Wireless standard addresses subsea communications issues
Offshore staff
EPSOM, U.K. — The Subsea Wireless Group (SWiG) has released a new wireless acoustic standard designed to improve communication between offshore vessels and the underwater inspection, maintenance and repair vehicle.
According to the association, there have been issues related to the increasing diversity of communication systems employed by AUVs. The new SWiGacoustic standard is said to provide a simple acoustic protocol that satisfies interoperability requirements, supporting seamless communication between platforms.
R&D consultancy Sagentia Innovation manages SWiG as a joint industry project. The 28 members range from major operators to subsea service providers and integrators to instrumentation companies.
Subsea vessel and vehicle operators use various wireless technologies, from radio frequency and acoustic to inductive power and data, and free space optics and hybrid solutions.
SWiGacoustic is derived from the digital underwater signaling standard NATO ANEP-87 Edition A Version 1 and is based on decisions by SWiG members to balance capabilities with compromise in areas such as bandwidth versus range, frequency capability and transducer sizes.
05.24.2022
