MDCS is a software package for survey planning, real-time mission support and data collection. It is specifically designed to support bathymetric and marine geophysical surveys using the MD 300, MD 500 and MD DSS systems.
Left (from top to bottom): MDCS Projector map window for displaying
shorelines, planned survey lines, vessel position and survey coverage;
Right: Graphical presentations of sub-bottom profiling data from MD DSS pinger (upper) and seismic (lower) channels. |
MDCS contains graphical tools for survey plan management (i.e., background chart information, definition of survey areas and survey lines).
The survey software also allows management of environmental data (tide, sound velocities), as well as acquisition and logging of the observations from external systems like the sonar system (MD 300, MD 500 or MD DSS), a positioning system, gyro and motion sensor.
MDCS is being used around the world with tens of different positioning systems. Some of the most popular configurations incorporate differential GPS positioning systems with RTK capability.
Additional instruments interface easily with the system. Most often MDCS is teamed with gyro compasses, heave, roll and pitch sensors and tide gauges.
MDCS provides support for vessel steering and survey quality control.
Through MDCS, the surveyor is also provided with unique capabilities to monitor and control the sonar system. Depending on the type of the survey, different real-time presentations of the sonar data are available.
The MDCS real-time survey software runs on both stand-alone and multiple
networked PCs with Windows XP
Professional operating system.
