A monthly house bulletin of Defence Research & Development Organisation ■ Vol. 31 No.

7 ■ July 2011
ISSN : 0971-4413
BULLETIN OF DEFENCE RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
Vol. 21 No. 4 August 2013

SONAR SYSTEM
TECHNOLOGIES
Sonar, an underwater equivalent of radar, exploits acoustic energy for
detection, localisation, tracking and classification of underwater targets. The
design of sonar requires expertise in sensor technology, signal conditioning
and processing, electronic packaging, materials technology, ocean acoustics and
mechanical engineering. The modern anti-submarine warfare demands sensor
deployment from surface, sub-surface and air. Naval Physical and Oceanographic
Laboratory (NPOL), a premier system laboratory of DRDO in Kochi, has proven expertise
required to develop various sonar requirements. NPOL has designed, developed and
inducted sonar systems for the warships and submarines. The operational utility
of these systems has provided impetus for further improvement/upgradation
and development of new configurations of underwater systems in tune
with global standards. Some of the sonar system technologies
developed by DRDO have been summarised in this issue
of Technology Focus.
 From the Desk of Special Editor
Underwater surveillance systems
form a critical segment of warfare
equipment in Naval forces. Sonar is
an acoustics based sensor system
for detection, tracking, localisation
and classification of sub-surface
targets in the ocean from platforms
like ships, submarines, and helicopters. In the case of
submarines, sonar is also the navigational aid adding
to the criticality of this sensor system.
Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory
(NPOL), Kochi, has been designing and developing
sonar systems since the eighties. Delivery of hull-
mounted systems like APSOH and HUMVAD for
warships in the eighties were followed by delivery
of submarine sonar, Panchendriya and USHUS in the
new millennium. NPOL also has rich experience in
designing and operationalising the towed array sonar
systems like NAGAN and Maareech. Indigenously
developed TADPOLE sonobuoys have been extensively
used by Navy in their airborne sonar operations. These
developments have resulted in establishment of
exclusive production lines in Bharat Electronics and
other industries in the last few years.
The sonar system development hinges on
advancement in research in the fields of oceanography,
underwater transducers, electronics, networking and
communication, computer science, signal processing,
material development and mechanical engineering.
The technologies developed under these are
judiciously used for engineering a system to be installed
and operated under the harsh marine environments
under constraints of space, stress and ambience.
These systems demand high amount of reliability and
maintainability since operations at sea lasts for several
days with minimum maintenance support available
at short notice. Unlike radars, the unpredictability of
the ocean medium on acoustic propagation in space
and time demands a perfect understanding of ocean
parameters through continuous data collection in as
real time as possible.
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The present thrust in sonar system development
is in reducing the frequencies of operations for
enhancing ranges, enabling shallow-water operations
and lightening the burden on the maintenance of the
system by reducing the bulky hardware in electronics.
This has been realised through a new series of hull-
mounted system like HUMSA-NG and its variants.
Sonar systems are to be operated and results are to
be interpreted by trained operators for maximising the
performance of the system. With proliferation of sonar
in larger number of platforms, creation of a large pool
of skilled operators is an essential requirement that
needs to be met by the designer in the overall interest
of system performance. To provide such manpower
skilled in the nuances of usage of a modern sonar,
recently emphasis has been given for training through
simulators for all new sonar at the concerned naval
training schools.
NPOL has acquired the expertise in designing,
testing and evaluation of sonar systems over the
years. However, complex technologies in transducers,
materials and electronics and advanced techniques
in oceanography and signal processing is being
continuously evolved and being translated into major
state-of-the-art sonar systems countering the likely
threats posed by stealth and advanced weaponry of
adversaries. Standardisation of hardware for building
sonar in shorter time periods with higher reliability
also have been attempted recently with reasonable
success.
The sonar and some of its support systems have
been covered in this issue of Technology Focus. I hope
the issue will be useful in generating awareness among
readers about the outstanding efforts put in by DRDO
in developing cutting edge defence technologies in
the area of underwater surveillance systems and in
developing the industrial infrastructure to sustain the
same in product delivery.
S Anantha Narayanan
Distinguished Scientist & Director
NPOL, Kochi
Sonar transducer technology
Radially Polarised Cylindrical Hydrophone–
Type E
Hydrophones are
underwater electro-acoustic
sensors used in sonar system for
the purpose of detection and
classification. Radially polarized
cylindrical (RPC) hydrophones
are designed and developed
keeping in view flexible towed
arrays for surface ships. These
hydrophones are acceleration
balanced in order to minimize RPC hydrophone-Type E
the unwanted noise generated by vibrations and
wakes during towing. With the requirement of small
hydrophones, RPC Type E hydrophone has been
designed (outer diameter: 15 mm; length: 50 mm),
which can withstand 300 m depth of operation. These
will be used for left-right ambiguity resolution in a
triplet array configuration. Acoustic sensitivity of the
hydrophone is -200 ± 2 dB re V/μPa in the operating
frequency of 25 Hz to 4 kHz. The hydrophone is centre
mounted for lower acceleration sensitivity in the
frequency band of operation.
1.5 kHz Flextensional Transducer
Flextensional Transducers (FTs) are electro-acoustic
transducers, which make use of flexural vibrations of
shells and are driven by the extensional vibrations of
a driver. The two major components of FTs are the
Shell and the Driver. FTs can be characterized into
several classes based on the shape of the shell. The
driver types can be piezoelectric, magnetostrictive
or electrodynamic. Since FTs use flexural modes of
vibration of shells, they resonate at low frequencies,
and are much lighter when compared to other designs
1.5 kHz Flextensional transducer
of low frequency transducers. For applications having
weight restrictions, FTs become the natural choice
over other types of transducers. 1.5 kHz Flextensional
transducer is made from a shell of elliptical cross section
and has piezoceramic driver (stacked piezoceramic
slabs). The driver is fitted along the major axis of
the elliptical cross section. One of the challenges of
engineering a class IV FT is the insertion of the driver
stacks in the element. The transducer is designed and
developed with a transmitting voltage response of
140 dB re µPa/Vrms for towed array sonar.
Underwater Acoustic Vector Sensor
The traditional solution for acoustic detection is to
use a spatially distributed array of pressure sensors.
As demand for smaller arrays that perform better at
a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has increased, the
particle velocity, in addition to pressure, has arisen
as a potential information bearing signal. This has
coincided with a surge of interest in particle velocity
sensors and improvements in fabrication techniques
to make vector-sensor arrays a practical reality.
Acoustic Vector Sensor (AVS) developed by DRDO
comprises of co-located tri-axial accelerometer and
omni-directional hydrophone and it is neutrally
buoyant. The measured acoustic particle velocities in
normalization with pressure sensors form cardioid. This
type of sensor is desired due to its ability to provide
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 the important ocean processes, CTD sensors also find
use in underwater navigation and ranging systems like
sonar, which uses acoustics signals. Sonar systems rely
on accurate sound speed data for optimal performance
prediction. Speed of sound in ocean depends on
temperature, depth and salinity. CTD logger developed
by DRDO employs Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
(MEMS) pressure sensor, four-electrode conductivity
cell and thin-film Resistance Temperature Detectors
Fabricated acoustic vector sensor (RTD) for depth, salinity and temperature measurement,
directional information on target noise sources and respectively.
ability to ‘ignore’ other known noise sources. Calibrated
tri-axial AVS has an RS of -195± 2 dB re 1V/μPa in the The data logger consists of a 32 bit ARM-7 core high-
frequency band of 2-10 kHz. The sensor provides near end micro controller, which operates at 12 MHz clock
theoretical sine/cosine responses with deep nulls frequency. The system employs a 24 bit Sigma Delta
at 90o on both sides and nice main lobe of the dipole. ADC with four single-ended analogue inputs. The data
Each null is at least 25 dB down from the main lobe is stored in a NAND Flash. It is a high performance
of the dipole. This equates to an off-axis or transverse
CMOS static RAM organised as 256 words by 16 bits.
sensitivity of 3 per cent relative to the main lobe. This
It consumes very less power and provides high speed
type of off-axis insensitivity is essential for directional
data transfer.
hydrophone signal processing.
Acoustic intensity from simultaneous measurement
of co-located acoustic pressure and acoustic particle Parameter Pressure Temperature Conductivity
velocity sensor is used to obtain the beam pattern. The
Silicon Platinum-thin Conductivity
dipole velocity response of the triaxial accelerometer Sensor
diaphragm film cell
is combined with the omni-directional pressure signal. Range 1000 m 0-50 °
C 0 -70 mS/cm
The phase relationship between these two can be used Resolution 1m 0.05 °
C 0.1 mS/cm
to effectively “steer” a distinct main lobe response to ± 0.5% of
Accuracy ± 0.01 °
C ± 0.01 mS/cm
obtain a cardioid pattern for a single element AVS, thus FSO max
resolving the left-right ambiguity. A beam width of 120o Response
200 ms 200 ms 200 ms
and deep null >25dB at 90o to MRA for a single element time

AVS has been obtained.

MEMS Sensors-Based Conductivity Temperature

Depth Logger

Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) sensors are

used for measurement of ocean parameters such as
salinity, temperature, and depth. Apart from monitoring MEMS sensor-based CTD logger

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Low-Cost Flexible Micro Conductivity and
Temperature Sensors
A low cost flexible micro conductivity and
temperature sensor also has been developed to be
used in expendable CTD profiler for oceanographic
applications. The micro conductivity sensor is made
of a circular four electrode of platinum on flexible FR4
material. The conductivity of the sample volume of sea
water over the sensor is measured by the logging of
voltage and drive current. The conductivity sensor has
an accuracy of ± 0.8 mS/cm for the range 40-65 mS/
cm and shows better accuracy in lower conductivity
ranges.
The flexible temperature sensor is designed as a
resistive temperature device (RTD), which is a thin-film
metallic circuit that exhibits a linear change in resistance
with change in temperature. The temperature sensor
has a concentric design that consists of two parallel
copper traces with 90o angles that meet in the center.
Clockwise from top left: Fabricated flexible conductivity sensor;
flexible temperature sensor; sensors pasted over 10 mm dia tube
The sensor is a 106 cm long thin trace of 50μm width
and the gap between the trace is 100μm to provide
greater sensitivity. Nickel is coated over the trace to
avoid corrosion in marine environment. The sensor
shows excellent linearity in the range of 4-40 ºC and has
an accuracy of ±0.2 ºC.
Micro conductive and temperature sensors have
a very good potential in tagging applications and
for forming network of expendable sensors with
exceptional mounting capability due to their flexibility.
As both conductivity and temperature sensor have
planar configuration, the printed circuit making process
could be adopted for the bulk fabrication and hence
they will be economical too.
ARRAY TECHNOLOGY
Near-Field Acoustic Characterisation System
DRDO has developed a Near-Field Acoustic
Characterisation System (NACS) using a novel near-
to far-field transformation algorithm. NACS is used to
find the far-field acoustic characteristics of sonar arrays
from the measurements made in the near-field. It
overcomes several limitations of the traditional far-field
measurement approach.
Salient Features
aa Calibration can be carried out at sea
Sonar Array NACS Array
Sonar Dome
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 aa Directivity patterns in any plane can be computed
aa Element level failure and phase reversal can be
localised
aa A universal scheme for all sonar arrays
Network-Based Towed Array
DRDO has developed a network-based towed array
to increase the reliability of the towed array. An Ethernet
node, Ninelet, is the major building block of the array.
Each Ninelet is capable of handling the conditioning,
digitisation and serialisation of its nearby sensor
signals. The data from different nodes is multiplexed
over the same bus using switches, and is transmitted
to onboard electronics via Ethernet-to-fiber media
converters or Ethernet to VDSL2 converters. The array
has application in data acquisition in submerged
installations and underwater sensor arrays.
Network array
Salient Features
aa Standard interface for data acquisition
aa Single supply design
aa Miniaturised electronics
aa Modular node-based architecture
aa COTS components
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aa Remote health query, easy debugging, software
upgrades
aa Network based telemetry single node consists of
9 sensors data packet over Ethernet. Gain control
over the same interface also can be exercised.
SONAR SIGNAL, INFORMATION AND
DISPLAY PROCESSING
128 Channel Modular Front End Receiver
Front end receiver interfaces the transducer to on-
board electronics, which consists of an amplifier, signal
conditioner, filter, and analog to digital converter.
The receiver amplifies the signal and further performs
dynamic range compression and background noise
normalization. The signal is then filtered to eliminate
out-of-band noise and aliasing. Finally the data is
converted to digital format and sent to the processor
system through Ethernet interface.
The modular front end receiver is developed to meet
the requirement of any type of sonar. It is developed
with programmable features such as frequency, gain
and number of channels.
The modular hardware of front end receiver
consists of preamplifier cards, sigma delta ADC cards
and an FPGA controller card, which are assembled in a
backplane. The sub-system can be remotely controlled
via Ethernet interface. Along with the data packet,
vital information of the system settings and active
transmission details are embedded, which can be
recorded for future reference and analysis. Software
tools are developed for testing & integration of the
system.
Salient Features
aa Configurable system parameters
aa C
ompact design resulting in drastic reduction of
hardware and cabling
 L to R: Modular front end receiver (128 channels); Preamp PCB; ADC PCB; controller PCB
aa Easily maintainable
aa Standard interfaces
aa Software tools for testing and remote control of the
system
16 Channel High Frequency Sonar Amplifier
This Power Amplifier (PA) comprises of a monolithic
amplifier IC with very small external circuitry and it
works in class AB linear mode. Each PA delivers the
desired output power of 15 W rms at the frequency
of 75 kHz. These types of 16 power amplifier circuits
are assembled on a PCB of size 300mm X 160mm. The
whole PCB is mounted on a heat sink of appropriate
dimension for proper heat dissipation. A separate
tuning coil cum output transformer PCB is to be used
while interfacing the PA with Acoustic transducer
load.
Salient Features:
aa Power (electrical)/ : 15 W rms, 0 to –24 dB
channel in 3dB step
aa Frequency : 75 kHz ± 5kHz
aa Impedance : 1000 Ω nominal
aa Waveform : CW, LFM
aa Pulse width : 10mS
aa Protection : Over load and over
temperature shut down
aa Power Supply : ±24 V DC
aa Efficiency : > 60 %
TMS-based DSP Board
The current sonar systems use complex algorithms
which demand large computational power, huge
memory and large I/O bandwidth. Dual TMS320C6678
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) VPX board is a 6U VPX
form factor board powered by two DSPs TMS320C6678
for high end signal processing and a Freescale-QorIQ
Processor for IO functions.
The TMS320C6678 device is a high performance
fixed/floating point DSP that is based on TI's keystone
multi-core architecture. TI's TMS320C6678 DSP offers
160 GFLOPs of peak performance per device with eight
cores. It supports a plethora of high speed standard
interfaces including RapidIO ver. 2, PCI Express Gen 2,
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Dual TMS DSP Board
and Gigabit Ethernet as well as an integrated Ethernet
switch. The total peak processing power of the board is
320 GFLOPs and it supports 1 GB of DDR3 memory and
128 MB of NAND Flash and 32 MB of NOR Flash. The
total power dissipated by the board is approximately
80 W.
Quad MPC8640 VPX Board
New generation sonar systems being developed
demand information processing hardware with higher
I/O bandwidth and processing capability and a higher
degree of hardware compression. To meet these
emerging requirements, DRDO has developed Quad
MPC8640 VPX board.
The Quad MPC8640 VPX is a multi-fabric 6U VITA46
VPX compliant multiprocessor board. The board
includes four independent nodes of single core
MPC8640 processors. It supports concurrent, any node
to any node, or/and board to board, data transfer over
Serial RapidIO (SRIO), PCIe and Gigabit Ethernet via
onboard switches. The board has an XMC/PMC site
for supporting high speed add-on XMC and legacy
PMC cards. Each node consists of a processor and its
own dedicated bank of 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM and 128
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Quad MPC 8640 VPX Board
MB flash. Four channels USB 2.0, two UARTs and RTC
have also been incorporated in the design. The board
support package (BSP) consists of U-boot loader and
Linux Kernel. The board is capable of 25 GFLOPS of
processing power and 54 Gbps of I/O bandwidth.
Advanced Sonar Display System
As Sonar display is the eyes and ears of the sonar
operator, the data from different sensors have to be
presented efficiently to aid the operator to take tactical
decisions. Human Machine Interface (HMI) for the new
generation sonars demands high resolution (1600 x
1200) display monitors, Touch Input Display (TID) and
suitable hardware capable of fast rendering for real
time applications.
The new generation sonar display is designed
using COTS General purpose processor ( Intel Core
i7 / Xeon) based servers and DRDO designed custom
embedded Quad MPC8640 single board computer
together with a COTS graphics add-on card having
ATI Radeon graphics controller. The HMI software was
built on a software framework based on Qt4 toolkit.
Qt4 HMI software provided better visualization of data,
improved reliability and stability. The design of display
pages was enhanced to present detection output from
multiple sensors and multiple tracking subsystems on
the same page for better situation awareness. Better
scheme for presenting the fault diagnostic information
was also designed. The new sonar display system also
supports remote display, seamless cursor and support
for streaming audio/video.
Remote HMI implies a mechanism to view and
operate the sonar from any console/computer
connected to the sonar. It enables multi-sonar
operations in which a common display console can
display output from different sonar systems on need
basis. Any computer available on-board can be
connected to the system network and can be made
to function as the Sonar console. Virtual Network
Computing (VNC) technology is used to net-enable the
Sonar HMI. If the sonar system network is connected to
Internet, the Sonar HMI can be made available even at
shore stations/integrated command station. Seamless
cursor (sharing a single pointer device) across monitors
in a console was realized using software tools like
Synergy and x2x. These concepts are demonstrated on
embedded display systems designed by DRDO, ready
to be deployed in on-board systems.
Sonar Audio Streaming
Streaming the sonar audio in digital form enables
any PC / system connected to sonar network to receive
and play sonar audio. A solution based on Real Time
Protocol (RTP) is developed to stream sonar audio. It
uses the GNU ccRTP stack and streams the audio so
that it can be played using a standard audio player.
An audio sample rate conversion module is also
Sonar audio streaming
developed to convert the sampled sonar audio to
industry standard sampling frequencies. This solution
is developed and successfully tested in the lab based
sonar reference system. It is ready for deployment in
future sonar projects.
Generic Sensor Data Recorder
Recording of sensor data during sea trials of sonars
is essential for system analysis, enhancement and
training. Ethernet is the physical medium commonly
used for transferring sensor data in current sonar
systems. A generic sensor data recorder provides timing
information of Ethernet frames through independent
timestamps, thus providing a single solution for all
Ethernet based sonar systems. A Generic Sensor Data
Recorder system was designed and implemented by
DRDO.
Recorder Architecture
Recorder design is based on a common server
platform. Linux provides in-built support for a wide
range of peripherals and processor architectures and
thus gives freedom in selection of hardware. Linux is
used as the main Operating System. The recorder has
hard real-time requirements to enable time stamping
of data and deterministic replay of sensor data. Most
of the RTOS lacks driver support for the latest high-end
storage and networking hardware and Linux lacks hard
real-time support. So a dual kernel based solution is
selected for the recorder where an RTOS kernel is used
for real-time features and Linux is used for storage and
networking.
Xenomai, a real-time development framework
cooperating with Linux kernel is selected as the RTOS
platform for the software. Xenomai provides hard real
time support in user space and is well integrated into the
Linux environment, which means all the existing Linux
kernel support and drivers are retained. Fibre channel-
based SAN (Storage Area Network) technology is used
as the storage solution for the recorder. SAN gives high
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 Recorder architecture

bandwidth in the order of 4 Gbps and provides scalable

data storage that can store the large volume of sensor
data. A fibre channel Host Bus Adapter (HBA) is used Ultrasonic Fuel Gauge
to interface the server to the disk array. Software was
The ultrasonic fuel gauge is used for continuously
developed using Xenomai native API and Linux API for
gauging the level of liquid and quantifies its volume
networking and storage. The design was implemented
in storage tanks adopting ultrasonic echo ranging
using sophisticated hardware consisting of the DELL
method. It can be used in variety of liquids electrically
Power-Edge R710 server, fibre channel HBA and RAID
conductive or non-conductive and for fuel content
storage box. The generic sensor data recorder system
was successfully interfaced and tested with a towed
array sensor data system.

Airborne SONAR SUPPORT SYSTEMS

GPS-based Locator Module

GPS-based locator module is a part of the enhanced

sonobuoy development program. This is intended to
provide location information of the sonobuoy, which
was not available in the existing sonobuoys. This
module consists of transmitter and receiver sections.
Transmitter section has a GPS module that keeps track
of the sonobuoy’s location. The data from GPS module
is collected using a microcontroller and is converted
into a set of symbols. Finally the data is transmitted
through antenna in Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)
format. The receiver decodes FSK input and sends it
through an Ethernet interface. Ultrasonic fuel gauge

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estimation in aircraft and ships and estimation of
liquids in process, chemical industries and in trading.
The gauge is more stable and accurate than existing
gauging systems.
Carbon Fiber Composite Sensor Array Staves
Composite structures are extensively used in
airborne applications for its inherent low density and
strength to weight ratio. Due to its advantages, prepreg
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) epoxy staves
for mounting hydrophones are developed for air borne
sonar systems. CFRP staves developed offer better
strength properties as well as resistance to corrosion.
The stave has ‘C’ channel structure with numerous
discontinuities and other cut-outs for ensuring proper
flooding of hydrophone which results in a complicated
geometry for conventional manufacturing process.
CFRP staves offers 40 per cent weight reduction to
the currently employed Aluminium staves without
compromising on mechanical properties.
The primary function of the stave is to provide rigid
support to hydrophone chain without interfering in
the performance of hydrophone which is confirmed by
receiving acoustic sensitivity measurements. Various
other tests such as vibration endurance tests, cyclic
pressure tests, hydrostatic pressure tests, salt water
ageing, hot air ageing, etc., have been conducted to
ensure the product’s reliability. Currently the 6-element
CFRP staves are under production for next version of
air borne sonar system.
Carbon fiber composite stave fabricated for airborne sonar
Underwater Wireless Acoustic
Communication System
Communication between surface platforms
and submerged platforms below periscope depth
in a wireless manner is possible only through
acoustic means. The Underwater Wireless Acoustic
Communication System (UWACS) enables the half-
duplex communication between submerged and
surface platforms through analog (signal sideband
suppressed carrier—amplitude modulation in
the multiple bands) and digital (code shift keying,
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, frequency
shift keying modulations) means. In the event of radio
silence (in RF bands) during operational requirements,
communication between surface platforms can also
be done through the same system. At present there
are only a few countries which possess the technical
know how and production capability for such system.
DRDO has developed compact 3rd generation
UWACS (3G UWACS) built on Software Defined Radio
(SDR) architecture. The system, named Triton, offers
a tunable wideband communication capability over
multiple bands in voice and data communication
modes.
Salient Features
aa Tunable carrier frequency to cater for multiple
standards
aa Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
(OFDM)-based high data rate mode
aa Code Shift Keying (CSK)-based robust long range
mode
aa Pinger, Morse code, legacy operational modes
aa Variable power transmission option
aa Power amplifier with built-in power supply
aa Remote operation and monitoring through Ethernet
using web browser
aa Data recording, playback and analysis option
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3G UWACS UWACS Triton
aa Comprehensive FDFL
aa 15 inch touch screen display
aa Optional GPS interface
aa Control over sector/omni operation using flexible
front end
aa Modular system architecture for easier maintenance
and better reliability
SONAR PERFORMANCE PREDICTION
TECHNIQUE
Sonar Performance Prediction Model
A sonar performance model is an essential tool
for fine-tuning the basic design of a sonar system
so that optimum performance is obtained under
various environmental conditions. It is required for
planning acceptance trials of a sonar system and
assessing its acoustic performance vis-a-vis the design
specifications. Tactical decision aids, based on sonar
performance models, are used for planning optimum
simultaneous deployment of various sonar platforms
(ships, submarines, helicopters, etc.), determining the
best deployment depth of a sonar and the best depth
for evasion by a submarine.
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DRDO has developed and implemented a generic
sonar performance modelling tool for catering to
modelling requirements of a wide range of active and
passive sonars. Implemented as a PC-based menu-
driven program with user-friendly graphical interface, it
is being used as an operational Sonar Range Prediction
(SRP) model by various Indian Navy establishments.
Besides, it is also being used extensively for modelling
the performance of various types of sonars during their
design and evaluation phases of development.
Simulators
Generic Sonar Signal Simulator
The Generic Sonar Signal Simulator (GSSS) has been
developed for simulating the acoustic signatures of
targets as received in a sonar receiver in the presence of
noise under different operating conditions. It is used for
the performance evaluation of sonar and sonar signal
processing techniques before deploying the sonar at
sea. GSSS provides a near realistic and controllable
signal simulation considering the medium effects.
Usually, signal simulators are designed afresh for every
new sonar as they differ in sonar array geometry and
operating parameters. However, the design of GSSS
has been done to have a generic structure so that it
can be used for different types of sonars with only
minimum configurational changes. High configurability
of the simulator has been achieved using dynamic
configurable Graphic User Interface (GUI) and sonar
independent design.
Simulation of ambient noise, reverberation, vessel
dynamics, array dynamics, and echo distortion due to
medium effects are some of the important attributes
of the GSSS. It supports different models for medium
simulations. Different tactical scenarios can be stored
and retrieved at a later time for simulation. For
evaluating receiver algorithms and to analyze the
results, GSSS has a Monte Carlo simulation station
 Generic sonar signal simulator

to simulate large number of instances of a particular

configuration. GSSS’s design caters for multi-static
operation simulation. Different graphs and plots have
been provided to verify the parameters of simulation.
The simulator is scalable in functionality and can be
operated in basic or advanced modes as per the user
configuration. While simulator is implemented in a
Linux server, controller, and GUI are implemented using
Hull mounted sonar simulator
web tools. This enables access of simulation scenario
and parameters from web browsers distributed across consideration while generating signals for simulation.
PCs. The simulation of the sensor signals is generic in the
sense that with a moderate effort, it is possible to
Hull Mounted Sonar Simulator change it to suit other sonar simulation projects. The
signal processing algorithms generate the signals,
DRDO has developed a cost-effective commercial
which closely resemble the actual signals received by
off-the-shelf (COTS) hull mounted sonar simulator the array in the given ocean environment and process
system for imparting hands-on realistic training on these signals in exactly the same manner as the real
various functionalities and operational details of the
sonar to present the outputs to the operator.
sonar to sailors and operators.
Salient Features
The PC-based generic sonar simulator is a real-time aa The simulator animates various tactical scenarios in
system with one instructor station and multiple trainee real time.
stations. There is provision for setting scenarios from aa The ambience of the sonar operation in the Sonar
instructor station. All the trainees can independently Control Room of ship is recreated in simulation set
set processing modes and display formats for any up.
given scenario. Environmental effects are taken into
aa Each trainee station has two Dual Multi-Function

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 Consoles (DMFCs) which are identical in form and Salient Features
capabilities to the actual sonar operator consoles
aa Successfully bridges the Synchronous Data Link
aa The functions realised at the instructor station Control (SDLC) and Ethernet network domains
include:
aa Organisation of trial data into a repository
- Scenario generator
after qualification and incorporating retrieval
- Ocean/propagation model
mechanisms
- Array signal generation model for passive
aa Offline pre-processing schemes in MATLAB (a 4th
sonar
generation programming language) to suit the
- Trainee monitor
data requirements of PSS, intercept, active, OAS
aa Each of the trainee stations caters for sonar sub-systems
- Array signal generation model for active sonar aa Use of standard PCs as processing engine for
- Sonar transmitter and receiver models for simulation to ensure long term maintenance in
active sonar submarine school environment.
- Sonar receiver model for passive sonar aa Near actual generation of signals using field
Submarine Sonar Simulator recorded data. The quality of the video and audio
match actual scenarios
Effective utilisation of the sonar as envisaged by the
aa Virtual generation of all system indications using
designers can be achieved only by a set of fully trained
the concept of virtual cabinet
operators and maintainers. A training simulator is
essential to train operators and maintainers to achieve aa Comprehensive fault detection and localisation
the requisite proficiency. The simulator is shore-based (FDFL) using cause–effect mapping to simulate all
and simulates all the operational modes of submarine possible faults and its effects within the system
sonar system. It simulates the acoustic scenario of the aa Instructor control station with integrated
sonar environment defined by targets, ocean condition environment simulation by ocean modelling
and the sonar system in real time. The signals and
scenarios can be recreated using the data recorded
earlier. The distributed hardware has been replaced
with software-intensive virtual simulation techniques.

The total feel of a sonar system, as onboard the

submarine, is ensured by retaining the entire hardware
in the sound room. The simulator provides near actual
simulation and the trainee is exposed to all operational
regimes of targets and own platform. Simulation of a
submarine sonar in its entirety is realised by instructor
control station, dual multifunctional consoles, CIMS
panel, virtual cabinet, system PC, and simulation
stations. The simulator provides exhaustive training
on all modes of system operation and maintenance for
sonar operators and maintainers. Submarine sonar simulator installation

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aa Target simulation with selectable machinery regime,
torpedo firing capability and programmable sonar
parameters
aa Simulation of Fire Control Systems (FCS) and
interface of sonar output to FCS
aa Capability for torpedo firing training

SPIN-OFF TECHNOLOGY
Magnetorheological Anti-vibration Mount for
Onboard Applications

Passive rubber mounts used widely for vibration

isolation and damping, are ineffective at low frequency
region. To overcome this limitation, an intelligent,
closed loop feedback controlled, 60 and 120 kg load
rated, magnetorheological (MR) fluid anti-vibration
mounts have been designed and developed by DRDO.
The mount consists of a load bearing elastomer, MR
fluid chamber; MEMS-based vibration sensor and a
controller for closed loop feedback control mechanism.
The controller regulates the solenoid current in the MR
fluid chamber, which in turn regulates the flow of MR
fluid through the valve and controls the vibrations
in real time. The mount can offer both passive and
active damping. It automatically switches from
passive to active mode whenever the vibration level
exceeds a threshold value which is programmed in the
controller.
MR mounts
extensive application for mounting machineries on
naval platforms where vibrations can be a source of
a vessel signature. As a spin-off for civilian sector, the
mounts can be easily modified as seismic damper for
protecting building and for use of precision vibration
control required in anti-vibration tables used in
research applications.
Tarangini
Tarangini is a device for determining the underwater
depth and bottom hardness of shallow water bodies.
It is a simple and reliable equipment which provides

Vibration transmissibility of MR mounts have been

compared with conventionally used passive mounts
and show improved performance by better control
of resonance amplitude and enhanced isolation
performance starting at lower frequencies as low as
12 Hz. MR mounts have been extensively tested
by various accredited agencies for performance,
endurance, environmental tolerance and
Tarangini in extended mode
electromagnetic interferences. The mount has

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information about depth in terms of feet, limited to an aa Backlit display for operation in darkness
operational range of 100 feet. The information about aa Provided with external adapter for charging from
bottom hardness is presented in qualitative terms. 230 V / 50 Hz supply
The device is hand-held and can be charged using a
aa Capable of operation from sufficient stand-off
standard 12 V DC supply.
distance
In any underwater search and rescue operation, aa Lightweight, water-proof enclosures
one of the basic requirements is the determination of
the depth of the water body, either at predetermined aa Device packaged in a shoulder-strapped carry
locations or during a site scan. This requirement is bag for ease of transit
more pronounced in the case of civilian organisations
like fire force, disaster management teams, social
clubs and adventure clubs who provide emergency
help in case of accidents involving drowning of people
in inland water bodies like lakes, ponds, canals, etc.
Information about the type of bottom surface (rocky,
sandy, or clayey) can also provide added impetus to
the search/rescue operations, as critical decisions on
diving or use of rescue apparatus depend to a large
extent on these type of information.

Salient Features
aa Operable by a single person using one hand
aa Data storage up to the last 10 sets of registered
values

aa Display with good contrast for visibility in bright

Tarangini in retracted mode
sunlight

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