IEEE JOURNAL OF OCEANIC ENGINEERING, VOL. 16, NO.

4, OCTOBER 1991

360

High-speed Real-Time Data Acquisition for

Vector Measuring Current Meters
Melora M. Park, Robin C. Singer, Member, IEEE, Albert J. Plueddemann, and Robert A. Weller
Abstract-Recent observations indicate t h a t rapidly varying
small-scale velocity structures i n the u p p e r ocean may be i m p o r t a n t in the heat a n d m o m e n t u m balances near the air-sea
interface. Observation of small-sale velocity structure in the
u p p e r ocean requires high-speed sampling t o resolve rapidly
varying flows a n d t o reduce aliasing f r o m surface wave orbital
velocities. Since these flows m a y be temporally transient a n d
vary over short spatial scales, obtaining a n d displaying the d a t a
in real-time a r e critical t o implementing p r o p e r sampling strategy. T h i s p a p e r describes a n integrated h a r d w a r e a n d software
a p p r o a c h used t o provide real-time acquisition a n d display of
vector measuring current meter ( V M C M ) d a t a a t high sample
rates (0.5 Hz) a l o n g with s u p p o r t i n g d a t a f r o m other instruments a t somewhat slower rates. T h e h a r d w a r e c o m p o n e n t
consisted of a new circuit b o a r d f o r the V M C M t h a t c a p t u r e d
the V M C M d a t a o u t p u t , stored it, a n d retransmitted it a t high
speed in response t o a request f r o m the d a t a acquisition c o m puter. T h e d a t a acquisition software ran on a Masscomp 5600
c o m p u t e r u n d e r the UNIX operating system. A central control
p r o g r a m provided timing i n f o r m a t i o n t o several software processes t h a t handled serial d a t a acquisition, display, a n d storage
f o r o n e o r m o r e instruments. Deployed a s a part of the Surface
Waves Processes P r o g r a m ( S W A P P ) experiment, the integrated
d a t a acquisition system successfully collected, processed, stored
a n d displayed d a t a f r o m 19 V M C M s a n d f o u r other instruments over a 22-day period in F e b r u a r y a n d M a r c h of 1990.

I. INTRODUCTION

HERE has recently been a renewed interest in the role of

surface waves and wave-related phenomena in upper
ocean dynamics. Among the areas identified for further study
in a workshop on ocean wave dynamics [l] was the impact of
waves on the evolution of the oceanic mixed layer, including
the generation of mixed layer flows such as Langmuir circulation through wave-current interactions. Langmuir circulations are horizontal roll vortices characterized by downwelling-downwind velocities in narrow convergence zones
with weaker divergence and upwelling between convergences
[2] - [4].The crosswind spacing between convergence zones
for Langmuir cells in the open ocean has been observed to be
up to hundreds of meters with the convergence zones themselves typically only a few meters wide [5], [6]. Rapid sampling is required in order to resolve the narrow convergence
zones as they are advected past a fixed observation point,
while dense spatial sampling is needed to define the vertical
Manuscript received June 12, 1991. This is contribution 7550 from the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This work was supported by Code
1122SS of the Office of Naval Research through Contracts N00014-84-C0134 and NR083-400 to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The authors are with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods
Hole, MA 02543.
IEEE Log Number 9102207.

structure of the cells. In addition, Langmuir cells have been

observed to be transient [7] so that access to data in real-time
is essential to developing a successful sampling strategy.
The vector measuring current meter (VMCM) was designed to resolve small mean flows in the presence of higher
frequency oscillatory motion [SI. Thus it was recognized that
the VMCM would be an appropriate instrument for observing
the mean flow associated with Langmuir circulation in the
presence of oscillatory motion due to surface wave orbital
velocities. A development program was undertaken as part of
the Surface Wave Processes Program (SWAPP) with the goal
of providing high-speed real-time data from up to 20
VMCMs configured in multiple vertical arrays to densely
sample the upper 150 m of the ocean [9]. The intent was to
upgrade the existing communications capabilities of the
VMCM and develop a data acquisition system controlled by a
central computer which would be responsible for controlling
and synchronizing instrument sampling, displaying the data
in real-time, and storing the data for later analysis.
The data acquisition system developed for SWAPP was
comprised of two principal components, a hardware modification to the VMCMs and a software package running on a
shipboard computer. The hardware component was a circuit
board in the VMCMs, designated the high-speed buffer
board (HSBB) which captured instrument output, stored it,
and re-transmited it at high speed upon request. The HSBB is
described in Section 11. The software component was a linked
set of timing, interrogation, storage, and display programs
running on a Masscomp 5600 computer under the UNIX
operating system. These real-time data acquisition programs
are described in Section 111. The SWAPP field program
included a short test cruise on the research platform (RP)
FLIP in the summer of 1989 during which the modified
VMCMs and data acquisition programs were evaluated, and
a multi-investigator experiment during February and March
of 1990 where 19 HSBB-equipped VMCMs and a variety of
other instruments were deployed. Some of the results from
the 1989 test cruise and the 1990 main cruise are presented in
Section IV.
11. THEHSBB

The HSBB was designed to reside in each VMCM and

provide an intelligent interface between the existing low-speed
digital communications circuitry and a controlling computer
[ 101. The primary function of the HSBB was to overcome the
data rate limitations of existing digital telemetry interfaces
for the VMCM, thereby allowing sequential polling of multiple instruments at sample rates as high as 0.5 Hz. In addi-

0364-9059/91/1000-0360$01.00

01991 IEEE

361

PARK e/ al. : HIGH-SPEED REAL-TIME DATA ACQUISITION

tion, a method to synchronize all of the VMCM on-board

oscillators was needed in order to counter the drift of the
clocks in the VMCMs and ensure that successive samples
from different VMCMs came from simultaneous sample
intervals. Finally, the HSBB had to be a low-power device
since it was intended that the VMCMs be powered by
internal battery stacks for deployments of one to six months
duration.
The EG&G Model 630 VMCM can be equipped with
300-Bd serial communication capability utilizing either a
factory standard 20-mA current loop or frequency shift keying (FSK) telemetry [ 111. In both implementations the serial
ASCII instrumentation loop (SAIL) communication protocol
[12] is used to regulate data flow among multiple instruments
on a common link. Sampling of 20 VMCMs each sending 42
characters would take more than 20 s at the 300-Bd transmission rate of the standard SAIL equipped VMCM. Clearly,
a 2-s sample period would not be obtainable at 300 Bd. Based
on the sampling scheme desired for SWAPP, the HSBB
needed to accommodate a 9600-Bd data rate over a maximum
cable length of 200 m and retain the SAIL command format
for multipoint asynchronous communication. A telemetry
system conforming to the EIA-485 standard [13] was chosen
for implementation since neither the 20-mA current loop nor
the FSK telemetry capabilities of the VMCM could be easily
extended to 9600 Bd over long cable lengths at low power.
EIA-485 is a two-wire multipoint differential bus standard
that allows data rates up to 10 Mb/s over cable lengths up to
4000 feet and provides a high level of noise immunity. Since
the HSBB implementation did not need to meet the speed and
distance requirements of the EIA-485 standard, the transceiver
design traded off data rate and drive current for low power
consumption while retaining compatibility with other EIA-485
implementations [ 101. The HSBB EIA-485 transceiver was
interfaced reliably with the commercially available transceivers used at the data acquisition computer.
The HSBB circuit contained a Motorola MC68HCllA2
CMOS microcontroller, a 300-Bd open collector serial interface to the VMCM 20-mA SAIL data stream, a RAM buffer
for temporary data storage, and the 9600-Bd EIA-485
transceiver (Fig. 1). A 3.6864-MHz crystal drove an internal
clock generator circuit. The clock frequency was one-fourth
the crystal frequency, which limited power consumption. The
HSBB drew 10 mA at 6 V (power consumption of the
separate components of the HSBB circuit was not measured),
and an HSBB equipped VMCM with the tape transport
disconnected drew about 16 mA at 6 V. A standard 168
amp-hour VMCM battery pack would be sufficient to power
the instrument for over six months. Modifications to the
VMCM to accommodate the HSBB were minor, consisting of
a set of trace cuts and jumpers on the VMCM backplane to
transfer the signals from the VMCM serial card to the HSBB
and to provide the EIA-485 output from the HSBB to the
VMCM communications cable. These modifications are the
same as those required for the implementation of FSK
telemetry [ll]. The 20-mA current loop circuitry of the
VMCM was not altered and could be used when the EIA-485
channel was disconnected.

HIGH SPEED BUFFER BOARD

wicrooontro1l.r
with on-chip

300 Baud

9600 Baud
EIA-485
Signals

MOS

s.ria1

n.tt.ry
etack

I
Resynchronization
waul.
pouer
W M BACKPLANE

100 Baud

9600 Baud

Fig. 1 . Block diagram of the primary components of the HSBB. The HSBB
provided an intelligent interface between the 300-Bd digital data stream
output by the serial card of a standard VMCM and a 9600-Bd SAIL link to a
controlling computer. An accompanying resynchronization module interrupted power to the VMCM upon command to allow a synoptic reset of
instrument clocks.

The resulting telemetry system was meant to be consistent

with the philosophy of the original SAIL protocol 1121 and
implemented a subset of the standard SAIL commands. The
system was clearly different from the standard SAIL implementation, however, in that an EIA-485 multidrop loop was
used instead of a 20-mA current loop. In an attempt to
acknowledge these differences the combined hardware and
software system will be referred to as SAIL/485.
Firmware embedded in the EEPROM of the MC68HC 11
controlled the operation of the HSBB. The microcontroller
acquired the VMCM data stream at 300 Bd, buffered it in
on-chip RAM, and transmitted it at 9600 Bd to the shipboard
controller in response to a query over the communications
cable. The on-chip serial communication interface of the
MC68HCll was used for the 300-Bd communication with
the serial port of the VMCM. The UART, which interfaced
the 9600-Bd EIA-485 channel serial data with the microcontroller data bus, was continually polled for incoming
SAIL/485 commands. A central SAIL/485 controller, in this
case the shipboard data acquisition computer, requested data
from each instrument with a SAIL/485 command consisting
of an attention character ( # ) followed by a unique two-digit
address and a data offload command (R). The user selectable
SAIL/485 address was assigned by setting jumpers on the
VMCM and the HSBB. The SAIL/485 addresses had to
match since the HSBB communicated with the VMCM using
the same SAIL address that the shipboard controller used to
communicate with the HSBB.
During initialization the HSBB commanded the VMCM to

362

automatically send its data string at the VMCM switch-selectable sample rate. The HSBB stored the data string in RAM
as it arrived and listened for commands from the SAIL/485
controller. Upon receipt of the SAIL/485 synoptic set command ( # 79), the microcontroller froze (made unavailable
for filling) the most recently acquired VMCM buffer. Each
HSBB then transmitted its data over the communications
cable after recognizing its address on the SAIL/485 link.
During each sample interval it was necessary to have one
buffer that was being filled by incoming VMCM data, a
second buffer that had been filled and was ready to be
frozen, and a third that had been frozen and was ready
to be transmitted. This triple buffering scheme made data
available to the shipboard computer with minimal delay while
ensuring that data in the HSBB RAM would not be overwritten during the time between the synoptic set command and
the receipt of the data request from each instrument (Fig. 2 ) .
As the HSBB received successive set and transmit commands, information on the status of each buffer was saved.
This information was returned as part of the data stream and
allowed the data acquisition computer to monitor the triple
buffering sequence of each instrument.
The SAIL/485 controller could initiate a synchronous reset
of all the VMCMs on the EIA-485 link by issuing a
SAIL/485 command, #20. When the HSBB recognized this
command it triggered a monostable multivibrator (one-shot)
on a resynchronization module in line with the connector
between the VMCM battery pack and the backplane. The
one-shot interrupted the power to the instrument causing a
hardware reset. This direct approach was taken because
resetting the VMCM processor using existing internal software commands via the SAIL/485 interface proved unreliable. The resynchronization capability was used to counteract
drift between the VMCM clocks, which could cause the data
records frozen by a given synoptic set command to come
from incommensurate VMCM sample intervals. The synchronization accuracy was typically better than one second.

IEEE JOURNAL OF OCEANIC ENGINEERING, VOL. 16. NO. 4. OCTOBER 1991

HSBB Intervals
FIII Buffer 1

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controller
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controller
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controller
interqval

SAIL Controller Intervals

>

Time (seconds)

Fig. 2. A schematic depiction of the relative timing between the sample

intervals of the HSBB and the controlling computer. The controller sent the
synoptic set command to the HSBB at precise 2-s intervals, freezing a
buffer that had been previously filled with VMCM data. The data request
might not be at a fixed time after the synoptic set due to the variable
processing load of the controller. The triple buffering scheme ensured that no
data was lost if the data request for a given controller interval was not
received until the start of the next HSBB interval (e.g., controller interval 3).

CPU, 8-MB RAM, and a floating point accelerator sharing a

20-Mb/s bus, an industry standard 6-Mb/s multibus for
peripherals, and a 2-Mb/s STD + bus for data acquisition.
Separate processors on the multibus controlled graphical
displays and serial multiplexers,and assisted with the processing demands of the data acquisition task. Two high-performance 700-MB Winchester disks provided temporary storage, and a half-inch magnetic tape drive archived the data.
The 60-Hz system clock accuracy is a function of the quality
of the supplied power, which can be poor in the field. A
real-time clock resident in the STD + bus bus provided a
more precise timing pulse, which served as the central timer
that triggered the instrument sampling events as well as the
internal software events controlled by the data acquisition
package. A radio receiver tuned to the National Bureau of
Standards time station (WWV) linked each sampling pulse
with precise time-of-day information. The use of a central
111. REAL-TIME
DATAACQUISITION
UNDERUNIX
timer as part of an integrated data acquisition system on a
The distinguishing characteristics of a real-time data acqui- single computer eliminated potential timing problems arising
sition system is that the hardware and software must perform from disparate timekeeping on separate computers.
in a predictable and bounded manner. In order to satisfy the
Real-time extensions to the UNIX operating system that
objectives of the SWAPP experiment, a computer was needed were utilized in developing the data acquisition system inthat could not only sample digital data from multiple instru- cluded: 1) multiple processes creation and scheduling, 2)
ments, but also archive, process, analyze, and display at 2-s utilization of shared memory for rapid exchange of highsample intervals. The computer functioned as the SAIL/485 volume data between processes, 3) rapid and predictable
controller for the system and transmitted the synoptic set notification and response to asynchronous system traps
command to all instruments on the loop, and then polled each (ASTs) used for interprocess communication, and (4) prioriinstrument for its data. The acquisition and archiving tasks tization of processes and ASTs. ASTs generated by the
had to be particularly robust since the internal VMCM tape central timer have a guaranteed response time at the central
recorder was not used (the tape recorder had insufficient CPU. The real-time acquisition software relied heavily on
capacity to record at a 2-s sampling period for the duration of interprocess communication for time-critical operations, and
the SWAPP experiment, and hence there was no backup made use of prioritization to synchronize and schedule promethod of data recording).
grams competing for the CPU.
A Masscomp 5600, a Motorola MC68020 based microThe SWAPP data acquisition package consisted of 14
computer running Masscomps Real-Time UNIX (RTU) op- software programs that ran concurrently in the multi-tasking
erating system, was selected for the data acquisition task. UNIX environment with predetermined priorities (Fig. 3). A
The 5600 features a triple bus architecture with the 32 bit menu provided the user with options for configuring the

PARK et al.: HIGH-SPEED REAL-TIME DATA ACQUISITION

Shared Memory buffers

Fig. 3 . A block diagram of the shipboard data acquisition software package. Each symbol represents a software program that is resident in the
computer memory. The central timing program generated a 2-s pulse and
managed the activation of programs via ASTs. The acquisition or input
programs (upper right) collected data from the deployed instruments and
stored data in shared memory. The output programs (upper left) archived,
processed, and displayed data obtained from shared memory. A conversion
routine managed the shared memory buffers and converted raw binary data
to scientific units by applying calibration constants. A menu program provided the user with the ability to select instrument sampling schemes and
processing and graphical display parameters. Each process was assigned a
priority with the acquisition and disk archiving receiving the highest priority,
graphics and processing an intermediate priority, and the tape archive the
lowest priority.

instrument sampling scheme, graphical display, and archiving. Six different programs were used to sample data from
separate SAIL/485 links containing one or more instruments.
The configuration used for the 1990 SWAPP experiment
consisted of two VMCM links, one with 13 instruments and
the other with six, and four other links connecting single
SAIL/485 addressable instruments at 14-, 28-, and 56-s
sample periods. A seventh program was used to obtain
time-of-day information from the WWV universal time clock.
Interprocess communication allowed other programs to be
started and stopped at any time without interfering with the
basic timing and archiving of data. Theoretically, data from
38 instruments transmitting 42 characters each at 2-s intervals
could be collected and archived at 9600 Bd. In practice, the
upper limit of 19 VMCMs was due to the additional processing demands placed on the CPU by the graphical display and
data processing programs.
The RTU multitasking operating system allowed the assignment of real-time priorities to competing software programs which guaranteed that time-critical resident programs
would not be preempted by less important programs. Individual programs could also be locked into memory reducing the
amount of time it took to swap the programs to and from the
disk. During SWAPP, the central timing program running at

363

the highest real-time priority received the 2-s pulse from the
real-time clock and determined which programs to wake up
at what priority via an AST. Data collection software programs ran at the next highest real-time priority and transmitted raw data to the first buffer in shared memory (Fig. 3). If
an instrument failed to respond within a specified amount of
time (0.1 s for VMCMs), a software alarm clock expired,
which allowed the process to continue, avoiding a deadlock
condition. The second raw data buffer was read by an archive
program executing at a real-time priority equivalent to the
collection programs. These data were then stored to a contiguous disk file that always contained the most recent seven
days of collected data. The central timing program and the
disk archiving program always executed regardless of how
many instruments were sampled, and the archive record size
was fixed to the maximum number of instruments. The raw
data buffer was then changed from a packed binary format to
floating point scientific units and stored in another double
buffer in shared memory by a conversion program. The
conversion program used pre-set calibration data matched to
each instruments SAIL/485 address to provide data in scientific units.
Programs running at the lowest real-time priority included
an averaging program that read the converted data from
shared memory and stored 1-min averages to a second contiguous disk file, and two graphical display programs. Data
for the primary graphical display program were read from
the converted data in shared memory, processed with a
user selectable filter, and displayed on a color graphics
terminal. This terminal utilized dual frame buffers and
alternated the display every 15 minutes. One frame buffer
was filled by all of the high-speed VMCM data, while the
other frame buffer was filled with data from other lower
speed instruments. The second graphical display program read data from the 1-min averaged disk file, manipulated the data further, and displayed the results on a
second color graphics terminal. Since this program obtained
data from a disk file rather than the temporary shared
memory buffer, synchronization with the central timing pulse
was not required. The magnetic tape archiving program operated in a similar manner, tracking the progress of the
seven-day raw data file on disk and updating the tape archive
every 15 min.
Extensive testing was done to verify the synchronization
and proper communication between the data acquisition package and the HSBB modified VMCMs. A core package that
contained only the data acquisition and archive programs was
initially developed and tested. As additional software programs were added, the ability of the computer to keep up
with the overall task was checked by examining incoming
record numbers from the instruments. Missing records could
indicate improper prioritization and scheduling of the programs. As the load on the system increased due to extensive
floating point manipulations and graphical display, double
buffering and careful tuning of AST delivery and scheduling
priorities was required. This distributed the processing load
and allowed all programs to complete their tasks in the
specified interval.

364

IEEE JOURNAL OF OCEANIC ENGINEERING, VOL. 16, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1991

Excessive clock drift among VMCMs could result in

record skew; records observed at the computer from a given
interrogation sequence might not all have the same VMCM
record number and thus would not represent simultaneous
samples. The VMCM internal record number that updated
with each sample interval was included in the real-time
graphics display so that clock drift could be monitored. The
resynchronization capability of the HSBB, available to the
controlling computer through a SAIL/485 command, was
used to counter the effects of drift by resetting the clocks in
all the VMCMs synoptically. It was determined experimentally that for a 2-s sample period resynchronizing at an
interval of 12 hours or less prevented record skew.
Many of the difficulties that were encountered during the
development of the data acquisition package might have been
solved by a more distributed processing approach. However,
distributing the processing tasks to separate hardware platforms introduces some inherent problems, which include
time synchronization between computers and re-integration
of data for display and post-processing. In the end, our
integrated approach met all of the basic requirements of data
collection and archiving, and also satisfied the secondary
requirements of post-processing and display of the acquired
data.
Fig. 4. Instrument deployment configuration for observations conducted
IV. FIELDRESULTS
from the research platform Flip during the SWAPP experiment. The
A cruise on the RP FLIP during July and August of 1989 instruments were: (a) meteorological data logger (VAWR), (b) the RTP, (c)
VMCMs and a specially modified VMCM for measurement of vertical
was designed to test the HSBB communication capability, the velocity
(VMW), (d) high-resolution VMCM array and a fixed-depth RTP,
shipboard computer acquisition, and the mechanics of instru- (e) profiling CTD, (f) VAWR sea surface temperature sensor, (8) wave staff,
ment deployment [ 141. The overall data acquisition system (h) near-surface thermistor chain, (i) rain gauge, (j) sonic anemometers, and
(k) infrared sea surface temperature gauge.
timing was examined and it was determined that enough time
remained in the 2-s interval to complete the required archiving, processing, and display tasks. A conservative six-hour suring rotors (Fig. 5, string 2). One real-time profiler (RTP),
reset interval was used and found to be successful at main- measuring three-dimensional velocity along with temperataining synchronization of VMCM sample intervals. Further ture, conductivity, and pressure [5], was deployed at a depth
analysis of the test cruise data provided the basis for changes of 29 m on the aft boom. A second profiling RTP was moved
to the display and analysis portions of the data acquisition to various depths during the experiment in response to changpackage in preparation for the main experiment of 1990. The ing oceanic conditions. A thermistor chain was hung from the
existing data displays were merged and a more highly pro- port boom and a meteorological data logger, known as a
cessed display was added to assist in monitoring the evolving vector averaging wind recorder (VAWR) [ 151, was mounted
upper ocean temperature and velocity fields (examples of the on a specially constructed extension to FLIPS mast.
original displays are presented in [14]). An averaging proThe data acquisition system handled the collection, program was included in the software package so that reduced cessing, display, and archiving of 800 characters of digital
data could be accumulated for the duration of the experiment data from the VMCMs every two seconds along with an
for further manipulation at sea.
additional 550 characters per minute from the other SAIL/485
The instrument suite deployed during the main SWAPP instruments. All but one of the HSBB-equipped VMCMs
experiment on board FLIP in February and March of 1990 functioned flawlessly, and even this instrument returned usincluded a variety of sensors for oceanographic and meteoro- able data. The only significant problem encountered with the
logical measurements (Fig. 4). The Masscomp data acquisi- data acquisition scheme was data corruption during periods
tion system was set up as the controller for 23 SAIL/485 when the ships radio was operating. It is suspected that the
addressable instruments. Fourteen VMCMs covering the EIA-485 cables acted as antennae, picking up the strong
upper 130 m of the water column were deployed at the end of electromagnetic signal transmitted by the radio. Overall, 1.2
a boom extending from the aft of FLIP (Fig. 5, string 1). GB of data were collected by the Masscomp system during
Thirteen of these were equipped with HSBBs and transmit- the 22-day data collection period of SWAPP while two
ted data in real-time to the Masscomp. Five more HSBB- graphics terminals displayed in real-time a combination of
equipped VMCMs were deployed midway along a boom on numerical and graphical representations of calibrated instruthe port side along with a specially modified VMCM with the ment parameters from all 23 of the SAIL/485 instruments.
horizontal rotors removed and replaced by two vertical meaA simulation of the real-time display from the primary

PARK et al.: HIGH-SPEED REAL-TIME DATA ACQUISITION

365

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March 5 , 1990 (hours UTC)

Fig. 5 . A schematic depiction of the two current meter strings deployed

from Flip during the main SWAPP experiment. The approximate depths as
well as instrument identification numbers and types are shown. String 1 (left)
was deployed from a newly constructed boom projecting to the aft of Flip
and was composed of thirteen HSBB-equipped VMCM's, a real-time profiler
(RTP-0), and a standard VMCM. String 2 (right) was deployed from Flip's
port boom and consisted of five HSBB-equipped VMCM's and one special
instrument (W-VMCM) modified to measure vertical velocity. The eighteen
HSBB-equipped VMCM's and one W-VMCM at depths from 2.25 m to 100
m transmitted data at 2-s intervals to the data acquisition computer. The RTP
transmitted data at 14-s intervals. The deepest instrument (132.25 m)
sampled at 1-min intervals and recorded its data internally on magnetic tape.

graphics terminal is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 (the actual

displays are difficult to reproduce here due to their optimization for the Masscomp terminals and their use of color). The
data is from a 12-hour interval on March 5, 1990 and is
during a period of relatively high winds (12 m/s) which
followed a two day calm. The first frame buffer (cf., Fig 6 )
displayed data from the HSBB-equipped VMCM's and allowed assessment of the evolving upper ocean velocity and
temperature fields. The second frame buffer (cf., Fig. 7)
displayed data from the three instruments measuring vertical
velocity. During the experiment, the graphics processor cycled between the two displays every 15 minutes. A second
graphics terminal (not shown) displayed more highly processed data including wind speed and direction, velocity
shear for the two VMCM strings, temperature profiles from
the VMCM's on string 1, an estimate of mixed layer depth,
and mixed layer current speed and direction. The primary

Fig. 6. Simulation of the real-time display from the first frame buffer of the
primary graphics terminal. The actual displays presented data averaged with
a typical filter length of 1-3 min on a high-resolution graphics screen and
used color to distinguish traces from the multiple instruments shown in each
panel. Numerical values of the data for each instrument were shown for each
frame and updated with each sample. The data shown here are for a 12-hour
interval on March 5 , 1990 and have been averaged to 6-min intervals to aid
in distinguishing lines in the relatively low-resolution monochrome display
simulation. The first frame buffer displayed data from the 19 HSBB-equipped
VMCM's. The upper two panels in the display simulation show east (U) and
north ( U ) velocity components for the instruments on string 1, the next two
panels show U and U for the instruments on string 2, and the bottom panel
shows the temperature data for all instruments together. One instrument
(VMCM 12) is not shown in the string 2 display since it was not working
reliably during this period and an instrument with a bad thermistor (VMCM
38) is not shown in the temperature display. Velocities from instruments that
are above 50 m (solid lines), are tightly grouped, indicating that little shear
was supported in this region of weak stratification. The three instruments
below 50 m on string 1 (dashed) are clearly distinguishable. Note the
increasingly homogenized near-surface temperature field indicated by the
convergence of the temperature traces for the instruments above 50 m
between 0500 and 1200 hours.

graphics displays along with information from the second

display for March 5 showed mixed layer currents with 10-20
cm/s amplitudes rotating clockwise with time and the nearsurface temperature field being homogenized as the mixed
layer gradually deepened under the influence of a strong,
steady wind. Short pulses of strong, downward vertical velocity that are the signature of Langmuir circulation [ 5 ] , [7]
were evident.
Real-time acquisition of data provided us with the ability to
observe the evolution of upper ocean processes while the data
was being collected. In the past, internally recording instruments prohibited examination of the data until after the
experiment. The benefits of real-time sampling include im-

IEEE JOURNAL OF OCEANIC ENGINEERING, VOL. 16, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1991

366

to the deployment of several drifting and profiling instruments in a coordinated fashion during the experiment [9].
V. SUMMARY

- 1
,U

13.0

12.8
I

i 4

-4

-8

05

06

07

08

09

March

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

5, 1990 (hours UTC)

Fig. 7. Simulation of the real-time display from the second frame buffer of
the primary graphics terminal for the same time period as Fig. 6. The second
frame buffer displayed data from the two RTPs and the specially modified
VMCM. The upper two panels of the simulation show the pressure and
temperature, respectively, from the RTPs, the third panel shows the two
estimates of vertical velocity ( w )from the profiling RTP (RTPl), the fourth
panel shows w from the fixed depth RTP on string 1 (RTPO), and the bottom
panel shows w from the modified VMCM on string 2 (WVM). The data
shown here have been averaged over 1-min intervals. Inspection of the
pressure trace shows that the profiling RTP was moved during this period
from about 22-m depth up to 12 m, and then back down to 20 m. Strong
downward (upward) spikes in the vertical velocity can be seen corresponding
to the upward (downward) movement of the instrument. An increase in the
frequency and amplitude of downward vertical velocity pulses can be seen
between 0930 and 1430 hours.

Measurement of rapidly evolving surface features in the

ocean required instruments that were capable of high sample
rates and had the ability to transmit data to the surface in
real-time for display and analysis. A development program
was undertaken as a part of SWAPP with the objective of
enabling up to 20 uniquely addressable VMCMs, each sending a 42-character data stream, to communicate over 200 m
of cable at 2-s intervals. These objectives were met by the
design of a new circuit board, denoted the HSBB, which
resides in an EG&G Model 630 VMCM. The HSBB implemented the SAIL communication protocol using low-power
EIA-485 data telemetry at 9600 Bd. A triple buffering scheme
ensured that no data would be lost as a result of the delay
between freezing the data buffers of all the VMCMs and
sequential polling of each instrument for its data. A resynchronization module allowed for periodic re-adjustment of
the instrument clocks to minimize drift. A data acquisition
computer served as the controller for the HSBB equipped
VMCMs and other SAIL/485 addressable instruments during the SWAPP field program. Data collected from thise
instruments were archived, processed, and displayed in real
time by the data acquisition computer.
The SWAPP experiment was a successful implementation
of the high-speed HSBB interface, the real-time acquisition
package, and the instrument deployment strategy. Data were
collected for 22 days under a broad range of meteorological
and oceanic conditions. The real-time data acquisition system
provided crucial information of the upper ocean velocity and
temperature structure during the course of the experiment.
Further analysis of this unique data set should contribute to
an improved understanding of the basic physics and dynamics
of surface waves and wave-related phenomena in the upper
ocean.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

mediate access to information about the functionality of all

deployed instruments, the ability to optimize the sampling
scheme by adjusting instrument positions, and the availability
of information to guide other investigators in their sampling.
During SWAPP, meteorological and upper ocean variables
were monitored with particular emphasis on conditions likely
to result in the generation of Langmuir circulation. For
example, the vertical velocities from the fixed-depth instruments, along with the mixed layer depth estimated from the
temperature data, allowed the profiling RTP to be positioned
at an optimal depth to measure the downwind, downwelling
velocity field expected in a Langmuir Cell convergence zone
[ 5 ] . The real-time pressure signal from the second frame of
the primary graphics display was used to position the RTP by
means of a remotely controlled winch. Information about
meteorological conditions, mixed layer currents, and upper
ocean temperature were relayed from Flip to other SWAPP
investigators on nearby vessels. This information was critical

Assistance with the design and implementation of the

HSBB was provided by D. Butler. Much of the instrument
development and modification for SWAPP was handled by J.
Dean, P. Fucile, and J . Zhang. The Buoy Group at Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Marine Physical Laboratory of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the crew
of the R. P. Flip provided excellent support for the field
work. Discussions with R. Samelson are gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
N. Huang, T. Curtin, and G. Csanady, ONR ocean wave dynamics
workshop, EOS, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, vol. 68, pp.
11-12, 1987.
[2] I. Langmuir, Surface motion of water induced by wind, Science,
vol. 87, pp. 119-123, 1938.
[3] R. T. Pollard, Observations and theories of Langmuir circulations
and their role in near surface mixing, in A Voyage of Discovery:
G . Deacon 70th Anniversary Volume. M. Angel. Ed. New York:
Pergamon, pp. 235-251, 1977.

[l]

PARK et al.: HIGH-SPEED REAL-TIME DATA ACQUISITION

141 S Leibovich, The form and dynamics of Langmuir circulations,

Ann. Rev Fluid Mech., vol. 15, pp 391-427, 1983.
I51 R. A Weller, J P. Dean, J. Marra, J. Price, E A Francis, and
D C Boardman, Three-dimensional flow in the upper ocean,
Science, vol. 27, pp. 1552-1556, 1985.
J . Smith, R. Pinkel, and R A Weller, Velocity structure in the
mixed-layer during MILDEX, J . Phys. Oceanog., vol 17, pp.
425-439, 1987.
R A. Weller, and J R Price, Langmuir circulation within the
oceanic mixed layer, Deep-sea Res , vol 35, pp. 71 1-747, 1988.
R A Weller and R. E. Davis, A vector measuring current meter,
Deep-sea Res , vol. 27, pp 565-582, 1980.
R A. Weller, M A. Donelan, N. E. Huang, and M. G. Briscoe,
Riding the crest. A tale of two wave experiments, Bull Amer
Met. Soc., vol 72, pp. 163-183, 1990
R. Singer and D. M. Butler, The high speed buffer board, A SAIL
EIA-485 communications accelerator card for the vector measuring
current meter, Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rep., WHOI90-33, 1990.
P. Fucile, D. Valdes, and R. James, An FSK telemetry module for
vector measuring current meters, Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst
Tech. Rep., WHOI-87-55, 1987.
IEEE Computer Society, Technical Committee on Oceanic Engineering and Technology, IEEE standard serial ASCII instrumentation
loop (SAIL) shipboard data communication, IEEE, New York,
1985.
Electronic Industries Association, Standard for electrical characteristics of generators and receivers for use in balanced multipoint system
(EIA485), Electronic Industries Association, Washington, DC,
1983.
M. M Park, R. C. Singer, A. J. Plueddemann, and R Weller,
High-speed, real-time data acquisition for vector measuring current
meters, Proc. IEEE Fourth Working Conf. Current Meas , pp.
146-153, 1990
1151 J P Dean and R. C Beardsley, A vector-averaging wind recorder
(VAWR) system for surface meteorological measurements in CODE
(Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment), Woods Hole Oceanog
Inst. Tech Rep., WHOI-88-20, 1988.
Melora M. Park received the B.S. in physics from
the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon in 1982.
She was employed as a research assistant in the
College of Oceanography at Oregon State University from 1982 to 1987, where she first became
involved with the development and implementation
of data acquisition systems for upper ocean measurements. In 1987, she joined the technical staff at
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where
she currently is a Research Associate in the Upper
Ocean Processes group.

361

Robin C. Singer (S85-M85) received the B A

in environmental health from Brown University,
Providence, RI in 1977. In 1985, she received a
combined B.S.E.E and M S E.E from Boston
University, where she was the Valedictorean and
the recipient of a Digital Equipment Corporation
scholarship.
Since 1985, she has worked as an ocean engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
designing and adapting oceanographic instrumentation in support of ocean research
inger IS a member of the Tau Beta Pi Honors Society and a
contributing engineer for the Society for Human Advancement through
Rehabilitative Engineering. She received the Society of Women Engineers
Outstanding Achievement Award in 1984 and the Falmouth Business and
Professional Women Young Careerist Award in 1990

Albert J. Plueddemann received the B S degree

in interdisciplinary engineering and the B.S. in
oceanography from the University of Michigan in
1980 He received the M.S. and Ph.D from the
University of California, San Diego in 1981 and
1987, respectively.
He was a postdoctoral investigator at the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution from 1987 to 1988
and presently holds an Assistant Scientist position
there. Dr Plueddemanns research interests include air-sea interaction and mixed layer dynamics, internal waves, ocean acoustics, and oceanographic instrumentation

Robert A . Weller received the B.A. in engineering and applied physics from Harvard University
in 1968 and the Ph.D. in oceanography from
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego in 1978. In 1979 he
joined the scientific staff of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where he is presently an Associate Scientist in the Physical Oceanography department. His work has involved making high quality
measurements in the upper ocean and at the air-sea
interface. Previously, the Vector Measuring Current Meter (VMCM), US Patent 4 152934 was developed in collaboration
with Russ Davis.