but North, East and Up may be incorrect. If possible, do the final calibration before you board
your vessel as ship decks tend to have non-uniform magnetic disturbances significant enough to
disrupt the compass calibration process.
Note: Do not subject any part of the instrument, including batteries, to a magnetic field stronger
than 20 Gauss. This may permanently damage the components and cause irreversible damage tothe compass.
The raw data from the magnetometer and accelerometer are stored every time the compass direction
is read. From a practical point of view this means that any instrument that has spun 360 degrees
during a deployment can be calibrated for hard iron effects in post processing. This avoids the
problem of calibrating the compass before deployment and in principle makes it possible to achieve
higher directional accuracy in the current velocity data.
Nortek AS

18

4.5

Signature Series Operations Manual

Before Deployment
With the previous sections of this chapter successfully completed you are now ready for your final
preparations before deployment.
We recommend that you carefully plan the deployment setup and make yourself aware of thepossibilities in the Nortek Deployment software. Simply select Planning > Deployment
Planning to open the deployment settings. Here you are able to configure the settings without
needing a live connection with your instrument. Set the deployment configuration as desired andclick Save configuration. This will allow you to quickly load the settings onto multiple
instruments and keep equivalent deployment settings time after time.
For stand alone systems, it is vital to remember to connect the dummy plug to ensure theinstrument is water tight. Before mating, ensure that the connectors are dry and free of debris,look for water inside the female connector.
When properly mated, the engaging nut on the cable plug will thread smoothly onto the receptacle
shell until it rather abruptly reaches a point where it cannot be hand-tightened any further. At thispoint the mating surfaces of the plug and receptacle are in contact, and have formed a good seal.
The amount of force required to tighten the engaging nut should stay the same throughout (up until
the point where it cannot be further hand-tightened). Otherwise, the connectors are not mating
properly and will not form a good seal.
Set a pressure offset. The instrument measures absolute pressure. The pressure offset selected isthe pressure reading for offsetting absolute to relative pressure. Atmospheric pressure is typically
9.5 dBar, and is therefore the factory setting. For the purpose of reference, 1dBar is equivalent to
the pressure at 1 meter in fresh water.
We recommend starting new deployments with an empty memory. Before you erase the recorder,
make sure that you have transferred all the data you want to retain. Click Deployment >Recorder Data Retrieval > Erase Recorder. If the SD-card becomes full during deployment, thedata will stop being written/saved. But it will continue to measure in case serial output is turnedon.
Depending on when you set your deployment start time it can be wise to check that the
instrument has started sampling as planned. This can be done by checking the LED which will
blink every time a ping is sent by the instrument.
Be aware that if the deployment time has passed when the battery is connected, the instrument
will resynchronize its data sampling according to the deployment time and the instrument
configuration. This means you may have to wait for one average measurement interval or one burst
measurement interval before the instrument starts to ping. When the instrument re-synchronizes,
it will blink the LED once just after the battery is connected.
Example: the deployment is set to start at 12:00 with 20 minute measurements intervals, but thebattery is connected at 12:10, the first measurement interval will start at 12:20.
If you are using an internal and external battery the primary battery will be selected based on
which has highest voltage.
We recommend starting a deployment with fresh batteries. But if you want to estimate how muchis left of a used battery the best way is to use the estimates given by the Deployment Software.
For example: The internal batteries for the Signature500 are 180Wh. The last deployment lasted
for 126 days and were using approximately 0.7Wh per day (this information can be found in the
saved .deploy file). Then the remaining Wh of the battery is thus 180-88 ~ 90Wh
O-rings for the online connectors should be lubricated with silicone lubricant.
It is worth double checking your deployment settings and the structural integrity of your rig before
deploying the instrument.

Nortek AS

Preparation

5

19

Software
The Deployment software has been designed to aid you in the planning, execution, recovery, retrieval
and conversion of data collected. In addition to the information below, a description of the various
elements on the screen (parameters, buttons etc.) will appear if you hover over the element inquestion (mouse-over-text).
The newest Deployment Software version is always available for download from our web site:
http://www.nortek-as.com/en/support/software.

5.1

Discovery Tool
The Discover configuration menu selection provides a means to locate and configure the network
information for instruments without having to know the IP address of the instrument. All instruments
found on the network are displayed.
Highlight the instrument you want to connect to and double-click/use the Connect button.
If you use a static IP address you can type it directly into the Discovery dialog.
If you connect to the instrument using serial cable, check the "Serial Port" box, select the correctcommunication port and baud rate. The default is 9600. Note that the latter will let you
communicate with the instrument through the terminal window only.
Note that it may not be possible to "discover" instruments on networks that are connected to the
local network through a router. Read more about this in the Troubleshooting chapter.

Figure 10. Discovery dialog box

Instruments shown in the list that have a white background will be possible to connect to.
Only one person can be connected to an instrument at a time. If you try to establish connection
with an occupied instrument, you will receive a notification.
If an instrument has a red background, a notification box will give you information regarding theerror. Refer to Software Problem chapter for information.
Right-click the highlighted instrument to get the option of using the Terminal Emulator (or press
Ctrl+T, consult Appendix if needed). In the menu you also have the possibility to open the instrument
specific web site or show the instrument logs (Deployment log, Instrument log, System log and SEC(Serial Ethernet Connectivity) log). There is also an alternative called "Network Configuration", whichenables the possibility to enable/disable DHCP or set the IP address. The latter option is describedin detail here.
Nortek AS

20

5.2

Signature Series Operations Manual

Deployment Wizard
The instrument is configured by clicking the Plan button or clicking Planning > Deployment
planning in the menu line. The Deployment Planning is structured as a wizard which guides you
through the necessary steps to configure the instrument successfully. It is possible to configure thesettings for your deployment file without a live connection with your instrument.
The Deployment Wizard view is divided into three parts; Steps, Instrument and Effect (refer toscreenshot below). The idea is that you follow the steps using the Next button (and Back, if you
need to) and make the adjustments from the default options. The first three steps; Instrument,
Application and Environment define the physical settings of the instrument. The remaining steps
determine how and when the instrument measures. When you change the settings in one step, thedefault values in the following steps will also be adjusted.
The Effect field displays performance parameters that are automatically updated as you change theparameter settings. It is a good idea to keep an eye on the Effect during the planning, to make sure
you do not violate e.g. required precision of the data, power consumption or memory available.
Parameters that are highlighted in yellow are meant to serve as notifications and warnings to theuser. An explanatory tool tip will be displayed if the mouse is hovered over the parameter.
The planning will result in a Deployment file (.deploy). The instrument can be started directly from the
Deployment Wizard (if you are connected to an instrument) by using Deploy or Start Online
buttons. The .deploy file can be saved and then uploaded to the instrument before deployment, andthis option will allow you to quickly load the settings onto multiple instruments and keep equivalent
deployment settings time after time. The Customize option lets you save the file and open it in
Notepad for further customization.

Figure 11. Deploym ent planning, step 1. Overview of the instrum ents and licenses.

Before going into the details of each step, here is an overview of the different parts of the Effect andSummary tabs.
EffectConfigured
length (days)

Number of days you would like to collect data. This value, together with the other
deployment parameters and the hardware configuration, will be used for
Nortek AS

Software

21

calculating the performance parameters, i.e. power usage, recorder memory
requirements and velocity precision.
Estimated max The configured length, together with the other deployment parameters and thelength (days)
hardware configuration
Battery capacity Total watt-hours as determined by the user.
(Wh)Power usage
The estimated power requirements as calculated by the firmware.
(Wh)
RecorderTotal capacity of the recorder in MB.
capacity (MB)Memory usage The estimated memory requirements as calculated by the firmware.
(Mb)
Power level
Relative dB scale, where maximum power level is 0 dB. The maximum allowed(dB):power level varies with the configured profile range.
Long range
On or Off, varies with user requirements for range. In long range mode, more pingsmode
are required to reach the same velocity precision.
Multiplexing
Not relevant (always OFF)
Number of pings The number of pings to be averaged together during the averaging interval.
Important for accuracy.
Horizontal prec. A theoretical estimate of the precision of the velocity measurements based on(cm/s)
how the instrument is set up. As a rule of thumb, this should be lower than 1/10 of
the expected velocities in the measurement area.
Vertical prec.
A theoretical estimate of the precision of the velocity measurements based on(cm/s)
how the instrument is set up.
Velocity range
Velocity range should cover the range of the velocities anticipated during the(m/s)
deployment. A velocity range set too high may result in more noisy data, and too
low will mean that you will not be able to measure the highest velocities. If a range
is set too short, it will result in velocity wrapping. This is based on the selectedmounting method.
Desired range
Calculated based on instrument depth, up/down orientation and end of profile.
(m)Configured
Calculated based on end of profile and cell size.
range (m)Estimated range Theoretical estimate. Based on end of profile, cell size, power level and long range
(m)
mode.
Blanking
Blanking is the time during which no measurements take place, to give thedistance (m)transducers time to settle before the transmitted signal returns to the receiver.
This blanking reduce the interference from ringing based on the selected "Start ofprofile (m)"Cell size
Specifies the vertical length of each depth cell in the profile. Standard deviation of
the velocity measurements is inversely proportional to the depth cell size (larger
depth cells give smaller standard deviations).
Number of cells Number of depth cells to collect per profile. The maximum number of depth cellswith accurate velocity data will vary with system frequency, depth cell size anddeployment conditions
Number of
Number of active beams with selected configuration.
beams
Altimeter
Vertical beam On/Off
Ice Drift
On/off.
Pulse Distance Related to HR settings. See below.
Altimeter start Altimeter start of measurement distance(m)
Altimeter end
Altimeter end of measurement distance(m)
Measurement
Describes how often the instrument will collect data.
intervalConfigured
Specifies how long the instrument will be actively collecting data within each
average interval Measurement interval
Actual average Specifies how long the instrument will be collecting data within each
Nortek AS

22

Signature Series Operations Manualinterval

Measurement interval. Differs from the Average Interval to allocate the Number ofPings correctly within it.
Number of samples to collect per second.

Sampling rate
(Hz)
# Samples
Number of samples to collect each burst
Burst duration (s)The duration of one burst, defined by #Samples/Sampling Rate.

Summary presents a summary of the deployment based on the selections made. Most parameters
are as described in the table above, the exceptions are:Power usage
Memory usage

The power usage required to fulfill the planned deployment as entered by the user
configuration parameters and the planned length of the deployment
The recorder memory required to fulfill the planned deployment as entered by theuser configuration parameters and the planned length of the deployment

Nortek AS

Software

23

Step 1. Instrument. Refer to screenshot above.
Select the type of instrument that shall be used. If connected to an instrument, only this specificinstrument will be available.
Licensed features. Contact Nortek if your measurements require other licenses.
Recorder Capacity: Lists the recorder options.
Sensors: AHRS (Attitude, Heading, Reference Sensor - requires additional hardware). Enable if the
instrument is to be deployed in a dynamic environment.
Deployment length (days): Enter the number of days you would like to collect data. This value,
together with the other deployment parameters and the hardware configuration, will be used for
calculating the performance parameters, i.e. battery utilization and recorder memory requirements.
Specify the type of battery used (does not apply for online deployments). This is used to calculate
Power usage.
Step 2. Application. Select between Single and Concurrent plans, for Signature500 and
Signature1000 Alternating plans are also enabled. Check out the Appendix for a short overview of
each application
Single plan means that the instrument will measure selected sampling application at the definedmeasurement intervals.
Concurrent plans enable different sampling schemes at the same time. The measurement durationand interval of concurrent plan no. 1 can be specified without taking much consideration of thesecond plan. See sketch below showing an example of a measurement sequence. The
measurement interval and sampling rates are specified under step 4 and 5.

Figure 12. Visualization of a concurrent plan deploym ent setup, w here the instrum ent sam ples bursts
and profiles concurrently

Alternating plans enables the possibility of alternating the sampling regime during deployment at a
specified ratio. See example of measurement sequence below.

Figure 13. Visualization of an alternating plan deploym ent setup. The instrum ent alternates betw een
m easuring Current Profile & Burst and Current Profile & Waves, at a ratio of 2:1.

Step 3. Environment.
Sound Velocity; Speed of sound can be set by the user (Fixed) or calculated by the instrument
Nortek AS

24

Signature Series Operations Manual

based on the measured temperature and a user-input value for salinity. The salinity is 0 for fresh
water and typically 35 for the ocean. The instrument uses the speed of sound at the depth of thetransducer to scale the Doppler frequency shift to velocity.
Deployment: Specify if the instrument is looking upward or downward during the deployment, andestimate the distance to the bottom/surface. If the surface or the bottom is within the range of the
instrument, this distance is used to configure the profiling range.
Mounting: Choose the settings that best fits your deployment.
Geography: Choose the settings that best fits your deployment. This selection suggests a suitable
power level and the long range mode for current profiling.
Wave Climate: Check if strong waves are to be expected which affects the velocity range. Also
specify the expected tidal range which helps configure the number of cells in the next step.

Figure 14. Deploym ent planning, step 3.

Next steps (depends on Application)
Average
Range:o The instrument measurement region starts at Start of Profile (meter from the transducer) andends at End of Profile. The Start of Profile defines the blanking distanceo Cell size is the vertical size of the individual cells in the profile, in meters. A larger cell size will
make the instrument transmit more energy for a given power level.
o Power level should be set to match the desired Estimated max range or exceed it with a desired
margin.
Sampling rate:o Averaging interval specifies how long the instrument will be actively collecting data within each
Measurement interval. Example: Measurement Interval is set to 600 seconds, averaging interval
set to 60 seconds means that the instrument will collect data for 1 minute every 10 minutes.
Averaging Interval must be smaller than or equal to Measurement Interval.
o Measurement load: Within each second, the instrument can either be in active mode (collectingdata) or in idle mode (not collecting data). The Measurement load is the relative time spent in
active mode within each second and can have value from 0 (no data collection) to 100 (always inactive mode). With the Auto option selected, the program will automatically calculate an
appropriate measurement load based on the averaging interval and the corresponding horizontal
Nortek AS

Software25

precision. Measurement load should be used as a configurable trade-off between precision andbattery usage.
Options: Select a coordinate system as desired. Changing the coordinate system can always bedone in post-processing. Telemetry data format determines if serial output is enabled and whichdata format is used. Confer our System Integrator's Guide for more details about the Telemetry file.
Enable serial output if you want the data out on the serial port.

Figure 15. Deploym ent planning, step 4.

Burst: similar settings as Current Profile, except:
Sampling:o Measurement interval determines how often the measurement scheme cycle should restart.
o #samples: Number of samples to be taken within the measurement interval.
o Sampling rate: Number of samples per second.
o Measurement load: Within each second, the instrument can either be in active mode (collectingdata) or in idle mode (not collecting data). The Measurement load is the relative time spent in
active mode within each second and can have value from 0 (no data collection) to 100 (always inactive mode). With the Auto option selected, the program will automatically calculate an
appropriate measurement load based on the averaging interval. Measurement load should be
used a configurable trade-off between precision and battery usage.

Nortek AS

26

Signature Series Operations Manual

Figure 16. Deploym ent planning, Step 5

Burst HR: Relevant for Signature1000 with High Resolution (HR) license. Similar settings as Current
profile, except:o Lag beam 5 (m): Time between two transmit pulses. The profiling range cannot exceed the time
between the pulses, which means there is a coupling between the profiling range and the max/min
velocity that can be measured. The resulting velocity range is reported under effects. When looking
up towards the surface the lag should be set to half the distance to the surface to account forwaves. When looking down towards the bottom the lag should be set to the distance to bottom. In
open water, the lag can be increased as long as the velocity range is sufficiently high.
Waves, Waves and Burst: similar settings as Burst.
o Range; Power level: Specifies how much acoustic energy the instrument transmits into the water.
If disabled, the configuration uses the same power level as for the current profile.

Nortek AS

Software

27

Figure 17. Deploym ent planning, Step 5

Ice draft (keel): Relevant for Signature250 and Signature500
o The altimeter measurement region starts at Altimeter start (meter from the transducer) and ends at
Altimeter end.
o Measurement interval: how often a single ice thickness measurement will be done.
o Store echo data: how often raw altimeter data will be stored (in increments of measurement
interval).
Echo Sounder: Relevant for Signature 500 and Signature1000
Range
o The measurement region starts at Start of Profile (meter from the transducer) and ends at End of
Profile. The Start of Profile defines the blanking distanceo Cell size is the vertical size of the individual cells in the profile, in meters. A larger cell size will
make the instrument transmit more energy for a given power level.
Echogramo Transmit length with pulse compression: Changing the transmit pulse length when using pulse
compression can increase the SNR at the expense of the power consumption. The resolution is
not affected at the bin size will be equal to the configured value. Note that pulse compression
may in some circumstances suffer from sidelobe effects but generally, this is not a problem.
Without pulse compression: The length of return echo will be a convolution of the rectangulartransmit pulse and receive window. If the transmit pulse length is set to bin size/(c/2) or
nominally bin size/750, the bins will consist of triangularly weighted echoes, similar to theclassical ADCP bins. In this case the resolution depends on both the length of the transmit
pulse and the bin size. The best resolution is achieved with the shortest allowable transmit
pulse but still limited by the bandwidth which corresponds to a resolution of 12 mm for the
Signature1000 and 24 mm for the Signature500.

Nortek AS

28

Signature Series Operations Manual

Figure 18. Deploym ent planning, echo sounder setup

Final step: Deployment
When you are finished with the wizard, the configuration you have prepared must be saved as a
deployment file. Define a name for the Deployment file you have prepared and add comments. The
File menu configures where and how data are to be saved to the disk. The default filename is asfollows: AD2CP_Instrumentfrequency_serialNO_DeploymentName.deploy.

Nortek AS

Software

5.3

29Stand-Alone Deployment
A deployment sequence is started by clicking the Deploy button, and you will be prompted to selectwhich deployment file to use. This activates a summary of the configuration:

Figure 19. Deploym ent sum m ary

Read through and verify that the set-up is as intended. This dialog box will confirm the selections
made in the Deployment Wizard.
The Deployment Name is by default the same as set in the final step of the Deployment Wizard,
but it is possible to rename it.
If you want the deployment to start some time in the future, set the date and time in the
Deployment time field.
The synchronize clock to PC time sets the instrument clock to the same as the PC clock. The
purpose is to set the time as correctly as possible. The time reference is especially important inorder to ensure proper synchronization between the instrument and other data sets collectedindependently. Time spent to properly set the time before a deployment can save a lot of time inpost processing and analysis.
The LED can be set to blink for every sample (On), blink for the first 24 hours of deployment (Onfor 24h), or never (Off).
Press Deploy to send the configuration to the instrument.
The instrument connection will be closed during data collection, and you will be sent back to the
Disconnected View of the software. The instrument is now properly configured and will stay in sleep
mode until it begins its deployment at the scheduled time.
To stop the deployment, click Connect. Find the instrument in the Discovery feature and click theNortek AS

30

Signature Series Operations Manual

instrument you want to connect to. A notification will warn you that connecting to the instrument willstop data collection.
Be aware that if the deployment time has passed when the battery is connected, the instrument will
resynchronize its data sampling according to the deployment time and the instrument configuration.
This means you may have to wait for one average measurement interval or one burst measurement
interval before the instrument starts to ping. When the instrument re-synchronizes, it will blink the
LED once just after the battery is connected.
Example: the deployment is set to start at 12:00 with 20 minute measurements intervals, but thebattery is connected at 12:10, the first measurement interval will start at 12:20.

Nortek AS

Software

5.4

31

Online Data Collection
An online measurement sequence is started by clicking the Start button, and you will be prompted
to select which deployment file to use. Data collection will start immediately after the selected
deploy file has been opened. After data collection has started, the Stop data collection is enabled.
If you want to record the online data, make sure to select Record Data under the Online menu
before clicking Start. Otherwise, data are not saved on the recorder nor the computer hard drive
during data collection. To find the data recorded to disk, click File > Open Online Data Folder.
The online display window shows profiling and time series graphs for data currently collected by the
instrument. Refer to screenshot below. The main display consists of two resizeable panes. The top
pane contains multiple tabular listings of measurement and status data. The bottom pane contains
multiple chart and sweep plots of the measurement data. Different display groups are divided into
tabbed windows to provide better viewing of the data. Use the time series row to select which data todisplay; either showing one cell at a time or a profile of one of the beams at a time. Certain data
elements are displayed in a text pane. This displayed data is picked up live from the data stream as
it is being collected (so no changes will be seen in this pane unless data collection is proceeding).

Figure 20. Overview of the m ain screen. This screenshot is from a Signature55 in air

Nortek AS

32

5.5

Signature Series Operations Manual

Recorder Data Retrieval
The Data Retrieval dialog box shows a list of all files currently stored in the recorder, including thetime of the first measurement and the size for each file. The .cfg is the configuration file, the .ad2cp
contain all raw data, stored in binary format. Optionally, the .ad2cp file can include averaged current
data only, to allow the user to quickly be able to investigate the results without downloading all theraw data. Only data where correlation is above 50% will be included in the averaging, and the data
will also include a percent-good value. This averaging is only applicable to average mode, burst data
will not be processed in this manner.
Click the magnifying glass to see a summary of the deployment. Then download the data (blackarrow) or the data including raw data (grey arrow). The raw data downloads all single ping data. The
file will be saved by default in the folder named Users\User\Documents\
Nortek\Deployment\Downloads, but this can be changed if needed. Multiple files can be downloadedat the same time. The "Show all" check box can be checked off if you want to see all files available
on the recorder.
Erase Recorder
Click Deployment > Recorder Data Retrieval > Erase Recorder. It is good routine to do this inadvance of every deployment as we recommend starting new deployments with an empty memory.
Erase Recorder deletes the File Allocation Table (the list of files). This means that the data are noterased, they are made re-writeable. There is also the option to reformat the recorder under
Instrument > Format Recorder which will delete everything on the recorder.
Note: Before you erase the recorder, make sure that you have transferred all the data you want toretain.

Figure 21. Recorder data retrieval dialog
box

To find the downloaded data, click File > Open Deployment Data Folder or click the link in the
dialog.

Nortek AS

Software

5.6

33

Data Conversion
The Data conversion menu is used to convert the proprietary binary data files (.ad2cp) into various
formats. Multiple data files can be selected and converted at one time. Click Add File... This
displays a file selection dialog box where you can select files to add to the Files to convert list.
Press Start to initiate the conversion process. The converted data are located in the folder specified
under "Save in folder". This path is also clickable.
Export to Matlab format result in .mat files which are directly readable by MATLAB. There is also an
option to Export to .PD0 format which convert the file to standard PD0 binary format, or Export toCSV format which can easily be used with Excel. It is possible to select Include coordinatetransformations which will automatically calculate the remaining two coordinate systems (f.ex. if
you chose ENU, then BEAM and XYZ coordinates will be included). Note that this will approximately
triple the file size. The "Use 3D profile arrays" result in data saved in 3D arrays instead of 2D (whichis the default).

Figure 22. Data conversion dialog box

Data Format.ad2cp and .cfg
The format of these data files are described in the System Integrator's Guide. The .cfg is theconfiguration file, the .ad2cp contain all raw data, stored in binary format.
.matFour structures are created. Data and Config contain sub-structures, Comments and Units thatprovide text describing the contents of the structures. Note that this operation can result in large
amounts of RAM being used when processing large data files. Large data files will be broken down
into multiple smaller .mat files by the export process. When multiple files are produced, “_#” will be
added on to the file name prefix to identify each file portion.
.pd0
RDI Workhorse pd0 data format. See RDI documentation for details.
.csv
Comma separated values format. Each line is a data record, each column is described with therelevant header. Includes averaged data only.
In order to get manageable file sizes out of the data conversion, there is a constraint of 50 Mb per
file. The result is that the .ad2cp file will be separated into a number of sub files during conversion,
depending on selected exported format and data size:.mat and .pd0: Exports raw and averaged data, and these two types of files will be separated by an_avgd extension on the averaged data file. Large data files will be broken down into multiple smaller
Nortek AS

34

Signature Series Operations Manual

files, and _# will be added on to the file name prefix to identify each file portion.
.csv: Exports only averaged data, and the exported files will be separated into subfiles based on theconfiguration. For example, if you measure Current Profile and Burst, you can expect to get files with
A0 and B0 in their names, respectively. If you in addition measure with alternating modes, you will
see A0, A1, B0, B1. A0 and B0 contain Current Profiles and Burst data from the content of
Alternating plan number one, and A1 and B1 is the Current Profile and Burst data from Alternatingplan number 2. In addition, large data file will be broken down into multiple smaller files, and _# will
be added on to the file name prefix to identify each file portion.
Note that the above may not be relevant for your specific instrument. Signature250 do not have theoption of alternating between two modes, and Signature55 do not have concurrent measurement
plans.

Nortek AS

Software

6

35

MaintenanceWe recommend a regularly scheduled procedure which will act as a preventative measure to ensure
your instrument continues functioning as intended. The following sections can be used as amaintenance guideline for the components that may be exposed to wear and tear.
When cleaning the external surfaces use a mild detergent and pay special attention to thetransducers.
Check the pressure sensor and remove any dirt from the holes in the lid. Be careful when opening
the pressure sensor cap as it is easy to dent and damage the sensor.
Pay extra attention when cleaning and lubricating the connectors.
When opening the instrument, great care should be taken to keep the sealing surfaces clean andprotected from mechanical damage. Always keep water out of the open housing.
The grounding point should always be free from biofouling.

6.1

BiofoulingCurrent profilers used in long term monitoring projects will be covered with biological material.
Eventually, the growth can become strong enough that the transducers are blocked and the profiling
range is reduced. To know when to maintain the instrument it is best to monitor the long term
variation in the amplitude data. This parameter varies with short time scales (depending on
suspended sediment concentration, zoo plankton, bubbles, etc.), but biological growth (especiallybarnacles) adds a long term downward trend that can be monitored. The profiling range gradually
goes down as the growth on the sensor increases. At some point, the signal strength will be too low
to get the desired profiling range. Through experience you will gain knowledge about how long it
takes before the transducers are covered and this information can later be used to set regular
maintenance intervals where the transducers are cleaned.
When the instrument leaves the factory, the surfaces are quite smooth and it will take some time
before any growth starts. After the first cleaning, the surface is rougher and it becomes easier for
new material to grow. Typical maintenance intervals are 6-12 month but the growth rates vary a lot
with the geographical location, water temperature, season, and deployment depth. In general, heavy
growth is seen in hot and shallow areas. Cold and deep water areas see very little growth somaintenance can be less frequent.
To clean the transducer we recommend staying away from strong organic solvents such as acetone.
Barnacles have to be removed mechanically, but we strongly advise against using sharp objects
capable of harming the surface.
Antifouling Paint
The important thing regarding painting transducers is that the paint is not too thick, otherwise thesignal strength will decrease. You can probably use most anti-fouling paints as long as it is not too(chemically) aggressive and contains no solids (metal flakes, etc) that could interfere with acoustic
beams. Anodes and pressure ports should not be painted.

6.2

Instrument CareAll Nortek instruments are intended for use in water. Other fluids may have an adverse effect on theplastic materials used. For prolonged storage at elevated temperatures close to the specified limit, or
when temperature variation is uncertain, it is recommended that the screws securing the end cap tobe loosened in order to minimize the risk of any deformation due to temperature/stress over time.
If the instrument has been subjected to environmental conditions outside the specified design limits(refer to the instrument brochure for specifications) mechanical tolerances may be affected.

Nortek AS

36

6.3

Signature Series Operations Manual

Connector Care
It is extremely important to keep connectors clean and well lubricated. Before plugging in connectors
we recommend to always blast the pins with compressed air, inspect them for cleanliness and thenprotect the cable connector by applying a thin layer of silicone lubricating spray on the pins before
you plug it into the instrument. We recommend the 3M Silicone Spray. Do not use the silicone
grease included in the toolkit on connectors, as this is intended for O-rings only.
Before deployment:
Demate the connector set.
Flush the connector set with fresh water or compressed air, remove dirt. Remember to also checkthe female connector.
Check that both connectors are dry. If not, let them air-dry.
Inspect for damage, corrosion and cuts.
Apply a thin film of 3M Silicone Spray or equivalent.
Mate the connector halves and check if they are properly mated.
After deployment and before storage:
Flush the connector set with fresh water or compressed air, remove dirt.
Check that both connectors are dry. If not, let them air-dry.
Inspect for damage, corrosion and cuts.
Mate with dummy plug if available.

6.4

Cable Care
Do not pull on the cable to disconnect connectors.
Avoid sharp bends at cable entry to connector.
Ensure that the cable is fixed to the mounting fixture to avoid mechanical stress to theconnection.
Elastomers can be seriously degraded if exposed to direct sunlight or high ozone levels forextended periods.

6.5

O-ring Care
Watertight sealing of the instrument housing is provided by double O-rings on the head and end cap
sub-assemblies. The outer O-ring forms the primary seal and the inner forms a secondary (orbackup) seal. If the integrity of the O-rings are degraded the instrument should not be re-deployed. In
this case, please contact us.
O-rings are the critical component that keeps water out of the housing and thus the instrument dry
and functioning. Make a routine of inspection, maintenance and replacement of exposed O-rings.
Properly greased O-rings will help maintain sealing integrity and minimize O-ring degradation. Useenough grease to lubricate the O-ring thoroughly, but not so much that it will attract additional
debris.
Check the O-rings and the O-ring grooves for grit, hair, lint, sand, or anything that could potentiallybreach the O-ring seal.
Clean the groove with a lint free swab or the folded edge of a paper towel.
After frequent deployments or if O-rings or groves appear dirty, remove O-rings and clean thegroves. To remove O-rings, use finger pressure or the rounded edge of a plastic card to lift the Oring out of the grove. Caution! Never use a metal object to remove an O-ring. It may cause damage
to the O-ring or the sealing surface.
To check O-rings for damage, place the O-ring between the middle and index finger and thumb.
Then pull the O-ring through your fingers, feeling for any debris or wear.
If O-rings are dirty, it is best to replace them. Washing dirty O-rings with soap and water is notrecommended. Soap breaks down the lubricants and will compromise the integrity of the seal.

Nortek AS

Maintenance

6.6

37

Securing Screws
When installing end caps and sensor heads, care should be taken when tightening the screws.
Use the cross tightening sequence. Tightening one screw fully before continuing on to the next
may cause improper O-ring seating and very high mechanical stress concentrated around thescrew hole. This may cause leaks and/or damage to the head or the end cap.
After tightening the screws so that the spring washers are flat, turn each screw a quarter of a turn.
At this point, the O-ring is fully compressed and the instrument is sealed.
Over-torqueing has no positive effect and may damage the threads and/or area around the screw
holes on the head and end cap. Keep in mind that ocean pressure holds the end cap tightly, all thescrews have to do is to secure the end cap from falling out when the system is above water.

6.7

Replacing Desiccant Bag
Humid air can condense enough water to damage the electrical circuitry. At least once a year,
replace the desiccant located in the pressure case or the external battery canister. Refer to the
Changing Batteries section description for the procedure of opening the housing.

Nortek AS

38

7

Signature Series Operations Manual

TroubleshootingThis section contains information in where to start looking if an instrument does not behave as
intended. If you encounter a problem, you should:
Get a good overview of the problem; make notes during the troubleshooting process
Work in a systematic way and do not neglect the obvious. Start by looking at simple causes,
such as power not connected, bad connections, etc.
If the setup uses custom cables, power supply, etc. first assemble and test the instrument using
the cable and battery (if applicable) that originally came with the instrument. You can always
return to the standard setup, which is the easiest way to get the system to work, to confirm thatthe problems are not caused by a faulty instrument.
If your instrument behaves strangely try updating both your software and firmware to the latest
versions. There may be incompatibility between an older version of firmware and newer version ofsoftware, and vice versa. The latest versions of firmware and software can be downloaded from our
support page at http://www.nortek-as.com/en/support/software.
To help us give good support, please
Be specific about the error - a screenshot is often helpful
Include a raw sample file or a collected data set showing the error
Include information about firmware and software version used
Include serial number (Head ID, Hardware ID or order number)
A Support file can be downloaded from the instrument and is used to assist you in the best
possible manner. To retrieve this file, click Help > Support File. Alternatively, type in the IP
address in the web browser and click “Retrieve Support File”. A *.gz file is then downloaded andcan be sent directly to Nortek for diagnosis.
If it turns out that the instrument will have to be sent back to Nortek for repair, check out http://www.
nortek-as.com/en/support/customer-forms for more information. Make sure to include all theinformation requested in the Proforma Invoice document. You can provide your own, or use our
example shown in Appendix.

7.1

Communication
Instrument connected through Ethernet cable
Does the Ethernet cable have a source of power?
If the instrument is visible in the Discovery screen, try right-clicking and opening the Terminal
Emulator. Send Break then Switch to Command Mode, a confirmation message should appear.
Try connecting to the instrument as per normal.
Consult the Universal Plug and Play section to find the IP address. Type this in the Discovery
screen of the Deployment software. If you are able to connect, but it does not appear in the menu
there may be an issue with the firewall. Try disabling your firewall and refresh the Discovery
screen.
Check network cabling connection: If your computer has light emitting diodes (LEDs) next to theconnection where the Ethernet cable plugs into the computer, check if the LEDs are lit to indicate
the current status of the network device. If the LEDs are not glowing/blinking, check that theconnector is ok and try to re-plug. Refer to your computer's manual for information about the
Ethernet port LED.
Check the LED on the switch or router. The LEDs should be lit when there is a connection
between the computer, the network router or switch and the instrument. If not, try switching it on
and off to reset the switch/router.
If an Ethernet switch is used, its Ethernet port should also show an active Ethernet link. Try
connecting with a different cable. If not, there is a problem with the computer connection.
If you have a button for turning on/off the wireless network antenna on your computer, turn this off.
Connect the communication cable directly from the computer to the Signature instrument to
bypass all of the network wiring and router. Is the PC showing that the link is active?
Nortek AS

Troubleshooting

39

If the connection was lost all of a sudden; run a test and analysis function in Windows (see stepby-step description below)

Figure 23. Ethernet port lights on com puter.

Test and Analysis function in Windows
1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Control Panel"
3. Click "Network and Sharing Center"
4. Click "Change Adapter Settings"
5. Right-click “Local Area Connection". This icon represents your Ethernet connection to the
instrument
6. Click "Diagnose." The analysis function in Windows will examine the failed connection and show
an explanation of the problem and some advices to fix the problem
Unlike the serial port, once you have verified that the link is active, there is no need to do anythingelse with configuring the speed or other link characteristics. The next step is to make sure you havegot an appropriate IP address assigned. For details about the process of assigning IP addresses,
refer to the Appendix.
Instrument is connected through serial communication cable
Does the instrument have a source of power? Try using both internal and external battery/powersourceWrong serial port. Check that the correct serial port is selected. Go to Start - Control Panel Systems - Hardware - Device Manager - Ports (look for USB device)
Wrong baud rate.Try sending a break in the Terminal Emulator. If gibberish/non-sense or nothing,check the baud rate settings
There is a problem with the converter. Check that the LED on the converter is lit. If not, confirm
that the correct driver is installed.
The blue LED indicator light on the instrument is not lit
Is the instrument in Command mode?
Does the LED blink (short) when applying power?
Cable
Cables are often exposed to heavy use and the power connector might break. Using a multimeter toping through each pin may reveal a breakage.

Nortek AS

40

7.2

Signature Series Operations Manual

Network
FirewallFirewalls are usually active by default and could be a possible cause for blocking communication.
For organizations with strong security / firewall restrictions, FTP access to the instrument may not
be permitted. HTTP (Hypertext transfer protocol) can then be used for data transmission. A web
page allowing individual data files to be downloaded has been implemented in the Ethernet
processor. The web page can be accessed by clicking on the “Data Download (HTTP)” link from themain web page.
Routers
There are some limitations to the discovery protocol. Multicast Ethernet packets are used to
implement the protocol and those packets may not be forwarded through routers (depending on therouter type and configuration). For that reason, the instrument should be either directly connected orconnected through a single Ethernet switch for troubleshooting. Once the IP address is properly
configured, it can be used to access the instrument using normal IP communications. Only thediscovery protocol uses multicast packets. For more details about the Ethernet communication, referto the Appendix.
IP address
You have the possibility to enable/disable DHCP and set a static IP address, if necessary. Checkout this appendix for details.

7.3

Software Problem
Discovery tool; the instrument I want to connect to has red background. The instrument cannot be
connected to because of one of the following reasons:Non compatible firmware. Go to Help > Download Firmware to get the most up to date version.
Instrument is on wrong subnet. This can be fixed automatically by double-clicking the instrumentname while in the Discovery screen.
The instrument listed is not supported by the software.
If the Discovery feature does not list your instrument, refer to the Communication Problem section.
Software crash
Download the support file containing debug information: Help > Support files
If your instrument behaves strangely (for example error messages when trying to start datacollection, compass calibration or pressure offset calibration), update both your software andfirmware to the latest versions. There can be incompatibility between an older version of firmwareand newer version of software, and vice versa. The latest versions of firmware and software can be
downloaded from our support page.

Nortek AS

Troubleshooting

8

Appendices

8.1

Glossary
Accuracy

41

A value giving the degree of closeness of a velocity measurement to the actual
velocity. Refer to the data sheet for specific minimum accuracy.
AD2CP
Nortek's broadband signal processing platform.
AHRS
Attitude and Heading Reference System. Provide attitude information and replace
the traditional tilt and magnetometer. AHRS is especially useful in dynamic
environments. Note that this feature also requires additional hardware.
Altimeter
Measures the distance to the surface
Amplitude
See signal strength
ASCII output
Data is displayed in ASCII format (text).
Bandwidth
Wider signal bandwidth is used to get more information and improve the velocity
precision. Reduced bandwidth is used in long range mode (only relevant whencurrent profiling) to increase range. This bandwidth reduction makes themeasurements less precise.
Beam
In Beam coordinates, a positive velocity is directed in the same direction as the
Coordinates
beam points. Beam 1 is marked with an “X” on the head.
Blanking
Specifies the distance from instrument head to the start of the measurement cell
where no measurements take place, to give the transducers time to settle before
the echo returns to the receiver. The size of the blanking area is user selectable inthe software using the Start of profile parameter.
Break
A break command is used to change between the various operational modes of
the instrument and to interrupt the instrument regardless of which mode it is in.
When break is received in command mode, you can see that the LED is switched
off for a short time.
BroadbandIn this context it means using a more complex transmit pulse to improve themeasurement accuracy in each ping.
Cell
One measurement cell represents the average of the return signal for a given
period. The cell size and transmit pulse are of equal size. The cell is shaped like a
triangle due to convolution; this is indicative of the weighting of the measurement.
Coarse Profile Instrument setup that prioritize achieving the maximum range at the expense of
reduced resolution.
Command modeAn instrument in command mode is powered up and ready to accept yourinstructions. If no commands are received for about five minutes, it automaticallygoes into Power Down Mode, unless Ethernet power is connected. LED is lit
constantly when in command mode.
Compass
Each compass system has been calibrated at the factory to quantify thecalibration
characteristic response of the individual components and of the system as awhole. When it leaves the factory, each system can measure its tilt and the
direction of its magnetic field vector accurately. However, users may disturb themagnetic field near the instrument when they deploy. Adding a battery pack andmounting the instrument with deployment hardware adds magnetic materials thatchange the earth's field at the instrument. The compass calibration procedure
quantifies this magnetic hard iron disturbance, and the instrument's compass
algorithm then corrects for it to obtain accurate heading.
Correlation
Nominal correlation is a function of cell size and velocity range. Nortek(nominal)
recommends using 50% of the max correlation as a cut-off value, beyond thispoint the validity of your data is questionable.
ENU
Polar magnetic coordinates; East, North and Up. A positive east velocity goes
Coordinates
toward east. This is also a right-handed orthogonal system.
Fine Profile
Instrument setup that prioritize the highest possible resolution at the expense of
the maximum range achievable.
Firmware
Internal software of the instrument, as opposed to the instrument software runningon a PC. New firmware is posted on the Nortek site. You will need to register toNortek AS

42

Signature Series Operations Manual

get access, but access is otherwise free of charge.
High Resolution. With the correct firmware and license, the instrument canmeasure High Resolution data on the fifth, vertical beam.
Ice Draft (keel) Measures thickness of ice. Ice draft = Water depth - Distance to Ice
Ice Drift
With the correct firmware and license, measures velocity and direction of ice drift.
Internal
Rate of sampling for internal sensors. Refer to the specific instrument brochure forsampling rate details.
LED
Light Emitting Diode, visible from the outside of the instrument. The LED can be
set to blink for every sample (On), blink for the first 24 hours of deployment (On for24h), or never (Off).
LicenseDifferent capabilities of the instrument are protected under licenses which can bepurchased. Contact your sales representative for more information. Registerpurchased licenses while connected to your instrument under Instrument >Licenses. Licenses that are ordered with the instrument are already registered.
You will not need a license when updating the firmware version.
NMEA
Standard data format defined by the National Marine Electronics Association
Noise floor
The amplitude of the internal noise of the instrument. This will limit the minimum
detectable signal that can be received.
Ping
Same as a single transmit pulse.
Precision
The value given is a theoretical estimate of the precision of the velocity
measurements based on how the instrument is set up. The nominal value is given
for the horizontal components in a default instrument acoustic beam configuration.
In order to improve the precision the user may consider one of the following
options: (1) larger cell sizes, (2) longer average interval (3) reduced velocity range,or (4) increased measurement load
Sampling rate Specifies the rate at which data is output
SDU
Speed - Direction - Up.
Coordinates
Sidelobe
The acoustic beams focus most of the energy in the center of the beams, but asmall amount leaks out in other directions. Transducer sidelobes are rays of
acoustic energy that go in directions other than the main lobe. Because soundreflects stronger from the water surface than it does from the water, the small
signals that travel straight to the surface can produce sufficient echo tocontaminate the signal from the water.
Signal strength Strength of return signal, presented in dB.
Sleep mode
The instrument is not actively collecting data
SNR
SNR is the Signal-to-Noise ratio and is a data quality indicator.
XYZ CoordinatesCartesian coordinate system. A positive velocity in the X-direction goes in the
direction of the X-axis arrow. The X-axis points in the same direction as beam 1.
Use the right-hand-rule to remember the notation conventions for vectors. Use thefirst (index) finger to point in the direction of positive X-axis and the second(middle) finger to point in the direction of positive Y. The positive Z-axis will then bein the direction that the thumb points.
HR

Nortek AS

Appendices

8.2

43

Applications
Name
Average
Average with ice
drift
Average with ice
drift and ice draft(keel)

Meaning
Relevant instrument
The instrument measures a current profile at
Signature250, Signature500,
defined length and interval on four beams
Signature1000
The instrument measures a current profile and ice Signature250, Signature500
drift (ice velocity and direction) at defined lengthand interval
The instrument measures a current profile, ice
Signature250, Signature500
draft (keel) and ice drift at defined length andinterval. The distance to ice can be used toestimate the ice thickness together with thepressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure
The instrument burst samples using four beams Signature500, Signature1000

Burst using 4
beams
Burst using 5
The instrument burst samples using five beams Signature500, Signature1000
beams
Burst using vertical The instrument burst samples on the fifth
Signature500, Signature1000
beam(vertical) beam only
Wave height and
The instrument measures wave height with the
Signature250, Signature500,
direction
altimeter and direction with four beams
Signature1000
Wave height
The instrument measures wave height using the Signature250
altimeter
Waves and burst The instrument burst samples using five beams Signature500, Signature1000
using 5 beams
together with wave height which combined withthe burst data also provide wave direction
Burst using vertical The instrument burst samples using only the fifth Signature1000
beam with HR(vertical) beam in pulse coherent mode
Burst using 5
The instrument burst samples using only the fifth Signature1000
beams with vertical (vertical) beam in pulse coherent mode while theHRother four (slanted) use standard burst
Ice draft (keel)
The instrument measures the distance to ice
Signature250, Signature500
which can be used to estimate the ice thickness
together with the pressure sensor and theatmospheric pressure
Average and burst The instrument measures current profile at
Signature500, Signature1000
using vertical beam defined length and interval concurrently with burst
samples on the fifth (vertical) beam at a separate
interval
Average and waves The instrument measures a current profile at
Signature250, Signature500,
defined length and interval concurrently with wave Signature1000
height and direction at a separate interval

Nortek AS

44

8.3

Signature Series Operations Manual

Communication and Ethernet
Connections between the instrument and computer can be made in one of two ways.
Ethernet (via direct connection or router/switch)
RS232/RS422 through the serial port. Serial communication baud rate: 300-115200, 230400,
460800, 625000, 1250000
Details about the Ethernet connection
Most instruments are shipped with the Ethernet option. The first time using the instrument, thenetwork address needs to be properly configured for the network. The IP address can be assigned in
one of the three ways:
1. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP): A DHCP server in the network is used to assign an
IP address to the Ethernet interface.
2. AutoIP: Link-local address assignment.
3. Manually assign IP address (by the user)
As shipped, the instrument uses options 1 and 2. This means that it will try to automaticallyconfigure the IP address for the network that the instrument is plugged into.
If a DHCP server is detected it takes approximately 30 seconds to negotiate for and assign an IP
address to the Ethernet interface. If you are using a broadband router, it is likely you are using a
DHCP Server to assign IP Addresses. Common private network address schemes include 192.168.
x.x and 10.0.x.x subnets, with the Subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 or 255.255.0.0
If a DHCP server is not detected (usually because of being directly connected to a computer) and therequest for an IP Address is not fulfilled, the Signature system will automatically assign itself IP
addresses using the AutoIP protocol. DHCP must first time out before the AutoIP protocol starts, so
this will result in a delay of approximately 90 seconds before an IP address is finally assigned. A
standard AutoIP address sits in the 169.254.x.x range, with the subnet mask being 255.255.0.0.
When using automatic IP address assignment, there is generally no way of knowing which address
was assigned to the instrument. To determine the IP address assigned, the Discovery protocol isused to query instruments on the local subnet. The discovery protocol is a Nortek proprietary means
for retrieving information from an AD2CP without requiring any knowledge of the IP address
assigned.
There are some limitations on the Discovery protocol. It uses a special type of Ethernet packets(known as multicast packets) that may not be forwarded through routers (depending upon the router
type and configuration). For that reason, we always recommend that the computer being used for
Discovery ONLY be either directly connected to the instrument or connected through an Ethernet
switch. Only the Discovery protocol uses multicast packets. Other communications use standard
TCP/IP networking which means that the instrument can be communicated with anywhere that IP
connectivity is supported once the IP address is known.
For more details about the DHCP or AutoIP there are many articles available in the public domain.
These are standard protocols used by most Internet based equipment.
Routers
The discovery protocol uses multicast packets that may not work through firewalls and routers. The
Time-to-Live for the multi-cast packets is set to 2. This means that at most one router can sit
between the acquisition system and instruments. The router must also be configured to support
forwarding of multicast packets.
Manually assign IP address
Networked instruments can also have their IP address manually assigned. This may be useful on
Nortek AS

Appendices45

networks in which the discovery protocol might not work (e.g. through multiple routers or firewalls).
Network Configuration
Right-click the highlighted instrument in the Discovery function fialog to get the option of enabling
DHCP or set a static IP address or IP address for a local interface (see screenshot of the dialog
below).

Enable DHCP: Use a dynamically assigned IP address from a DHCP server or from AutoIP insteadof a user supplied IP address. The IP address that gets assigned is also shown in this panel. AutoIP
allows a local domain dynamic IP address to be assigned without the presence of a DHCP server.
An instrument connected directly to the host will be assigned a special address in the 169.254.xxx.
xxx address range. In order for the Windows host to also select an appropriate address in this case,
the Automatic private IP address option in the Internet Protocol Version 4: Alternate Configuration
menu must be enabled.
IP address: The IPv4 address to manually assign to the network interface.
Netmask : The network mask used to identify the local subnet for the network.
Gateway: The router address used to connect to machines that are on a different subnet from the
instrument. The gateway must be on the same subnet as the IP address selected.
Local Interface: Shows which network interface on the computer is being used to communicate with
the instrument and whether or not full IP communications can be established.
Telnet, Raw connection and FTP
The serial interface of the Doppler processor is accessible over telnet. A dedicated port can be used
for ASCII only communication whereas another port provides the complete set of data, including
binary data output of the measurements. This subject is covered in the System Integrator's Guide,please refer to this guide for more information.

Nortek AS

46

8.4

Signature Series Operations Manual

Terminal Emulator
The Terminal Emulator window allows you to communicate directly with the instrument usingcommands. To open the Terminal Emulator connect to the instrument using the Deployment
software and click Communication > Terminal Window or while in the Discovery screen highlightyour instrument and press Ctrl + T. You can also right-click the specific instrument and select the
Terminal Emulator option.

Figure 24. Term inal Em ulator dialog

Command: Specify a command to send to the instrument, e.g. ‘ID’ to get the identification string.
Note the existence of a right-click menu, which is useful if you need to edit commands. Press theSend button to send the command to the instrument. ASCII commands may be typed directly in theterminal window. Refer to the System Integrator's Manual for a list of commands and their syntax.
Up/down arrows can be used to access the command history, and the terminal window command
history are kept within sessions.
Send: Sends the command specified in the Command field.
Send Break: Sends a BREAK signal over the port. A break causes the instrument to report an
identification string when it is in command mode:
Signature1000 - NORTEK AS.
Version 2182_3 (Sep 17 2015 18:31:28)
COMMAND MODE
OK

Protocol: Select NMEA format if applicable
Decoding
ASCII: Display instrument output in ASCII format.
Hex: Display instrument output in hexadecimal format.
Record data: Lets you capture the data to file.
Upload file...: Specify the name of a file containing an ASCII command to send to the instrument.
Switch to Command Mode: Put the instrument in command mode.

Nortek AS

Appendices

8.5

47

WEB interface
The AD2CP network processor runs a web server for displaying basic information about the
instrument. To access the Web site, first make sure you are connected to an instrument. Find the
instrument in the Windows Explorer > Networks and double-click. Check out "Properties" for moredetails about the system. Alternatively, you can use the IP address of your instrument and type thisdirectly in the address line in your web browser.
From the web site you have access to:
Network configuration
The Network Configuration page provides another mechanism other than Discovery for changing the
saved instrument name and IP addressing information. Changing the IP address will result in the
URL in the web browser having to be updated with the new IP address.
MaintenanceThis area present system information and let you set the clock. Also upgrades and updates, erasing
and reformatting the SD card is possible from here. The Retrieve Support File button is used tocollect internal logs and run-time information for both processors into a single file that can be sent toNortek for analysis. The instrument must be in command mode for a complete support file to begenerated.
Logs
These files are useful if you need support. The Instrument log contains production information, theDeployment log contains instrument usage history. The Add Deployment Log Entry enables the user
to add entries to the deployment log. The Network and System logs are mainly for debugging
purposes.
Security
Password protection may be used to restrict access to the instrument. In order to enable or disablepassword protection, the password for the “nortek” account must be entered first (this to make surethat the password is known prior to enabling protection and to prevent protection from being disabled
by an unauthorized person when enabled). Two passwords are available: one for the real-time
interfaces (the ASCII, raw and data interfaces; see the Integrator’s Guide) and one for FTP access tothe instrument recorder. The default password for both accounts is the same as the username(“nortek” for the nortek account and “nortekftp” for the nortekftp account).
Data Download (HTTP or FTP)
Download data from the instrument. Note that this will interrupt running measurements.

Nortek AS

48

8.6

Signature Series Operations Manual

Universal Plug and play
In addition to the proprietary discovery protocol, the UPnP (universal plug and play) protocol is
supported by the AD2CP platform. This allows the operating system which are UPnP capable todiscover the instrument with no need for proprietary software. To view the instrument icon in
Microsoft Windows, open the Network view of the computer.

Figure 25. Netw ork view

Double clicking on the instrument icon brings up the web page interface. Right clicking and selecting
Properties gives the IP address and other instrument configuration information.

Figure 26. Properties

In order for UPnP to operate on Microsoft Windows platform, Network Discovery needs to beenabled. This is normally enabled by default on "Home" and "Work" networks but disabled on"Public" networks. To see if Network Discovery is enabled, open the Network and Sharing Center(Control Panel: Network and Internet: Network and Sharing center) and click on the Change
advanced sharing settings selection. This will bring up the various network types (Home/Work/
Public). Select the network type that the instrument is connected to and ensure that Turn on
network discovery is selected for that network. If the network is a public network, it is recommended
that network discovery be turned off after interaction with the instrument has been completed.
Nortek AS

Appendices

8.7

49

Synchronization
The Signature series has advanced synchronization features built in, either using Ethernet PTP,
hardware trigger signals, serially through a command or trigger on a differential RS485 compatible
hardware signal. The instrument can also be configured to be a synchronization master, outputting
an RS485 sync pulse. This allows several Signature instruments to synchronize their sampling witha small increase in power consumption. The various synchronized units must be identical (forexample only Signature500s) and use the same ping scheme. For more details about the different
synchronization options, check out the System Integrators Manual.

Nortek AS

50

8.8

Signature Series Operations Manual

Connector Pin Configurations
Other Connector Pin configurations are available upon request.
6-pin connector, Stand alone, Ethernet (N2550-003, N2550-008)
Connector on Pin
Function
the instrument number
side
MCIL6M with 1
Gnd
MCDLS-F (red) 2
Pwr+
3
RxMale face view:
4
Rx+
5
Tx6

Tx+

Wire colorJoint Wire color

Pin
Connector on the computer
number side

Black
Red
White

Black
White
Green

Jacket 2-pin jack plug
Center
6
RJ 45 insulation connector

Blue
White

Green/White
Orange32OrangeOrange/White 1

2-pin connector (N2100-608)
Connector on Pin
Function
the instrument number
side
MCIL2M-G2 1
Pwr +with MCDLS-F
(red)
2
Gnd

Wire colorPinnumberConnector on the external
canister

Twisted pair, Red/Green
Twisted pair, Black/
White

1

IL2M with DLSA-M(red)28-pin connector, Serial communication, RS232 and RS422 (N2550-001)
Connector on Pin
Function Wire colorJoint Wire color
the instrument number
side
MCIL8M with 1
Gnd
Black
Black
MCDLS-F (red) 2
Pwr+
Red
White
3
RS232
White
Red
Tx /
RS422 Tx4
RS422
Blue
White
Tx+
5
RS232 Rx White
Orange/ RS422Rx+
6
RS422
OrangePurple
Rx7
NC
White
8
ShieldGreen

Pin
Connector on the computer
number side
Jacket 2-pin jack plug
Center29-pin DSUB

8
3

7
5*)

*) GND on pin 1 on instrument side, pin 5 on DSUB and on Jack Plug (jacket)

Nortek AS

Appendices51

8-pin connector, Serial communication w/RS485 sync (N2550-021)
Connector on Pin
Function Wire colorJoint Wire color
the instrument number
side
MCIL8M with 1
Gnd
Black
Black
MCDLS-F (red) 2
Pwr+
Red
White
3
RS232
White
Red
Tx /
RS422 Tx4
RS422
Blue
White
Tx+
5
RS232 Rx White
Orange/ RS422Rx+
6
RS422
OrangePurpleRx7
Sync A
White
Blue
8
Sync B
Green
Black

Pin
Connector on the computer
number side
Jacket 2-pin jack plug
Center29-pin DSUB

8
3

7
1
2

2-pin terminal block

7-pin Souriau connector (10M), Online, Ethernet (N2550-016) - Signature500, Signature1000
and Signature250
Connector on Pin
Function
the instrument numberside
7-pin Souriau 1
Gnd(FED 10M)
2
Pwr+
3
Rx4
Rx+
5
Tx6
Tx+
7
ShieldWire colorJoint Wire color

Black
Red
Green
White
Blue
OrangePin
Connector on the computer
number side

Black
Jacket 2-pin jack plug
White
Center
Green6
RJ 45 insulation connector
Green/White 3
Orange2
Orange/White 1
Uninsulated 8

7-pin Souriau connector (14M), Stand alone, Ethernet (N2550-014, N2550-015) - Signature55

Nortek AS

Connector on Pin
Function Wire colorJoint Wire color
the instrument numberside
7-pin Souriau 1
Gnd
Black
Black
(FED 14M)
2
Pwr+
Red
White

Pin
Connector on the computer
number side

Male face view: 3
4

Rx-

Green

Green

6

Rx+

White

Green/White

3

5

Tx-

Blue

Orange2

6Tx+OrangeOrange/White 1

7ShieldUninsulated

Jacket 2-pin jack plug
Center

8

RJ 45 insulation connector

52

8.9

Signature Series Operations Manual

Proforma Invoice

Nortek AS