I’m trying to integrate the Blueprint Subsea Oculus M370s Multibeam Sonar into my AUV and have been running into a few issues that maybe some of you have seen.
Using an AC/DC current clamp and using the included 24V external power supply, I’m seeing a current spike around 7.5A, far outside the expected 35W. Is this normal behavior?
Additionally, attempts to power the Oculus M370s with a 12V line have not worked. Testing with the current clamp show that there are continual spikes and shutdowns. Has anyone gotten it working with 12V input?
Any guidance on this would be extremely appreciated.
These seem like issues that are specific to the sonar hardware you’re using, and unrelated to the vehicle you’re trying to integrate it into. Accordingly you’re most likely to get a decent response to this by directly contacting the device manufacturer (Blueprint Subsea) or perhaps your supplier (if you didn’t buy it directly from the manufacturer).
Unfortunately I don’t have experience with the device, so can’t comment on the particular points you’ve asked about. If the supplier is unresponsive you may be able to find community members who have used that sonar by searching for it in this forum, who could potentially provide some advice
@beansand - There are a couple of things you could try. If I remember correctly a software update changed minimum voltage from 14v to 12v. So if you have an older unit you may consider a software update and doing your tabletop work at 14v or more (don’t exceed the listed max of 32v) That said if you are using a power supply with current spikes I would not connect it to expensive equipment. Is this a Blueprint power supply? Also you need to be able to provide 2 amps to start it - look at that also. For table top programming and testing I use a DC power supply. These are pretty cheap and will protect your equipment while your are working with them. Otherwise you can always reach out to the Blueprint team. They are helpful.
I have an M750d and M1200d. I power them as Ben suggested with a simple DC-DC boost power supply like the one below inside my main enclosure set to ~20vdc.
