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Integration🔗

This page helps you choose an interface for integrating our DVLs into a vehicle, boat, or control system.

Choose an interface🔗

Use case Recommended interface
First setup, diagnostics, configuration, and testing Ethernet and the web GUI
Custom software integration over Ethernet TCP JSON API
Direct vehicle integration over serial Water Linked serial protocol
Existing systems with PD0, PD4, or PD6 support PD formats
Multiple acoustic instruments Triggering and synchronization

TCP JSON API🔗

Use the TCP JSON API when you want a network data stream, command interface, and easy access from custom software. In customer-facing documentation, Water Linked API refers to this TCP JSON API.

The DVL TCP server is available on port 16171. See Network Setup.

In our measurements, TCP JSON message latency was typically around 4 ms average, with 2 ms standard deviation and an observed maximum of 13 ms. This is not a hard real-time guarantee; actual latency can depend on network setup, host system, load, and integration method.

Protocol references:

Serial Water Linked protocol🔗

Use the Water Linked serial protocol when the vehicle controller expects a direct serial data stream.

Electrical interfaces differ by model:

Protocol references:

PD formats🔗

Use PD formats only when the receiving system already supports PD0, PD4, or PD6. This can reduce integration work when replacing or adding a DVL to an existing system.

PD4 and PD6 are supported over TCP and serial for all DVL models. PD0 is planned for DVL A100 and DVL A250, but is not available yet.

Protocol references:

Triggering and synchronization🔗

Triggering can be useful when the DVL operates near other acoustic instruments and you want to avoid simultaneous acoustic transmissions.

Triggering and synchronization are handled through protocol or electrical interfaces, not through the web GUI.

TCP JSON API or serial command trigger🔗

The DVL can queue externally requested pings when acoustic pinging is controlled by command.

See:

RX-line trigger🔗

For DVL A100 and DVL A250, sending a NULL character over the RS232 RX line triggers a pulse on the falling edge.

Diagnostics during integration🔗

If the integration does not behave as expected, collect a diagnostic log from the web GUI and include the integration interface in the support request.

See: