Simrad EK60
Simrad manufacture the popular "Simrad EK60", "Simrad EY60" and "Simrad ES60" single and split beam echosounders for scientific applications. Echoview can be used to view, quality control and undertake echo integration analysis of data from current instruments as well as data from legacy instruments and software (EK500, EY500, EP500, BI500). Our logging program "Echolog 500" will log all Ethernet telegrams from the Simrad EK60, ES60, EY60, EK500 and EA500 echosounders. Data from the Simrad ME70 multibeam echosounder is supported.
According to Simrad:
"The Simrad EK60 is the most modern scientific echo sounder in the market. Based on more than 50 years of research and development in close collaboration with leading marine scientists this echo sounder system has become an international standard for fish stock assessment. The Simrad EK60 can operate seven echo sounder frequencies simultaneously ranging from 18 to 710 kHz.. The Simrad EK60 is a split-beam Windows(TM) operated echo sounder with a built-in calibration utility. It is specifically suited for permanent installation onboard a research vessel. Real time echo integration and target strength analysis in an unlimited number of layers is provided as well as storage of raw data for replay or analysis in one of several post-processing software packages." (reference)
A paper by Lars Nonboe Andersen detailing the features of the EK60 was published in JASA (The Journal of the Acoustics Society of America) in May 2001 with the following abstract:
"A widely used tool for fish abundance estimation and other marine research is the scientific echo sounder. Acoustic information obtained from scientific echo sounders such as target strength and target position can be valuable for describing individual targets whereas measurements of volume backscattering strength are suitable for describing a large number of targets distributed over a volume of water. The new Simrad EK60 scientific echo sounder system provides high-quality target strength, target position, and volume backscattering strength measurements over a large dynamic range for a wide range of frequencies (18–200 kHz). An overview of the EK60 will be presented and operation of the echo sounder will be demonstrated. The presentation will include demonstration of the calibration procedure of the EK60."
Example survey data sets for the EK60 available on line include "BLU200601 EK60 38 kHz vertical acoustic data, St Helens Hill region" a data set that includes "Simrad calibrated EK60 vessel mounted vertical acoustic data at 38 kHz during July voyage to quantify the biomass of orange roughy at St Helens Hill and St Patricks Head. Other data collected during this voyage was MUFTI-2 deep towed body acoustic data at 18, 38 ,70 and 120 kHz and also Simrad ES60 at 38 kHz from catcher vessel FV Adriatic Pearl. "
The EY60 is is the portable version of the EK60 and is specifically suited for use in lakes and rivers and on "vessels of opportunity" where a full EK60 installation is not required. The ES60 is similar to the EK60 but designed for use by commerical fishing operations. The ES60 has a 'scientific data output' that is the same format as the EK60 which allows the ES60 to be used for some scientifc applications.
The Simrad EK60 is suitable for large scale surveys, fixed installations, lake surveys and more.
Echoview is the most widely used software system for real time and post processing of Simrad EK60 data from lakes, large scale surveys in marine environments and fixed installations in rivers and lakes. Extensive virtual echogram (synthetic echogram) analyses and displays can be created to allow many algorithms to be applied to the acoustic data for applications including species classification by mutliple frequency analysis (using frequency response).
See www.simrad.no for more information on echosounders and this website for data processing solutions.
