SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 



The general design of the EAVE WEST vehicle is based on the concepts 

 shown in figure 3. The total system consists of a floppy disk, a computer 

 console and keyboard, a television monitor, a junction box, a jumper cable 

 for programming the vehicle, and the vehicle itself. The junction box con- 

 tains a start switch, a reset switch, and interconnects for the vehicle cable, 

 television output, and computer console RS232 serial lfnk. These elements are 

 shown schematically in figure 5, and a photograph of the total system is in 

 figure 6. 



OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE 



To run the vehicle, the operator first plugs in the battery bottle and 

 pushes the on switch located on the junction box. He then loads the console 

 program from the minifloppy disk by using a keyboard load command. After 

 receiving a status message indicating that the system is ready, the operator 

 programs the vehicle by using a trajectory design program and transmits the 

 resulting data base to the vehicle with the aid of graphic console displays 

 and simple keyboard commands. The umbilical cable is then disconnected from 

 the vehicle and the vehicle is placed in the water. After a preset time de- 

 lay, which is chosen by the operator during the trajectory design phase, the 

 vehicle begins its preprogrammed run. The operator can then interact with the 

 vehicle through a communication link in any of three ways: 



1. He can design a trajectory in the console memory, transmit the 



new program trajectory data base to the vehicle, and initiate a new 

 preprogrammed run. 



2. He can modify the present program trajectory in the console memory, 

 transmit it to the vehicle, and reinitiate a modified preprogrammed 

 run. 



3. He can take over real-time control by using the joysticks mounted at 

 the console keyboard while monitoring progress with the symbolic and 

 analogic console displays and the television monitor. 



Thus, the operator can choose at any given moment to run the vehicle in either 

 the projection or autonomous mode. 



DESIGN STRUCTURE 



The mechanical, electrical, and software structures of this submersible, 

 designed for flexibility and adaptability, are summarized in table 2. 



Mechanical Configuration 



The vehicle, shown in figure 7 resting on its wooden laboratory support 

 frame, is a 9- ft long, T-shaped, open-frame configuration mounted to a series 

 of syntactic foam blocks for buoyancy. The T-shaped frame was used to mini- 

 mize the total weight of the frame and was made in three sections to allow 



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