Page 15 - Electronic Navigation Cyber Book

CHAPTER 2 - ECHO SOUNDER

Introduction and Application

Echo-Sounder is the instrument that measures, records and displays the
depth of the sea. Below displays the echo sounder.

Basic Principle

Short pulses of sound vibrations are transmitted from the bottom of the
ship to the seabed. These sound waves are reflected back by the seabed
and the time is taken from transmission to reception of the reflected
sound waves is measured. Since the speed of sound in water is 1500
m/sec, the depth of the sea bed is calculated which will be half the
distance traveled by the sound waves.

COMPONENTS
Basically, an echo sounder has the following components:

Transducer – to generate the sound vibrations and also receive the
reflected sound vibration.

Pulse generator – to produce electrical oscillations for the transmitting
transducer.

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