Date of Award

1997

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Ocean Engineering

Department

Ocean Engineering

First Advisor

Robert Tyce

Abstract

A real time geographic information system (RTGIS) toolbox has been designed and implemented to assist in all phases of an oceanographic survey; including pre-cruise planning, data acquisition, survey monitoring, post-cruise report generation, data processing, and data archiving. The RTGIS Toolbox is a software system, written mainly in C and shell scripts, with interfaces to data acquisition hardware; such as DGPS, LORAN, gyro compass, echo sounder, sidescan sonar, and multibeam sonar. At the core of the RTGIS Toolbox is the public domain geographical information system (GIS) GRASS4.1. The functional capabilities of GRASS4.1 are augmented with a suite of peripheral public domain software which specifically addresses oceanographic surveying needs; including GMT for map making, Xsonar for sidescan sonar display and processing, and MB-System for multibeam sonar display and processing. The RTGIS Toolbox runs on the public domain Linux operating system which results in a workstation $10,000-$15,000 less than comparable commercial products (based on 1997 cost estimates). The Tcl/Tk graphical user interface (GUI) development system is used to provide a consistent, Motif-like interface for the RTGIS Toolbox and all its tools; such as the line planning and the data viewing tools. Real time operations are permitted by adding to the base GRASS4.1 software programs which include semaphore resource sharing, serial data acquisition, and interprocess communication via network sockets. The RTGIS Toolbox satisfies many of the surveying needs of an ocean engineering department and investigates survey solutions for commercial and government hydrographers and oceanographers.

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