Side scan transducers are an essential part of any underwater imaging system that wants to produce high-quality images of the seafloor. These transducers are designed to emit sound waves that cover a wide area on either side of the boat while simultaneously receiving echoes from the seafloor below. This data is then used to create detailed images of the seafloor.
Principle of Side scan transducer
Side scan transducers work by emitting a sound wave that travels through the water and reflects off the seafloor. The reflected sound wave is then picked up by the transducer which converts it into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then processed and turned into an image by the software. Its transducer array mounted in the hull or towing body, go sailing to the two sides of the lower part of the fan beam of acoustic pulses, side-scanning transducer can be a wide range of large areas of water and accurate measurements, can be understood as the ship is travelling across the structure of the left and right sides of the ship.
Choosing the right side scan transducer depends on a number of factors, including the depth of the water, the type of bottom material, and the resolution of the images you want to achieve. There are two main types of side scan transducers: towed and hull-mounted.
Towed side scan transducers are attached to a cable and towed behind a boat. They are ideal for shallow water applications and can produce high-quality images of the seafloor with a very high level of detail. Hull-mounted side scan transducers, on the other hand, are mounted directly to the boat and are ideal for deeper water applications. They are able to produce images with a lower level of detail but can cover a much larger area than towed transducers.