NIMSAQ and
Hydrolab DS5:
Overview and
Applications
Victor Chen,
Sandra Villamizar,
Henry Pai,
Tom Harmon
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Outline
• What it (NIMSAQ) does
• Physical Setup
– Networked Infomechanical Mechanical Systems for
Aquatic Applications (NIMSAQ)
– Hydrolab DS5 multi-parameter probe
• Software Control
• Data Analysis
– Parsing Data
– RSurvey
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
2
What can NIMSAQ do
•
Precise and repeatable movements along cross section on local
spatial grid with “less” setup time
↑ Interpolated results at T1, generated
from RSurvey. Dwelled points denoted
in black.
← Study site
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Image shows results from study site at San Joaquin-Merced River
confluence
3
Physical Setup: NIMSAQ
Horizontal Motor
External Encoder
Placement
Challenges:
Vertical Motor
1. Adequate anchoring
2. Fighting the elements: currents (too much drag cause sag),
waves (unstable), wireless connection
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Left Image: Schematic of whole system,
Right Image: Photo of Actuation Module
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Physical Setup: Hydrolab DS5
Sensors on our DS5
1. LDO (luminescent dissolved oxygen)
2. Specific conductivity
3. PAR and reference PAR (photosynthetically active
radiation)
4. Self-cleaning turbidity
5. pH
6. ORP (oxidation reduction potential)
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Image is of stock DS5, ours is slightly different.
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Software Control
Operation
Laptop
• Wirelessly log into control
board (Ubuntu OS) in the
Router Interface
actuation module
• Two command line
Attached to
sessions run Python
Router
scripts for motor control NIMSAQ
and sensor logging
Issues
• PID gain control is not
optimal leading
sometimes to long moves
• Re-establishing control
when wireless signal is
lost
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Putty, WinSCP
Actuation Module
Control board
serial_sensor.py
nimsaqmenu.py
Hydrolab
Motor
Diagram of control and communications software
Encoders
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Data Analysis: Parsing
Horizontal
Encoder
Vertical
Encoder
Define start &
end of dwell
time
Choose Hydrolab data during
dwell time
Average Hydrolab data for
dwell position
Hydrolab
• Data localized by timestamps of encoders and
sensors
• R allows for quick parsing, filtering,
comparison, and averaging of data at a given
dwell point
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Diagram of data flow
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Data analysis: RSurvey
• Programmed by Jason Fisher
• GUI interface for data interpolation and visualization
Interpolated bathymetry
Measured
bathymetry
R console
Rsurvey
0.4.3
Transect
Manager
Interpolated
cross section data
Plotting bathymetry of
transect
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Images are from Rsurvey session
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Acknowledgements and Resources
• Additional members and colleagues that couldn’t make it
here
–
–
–
–
–
–
Jason Fisher
Michael Stealey
Chris Butler
Brett Jordan
Yeung Lam
Bill Kaiser
• Resources
– ASCENT website for further info about NIMSAQ:
http://www.ascent.ucla.edu/
– Jason Fisher’s website for installation help for Rsurvey:
https://eng.ucmerced.edu/people/jfisher/software/rsurvey
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
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Experimental Plan
• Tools at our disposal:
– NIMSAQ (Cross section of ~50 m or less)
– Hydrolab DS5
– Magellan MobileMapper Pro Handheld GPS
Sauce
Grande
Lagoon
UC Merced,
CENS, ASCENT
Image from Google Maps
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