OCEANOGRAPHIC AND HYDROGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTATION 



INTRODUCTION 



There are innumerable approaches to the task of evaluating instru- 

 ments and systems for data recording, conversion, and storage. A 

 rigorous evaluation and comparison of the performance characteristics 

 of all instruments now in use in the fields of oceanography and hydrog- 

 raphy would require many months of exhaustive laboratory and field 

 testing. At the same time, it may be obvious from the outset that many 

 of these instruments do not warrant serious consideration for future 

 use. On the other hand, selection of only certain instruments for test 

 and study may result in serious oversights unless it is approached 

 systematically. To resolve this dilemma and to bring the problem with- 

 in manageable scope, the Committee tentatively agreed upon the 

 following approach: 



1. Identify or conceive desirable systems that can be assembled from 

 existing components. Such systems concepts are to serve as the frame- 

 work for more detailed evaluation of existing systems, instruments, 

 components, and elements. (It is recognized that not all measurements 

 lend themselves to such systematization.) 



2. Summarize performance characteristics of existing instruments, 

 components, etc. for evaluation and comparison. 



3. From the foregoing and such outside consultation as is necessary, 

 recommend the development or modification of a specific system or 

 sub- system at an early date. This development project would serve 

 as a pilot study and should proceed concurrently with the other work 

 of the Committee in order to test the validity of its conclusion and 

 to point-up the practical problems concomittant with instrumentation 

 development. 



4. Continue to collect information on new instruments and concepts 

 and make further recommendations for instrument purchases, develop- 

 ment, and testing based on this information. 



5. Make recommendations for exhaustive reliability tests of equipment 

 currently in use, as deemed necessary. 



The problem, guides, factors to be measured, and stages involved 

 are outlined as follows: 



A- 2 



