BioSonics DTX
BioSonics manufactures the "next generation" digital scientific echosounders, the X-Series. The BioSonics DT-X (or BioSonics DTX) utilizes single or split beam digital transducers and can multiplex up to five different frequencies (and 16 transducers) from a single surface unit. The DE-X utilizes single beam analog transducers. Both systems can support 38, 70, 120, 200, 420 kHz as well as 1 MHz transducers. BioSonics also supplies various software for echosounder control, data collection, visualization and analysis. BioSonics undertake consulting and training in the field of fisheries acoustics. They are based in Seattle, Washington in the USA. Echoview fully supports the data from DT-X (DTX) and DE-X (DEX) echosounders as well as earlier models: DT4000, DT5000 and DT6000 for echo integration and single-target detection.
"BioSonics offers innovative hydroacoustic solutions for fisheries research, aquatic vegetation assessment, bottom sediment classification and energy sector monitoring" (www.biosonicsinc.com)
All Echoview functionality with the exception of "live-viewing" is available for the BioSonics DTX.
BioSonics DTX transducers can be equiped with a heading, pitch and roll sensor directly mounted on the transdcuer. Echoview is developing tools to utilise this data stream. Currently Echoview can filter data to remove pings with large roll pitch values and has an algorithm for correcting mean Sv for modest roll and pitch angles.
BioSonics DTX systems are widely used to survey lake environments in North America and often for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) or macrophyte surveys. Echoview has line algorithms that can be used to detect the seabed below aquatic vegetation as well as the top of the vegetation and can display 3D representations of aquatic vegetation distributions. See Milne Technologies' projects for some examples of lake based acoustic projects utilizing BioSonics echosounders such as "Hydroacoustic Assessment of Lake Trout in Grist Lake and Cold Lake" using a BioSonics DTX 200 kHz split beam system and "The Response of Lake Trout Populations to Re-opened Winter Fisheries" using a BioSonics DTX 120 kHz split beam system. Both studies used Echoview for post processing and echogram display.
See www.biosonicsinc.com for more information on echosounders and this website for data processing solutions.
