Interfacing Transducer to PC

[Andrew Pike]

I have been looking at the Humminbird Matrix 37 for it's sidescan ability. I have the 35 and ressolution is OK but not great, but the 37 claims to be high ressolution. What i would like to do it to use the 37 transducer and interface it to my PC. Anyone have any ideas how I would do that? I was thinking about using an op-amp and going through the soundcard, or use a ATMEL based interface to a serial port.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Andrew

[FRANCISCO XAVIER]

Re: Interfacing Transducer to PC

Hi Mr. Andrew,
I have posted a question on May last year about Matrix 35 but until now I did not experiment yet a Matrix 35 sounder.
The Matrix 37 manual says the NMEA port outputs dept and Lon/Lat coordinates (if GPS conected) among other info, but not the return echoes data stream from side ducers (455 KHz) once NMEA port just output ASCII sentences (strings). But they say that once registered user they provide software updates that can be uploaded and incrase Matrix performance (in a future date may they improve this function?).
The resolusion (640 px) seems good enought, but the 455 KHz gain correction is manual fixed and not automatic like true SSS (SSS have TVG - Time Variating Gain) that tend to weaken near/strong echoes and incrase far/weak echoes keeping a optimum display reading over all the scanned bottom.
Did you have correlated some Matrix 35 readings with visual knowed artifacts over the bottom? Once the system performance seems equal beteewn Matrix 35 and 37 do you think this unit is enable to discriminate a man made artifact and a rocky bottom?
Thank you,

Francisco Xavier

[Francisco Xavier]

Re: Interfacing Transducer to PC - Matrix 37

Hi,
Inquiring Hummingbird about 455 KHz beam shape and TVG facility, They answer me that each side beam is 45º side to side and 18º front to rear. They grant too 455 KHz TVG beyond manual gain adjustment.
I will test a Matrix 37 next month. Wold be nice to implement transducer from Dan concept.

Best regards,

Francisco