ShipLAB's data gathering capabilities on Prince Madog are particularly useful when the vessel is engaged on rapid wide area surveys and in providing long term data sets and background data for specific investigations.

ShipLAB hardware is based on a flexible distributed data acquisition platform using a combination of industrial PCs and dedicated embedded controllers. It integrates data from proven sensors and distributes this around the vessel via the ship's network or by dedicated cabling.

System software is EnviroTech's Ocean Windows package. From the keyboard the operator has a range of programmable controls including sample rate, sample interval, averaging period, report interval, channel selection, various data modes and data transfer options.

Real-time calibration of sensor signals and calibration of parameters such as salinity, density and sound velocity provide immediate visual information directly from the master PC or a number of slave displays.

Meteorological sensors which input to ShipLAB include wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and barometric pressure. Oceanographic sensors produce data for parameters such as salinity, water temperature, chlorophyll, turbidity, nutrients and ship hull temperature.

MJ Information No: 17214