FSI Excell Tide Guage:

The FSI Micro-TIDE is a miniature integrated sensor data acquisition system used for hydrographic surveying and scientific data collection.

Features: 1MB of Internal Memory (2MB Optional) Direct Digital Output, RS-232/RS-485 FSK Telemetry up to 5 Km Optional Conductivity Sensor Optional Radio Transmitter High Accuracy Stable Pressure Sensor Plantinum Temperature Standard Internal Battery Pack Internal Real Time Clock Optional Inductive Telemetry

The Micro-Tide combines an innovative pressure sensor and state of the art electronics to achieve unprecedented high levels of accuracy and stability.  The new sensors eliminate the instabilities of previous fragile quartzz sensors used in other tide sensors.  The resonate micro machined silicon sensor used in the FSI Micro-Tide Gauge allows for continuous integration of pressure samples to obtain water level measurements unaffected by wave action.  Also, burst samples of  pressure at rates up to 5 hertz can be obtained for wave amplitude calculations.  The unit can also be provided with an inductive type of conductivity sensor.  The large memory permits frequent water level recording and highly detailed wave characterization.  The unit can be provided with a variety of communicaton options including FSI’s MKII Inductive Modem.

The innovative electronics use precise fixed references to provide continuous internal calibration for simplicity and increased reliability.  Calibration constants are stored in internal non-volatile memory can be updated by the user as required.  Sensor data is stored in the instruments 1MB of internal memory, which can be optionally expanded to 2MB.  The standard 1MB can store 250,000 tide and temperature records (4 bytes each, 100,000 if time is also stored - 11bytes each).  The unit uses 3 bytes to store each sample of a wave burst.  The Micro-Tide uses a low power micro-controller to collect, scale, and transmit data using the built in RS-485 or RS-232 interface.  Data can be logged and transmitted in real time simultaneously.  Optionally, the unit can transmit data over 5 Km of cable using FSK telemetry or can transmit data over insulated wire rope using FSI’s inductively coupled modem system.  Built in address protocols allow for multiple sensors on one line.