Main purposes
Functions
Characteristics
Design
User recording sample
Sizes
Specifications
Mooring
Software AURAL Setup
Software InfoWAV
External AURAL
Publications

Main purposes: hone

The AURAL-M2 (Autonomous Underwater Recorder for Acoustic Listening-Model 2) is an underwater recording equipment. It is used for any application that requires continuous underwater sound recording.

- Marine mammals
- Methane bubble
- Ice cracking
- Boats
- Underwater noise pollution
- ...

Functions:

• Underwater sound recorder
• Pressure sensor (0 to 100 psi) (device depth)
• Temperature sensor (-10 ° C to 40 ° C)
  

Characteristics:

• Duration: can be deployed up to one year (depending on setting parameters)
• 16 Bits digital recording
• Programmable recording mode:
  continuous with pause
  delay start
  time spaced recording
• Configurable sampling rate:
  256 Hz to 32 768 Hz
• Usable frequency range:
  10 Hz to 16 384 Hz
• Adjustable amplifier: 16, 18, 20 and 22 DB
• Hard drive storage using WAV file format
• TCXO time base for stability
• Low power Logic and CPU
• Programming through RS232 (38,Kbs, N, 8, 1)
• FAT32 Support (hard drive)
• WAV Support (files)
• 2 Softwares included: AURAL Setup for device setting and InfoWAV to extract informations included in the WAV files' headers
• Three (3) sizes available: 16-batteries, 64-batteries and 128-batteries

Design

• Anti-aliasing filter
• Hydrophone HTI-96-MIN (Options available on demand)
• Delrin, Fiberglass/Epoxy and Stainless steel 316 case tested in salt water
  

AURAL-M2 recordings
		Location	Credits
		Repulse Bay	Yvan Simard (2006)
		Mer de Beaufort	Yvan Simard (2006)
		Langara Island	John K Ford (2010)
		Saguenay	Yvan Simard (2006)

Sizes:

AURAL-M2 is available in 3 differents size: 16 batteries, 64 batteries and 128 batteries. The number of batteries affect the lenght of the recording capacity.

* Read as follow (use as reference only)

With a sampling rate of 32 768 Hz, the double Hard Drive kit will record during about 4 months before they fills up and the estimate battery life for a 128-battery AURAL is 162 days.

Specifications:

Mooring:

Take note that Multi-Électronique is not specialised in the mooring of oceanographic instrument. Deploying an instrument is very technical and requires a lot of knowledge. It is why the help of competent engineer is highly recommended. Here are some information to help you.

Different methods can be used to immerse an AURAL-M2 underwater. The surrounding where the unit will be based must be exempt of any harmful noise. The following example is a mooring that has already been done by many customers.

Open Seas Instrumentation Inc. subs (A) buoyancy significantly enhances data set quality from current meters, while decreasing buoy frontal area and drag coefficients.

The rugged and reliable OCEANO Oceanographic Acoustic Release (D) are suitable for all mooring applications in all seas and environmental condition with their low power consumption and corrosion resistance.

A. Buoy

B. Cable/Chain

C. AURAL-M2

D. Acoustic release

E. Heavy object such as train wheel

Provided program softwares:

AURAL Setup

AURAL Setup is used before each immersion. It allows configuring the device by sending information for the desired recording settings. Also, parameters for deployment can be evaluated by the application future immersion like the batteries duration or the hard disk capacity. (Compatibility: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7)

InfoWAV

This software is used subsequent to the device immersion. It allows extracting the information contained in the saved WAV files headers (sampling rate, temperature, depth, begining and end of a recording, etc). This information can be displayed on screen or saved in text file (.txt format) and can be analyzed later. (Compatibility: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7)

To meet the specific need of customers, we designed an alternate version of AURAL: the External AURAL, perfect for short and long deployments that don't requires underwater mooring. It must be used where a source of energy is available.

For example, it may be used directly on a boat (and powered by a 12V battery) since it has a HTI-96 hydrophone and a 2-meter long cable (different lenght available). Here are some features of the External version of the AURAL.

• PELICAN 1550 case waterproof, crushproof and dust proof
• Integrated warming system that keep the Hard Disk to a comfortable temperature around 2° C (35,6°F)
• Embedded control box
• Power cable for a 12V battery

Download the specifications sheet
Contact us for a quote

These publications are not from Multi-Electronique. Credits belong to the authors.

The Rise of Killer Whales as a Major Arctic Predator (S.H. Ferguson, J.W. Higdon, and E.G. Chmelnitsky)

A Little Less Arctic: Top Predators in the world's largest northern inlan sea, Hudson Bay (S.H. Ferguson, Lisa L. Loseto, Mark L. Mallory)

The beaufort Sea environment and its relation to Oil & Gas activities: what do we still need to know and how do we get there? (Louis Fortier)

Underwater ambient noise field study - backgrounds & methods (Jasco Applied Sciences)

Norway. Progress report on cetacean research, January 2009 to December 2009, with statistical data for the calendar year 2009 (Sidsel Grønvik)

Update on North Pacific Right Whale Research (Phillip J. Clapham, Alex N. Zerbini, Amy Kennedy, Brenda Rone & Catherine Berchok)

Detecting bowhead whale (balaena mysticetus) sounds in the Beaufort Sea: Confounding sounds in a cacophony of noise (Sara Heimlich, David K. Mellinger, Holger Klink, Kate Stafford, Sue E. Moore, Catherine Berchok)

Cumulative and Synergistic Effects of Physical, Biological, and Acoustic Signals on Marine Mammal Habitat Use (Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Jeffrey A. Nystuen)

Monitorage acoustique passif des campagnes d'océanographie acoustique en présence de mammifères marins: exemple de la campagne erato-09 (Cedric Gervaise, Lucia Di lorio, Bazile Kinda, Yann Stéphan, Nicolas Josso)

Ears of the Deep, Part II (Kevin Fall)