An acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device

Abstract

This application provides a massive data download device for an acoustic underwater glider swarm, comprising: a storage module located inside the acoustic underwater glider, used to store signals from acoustic sensors when the glider is operating underwater, and to provide data externally when the glider is downloading data; a swarm management module, used to transmit control commands to multiple storage modules, read data from each storage module and transmit it to the control module; and a control module, used to receive user control commands, control the operating status of the storage modules, and read and save data from the storage modules. A downlink cable is used for electrical connection between the swarm management module and the storage modules; and an uplink cable is used for electrical connection between the swarm management module and the control module. The advantages of this application are: operators only need simple cable connections to quickly export massive amounts of data from multiple acoustic underwater gliders, avoiding the watertight risks associated with repeated opening and closing of the glider compartments, and improving operational flexibility and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of marine instrument technology, specifically relating to an acoustic underwater glider cluster massive data download device. Background Technology

[0002] The three-dimensional spatial sound field distribution in the ocean has a significant impact on the design and use of underwater acoustic equipment. By mounting acoustic sensors and measurement processing modules on an acoustic underwater glider platform, environmental sound field data can be continuously collected from various points along the glider's operational profile. This overcomes the limitations of traditional seabed arrays or moored buoys, which can only acquire data from fixed areas and are costly. Due to the high sampling rate and resolution of the sound field data, for example, a four-channel acoustic sensor collecting data at 32,000 samples per second with a quantization accuracy of 24 bits per second generates approximately 1 terabyte (TB) of data per month. This massive amount of data is stored on storage media inside the glider's watertight compartment. Traditional data download methods generally include the following: Accessing and reading storage media: The watertight compartment of the underwater glider is opened, and the internal storage media (hard drive or memory card, etc.) is removed and connected to a computer for reading. This method requires specialized disassembly and assembly tools and is performed on-site in a humid environment on the mother ship or at the dock, making it extremely complex and time-consuming. When performing multi-segment missions, after reassembling the underwater glider, it is impossible to conduct water pressure tests to verify watertight reliability, posing a significant risk to subsequent missions.

[0003] Data can be read via a built-in Ethernet communication module. For underwater gliders, which are limited in size and power consumption, the main control module for internal data acquisition and storage can communicate with an external computer via a 100 Mbps / 1 Gbps Ethernet connection through a watertight connector at the stern. The maximum download speed is approximately 40-50 megabytes per second. For example, downloading 2TB of data would take up to 12 hours. In addition, this method requires the implementation of a complex TCP / IP protocol stack in the main control module, and the download process will consume the power of the underwater glider's built-in battery, shortening battery life.

[0004] When multiple acoustic underwater gliders operate in clusters for extended periods, they generate massive amounts of data, sometimes reaching terabytes. This amplifies the drawbacks of traditional data download methods, necessitating the design of a download device that is easy to operate, fast, and energy-efficient. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an acoustic underwater glider cluster data download device that is easy to operate, has a fast download speed, and saves energy, requiring no opening of the cabin. This device allows operators to quickly export massive amounts of data from multiple acoustic underwater gliders with just simple cable connections, greatly improving operational flexibility and safety.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes an acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device, the device comprising: The storage module, located inside the acoustic underwater glider, is used to store signals from the acoustic sensors when the glider is working underwater, and to provide data to the outside world when the glider is downloading data; The cluster management module is used to transmit control commands to multiple sets of the aforementioned storage modules, and to read data from each storage module and transmit it to the control module. The control module is used to receive user control commands, control the working status of the storage module, and read and save the data of the storage module.

[0007] Downlink cable enables electrical connection between cluster management module and storage module, used to transmit commands issued by control module and data output by storage module; The uplink cable enables electrical connection between the cluster management module and the control module, and is used to transmit commands issued by the control module and data output by the storage module.

[0008] As an improvement to the above-mentioned device, the storage module includes: Storage medium used to store signals from acoustic sensors; A toggle switch, electrically connected to the storage medium, is used to switch the storage medium to be electrically connected to a USB controller or a storage controller; when the storage medium is electrically connected to the storage controller, it is used to transmit data from the acoustic sensor from the storage controller to the storage medium; when the storage medium is electrically connected to the USB controller, it is used to transmit data from the storage medium to the USB controller. The USB controller is electrically connected to the switch via a data bus and also to the Type-C connector via a data bus to enable USB protocol communication. The Type-C connector is electrically connected to the USB controller via a data bus, and also electrically connected to the storage controller via a control bus. The storage controller is electrically connected to the Type-C connector via a control bus and is used to receive control commands transmitted by the Type-C connector to control the operation of the switching switch; it is also electrically connected to the switching switch via a control bus and is used to control the operation of the switching switch; it is further electrically connected to the switching switch via a data bus and is used to transmit data from the acoustic sensor to the switching switch; and it is also electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and is used to receive digital signals output by the ADC. An analog-to-digital converter, electrically connected to an analog conditioning circuit and a storage controller, is used to convert the acoustic sensor signal output from the analog conditioning circuit from an analog signal to a digital signal, and then transmit it to the storage controller. The analog conditioning circuit, electrically connected to the watertight connector and the analog-to-digital converter, is used to preprocess, convert, and optimize the analog signal output from the acoustic sensor via the watertight connector before transmitting it to the analog-to-digital converter. A watertight connector is electrically connected to the acoustic sensor and the analog conditioning circuit, for transmitting the analog signal from the acoustic sensor to the analog conditioning circuit.

[0009] As an improvement to the above-mentioned device, the A6, A7, B6 and B7 ports of the Type-C connector are used to transmit control commands.

[0010] As an improvement to the above-mentioned device, the USB controller is a USB 3.0 version or higher controller.

[0011] As an improvement to the above-mentioned device, the cluster management module includes: The uplink port is electrically connected to the USB hub to receive signals from the acoustic sensor; it is also electrically connected to the cluster controller to transmit control commands to the cluster controller. A USB hub, connected to several downstream ports, is used to receive data from an acoustic sensor from one of the downstream ports; A cluster controller, connected to several downlink ports, is used to transmit control commands to a specific downlink port; and Several downlink ports are used to transmit data or control commands from the storage module.

[0012] As an improvement to the above-mentioned device, the control module supports users to manually select the storage medium to mount a specified storage module, display the list of data files in the storage medium, and support exporting or clearing files; it supports exporting files in all storage modules connected to the cluster management module to the storage path set by the user in a traversal manner; and it also supports clearing files in all storage modules connected to the cluster management module.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this application are: The acoustic underwater glider cluster data download device eliminates the need to open the glider's hatch, is easy to operate, offers high download speeds, and consumes very little power from the glider's internal battery. Operators only need simple cable connections to quickly export massive amounts of data from multiple acoustic underwater gliders, greatly saving download time, avoiding the watertight risks associated with repeated opening and closing of the hatches on-site, and improving operational flexibility and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of an acoustic underwater glider cluster massive data download device. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a composition diagram of the storage module; Figure 3 The diagram shown is a composition diagram of the cluster management and control module; Figure 4 The diagram shows the signal composition of the uplink and downlink cables. Figure 5 The diagram shows the composition of the control module. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] This invention provides a massive data download device for an acoustic underwater glider swarm. The device comprises multiple storage modules, a swarm management module, a control module, and downlink and uplink cables connected within the acoustic underwater gliders. Figure 1 As shown. This invention uses the USB 3.0 protocol to achieve high-speed data download. When using a high-speed memory card or solid-state drive as the storage medium, the download speed can reach 150-200 megabytes per second, far exceeding that of an Ethernet interface. The functions of each component are as follows: Storage module composition as follows Figure 2As shown, located inside the glider, it is typically independent of the glider's main control system. The storage module includes: a storage medium for storing signals from the acoustic sensors; a switch electrically connected to the storage medium via data bus 14 for switching the storage medium's connection to either the USB controller or the storage controller; when the storage medium is connected to the storage controller, it transmits acoustic sensor signals from the storage controller to the storage medium; when the storage medium is connected to the USB controller, it transmits data from the storage medium to the USB controller. The USB controller is electrically connected to the switch via data bus 12 and to the Type-C connector via data bus 11 for USB protocol communication. The Type-C connector is electrically connected to the USB controller via data bus 11. The storage controller is electrically connected to the Type-C connector via control bus 11 for receiving commands from the Type-C connector to control the switch's operation; it is also electrically connected to the switch via control bus 11 for controlling the switch's operation; and it is electrically connected to the switch via data bus 13 for transmitting acoustic sensor signals to the switch. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC), electrically connected to the storage controller, converts the acoustic sensor signals from analog to digital before transmitting them to the storage controller. An analog conditioning circuit, also electrically connected to the ADC, preprocesses, converts, and optimizes the analog signals from the acoustic sensor before transmitting them to the ADC. A watertight connector, electrically connected to both the analog conditioning circuit and the acoustic sensor, transmits the analog signals from the acoustic sensor to the analog conditioning circuit. The storage module, centered around a storage controller, processes signals from acoustic sensors during underwater operation of the glider. These signals undergo analog conditioning and analog-to-digital conversion via an analog conditioning circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, before being written to the storage medium via data bus 13, a switch, and data bus 14. During data download, the storage module connects to the downlink port of the cluster management device via a Type-C connector. Receiving commands from the downlink port, the storage controller controls the switch to connect data bus 14 to data bus 12. Under the control of the USB controller, data from the storage medium is transmitted through data bus 14, the switch, data bus 12, the USB controller, data bus 11, the Type-C connector, and the downlink cable before finally being sent to the downlink port of the cluster management device. The USB controller is USB version 3.0 or higher.

[0017] The cluster management module consists of the following components: Figure 3 As shown, it has several downlink ports, all of which can be connected to storage modules. The uplink ports are connected to the control module. Internally, it uses a USB hub to realize the data bus hub function. It receives instructions from the uplink ports through the cluster controller and forwards them to the corresponding storage modules through the downlink ports.

[0018] Uplink and downlink cables: Full-featured Type-C USB data cables (preferably USB 3.0 or higher) are used. The downlink cable provides electrical connection between the cluster management module and the storage module, used for transmitting commands from the control module and data output from the storage module. The uplink cable provides electrical connection between the cluster management module and the control module, used for transmitting commands from the control module and data output from the storage module. Because this invention combines the data bus and control bus into one, reducing the number of cables required for connection, it innovatively transforms the low-speed signals in the Type-C interface into a control bus for command transmission and reception, such as... Figure 4 As shown, ports A6, A7, B6, and B7 in the Type-C interface are modified into control bus ports for command transmission and reception.

[0019] Control Module: By selecting the underwater glider serial number, one or more specified storage media can be mounted as USB drives to the control module, and all files on the storage media will be displayed in the file list area, such as... Figure 5 As shown. Users can manually copy files to the computer's hard drive, or set it to automatically traverse all gliders and export data; the control module can also send commands to the storage module to clear the data files.

[0020] Example 1 The device structure diagram provided in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the direction from the control module to the glider storage module is defined as down, and the opposite direction is up.

[0021] Connect the control module and the cluster management module with the upper cable as shown in the diagram, and connect the glider storage module and the cluster management module with the lower cable.

[0022] In the acoustic underwater glider storage module, as long as the storage controller is powered on, the user can select one or more acoustic underwater gliders in the control module's software interface and click the "Mount to Computer" button. The control module will then send a communication command containing the storage module serial number and the "Mount to Computer" command to the uplink port of the cluster management module.

[0023] The uplink port of the cluster management module sends the communication commands of the control module to the cluster controller through the uplink control bus. The cluster controller receives and parses the communication commands and sends the commands to the designated downlink ports through the downlink control bus 21~2N. At the same time, the uplink data bus 21~2N is connected to the uplink data bus through the USB hub.

[0024] The cluster management module's downlink port sends communication commands from the control module to the storage controller via the control bus 11 through the downlink cable and the storage module's Type-C connector. After parsing the communication commands, the storage controller activates the switching switch via the control bus 12, connecting the data bus 12 and the data bus 14. This connects the storage medium to the USB controller and then to the cluster control module's USB hub via the data bus 11, Type-C connector, downlink cable, and the cluster management module's downlink port data bus. At this point, the storage medium of the acoustic underwater glider's storage module can be directly accessed by the control module.

[0025] The data files in the storage medium of the acoustic underwater glider's storage module are displayed in the file list area of ​​the control module. Users can manually copy the data files to the computer's local storage; alternatively, they can specify the file storage path in the control module's interface and click the "Automatically Export Files" button, which will allow the software to sequentially export the selected data files from the acoustic underwater glider to the file storage path.

[0026] After all data files have been exported, the user can click the "Mount to Glider" button in the control module interface. The control module sends a communication command containing the storage module serial number and the "Mount to Glider" command to the uplink port of the cluster management module. The cluster controller of the cluster management module distributes the command to the corresponding downlink port and the storage controller in the storage module. After parsing the command, the storage controller activates the switching switch through the control bus 12, connects the data bus 13 and the data bus 14, and connects the storage medium to the storage controller. After this, the acoustic underwater glider can be prepared for the next water entry operation.

[0027] This invention, through the design of an in-cabin storage module, a cluster management and control module, and a control module for underwater gliders, enables the convenient and efficient export of massive amounts of data (in the terabyte range) from multiple acoustic underwater gliders.

[0028] This invention improves download speed significantly compared to traditional Ethernet by installing a switching switch in the storage module inside the underwater glider cabin. When working underwater, the storage medium is connected to the glider's storage controller, and when downloading data, the storage medium is connected to the USB controller and mounted to the control module. Furthermore, the USB controller is powered by the control module, eliminating the need to consume the underwater glider's built-in battery.

[0029] This invention transforms the low-speed signal line in a universal full-function Type-C interface USB data cable into a control bus, enabling command interaction and data download with only one cable, thus improving the convenience of the download operation.

[0030] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this application do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application, and should all be covered within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device, characterized in that, The device includes: The storage module, located inside the acoustic underwater glider, is used to store signals from the acoustic sensors when the glider is working underwater, and to provide data to the outside world when the glider is downloading data; The cluster management module is used to transmit control commands to multiple sets of the aforementioned storage modules, and to read data from each storage module and transmit it to the control module. The control module is used to receive user control commands, control the working state of the storage module, and read and save data from the storage module. The downlink cable provides the electrical connection between the cluster management module and the storage module, used to transmit commands from the control module and data output from the storage module; and The uplink cable enables electrical connection between the cluster management module and the control module, and is used to transmit commands issued by the control module and data output by the storage module.

2. The acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage module includes: Storage medium used to store signals from acoustic sensors; A toggle switch, electrically connected to the storage medium, is used to switch the storage medium to be electrically connected to a USB controller or a storage controller; when the storage medium is electrically connected to the storage controller, it is used to transmit data from the acoustic sensor from the storage controller to the storage medium; when the storage medium is electrically connected to the USB controller, it is used to transmit data from the storage medium to the USB controller. The USB controller is electrically connected to the switch via a data bus and also to the Type-C connector via a data bus to enable USB protocol communication. The Type-C connector is electrically connected to the USB controller via a data bus, and also electrically connected to the storage controller via a control bus. The storage controller is electrically connected to the Type-C connector via a control bus and is used to receive control commands transmitted by the Type-C connector to control the operation of the switching switch; it is also electrically connected to the switching switch via a control bus and is used to control the operation of the switching switch; it is further electrically connected to the switching switch via a data bus and is used to transmit data from the acoustic sensor to the switching switch; and it is also electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and is used to receive digital signals output by the ADC. An analog-to-digital converter, electrically connected to an analog conditioning circuit and a storage controller, is used to convert the acoustic sensor signal output from the analog conditioning circuit from an analog signal to a digital signal, and then transmit it to the storage controller. An analog conditioning circuit, electrically connected to a watertight connector and an analog-to-digital converter, is used to preprocess, convert, and optimize the analog signal output from the acoustic sensor via the watertight connector before transmitting it to the analog-to-digital converter; and A watertight connector is electrically connected to the acoustic sensor and the analog conditioning circuit, for transmitting the analog signal from the acoustic sensor to the analog conditioning circuit.

3. The acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The A6, A7, B6, and B7 ports of the Type-C connector are used to transmit control commands.

4. The acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The USB controller is a USB 3.0 version or higher controller.

5. The acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cluster management module includes: The uplink port is electrically connected to the USB hub to receive signals from the acoustic sensor; it is also electrically connected to the cluster controller to transmit control commands to the cluster controller. A USB hub, connected to several downstream ports, is used to receive data from an acoustic sensor from one of the downstream ports; A cluster controller, connected to several downlink ports, is used to transmit control commands to a specific downlink port; and Several downlink ports are used to transmit data or control commands from the storage module.

6. The acoustic underwater glider swarm massive data download device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module allows users to manually select the storage medium to mount a specified storage module, display a list of data files within that storage medium, and support exporting or clearing files. It supports exporting all files in storage modules connected to the cluster management module to the user-defined storage path in a traversal manner; It also supports clearing all files in storage modules connected to the cluster management module.

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