SeaView Systems SVS-603HR Wave Sensor X2 Integration Guide

The SVS-603HR is a highly accurate wave sensor that reports heading, wave height, wave period, and wave direction via the RS-232 sensor interface. NexSens provides two models of wave sensor housing for mounting on a NexSens CB-Series buoy. Instructions for mounting can be found here. Below is information on the settings and wiring required for the integration of the SVS-603HR with an X2 data logger.

 

Sample Rate Note

By default, the SVS-603HR will sample at a ~1.72 Hz rate to complete 2048 samples in 19.794 minutes. After 2048 samples are collected, the wave sensor will output summary values that are then polled and recorded by the X2 as the final measurement, and will begin a new 2048 sample set. Thus, it is recommended to set the log and sample interval for the wave sensor to 20 minutes or greater on the X2. Otherwise, data will be repeated as the summary data will remain on the wave sensor until another 2048 sample set is complete. As a rule, the log and sample interval must always be greater than the SVS-603HR sample rate.

 

Wiring

The SVS-603HR in a NexSens wave sensor housing includes a connectorized UW8 or MCIL-8-FS plug to flying lead wires. These wires route internally into the wave sensor housing for connection of power, ground, and RS-232 Tx/Rx with the wave sensor terminal strip.

NexSens UW8/MCIL Plug Pin	Signal	SVS-603HR Board Identifier	NexSens UW8 Wire Color	MCIL-8 Wire Color
1	RS-232 Tx	Rx1	Orange	Red
2	GND	0V	Black	Black
3	RS-232 Rx	Tx1	Yellow	Yellow
5	12VDC+	+V	Red	Orange

 

Figure 2: UW8 Plug pin numbers

Figure 3: MCIL-8-FS Plug pin numbers

 

Establish Communication

The Seaview SVS-603HR wave sensor can be configured using a terminal emulator program and a micro-USB cable. NexSens utilizes the Tera Term software for communication with the wave sensor.

1. Set the terminal emulator serial port communication to the following:
   • Baud rate: 9600
   • Data: 8 bit
   • Parity: None
   • Stop: 1 bit
   • Flow Control: None
2. Connect the micro-USB to the port shown in the image below and plug the USB end into a PC.
   • The Status LED should flash red and begin blinking each second.

 

Adjust the Output Settings

1. Commands must be sent to the wave sensor for proper communication with the X2 data logger. All commands utilize a “set” and “get” option to apply new settings or read current settings, respectively. Commands following the “set” option will be followed by a specified number below. Use the “get” option followed by the command to read the current settings. The following commands must be set on the SVS-603HR:
   • set outputser 00152427
     • Sets a hex code for the wave sensor to output the parameters within the X2 script.
     • More parameters are available using a different hex code; however, these are the most commonly utilized and the ones setup during integration at NexSens.
   • set polling 1
     • This settings allow the X2 data logger to perform a polling operation that will gather the current output from the sensor.
   • set summaryser 0
     • Summary output will be disabled so the X2 data logger can gather measurements at any point during the sensor sampling period.

 

2. Once all commands have been sent and verified with the “get” option, enter reset in the terminal. Then enter the get all command to verify the wave sensor settings. Below are the required settings for integration with an X2-series data logger.

 

 

X2 Script Information

The X2 data logger includes a pre-loaded SVS-603HR script. Use the CONNECT software to enable the script for sensor detection.

Configure Sensor Scripts

X2 Script Number	Sensor Interface	Baud Rate	Power Type	Warmup Period (sec)	Timeout (ms)	Frame
3014	RS-232	9600	Continuous	10	1130	N81

 

 

Script Parameters

The following parameters are based on the outputser hex code outlined in the “Configure Communication” section. More parameters are available with the SVS-603HR wave sensor using a different hex code; however, these are the most commonly utilized parameters and are the ones set during integration at NexSens facility.

Parameter	Unit	Description*
Heading	Degrees	Compass heading degrees (North arrow on sensor is true north; 0 degrees)
Hs Wave Height (Significant wave height)	Meters	Average of the highest one-third of all wave heights during the 20-minute sampling period.
TP (DPD) Wave Period	Seconds	Period calculated with the maximum wave energy.
Dominant Wave Direction	Degrees	Dominant wave direction during the sampling period. (Degrees from N).
Mean Wave Direction	Degrees	The direction from which the waves at the dominant period (DPD) are coming.
Hmax Wave Height	Meters	Maximum wave height within the sampling period.
H10 Wave Height	Meters	Average of the highest 10% of waves within the sampling period.
Pitch	Degrees	—
Roll	Degrees	—
Sample Number	—	Current sample number between 0-2047. Sample number will start from 0 again on the 2048th sample.

*The SVS-603HR parameters follows the NOAA Standard for Meteorological Data. More information can be found at the NOAA National Data Buoy Center.

 

Applicable Systems

Wave measurements from the SVS-603HR are useful in various environmental monitoring applications.

• Drifting Buoy Systems
• Large Lake Monitoring Systems
• Wave Measurement Buoy Systems