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Interfaces

For both the DVL-A50 and the DVL-A125.

LED Signals

  • No green light: Power is off.

  • Fixed green light: The DVL is powering on. Depending on configuration it can take ~30-60 seconds to power on.

  • Flashing green light, mostly off (slow, every few seconds): DVL looking for bottom lock.

  • Flashing green light, mostly on (slow, every few seconds): DVL has bottom lock.

  • Flashing green light (fast, many times a second): DVL is in thermal shutdown.

Wiring interface

The tables below shows the pinning of the DVL interface.

Interface Color
Negative/Ground Black
Positive (10-30V) Red
ETH RX+ Green/White
ETH RX- Green
ETH TX- Orange
ETH TX+ Orange/White
UART TX Brown/White
UART RX Brown
Shielded wire Naked (silver)

Seacon MCOM8M Connector (DVL A50 only)

The table below shows the specific pinout for the Seacon MCOM8M connector.

Interface Pin
Negative/Ground 1
Positive (10-30V) 2
ETH RX+ 3
ETH RX- 4
ETH TX- 5
ETH TX+ 6
UART TX 7
UART RX 8

Note

Power must be applied to the power terminals before applying voltage to UART pins

Shielded Cable Information

The DVL is equipped with a shielded cable that helps protect the communication and power lines from external electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). Please note that the DVL electronics themselves are not internally connected to the shield; it is up to the user to decide whether and how to connect the shield.

Connecting the Shield

For optimal performance, especially when mounted on an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) or AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), it is recommended to connect the shield to reduce the impact of interference on the communication and power signals. The most common connection methods are:

  1. Chassis Ground:
    Connecting the shield to the chassis of the ROV/AUV is the most typical practice. This method allows the shield to provide a path to ground for any noise or interference, helping to improve signal integrity. The ROV or AUV chassis often acts as a common reference point for grounding, which makes this a natural choice.

  2. Common Ground:
    Alternatively, you can connect the shield to the common electrical ground of the ROV/AUV. This method may be used when the electrical and signal systems are designed to share a common ground. It helps ensure that interference is grounded without creating ground loops.

Recommendation

We recommend connecting the shield to the chassis ground of the ROV or AUV (if possible). This approach generally provides the best noise suppression by using the vehicle’s structure as a solid grounding point. However, if your system design prefers the use of a common electrical ground, that option can also be considered. Always ensure that the shield is grounded at one end only to avoid ground loops, unless your system design calls for grounding at both ends for specific applications.

Terminal Interface

The DVL-A50 has a 3.3 volt UART interface (5V tolerant).

Settings Value
Baud rate 115200
Data parity stop 8N1
Flow control None

Warning

There can be a momentary (<10 us) power spike (~5 V) on the UART lines when power is applied to the DVL, which may damage equipment which is not 5V tolerant.

See the DVL's serial protocol.

Ethernet Interface

See networking and the DVL's TCP protocol.

Code examples

Code for parsing of the data outputted by the DVL over TCP.

I/O interface

The I/O Interface provides a simple means of connection to the Water Linked DVLs. It provides magnetics for the ethernet connection and utilizes the Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 power connector (Part number: 436500204) which is standard for Water Linked products. Female connectors is listed under Mates with Part(s)

There currently exists three revisions of the I/O Interface. Revision 2 and 3 are electrically identical. Revision 4 has an integrated USB-to-UART interface and a micro USB port.

Revision 4

I/O_Interface_rev4

Dimensions: 50.6 x 47 x 18.6 mm (Width x Height x Thickness)

Connector Function Comment
RJ45 (8P8C) Ethernet 10/100 BASE-T
Micro USB Serial FTDI based
Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 Power 10 - 30 VDC
2x Ø1.5mm pads Alt. power Fits Würth 691137710002

Revision 3

I/O_Interface_rev3

Dimensions: 40 x 42 x 18.6 mm (Width x Height x Thickness)

Connector Function Comment
RJ45 (8P8C) Ethernet 10/100 BASE-T
3x1 header Serial TX, RX, GND
Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 Power 10 - 30 VDC
2x Ø1.5mm pads Alt. power Fits Würth 691137710002

Revision 2

I/O_Interface_rev2

Dimensions: 30.6 mm x 50 x 18.6 mm (Width x Height x Thickness)

Connector Function Comment
RJ45 (8P8C) Ethernet 10/100 BASE-T
3x1 header Serial TX, RX, GND
Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 Power 10 - 30 VDC
2x Ø1.5mm pads Alt. power

Note

The Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 on revision 2 is prone to damage by excessive sideways force. Take care not the yank the power cable when connected.