Overview🔗
At Water Linked we pride ourselves on building the world's smallest DVLs in their respective categories. Our DVLs combine everything that is important in the smallest possible form factor: price and performance!
What is a DVL?🔗
A DVL estimates velocity relative to the seafloor by sending acoustic waves from four angled transducers and measuring the frequency shift (Doppler effect) of the returned echoes. By combining measurements from all four transducers over time, the DVL can accurately estimate both the speed and direction of movement.
DVL comparison🔗
Here is a quick overview of the differences between the DVL models:
| Feature | DVL A50 | DVL A100* | DVL A125 | DVL A250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altitude range** | 5 cm to 50 m | 5 cm to 100 m | 5 cm to 125 m | 30 cm to 250 m |
| Maximum velocity | 3.75 m/s | 5 m/s | 9 m/s | 15 m/s |
| Frequency | 1 MHz | 625 kHz | 420 kHz | 250 kHz |
| Water tracking | Yes | Planned | Yes | Planned |
| Diameter / height | 66 mm / 25 mm | 90 mm / 34 mm | 125 mm / 30 mm | 149 mm / 40 mm |
| Weight in air / water | 170 g / 105 g | 200 g / 125 g | 750 g / 500 g | 1650 g / 750 g |
| Power consumption | 4 W (average) | 8 W (average) | 4 W (average) | 8 W (average) |
| Serial protocol | UART TTL (3.3 V, 5 V tolerant) | RS232 | UART TTL (3.3 V, 5 V tolerant) | RS232 |
| IMU output | No | Planned | No | Planned |
| Ping triggering | Software | Soft- and Hardware | Software | Soft- and Hardware |
| Cable entry | Side entry | Side entry or rear O-ring interface | Side entry | Side entry or rear O-ring interface |
| Communication | Ethernet and UART TTL | Ethernet and serial RS232 | Ethernet and UART TTL | Ethernet and serial RS232 |
| Source level (dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m) | 200 | 209 | ||
| Depth rating | 300 m or 600 m | 1000 m | 1000 m or 4000 m | 4000 m for side-entry cable configuration; rear O-ring interface version rated to 1000 m |
| Main use case | Compact platforms where size and payload capacity are limited and operations are conducted close to the bottom | Compact platforms where size and payload capacity are limited but require more range than the A50 | Long-range and deep-water subsea operations in high-pressure environments | Long-range and deep-water subsea operations where large operating altitudes are required |
*Coming Q4 2026
**Under ideal conditions
Models🔗
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1 MHz · altitude to 50 m · 66 mm diameter
One of the world's smallest commercially available DVLs — an ultra-compact 4-beam unit for size- and payload-limited platforms operating close to the bottom.
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DVL A100 (coming Q4 2026)
625 kHz · altitude to 100 m · 90 mm diameter
A compact, high-accuracy DVL for lightweight, integration-friendly platforms that need more range than the A50.
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420 kHz · altitude to 125 m · 125 mm diameter
The step up from the A50: better performance at greater distances while keeping a small form factor.
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250 kHz · altitude to 250 m · 149 mm diameter
The most capable model — long-range, deep-water velocity measurement for larger vehicles and demanding subsea operations.