UC Merced, CENS, ASCENT

UC Merced, CENS, ASCENT

NIMSAQ and Hydrolab DS5: Overview and Applications

Victor Chen,Sandra Villamizar,Henry Pai,Tom Harmon

UC Merced, CENS, ASCENT 2

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

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What can NIMSAQ do

Image shows results from study site at San Joaquin-Merced River confluence

• Precise and repeatable movements along cross section on local spatial grid with “less” setup time

← Study site

↑ Interpolated results at T1, generated from RSurvey. Dwelled points denoted in black.

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Physical Setup: NIMSAQ

Left Image: Schematic of whole system,Right Image: Photo of Actuation Module

Challenges:1. Adequate anchoring2. Fighting the elements: currents (too much drag cause sag),

waves (unstable), wireless connection

Horizontal MotorExternal Encoder Placement

Vertical Motor

UC Merced, CENS, ASCENT

Image is of stock DS5, ours is slightly different. 5

Physical Setup: Hydrolab DS5

Sensors on our DS51. LDO (luminescent dissolved oxygen)2. Specific conductivity3. PAR and reference PAR (photosynthetically active

radiation)4. Self-cleaning turbidity5. pH6. ORP (oxidation reduction potential)

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Diagram of control and communications software 6

Software ControlOperation• Wirelessly log into control

board (Ubuntu OS) in the actuation module

• Two command line sessions run Python scripts for motor control and sensor logging

Issues• PID gain control is not

optimal leading sometimes to long moves

• Re-establishing control when wireless signal is lost

Laptop

Router

Control board

Hydrolab EncodersMotor

Actuation Module

Attached to NIMSAQ

Putty, WinSCP

Router Interface

serial_sensor.py

nimsaqmenu.py

UC Merced, CENS, ASCENT

Diagram of data flow 7

Data Analysis: Parsing

• Data localized by timestamps of encoders and sensors

• R allows for quick parsing, filtering, comparison, and averaging of data at a given dwell point

Horizontal Encoder

Vertical Encoder

Hydrolab

Define start & end of dwell

time Choose Hydro-lab data during

dwell time

Average Hydro-lab data for

dwell position

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Data analysis: RSurvey• Programmed by Jason Fisher• GUI interface for data interpolation and visualization

R console

Rsurvey 0.4.3

Transect Manager

Plotting bathymetry of transect

Interpolated bathymetry

Measured bathymetry

Interpolated cross sect-ion data

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

Image from Google Maps 10

Experimental Plan• Tools at our disposal:

– NIMSAQ (Cross section of ~50 m or less)– Hydrolab DS5– Magellan MobileMapper Pro Handheld GPS

Sauce Grande Lagoon