Dual-head R2Sonic 2024 Multibeam Echosounder (MBES) data were acquired using QPS (Quality Positioning Services) QINSy (Quality Integrated Navigation System; version 8.10.2013.10.10.1) hydrographic data acquisition software. The R2Sonic 2024 MBES acoustic backscatter data were processed using QPS FlederMaus Geocoder Tool (FMGT), version 7.4. FMGT is a software program designed to process multibeam acoustic backscatter.
Processing steps for Alpine Ocean Seismic Surveys Inc. Dual-head R2Sonic 2024 MBES
1. Create a project and set all import parameters for the R2Sonic 2024 MBES within FMGT. Select Edit->Processing Parameters and select the sonar tab. Click on 'override sonar parameters' and select the R2Sonic 2024 MBES sonar type. Also click on the dual head check box. All other parameters are left to the defaults.
2. Drop down the Settings file menu and select Project Coordinate System, then set it to UTM zone 18 N.
3. Drop down the Settings file menu and select Custom, and set the X and Y min and max to survey bounds.
4. Set the pixel size in the main window Mosaic box to 5 (meters).
5. Import data recorded by the QINSy hydrographic data acquisition software directly into FMGT. The data for each survey line reside in two files, which are imported as DB/QPD pairs. In QINSy, a database (DB) file is configured and written by the acquisition program and contains all the raw datagrams (bathymetry, attitude, snippets, navigation) selected to be recorded by the R2Sonic 2024 controller. The QPD file contains processed and/or raw bathymetry saved in the QINSy QPD format (the QPS internal file format). Snippet (backscatter) information is extracted from the DB file, and the associated QPD file is used by FMGT for bathymetry information to correct for slope and depth.
6. Click on the Mosaic button in the main window. This will build the mosaic and store the results in a Fledermaus SD (scientific data) file.
7. After the mosaic is built, click on the Visual Objects button in the main window. The mosaic is stored under the "mosaic" check box and by default is named mosaic_1. Right click and save the file to a 32-bit GeoTIFF. The GeoTIFF image can be imported to ArcGIS 9.3 with the 'Add Data' tool.