Study On The Virtual Echo Sounder Based Upon LabVIEW

For navigation instrument experiment teaching in maritime colleges, It exist such problem as the number of students is increasing, insufficient number of experimental instrument, students are short of time for operation practicing, It is difficult for students to improve navigation instrument practical operation skills. And also to settle the problem of getting echo signal for the echo sounder, this paper designs and implements a virtual echo sounder for navigation instrument teaching experiment.According to the function of the prototype, and based on the method of modular design, the paper divides the function of virtual echo sounder software into three modules as for system parameter module, function menu module, echo signal module.The paper selects the graphical programming language LabVIEW as the software design platform of virtual echo sounder, designs and implements a kind of virtual echo sounder which can simulate the echo signal of the sea bottom and the sea clutter.Experimental results show that: the virtual echo sounder realizes the important function of the prototype, and it can also simulate the echo signal of sea bottom and noise. The virtual echo sounder obtains good simulation effect.In the process of implementing virtual echo sounder, the following features are achieved: independently time adjustment function based on the computer operating system time; The function of one regulating knob control multi function parameters;Generating echo signal simulation of sea bottom and clutter in real-time and dynamic changing situation.The virtual echo sounder can replace real echo sounder used in experiment teaching, each student has his own virtual echo sounder to make practicing operation.At a relatively low cost to solve the problem of insufficient number of real echo sounder in the laboratory, at the same time realized the generation of echo signal in a dynamic changing situation.