Duke Robotics - AUV Overview

Doppler Velocity Logger (DVL)

The Duke AUV team uses the RD Instruments Workhorse Navigator 1200kHz series for its main positioning system. The DVL uses 4 beams of sonar to measure its velocity in the water. Be integrating the velocity information, the DVL is also able to deliver XYZ position information from the DVL’s starting location. The DVL displays an abundant amount of other useful information – including compass heading, pitch, and roll. The DVL sends measurements up to 10 times a second, making navigation extremely accurate. By using the DVL as a feedback system, the Duke AUV can adjust its navigation on the fly. The DVL receives 24VDC of power from the main electronics tube. The power is provided from the +12V and -12V of the DC/DC converter. A separate Daytel DC/DC converter transforms this voltage into +24V and Ground. The DVL communicates with the PC/104 using standard RS232 communication. The power and communication wires connect to the DVL using the Duke AUV standard Subconn 7 pin connectors (see connector/pinouts for more information). Drivers have been written to communicate with the DVL using the Linux operating system. Driver and software integration can be found in the software section of this online report.