Method of and apparatus for effectively increasing the contrast range of displayingthe results of underwater echo sounding

摘要

1,136,832. Non-linear circuits. ELECTRO-ACUSTIC G.m.b.H. 9 March, 1966 [29 Nov., 1965], No. 10455/66. Heading G4G. [Also in Division H4] In a system for compressing the amplitude range of echo signals to be displayed or recorded, the echo signals are subjected to a delay and a signal for controlling their attenuation is derived from the same signals, undelayed, when their amplitude exceeds a predetermined value. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, amplified and rectified echo signals are applied to the base of transistor R÷4 and through delay network R2, C2, R3, C3 to the control grid of pentode R÷3. Echo signals of amplitude exceeding a threshold at which they overcome a bias set by potentiometer R8 cause transistor R÷4 to conduct, thereby progressively shunting the signal applied to R÷3 control grid. The output voltage from R÷3, fed to an electrochemical recorder 4a or an oscilloscope, will thus decrease with increasing echo amplitude above the threshold, enabling lowamplitude fish echoes to be recorded in black and the higher amplitude sea-bed echo to be recorded in varying shades of grey indicative of the geological structure of the sea-bed. The attenuation of high amplitude echo signals and degree of blackening of the recorder chart may be adjusted by varying the circuit parameters. The attenuation is emphasised by the reduction in gain of stage R÷3 as its screen grid potential falls when high amplitude echo signals cause grid current to be drawn. The attenuation control may be rendered inoperative as desired or in selected echo-sounding periods by a manuallyoperated or recorder-synchronized switch S, or when recording the initial part (time zero line) of each sounding-period record by applying a positive pulse to the transistor emitter from a recorder-synchronized switch (41) (Fig. 10). In a circuit modification (Fig. 8) resistor R7 is transferred to the transistor collector circuit to provide a steep rate of decrease of recording voltage with echo amplitude above the threshold to a value beyond which the transistor is fully conducting and recording voltage again increases with further increase of echo amplitude. An echo attenuation control similar to that provided by transistor R÷4 may be applied to echo preamplifier 3a.