UACE2017 Proceedings: Utilizing chip-scale atomic clocks for coherent processing between independent non-wired underwater acoustic sensors

Session:
Distributed Networked Systems for Surveillance
Paper:
Utilizing chip-scale atomic clocks for coherent processing between independent non-wired underwater acoustic sensors
Author(s):
Roald Otnes, Helge Buen, Joachim Eastwood, Vidar Forsmo
Abstract:
Chip-scale atomic clocks (CSACs) have emerged as an enabling technology for high-precision and high-accuracy timekeeping and synchronization in autonomous equipment, with reasonable power consumption. In this paper, we present an experiment which demonstrates the feasibility of coherent co-processing of data from independent non-wired underwater sensors.\n\nTwo CSAC-equipped acoustic recording units were deployed 1 m apart on the sea floor. The small distance between the units is not realistic in the sense of CSAC applications, but results in the time delay between signals received on the units being small, hence challenging the time synchronization. The units were battery-powered with no cables between, and part of the experiment was repeated two days after the deployment. A boat circled the sensor units, and analysis of the recorded sensor data shows that coherent co-processing between the two units is working well, with no observable deterioration during the experiment period.\n
Download the full paper