November 15, 2022

Subnero Wireless Integrated Suite (SWIS) - ADCP edition

Subnero, a Singapore-headquartered company is launching its latest development: Subnero Wireless Integrated Suite (SWIS) - ADCP edition.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers or ADCPs are used to measure high-quality underwater current data which is essential for many subsea operations such as coral reef health studies, metocean studies, discharge pattern surveys, ship navigation, subsea construction, inspection, intervention, and decommissioning.

When deploying ADCPs, users are generally presented with two choices to retrieve the data. Either retrieve the device after deployment and download the data or connect the bottom-mounted device to a buoy or a platform using a cable to download the data in real-time. Both these choices are expensive, logistically challenging, prone to data loss or equipment failure and may need additional permits which can increase the overall cost and complexity of the operation.

SWIS - ADCP edition provides seamless wireless connectivity to a seabed-mounted ADCP integrated with the Subnero Wireless Network Communication (WNC) series of products.

Users can interact with the remote ADCP through another WNC device deployed from the topside, such as from a boat, buoy, or platform, which can be dynamically configured to provide the best communication performance in the prevailing environment. The topside device can be accessed using a laptop or a tablet.

When connected, you are presented with a modern, intuitive web-based dashboard with all relevant information in one place. In addition to the list of measurement files that you can download, the user interface provides critical information such as the roll and pitch of the sensor, its temperature, battery voltage, etc., to ensure an error-free deployment. A single click allows you to download any file of interest just like you download something from the Internet. You get real-time feedback on the download progress, and you can even modify some of the remote device parameters during a deployment.

But what if the ADCP is configured to generate large amounts of data that an acoustic link cannot support?

That is where SWIS makes a real difference.

SWIS features a Content-Aware Data Summarization or CADS engine that leverages machine learning techniques to generate smart previews of the ADCP data files for a user-selectable date range and compression ratio. Smart previews are of the same format as a regular file generated by the ADCP which you can open using the same ADCP vendor-provided software to seamlessly integrate into your existing workflow.

In addition, SWIS provides smart scheduling capabilities for optimizing battery usage, as well as fault tolerance by duplicating the data in both the ADCP as well as the WNC device to ensure data retrieval in the event of an equipment failure. SWIS also supports downloading data from multiple ADCPs deployed in the same area using a single topside unit.

All of these not only makes your experience of deploying and managing multiple ADCPs easier but also drives down the costs dramatically by avoiding costly cables or frequent device retrievals, it also makes SWIS an ideal solution for subsea applications that need near-real-time access to current measurements.

After attending a local demonstration, Bob Coutts, Survey Business Development at Bintang Subsea noted “SWIS opens up new possibilities for the efficient and reliable acquisition of subsea sensor data.”