Seatex MRU: User's Manual

Seatex MRU
User's Manual
Issued: 2008-05-20
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Notice
• All rights reserved. Reproduction of any of this manual in any form whatsoever without
prior written permission from Kongsberg Seatex AS is forbidden.
• The content of this manual is subject to change without notice.
• All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual.
However, should any errors be detected, Kongsberg Seatex AS would greatly appreciate
being informed of them.
• The above notwithstanding, Kongsberg Seatex AS can assume no responsibility for any
errors in this manual or their consequences.
Copyright © 2008 by Kongsberg Seatex AS. All rights reserved.
Kongsberg Seatex AS
Pirsenteret, N-7462 Trondheim, Norway
Telephone: +47 73 54 55 00
Facsimile: +47 73 51 50 20
Duty phone: +47 73 50 21 11
E-mail: km.seatex@kongsberg.com
www.km.kongsberg.com/seatex
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Revision log
Document ID Rev. Date Reason for revision Approved

(sign)
MRU-D-001 0 1997-08-28 First version of the renewed manual FOS
1 1998-03-20 Minor corrections FOS
2 1999-01-15 Updated with latest sales and FOS
warranty conditions and minor
corrections
3 1999-11-02 Updated to correspond with MRU FOS
300 version and the third generation
of the hardware
4 2001-03-12 Updated with latest specifications FOS
5 2001-11-17 Corrected sign on analog PitchHippy FOS
signal and updated to correspond
with Windows version of MRC
6 2002-11-12 Updated with latest specifications FOS
7 2004-06-24 Description of the MRU D and Z FOS
models. Updated specification on
MRU 4 and H
8 2004-10-21 Updated specifications on the FOS
models MRU 4, H, Z, 2 and D
9 2006-02-27 Changed specification on MRU 2 FOS
and the use of USB memory stick
for sw and manuals instead of CD.
WEEE note included.
10 2006-06-19 Information on export restrictions FOS
11 2006-09-26 Changed MRU 5 and 6 specification FOS
12 2008-05-20 Changed MRU 5 specification and FOS
some other minor corrections
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VI
Table of contents
1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1

1.1 About this manual ....................................................................................................1
1.2 References ................................................................................................................2
1.3 Definitions, abbreviations and acronyms .................................................................2
1.3.1 Definitions ......................................................................................................2
1.3.2 Abbreviations and acronyms ..........................................................................3
2. TECHNICAL DATA ....................................................................................................5
2.1 General .....................................................................................................................5
2.2 Health, environment and safety ...............................................................................7
2.3 Restrictions in export ...............................................................................................7
2.4 Restrictions in guarantee ..........................................................................................7
2.4.1 Mechanical shock and improper transportation .............................................8
2.4.2 Wrong electrical connection, fusing of the power supply ..............................8
2.5 Performance data......................................................................................................8
2.5.1 MRU 6 specification .......................................................................................8
2.5.2 MRU 5 specification .....................................................................................11
2.5.4 MRU H specification .................................................................................... 15
2.5.5 MRU Z specification .................................................................................... 17
2.5.7 MRU D specification .................................................................................... 20
2.6 Restrictions in use ..................................................................................................23
2.7 Physical dimensions ...............................................................................................24
2.8 Power .....................................................................................................................24
2.9 Environmental specification ..................................................................................24
2.10 Other data ...............................................................................................................25
3. INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................27
4. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................29
4.1 Design principles....................................................................................................29
4.1.1 Six degrees of freedom motion .....................................................................29
4.1.2 Gravity erection of orientation .....................................................................31
4.1.3 How to compute velocity/position ................................................................33
4.1.4 Magnetic north seeking ................................................................................35
4.1.5 Magnetic disturbances ..................................................................................36
4.1.6 Frames for measurements of motion entities ................................................36
4.1.6.1 Definition of frames and variables .................................................37
4.1.6.2 Used reference frames ....................................................................39
VII
4.2 Construction ...........................................................................................................41
4.2.1 Internal sensors .............................................................................................43
4.2.1.1 The angular rate sensors .................................................................43
4.2.1.2 The accelerometers .........................................................................44
4.2.1.3 The magnetometer ..........................................................................45
4.2.2 Sensor calibration procedure ........................................................................46
4.2.2.1 MRU calibration certificate ............................................................46
4.2.3 Processing algorithms ...................................................................................48
4.2.3.1 Computation of orientation ............................................................49
4.2.3.2 Magnetic heading estimation..........................................................53
4.2.3.3 Linear motion computation ............................................................54
4.2.3.4 Internal processing and I/O delays .................................................60
4.2.3.5 Electronics and mechanics .............................................................63
5. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ...............................................................................65
5.1 Start procedure .......................................................................................................65
5.2 Operation ................................................................................................................65
5.3 Stop procedure .......................................................................................................66
5.4 Performance monitoring ........................................................................................66
6. MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................................67
6.1 Periodic maintenance .............................................................................................67
6.1.1 Software upgrades ........................................................................................67
6.1.2 Changing the internal lithium battery ...........................................................68
6.1.3 Recalibration .................................................................................................68
6.2 Repairs and modifications ......................................................................................69
6.2.1 Repair of the MRU .......................................................................................69
6.2.1.1 Installing a spare unit .....................................................................69
6.2.2 Repair of the MRU Junction Box .................................................................70
6.3 Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................70
6.3.1 No contact with the MRU .............................................................................70
6.3.2 MRU status: Abnormal .................................................................................71
6.3.3 MRU status: Unreliable data or not ready ....................................................72
6.3.4 Large oscillations in the roll and pitch measurements .................................73
6.3.5 Reduced roll or pitch performance ...............................................................73
6.3.6 Reduced heave performance .........................................................................74
7. DRAWINGS ................................................................................................................ 75
8. PARTS LIST................................................................................................................77
9. APPENDIX A - ARRIVAL CHECK AND TEST OF THE MRU .........................79
10. APPENDIX B - STATUS MESSAGES FROM MRU .............................................83
11. APPENDIX C - MRU STATUS BITS .......................................................................85
12. APPENDIX D - MRU EVENT NUMBERS ..............................................................87
VIII
13. APPENDIX E - MRU HW REPORT STATUS BITS .............................................89
Index ....................................................................................................................................91
Reader's comments ............................................................................................................93
List of illustrations
Figure 1 MRU 6 functional modules....................................................................................9

Figure 2 MRU 5 functional modules..................................................................................11
Figure 4 MRU H functional modules .................................................................................15
Figure 5 MRU Z functional modules .................................................................................17
Figure 7 The MRU-D functional modules .........................................................................21
Figure 9 Rigid body motion ...............................................................................................29
Figure 10 Orientation measurements by utilising accelerometer .......................................31
Figure 11 A single axis rate gyro based device..................................................................32
Figure 12 Computation of velocity/position ......................................................................34
Figure 13 Magnetic north seeking......................................................................................35
Figure 14 Right oriented frame ..........................................................................................37
Figure 15 Geographic frame and body frame ....................................................................38
Figure 16 Body/vehicle frame definition ...........................................................................39
Figure 17 Overview of used frames ...................................................................................40
Figure 18 MRU 6 functional modules................................................................................41
Figure 19 MRU 6 mechanical layout .................................................................................42
Figure 20 The Coriolis force rate gyro function ................................................................44
Figure 21 The pendulum accelerometer construction ........................................................45
Figure 22 The Calibration Certificate for an MRU 6 .........................................................47
Figure 23 The magnetic heading estimation process .........................................................54
Figure 24 Relative heave residual in percentage of amplitude for "Hydrographic survey"
filter with damping 0.7 and various average heave periods 5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds 58
Figure 25 Step response in heave with corresponding settling time for "Hydrographic
survey" filter with damping 0.7 and various average heave periods 5, 10, 15 and 20
seconds .........................................................................................................................58
Figure 26 Relative heave residual as percentage of amplitude for "Hydrographic survey"
filter with average heave period set to 10 seconds with various damping factors 0.5, 0.6,
0.7, 0.8 and 0.9 .............................................................................................................59
Figure 27 Selection of program mode to install .................................................................80
Figure 28 MRC Installation Complete ...............................................................................80
Figure 29 MRU Configuration Window ............................................................................81
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Introduction
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 About this manual
This is a compilation of information on the MRU products released for the user. The manual
is organised into the following chapters:
Chapter 1 Introduction - A brief presentation of this manual with references and

abbreviations.
Chapter 2 Technical data - Presents the technical data of the various MRU models, their
physical dimensions, required power and environment specifications, together
with restrictions in guarantee.
Chapter 3 Installation - Refers to the Installation Manual for the appropriate model
number.
Chapter 4 Technical description - An in-depth description of the design principles and

construction of the MRU. This chapter should be read before the MRU is used in
a new application.
Chapter 5 Operation instructions - Describes the start-up of the MRU, its operation and
how to monitor the performance of the unit.
Chapter 6 Maintenance - Presents how the MRU is to be repaired and serviced with
detailed description on how to troubleshoot the product.
Chapter 7 Drawings - Refers to the Installation Manual for the correct model number.
Chapter 8 Parts list - Lists the parts in the basic delivery and the additional equipment.
In this manual the following remarks are used:
CAUTION
Is used to make the user aware of procedures and operational practice which, if not
followed, may result in degraded performance or damage to the equipment.
Note A note text has this format and is used to draw the user's attention to special
features or behaviour of the equipment.
1
1.2 References
[1] General Conditions for the Supply of Products, Orgalime S 2000 with one exception
sheet
[2] MRU-D-091 Installation Manual, MRU 2, rev. 10
[3] MRU-D-092 Installation Manual, MRU 5 & H, rev. 10
[4] MRU-D-093 Installation Manual, MRU 6 & 4, rev. 10
[5] MRU-D-094 Installation Manual, MRU 3 & 1, rev. 8
[6] MRU-D-119 Installation Manual, MRU D & Z, rev. 2
[7] MRU-D-011 Delivery Specific Documents, rev. 3
1.3 Definitions, abbreviations and acronyms
1.3.1 Definitions
alignment Is the process of adjusting the current internal navigation

frame (g, h or b-frame) in the instrument to the true external
frame.
attitude The orientation relative to the vertical axis of a vehicle.
Heading is not included. If heading is included, the word
orientation for the vehicle is used.
fluxgate A sensor for magnetic fields based on chopping of field to be
measured by the use of time-varying magnetic permeability.
heading The direction of the main axis (bow direction) of the vehicle
as opposed to course which is the direction of motion of the
vehicle. Heading has the measurement range 0 to 360°, while
yaw is defined as an angle with measurement range ±180°.
heave The vertical dynamic motion of a vehicle and defined
positive down. Heave position and velocity are dynamic
motion variables with a certain lower cutoff frequency.
inclinometer A sensor measuring roll and pitch by measurement of the
direction of the acceleration. Inclinometers only provide
correct readings when there is no horizontal acceleration of
the vehicle.
pitch A rotation about the pitch axis and defined positive when the
bow moves up. Normally pitch means the dynamic pitch
angle motion.
roll A rotation about the roll axis and defined positive when
starboard side of the vehicle moves down. Normally roll
means the dynamic roll angle motion.
2
starboard When looking in the bow direction of a vehicle this is the

right hand side of the vehicle.
strap down This means that the inertial sensors are fixed to the vehicle or
sensor instead of fixed to a turnable mechanical platform.
surge The linear dynamic motion of a vehicle in the heading
direction (along the R-axis, but horizontal) and defined
positive for a forward motion.
sway The sideways dynamic linear motion of a vehicle (along the
P-axis, but horizontal) and defined positive for a motion to
starboard.
yaw A rotation about the vertical axis and defined positive when
turning eastward when the vehicle cruises in north direction.
Normally yaw means the dynamic yaw motion.
1.3.2 Abbreviations and acronyms
AHRS Attitude & Heading Reference System. An inertial system measuring the
orientation of a vehicle.
b-frame Body frame. An orthogonal frame fixed to the MRU housing or to the
vehicle where the MRU is fixed.
CG Centre of gravity. The mass centre of a vessel. This is normally the location
with least linear acceleration, and hence the best location for measurements
of roll and pitch.
EMI Electromagnetic interference.
HPR-system Hydro Acoustic Positioning Reference System.
g-frame Geographic frame. An orthogonal frame having axes pointing north, east
and down at the current location of the vehicle.
h-frame Heading frame. This frame has common D-axis with the g-frame, but the
forward and starboard axes are turned the heading angle according to the
north and east axes. The forward and starboard axes are in the horizontal
plane.
INS Inertial Navigation System. A system consisting of gyros and
accelerometers intended for navigational purposes. These systems are
equipped with high performance gyros.
MP Measurement Point.
MRC Special software delivered with all MRU units. Running on a PC under
Microsoft Windows. With this software the user can set up the MRU
according to his application by use of the delivered configuration cable. The
MRC software is used to change the configuration parameters, to check the
internal status, etc.
3
MRU Motion Reference Unit. This is a unit measuring dynamic linear motion and
attitude.
NMEA A standard for interchange of information between navigation equipment.
P-axis This axis is fixed in the vehicle, and points in the starboard direction
horizontally when the roll angle is zero. Positive rotation about this axis
means that the bow of the vehicle is moving up.
RMS Root mean square.
R-axis This axis is fixed in the vehicle, and points in the forward direction
horizontally when the pitch angle is zero. Positive rotation about this axis
means that the starboard side of the vehicle is moving down.
ROV Remotely Operated (underwater) Vehicle.
Tesla Unit for magnetic field strength.
Y-axis This axis is fixed in the vehicle, and points in the downward direction when
the vehicle is aligned horizontally. Positive rotation about this axis is
turning the bow of the vehicle to starboard.
4
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Technical data
2. TECHNICAL DATA
2.1 General
The MRU products are supplied in a range of models from MRU 1 to MRU 6 as the top
performance model. The capabilities of the various models are:
Roll/pitch Heading Heave Acceleration

[m/s2]
MRU 6 0.02° 1.0° 5 cm 0.01
MRU 5 0.02° 5 cm 0.01
MRU 4 0.05° 1.2° 5 cm 0.01
MRU H 0.05° 5 cm 0.01
MRU Z 0.15° 5 cm 0.05
MRU 2 0.1° 0.01
MRU D 0.35° 0.05
MRU 1 0.01
The top model MRU 6 is an inertial attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) with a
dynamic linear motion measurement capability included. The Seatex MRU 6 is primarily
intended for medium accuracy measurement of motion in marine applications where a long
lifetime and no regular maintenance is important. The MRU is not equivalent to a high
performance gyro platform or laser-gyro-based device, but it can compete with low-cost
"strap-down" rate gyro based AHRS.
Internally, the computing algorithms are designed as a "strap down" inertial navigation
system. The unit has a higher performance than simpler devices because it contains 3-axis
angular rate sensors and 3-axis acceleration sensors. The MRU performance in the heave
channel competes with expensive gyro platforms, while the performance in the horizontal
directions is only suitable to measure rather fast motions. The MRU is not intended for
standard inertial navigation purposes.
The MRU 6 outputs absolute roll, pitch and yaw (heading), and relative heave (dynamic).
Acceleration and velocity of the linear motions, as well as angular acceleration and velocity,
are also outputs from the MRU 6 unit. The MRU computes relative (dynamic) surge and sway
motions and the velocities and accelerations of these variables. Performance data of the MRU
6 and the other models are described in chapter 2.5.
5
The MRU sensors can be supplied in a variety of performances and prices to meet the
customer's needs. The table below shows the various performances in relation to the MRU 6.
Overview of capabilities of MRU models

Capability MRU 6 MRU 5 MRU 4 MRU H MRU Z MRU 2 MRU D MRU 1
Primary sensors:
Accelerometers 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1
Angular rate sensors 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 No
Magnetometer Yes No Yes No No No No No
Functions:
Full "strap down" function Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Free mounting orientation Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Lever arm corrections Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Sensor temperature comp. &
linearisation & orthogonalisation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Built-in self testing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Outputs:
Roll and pitch angles Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Magnetic heading, static Yes No Yes No No No No No
Heading angle, dynamic only Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Roll and pitch angular velocity Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Magnetic field in g-frame Yes No Yes No No No No No
Magnetic field in b-frame Yes No Yes No No No No No
Acceleration in b-frame Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Heave measurements Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Surge and sway measurements Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Inputs:
Speed log Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
External heading Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Interfaces:
Analog channels, 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Digital RS-232/422 compatible Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6
2.2 Health, environment and safety
Operation or troubleshooting of MRU equipment will not imply any risk for heavy lift, high
voltages, explosions or exposure to gas. The MRU complies with IEC 950/EN60950
standards regarding fire, mechanical and heat hazards, radiation and chemical hazards.
All MRU electrical and electronic components have to be disposed separately from the
municipal waste stream via designated collection facilities appointed by the government or
local authorities. The correct disposal and separate collection of your old appliance will help
preventing potential negative consequences for the environment and human health. It is a
precondition for reuse and recycling of used electrical and electronic equipment. For more
detailed information about disposal of your old appliance, please contact your local
authorities or waste disposal service.
2.3 Restrictions in export
Export of the MRU models 6, 5, 4, H, 3, 2 and 1 to other countries than EU countries or

Argentina, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South-Korea,
Turkey, Ukraine and USA, requires an export license.
Notice to Importer: The MRU product specified in this document has been shipped from
Norway in accordance with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Official Notification on Export
Control and may be subject to restrictions if re-exported from your country.
2.4 Restrictions in guarantee
The liability of Seatex is limited to repair of MRUs only under the terms and conditions stated
in reference [1] and excludes consequential damages such as customer's loss of profit or
damage to other systems traceable back to MRU malfunction. The warranty does not cover
malfunctions of the MRU resulting from the following conditions:
a) The MRU is not shipped in the original transport boxes.
b) The MRU has been exposed to extreme shock and vibrations.
c) The MRU housing has been opened by the customer in an attempt to carry out repair
work.
d) Over-voltage or incorrect power connection.
7
2.4.1 Mechanical shock and improper transportation
Whilst the MRU is designed to be very robust, it is nevertheless an accurate measurement

system and contains a number of relatively fragile components. For reliable performance and
long life the MRU should be protected at all times from excessive mechanical shock. The unit
can tolerate mechanical shocks up to 100 g. However, this limit can easily be exceeded if, for
example, the unit is dropped. In some applications extra shock damping may be needed. The
MRU is delivered in a specially designed transportation box which should be kept in store by
the customer. Always use this box for transportation and storage of the MRU because the
warranty does not apply unless the specified box is used for transportation.
2.4.2 Wrong electrical connection, fusing of the power supply
Permanent damage to the MRU may occur if power is applied to signal pins or the unit is
exposed to over-voltage. Maximum allowed voltage to the MRU is 30 Volts.
Hence, it is imperative that the power connection is always checked whenever new cables and
connectors are used. This can be done by measuring the DC power voltage at the MRU
connector before connecting the MRU. The warranty does not cover burnt out power or signal
I/O circuits. The MRU must be protected by an external fast fuse rated at 1 A or a power
supply with a current limit must be used. The MRU will short circuit a reversed polarity
power supply and blow this fuse without damage to the unit. If such a fuse is not used, the
internal power supply will burn out and the MRU will be permanently damaged.
2.5 Performance data
2.5.1 MRU 6 specification
Function
The MRU 6 outputs roll, pitch and yaw with magnetic north seeking together with relative
dynamic heave, surge and sway measurements. It has accurate measurements of roll, pitch
and heave at high horizontal accelerations. Use of the built-in magnetic north sensor or an
external heading input provides a precise estimation of the angular yaw rate error and the
availability of heading information output at high data rate. The MRU can operate through
360 degrees in all axes.
8
Figure 1 MRU 6 functional modules
Typical applications are sonar compensation of orientation and heave on ROVs and ships that
require absolute north information, motion sensor for motion control and damping systems for
high speed vessels and advanced ocean wave measurement systems with north information.
Variables Output from the MRU 6
The MRU 6 outputs roll, pitch and yaw angles and corresponding angular rate vectors fixed to
the vehicle frame. Symmetric Euler parameters of rotation are also available. The unit outputs
relative (dynamic) heave, surge, sway positions, velocities and accelerations in adjustable
frames. The MRU 6 provides a magnetic field in the fixed vehicle frame or geographic frame.
Variables Input to the MRU 6
The unit may be integrated with external input of velocity and heading from external systems.
Commands plus data may be transmitted to the MRU 6 via the RS-232 interface at any time.
In addition, an external one-second time pulse signal can be input to the unit on the XIN Pin
or the AUX3 line to enable complete synchronisation of the MRU with an external clock
system (typical from a GPS system or other highly accurate time source).
Angular Rate Sensors

Number of sensors:..................................................................................................................... 3
Angular orientation range: ........................................................................................... Unlimited
Angular rate range: ........................................................................................................... ±150°/s
Resolution in all axes: ........................................................................................................ 0.001°
9
Orientation Output
Angular rate noise1 roll, pitch, yaw:....................................................................... 0.015°/s RMS
Static1 accuracy roll, pitch: ........................................................................................ 0.02° RMS
Static accuracy heading (no magn. vehicle influence, <60° latitude): ......................... 0.3° RMS
Dynamic accuracy heading (at optimal magnetic conditions, <60° latitude): ................ 1° RMS
Dynamic2 accuracy roll, pitch (for a ±5° amplitude): ................................................ 0.02° RMS
Scale factor error: ......................................................................................................0.15% RMS
Acceleration Sensors
Acceleration range (all axes):......................................................................................... ±30 m/s2
Acceleration noise1: ........................................................................................... 0.002 m/s2 RMS
Acceleration accuracy: ......................................................................................... 0.01 m/s2 RMS
Heave Motion Output

Output range: .................................................................................................... ±50 m, adjustable
Periods: ............................................................................................................................ 1 to 25 s
Dynamic accuracy: ................................................................... 5 cm or 5% whichever is highest
Magnetic Sensors
Magnetic sensor input range: ................................................................................... ±100 μTesla
Magnetometer resolution (all axes):........................................................................... <10 nTesla
Magnetic sensor noise1:...................................................................................... 0.1 μTesla RMS
Magnetic sensor scale factor error: .............................................................................0.5% RMS
Magnetic signature (at 1 m distance, worst direction typical 10 nTesla): ................. <50 nTesla
Magnetic Output
3-axis terrestrial field in the fixed vehicle or geographic frame: ............................. ±100 μTesla
Internal Processing
Internal update rate, angular rate sensors: ......................................................................... 400 Hz
Main processing cycle frequency: ..................................................................................... 100 Hz
Orientation estimation cycle frequency: ............................................. 1 Hz, Kalman filter based
Orientation erection time (from power on): ...................................................... Max. 15 minutes
1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.
2) When the MRU is exposed to a combined two-axis sinusoidal angular motion with 10-
minutes duration.
10
Function
The MRU 5 is the same as the MRU 6 except that it contains no magnetic sensor. The MRU
unit provides no absolute north information and the measurement drifts slowly in yaw, except
when external heading is input to the MRU 5.
Typical applications are roll, pitch and heave compensation of multi-beam echo sounders on
ROVs and ships for seabed mapping, heave compensation of offshore cranes, dynamic motion
monitoring of roll, pitch angles and linear accelerations on offshore structures and platforms
and roll, pitch and heave measurements for use in dynamic positioning systems.
frames.
Commands plus data may be transmitted to the MRU 5 via the RS-232 interface at any time.
11

Orientation Output
Angular rate noise1 roll, pitch, yaw (typical 0.020°/s RMS): ................................ 0.025°/s RMS
Scale factor error (typical 0.04% RMS):...................................................................0.08% RMS
Heave Motion Output

Periods: ............................................................................................................................ 1 to 25 s
Internal Processing
minutes duration.
Function
The MRU 4 is built the same way as the MRU 6 but utilises a different type of angular rate
sensors. The MRU 4 is specially designed to accurately measure roll, pitch and heave together
with magnetic heading in environments with extreme horizontal accelerations.
The unit accepts external input of speed and heading information for improved accuracy in
heave, roll and pitch during turns and accelerations.
12
The MRU 4 is an ideal sensor for orientation and heave measurements of oceanographic
buoys, tow-fish and ROVs.
frames. The MRU 4 provides a magnetic field in the fixed vehicle frame or geographic frame.
The unit may be integrated with external input of speed log and heading from an external
gyro compass. Commands plus data may be transmitted to the MRU 4 via the RS-232
interface at any time.

13
Orientation Output
Angular rate noise1 roll, pitch, yaw:........................................................................... 0.1°/s RMS
Static accuracy heading (no magn. vehicle influence, <60° latitude): ......................... 0.5° RMS
Dynamic accuracy heading (at optimal magnetic conditions, <60° latitude): ............. 1.2° RMS
Scale factor error: ........................................................................................................0.2% RMS
Heave Motion Output

Periods: ............................................................................................................................ 1 to 25 s
Magnetic Sensors
Magnetic sensor input range: ................................................................................... ±100 μTesla
Magnetometer resolution (all axes):........................................................................... <10 nTesla
Magnetic sensor noise1:...................................................................................... 0.1 μTesla RMS
Magnetic sensor scale factor error: .............................................................................0.5% RMS
Magnetic signature (at 1 m distance, worst direction typical 10 nTesla): ................. <50 nTesla
Magnetic Output
3-axis terrestrial field in the fixed vehicle or geographic frame: ............................. ±100 μTesla
Internal Processing
minutes duration.
14
2.5.4 MRU H specification
Function
The MRU H is constructed in the same way as the MRU 5 but utilises a different type of
angular rate sensors. The MRU H is specially designed for motion measurements in marine
applications requiring highly accurate heave measurements in environments with extreme
horizontal accelerations.
heave, roll and pitch during turns and acceleration.
Figure 4 MRU H functional modules
The MRU H is an ideal sensor for roll, pitch and heave compensation of echo sounders and
sonars. The MRU H can also be used on typical ship motions monitoring applications such as
hull stress monitoring, voyage recording, helideck motion monitoring, as well as with
dynamic positioning systems.
Variables Output from the MRU H
The MRU H outputs roll, pitch and yaw angles and corresponding angular rate vectors fixed
to the vehicle frame. Symmetric Euler parameters of rotation are also available. The unit
outputs relative (dynamic) heave, surge, sway-positions, velocities and accelerations in
adjustable frames.
15
Variables Input to the MRU H
Commands plus data may be transmitted to the MRU H via the RS-232 interface at any time.

Orientation Output
Heave Motion Output

Periods: ............................................................................................................................ 1 to 25 s
Internal Processing
minutes duration.
16
2.5.5 MRU Z specification
Function
The MRU Z is constructed in the same way as the MRU H but utilises a different type of
linear accelerometers. The limitation compared to an MRU H is that the MRU Z can only be
mounted in one fixed direction relative to the ship and that is with the connector pointing
down. The cost-effective MRU Z model is specially designed for use in marine applications
and is the ideal sensor for heave compensation of echo sounders. The unit incorporates 3-axis
Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Structure (MEMS) sensors for both linear acceleration and angular
rate.
heave, roll and pitch during turns and acceleration.
Figure 5 MRU Z functional modules
Variables Output from the MRU Z
The MRU Z outputs roll, pitch and yaw angles and corresponding angular rate vectors fixed
to the vehicle frame. Symmetric Euler parameters of rotation are also available. The unit
outputs relative (dynamic) heave, surge, sway-positions, velocities and accelerations in
adjustable frames.
Variables Input to the MRU Z
Commands plus data may be transmitted to the MRU Z via the RS-232 interface at any time.
17

Angular orientation range: ....................................................................................................±45°
Orientation Output
Static1 accuracy roll, pitch: .......................................................................................... 0.1° RMS
Acceleration noise1: ............................................................................................. 0.01 m/s2 RMS
Scale factor error: ...........................................................................................................1% RMS
Heave Motion Output

Periods: ............................................................................................................................ 1 to 25 s
Dynamic accuracy (RMS): ....................................................... 5 cm or 5% whichever is highest
Internal Processing
Settling time in heave to obtain full accuracy (from power on): ...................... Max. 60 minutes
minutes duration.
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Function
The MRU 2 is specially designed for use in marine applications that require both static and
dynamic roll and pitch measurements. The unit incorporates 2-axis sensors for linear
acceleration and angular rate. The limitation compared to an MRU H which has 3-axis
angular rate and acceleration measurements, is that the MRU 2 is not capable of measuring
heave and can only be mounted in one fixed direction relative to the ship. The MRU 2
achieves high reliability by using sensors with no rotational or mechanical wear-out parts.
Typical applications for an MRU 2 are roll and pitch measurements for use within voyage
recording and dynamic positioning systems, and for antenna compensation.
The MRU 2 outputs roll and pitch angles and corresponding angular rate vectors fixed to the
vehicle frame. The unit outputs relative (dynamic) surge and sway velocities and
accelerations.
An external one second time pulse signal can be input to the unit on the XIN Pin or the AUX3
line to enable complete synchronisation of the MRU with an external clock system (typical
from a GPS system or other highly accurate time source).
19

Orientation Output
Angular rate noise1 roll, pitch: ................................................................................... 0.1°/s RMS
Dynamic2 accuracy roll, pitch (for a ±5° amplitude): .................................................. 0.1° RMS
Internal Processing
minutes duration.
2.5.7 MRU D specification
Function
The cost-effective MRU D model is specially designed for use in marine applications and is
the ideal sensor for roll and pitch measurements on board ships. The unit incorporates 2-axis
Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Structure (MEMS) sensors for both linear acceleration and angular
rate. This unit achieves high reliability by using solid state sensors with no rotational or
mechanical wear-out parts.
This unit has to be mounted in a fixed direction relative to the ship and is best suited for
applications with limited range in roll and pitch. If unlimited mounting orientation and/or
unlimited mounting range is required we recommend one of the MRU models with sensors in
all three axis.
20
Figure 7 The MRU-D functional modules
Typical applications for this MRU D model are roll and pitch measurements for use within
voyage recording and dynamic positioning systems, and for antenna compensation.
Variables Output from the MRU D
The MRU D outputs roll and pitch angles and corresponding angular rate vectors fixed to the
vehicle frame. The unit outputs relative (dynamic) surge and sway velocities and
accelerations.
Variables Input to the MRU D
An external one second time pulse signal can be input to the unit on the XIN Pin to enable
complete synchronisation of the MRU with an external clock system (typical from a GPS
system or other highly accurate time source).

Resolution in all axes: .......................................................................................................... 0.01°
Orientation Output
Angular rate noise1 roll, pitch: ................................................................................... 0.5°/s RMS
Static1 accuracy roll, pitch: .......................................................................................... 0.3° RMS
Dynamic2 accuracy roll, pitch (for a ±15° amplitude): .............................................. 0.45° RMS
21
Acceleration noise1: ............................................................................................. 0.01 m/s2 RMS
Scale factor error: ...........................................................................................................1% RMS
Internal Processing
minutes duration.
Function
The MRU 1 is a single axis motion sensor with the same external housing, signal processing
electronics and power supply as the MRU 6. This unit measures linear acceleration in one
axis by use of a high quality servo accelerometer. The MRU 1 is capable of synchronising and
time-tagging data to a master system. The MRU 1 has the same thermal accelerometer
modelling and calibration as found in the other MRU models.
22
The MRU 1 is the ideal sensor for accurate measurement of vertical and transverse motion.
The sensor is specifically designed for measuring accelerations on board ships or in offshore
structures.
The MRU 1 outputs linear acceleration in one axis, the Y-axis.
An external one-second time pulse signal can be input to the unit on the XIN line to enable
complete synchronisation of the MRU with an external clock system (typical from a GPS
system or other highly accurate time source).

Number of sensors:............................................................................................................... None
Sensitive axis:.................................................. Y-axis, along length direction of MRU cylinder.
Vibration lowpass filtering (2 order LP-filter): ................................... Adjustable, 0.01 to 25 Hz
Period range for integration: ........................................................................................... 1 to 25 s
Internal Processing
Internal sample rate at accelerometer:...................................... 400 kHz (aliasing free sampling)
2.6 Restrictions in use
The MRU models are designed for marine applications with a linear acceleration less than
±30 m/s2 (±3g) and an angular rate range less than ±150°/s. Only relative dynamic position,
velocity and acceleration are available from the models. The MRU is not intended for
standard inertial navigation purposes.
The linear motion measurements are limited by the selection of their motion periods available
in the range 1 to 25 seconds.
Note Even though the dynamic measurement range of the MRU 5 and H models is
unlimited, the static measurement range is limited to maximum ±45°. If this limit
is exceeded, an instability may occur. This restriction in use can be avoided by
23
inputting external heading information to these models. The same restriction in

use will occur on the MRU 6 and 4 models if the fluxgate usage is disabled and no
external heading information is sent to the unit.
2.7 Physical dimensions
MRU 1, 2, H, 4, 5 and 6 models

Height: ............................................................................................................................. 204 mm
Diameter: ......................................................................................................................... 105 mm
Weight: ............................................................................................................................... 2.5 kg
Colour: ................................................................................................................................... Blue
MRU D and Z models

Height: ............................................................................................................................. 129 mm
Diameter: ......................................................................................................................... 105 mm
Weight: ............................................................................................................................... 1.5 kg
Colour: ................................................................................................................................... Blue
2.8 Power
Voltage input: ....................................................................................................12 to 30 Volt DC

Recommended voltage: .............................................................................................. 24 Volt DC
Power consumption, MRU 6 model (power up surge): ........................................ Max. 11 Watts
Power consumption, MRU 6 model (max. at -5°C operation temp): ............................... 9 Watts
Power consumption, MRU 6 models (max. at +50°C operation temp. or above): .......... 5 Watts
Power consumption, MRU 5 model: ....................................................................... Max. 8 Watts
Power consumption, MRU 4, H, 3, 2 & 1 models: ................................................. Max. 6 Watts
Power consumption, MRU D & Z models: ............................................................. Max. 3 Watts
Power rise speed:........................................................................................................ Not critical
Batteries: ...................................................................... None, connection to UPS recommended
2.9 Environmental specification
All MRU models

Enclosure material:...................................................................................... Anodised aluminium
Enclosure protection: .......................................................................................................... IP-66
Operating temp. range: ............................................................................................... -5 to +55ºC
Operating humidity: ............................................................................................ Sealed, no limit
Storage temp. range: ................................................................................................. -20 to +70ºC
Storage humidity: ................................................................................................ Sealed, no limit
Max. allowed vibration operational (10 - 2000 Hz continuous): .................................... 0.5 m/s2
Max. allowed vibration non operational (0 - 2000 Hz continuous): ................................ 20 m/s2
Max. shock non operational (10 ms peak): .................................................................. 1000 m/s2
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2.10 Other data
Digital I/O Protocol

No. of output serial lines: ...................................................................... One, RS-232 compatible
Max. no of output variables: .................................................................................................... 16
Max. output data rate: ....................................................................................................... 100 Hz
Data delay:......................................................................... Typical 9 ms plus transmission delay
Data out: ............................................... By request from host computer or cyclic output of data
No. of input serial lines: ..................................................................... Three, RS-232 compatible
Digital RS-232 Interface

The digital interface is shared between the setup/configuration and general data output. The
digital interface can be used independent of the analog interface.
Digital output: RS-232 compatible, but high current drive capability. Ground common to
the MRU communication ground. Galvanically isolated from electronics.
Digital input: RS-232 compatible, ground can be used differentially. Galvanically isolated
from electronics.
Baud rate: Software adjustable 1200 - 57600 baud 8 bits, no handshake, adjustable
parity.
Drive length: The RS-232 drive length can be increased to 1 km by the use of a special
RS-232 enhancer at the cable end opposite to the MRU. Max. baud rate at 1
km is 9600 baud.
Analog Data Out

No. of channels:.......................................................................................................................... 4
Range:..................................................................... ±10V, 0 to 10V, ±5V DC, 14 bits resolution
Absolute accuracy: ......................................................................................... <0.1% of full scale
Output data rate: ................................................................................................................ 100 Hz
Data delay:............................................................................................................ Typical 7.5 ms
Electrical data: ........................................................................................ Output resistance 100Ω
Max. external load:...................................................................... 10kΩ (1MΩ for full accuracy)
Other
Internal lithium battery life: .......................................................................................... >10 years
MTBF (computed): ......................................................................................................... 50000 h
Connector: .................................................................................... Souriau 851-36RG 16-26 S50
25
Blank page
26
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Installation
3. INSTALLATION
For description of installation of the MRU, please see the Installation Manual for your MRU
model number, reference [2], [3], [4], [5] or [6].
27
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Installation
Blank page
28
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Technical description
4. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
4.1 Design principles
This chapter covers basic properties of inertial motion measurement and explains how the
Seatex MRU models are functioning. It also defines the basic principles required to
understand the function of motion measurement devices.
4.1.1 Six degrees of freedom motion
A free moving body or vehicle has six independent degrees of freedom which may be
quantified as:
a) Linear translations in three perpendicular axes directions (x,y,z below).
b) Rotation about three perpendicular axes (shown below as Θx,Θy,Θz).
Figure 9 Rigid body motion
To obtain full knowledge concerning the state of this body or vehicle we also need to know
the velocities of the six entities above. Twelve totally independent numbers or variables are
needed to describe the full state of a moving stiff body at a given moment. The derivatives of
the velocities are accelerations, and the differentiated angular velocities are angular
accelerations. These six accelerations provide information about the forces acting on the
vehicle and can additionally be of value to the customer's system.
29
Inertial motion measurement can similarly be divided into the following tasks:
a) Inertial orientation measurements.
b) Inertial linear translation measurements.
Inertial orientation measurement requires a gyro-like device which physically measures

angular acceleration, angular velocity or angular displacements. Some sensors physically
measure angular rate, and integrate the rate over time to compute the angular displacement in
the sensor interface. This allows an angular rate sensor to perform like an angular
displacement sensor.
The inertial linear translation measurement requires acceleration measurement. There exists
no inertial sensor that directly measures the physical linear velocity. Consequently, the linear
motion is integrated over time twice to obtain the translations. This puts high requirements on
the accelerometers. Also, the orientation measurement must be very accurate to alleviate the
unavoidable g-component of the acceleration.
Inertial measurement of linear translations are only useful if the orientation of the body or
vehicle is known (for example if the motion is mechanically constrained in some way), or the
orientation is measured. In most cases, orientation measurement cannot be avoided, even if
only the linear acceleration, velocity and translation are measured.
Variables Output from the MRU and Similar Systems
The theoretical maximum number of variables available from an inertial measurement system
is 18. This includes the six accelerations (3 linear, 3 rotational) resulting from the forces
acting on the body. The other 12 are six velocities (3 linear, 3 rotational) and six
displacements (3 linear, 3 rotational).
Most inertial systems can only output some of these variables because the units are dedicated
to a specific application. The MRU can output all 18 variables mentioned above, with some
limitations:
a) Only dynamic (short-term) changes in velocities and positions can be measured.
b) Only dynamic changes in heading (or rotation about a true vertical axis) can be measured
if magnetic heading cannot be used.
c) The angular accelerations are obtained by numeric differentiation of the angular rates.
There are no separate sensors that measure angular acceleration.
The 18 basic output variables can be represented in several ways that are more or less
equivalent. The user can, in principle, compute all the desired variables from these basic 18
variables.
30
4.1.2 Gravity erection of orientation
Most practical Motion Reference Units utilise gravity to locate the vertical direction. The
gravity and the orientation of the system referred to earth down is measured by linear
accelerometers. Since the gravity is a known figure (g = 9.81 m/s2), the measured acceleration
from the accelerometer, a, is used to calculate the orientation of the accelerometer according
to earth down, see the figure below. The orientation angle of the accelerometer according to g
is directly given as:
δφ = arcsin (a/g)
where,
a: measured acceleration by the accelerometer.
g: the gravity.
a
Accelerometer
g
Figure 10 Orientation measurements by utilising accelerometer
An important feature for such systems is to minimise the sensitivity to the horizontal
accelerations of the ship or vehicle. This is a contradiction because the last accelerations
cannot be separated from the g-vector by an accelerometer. A pure, classical inclinometer
directly measures the total acceleration direction. This results in large inclination errors when
horizontal accelerations are present.
The ideal situation is to utilise a Motion Reference Unit that averages the g-vector over an
extremely long period of time in order to obtain an accurate reading of the vertical direction.
A ship or a vessel will only accelerate for a limited time (except if cruising in circles). The
sensitivity to short term horizontal accelerations is restricted by averaging the gravity over
time. The angular erection to the vertical is calculated in the MRU in a complicated way,
since the calculation is carried out for 3 axes in parallel. The erection is performed through
software in the MRU. Figure 11 shows the principle for a simplified 1-axis MRU like device.
The function is:
a) Angular rate is integrated to roll angle.
31
b) Inclination is measured by the use of an accelerometer sensitive in the side direction of

the ship.
c) The roll angle is slowly adjusted from the difference between inclinometer output and
integrated roll rate.
Figure 11 A single axis rate gyro based device
A very small feedback in the controller results in low acceleration sensitivity, but errors in the
angular rate sensors will contribute largely to the error in the roll angle output φ. The better
the quality of the angular rate sensor and the better estimate errors in the angular rate sensors,
the better the total performance of the system will be. In a device like the MRU advanced
error models are used in order to reduce the errors as much as possible (see chapter 4.2.3 for
more details).
Figure 11 shows how the speedlog subtracts an adjustment on the side acceleration of the ship
to compensate for acceleration set up by the rate of turning at a high speed.
32
4.1.3 How to compute velocity/position
Position and velocity are both computed from acceleration in inertial Motion Reference Units.
If the acceleration measurement was infinitely accurate, it would be sufficient to integrate this
measurement twice to obtain the true position. The basic problem is to subtract the g-
component of the measured acceleration. It is also important to know the orientation of the
gravity force relative to the ship, and not just the magnitude of the gravity.
Angular rate sensors provide the orientation. The angular rate sensing and the accurate
determination of the orientation of g are the limiting factors concerning the computation of
the linear velocity and position in most motion sensing products. The subtraction of the g-
vector is easily performed on a stabilised mechanical platform, where the accelerometers are
directly mounted on the platform.
One fundamental property to be aware of is that it is much easier to remove the g-influence in
the vertical component than in the horizontal component of the acceleration vector. A small
error in roll/pitch angle δφ results in the following horizontal acceleration error:
aerr = g⋅δφ
For the vertical direction the same influence is approximately:
aerr = 0.5⋅δφ2
where,
δφ is given in radians
aerr is given in m/s2
A small error in the acceleration will be integrated over a long period of time. It is necessary
to low pass filter the integration of the acceleration to velocity and position to some given
values, so that the unavoidable errors are kept under control. This principle is shown for a
single axis in Figure 12. In the Seatex MRU the reference position and reference velocity are
always kept at zero. This means that if the MRU senses no motion, it will slowly reset the
position and velocity to zero. This type of device is best for sensing fast changes in position
and velocity.
33
Figure 12 Computation of velocity/position
The controller shown in Figure 12 can be tuned to choose between good low frequency
performance or to minimise the bias in the velocity and the position. The unit will not perform
well for linear motion with a frequency below the cutoff frequency (see chapter 4.2.3.3 for
more information).
34
4.1.4 Magnetic north seeking
North seeking can basically be performed in the following three ways:
1) By utilising the earth angular rotation rate, like in the gyro compasses.
2) By measuring the heading relative to an inertial frame from accurate position

measurements, like in GPS compasses.
3) By using the earth magnetic field, like in magnetic compasses such as the MRU models 4
and 6.
The MRU models 4 and 6 have a 3-axis magnetometer inside to provide magnetic north
measurements. The principle of determining heading from the MRU is very similar to the one
used for the vertical erection discussed above and shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Magnetic north seeking
The three measurements from the magnetometer can be compensated for the local vessel
softmagnetic and hardmagnetic field, described in chapter 4.1.5. This is very important when
the MRU is placed in a magnetic environment with steel, DC engines, etc. The compensated
magnetic measurements are rotated from the body frame to a horizontal frame by the MRU
roll and pitch angles, indicated by the "software gimbals" box in Figure 13. The north
direction is then found from the compensated horizontal magnetic measurements by utilising
the fact that the earth magnetism has no east component. The difference between the magnetic
heading and the MRU yaw is fed through a Kalman Filter (slow controller) that updates the
bias estimate of the yaw rate gyro. This is, however, more complicated than shown here, since
the true vertical axis is different from the yaw axis, when the vessel is rolling and pitching.
35
4.1.5 Magnetic disturbances
Magnetic compasses operating in magnetic environments are disturbed by the local magnetic
field. The disturbances give larger azimuth errors for larger inclinations (the angle between
the vertical direction (gravity) and the earth magnetic vector), and especially in areas that are
closer to the poles, where the horizontal magnetic field is weaker.
Softmagnetic disturbances distort the earth field. Steel walls and other magnetic materials
change the direction and the magnitude of the earth magnetic field. However, these
disturbances are usually quite stable, since the distorting materials are not moving relative to
the magnetometer. These disturbances may cause an azimuth error of 4-30 degrees if not
compensated for, depending on the magnetic environment on-board the vessel.
Hardmagnetic disturbances from permanent magnets and electrical currents add magnetism to
the earth's field. These can change more easily by temperature changes, shocks, people
carrying magnets passing by etc. Typically, hardmagnetic disturbances can give an azimuth
error of 20-30 degrees if not compensated for depending on the magnetic environment on-
board the vessel. Typically, a 1 A electrical current through a long straight wire located a 3
cm distance away from the magnetometer, will set up an equivalent magnetic field to the earth
magnetic field.
This illustrates how sensitive the magnetometer inside magnetic compasses is for magnetic
disturbances. In the MRU 4 and 6 models the magnetic disturbances can be compensated for
by the included software for magnetic neutralisation of the vessel's own magnetic signature.
In chapter 4.2.3.2 it is described how magnetic neutralisation is implemented in the MRU
software.
4.1.6 Frames for measurements of motion entities
It is necessary to operate with a unified co-ordinate frame in order to avoid confusion in the
definitions of the outputs from the MRU. Many different definitions are used in industry. The
following basic rules apply:
a) Frames are orthogonal, which means that there are 90-degree angles between the axes.
Frames have a name.
b) The frames are always right-hand oriented as shown in Figure 14. The succession of axes
are X, Y and Z. Translations, velocities and accelerations are positive in the direction of
the axis.
c) Turning is defined as positive around a given axis, when the rotation is clockwise seen
from the origin along a given axis. Rotation X means rotation around the axis X in the
frame.
36
Figure 14 Right oriented frame
4.1.6.1 Definition of frames and variables
Geographic Frame or G-frame
This frame is called the g-frame. The g-frame has its origin at the current geographic location
and is fixed to the earth surface. The frame is chosen with the following successive axes
directions:
N: Geographic north
E: Geographic east
D: Down
37
Figure 15 Geographic frame and body frame
Down is defined by the local gravity (normal to the ideal earth geoide).
Body Frame or B-frame
We call this frame the b-frame. This frame is fixed to the vehicle or ship with its origin in the
ship's centre of gravity, CG. The definition of the axes directions is as follows:
R: R-axis Points in the bow direction of a ship and horizontally when pitch angle is
zero.
P: P-axis Points in the starboard direction of a ship and horizontally when roll angle is
zero.
Y: Y-axis Points down in the direction of gravity when roll and pitch are zero.
38
Figure 16 Body/vehicle frame definition
4.1.6.2 Used reference frames
Commonly used frames in the MRU are:
g: Geographic frame, with north, east and down at a given location.
h: Heading frame, axes F(forward), S(starboard), D(down). The F and S are always in the
horizontal plane. The axis directions F and S are the axes for surge and sway motion as
defined here. This h-frame is the same as the g-frame rotated the heading angle around
the D-axis.
b: Body frame. This frame is fixed to the vehicle or ship with its origin in the ship's centre
of gravity, CG.
s: Sensor frame. This frame is defined by the MRU itself (the axes marked on the housing
of the MRU). The s and b-frame are identical if the MRU mounting angles set in the
software configuration, are zero.
39
Figure 17 Overview of used frames
40
4.2 Construction
This chapter contains an in-depth description of the function of the top model MRU 6. The
description is intended for potential users who want to see if the MRU is suitable for their
application. The differences between the MRU 6 and the lower model versions are described
in chapter 2.5.
The description of the highest level functions of an MRU 6 are shown in Figure 18 and the
mechanical layout in Figure 18. All functions are located inside the housing of the MRU,
including power supply and all signal processing. The function is similar to an Inertial
Navigation System (INS). This applies to both sensors and processing algorithms.
The interior of the MRU is divided into two sub-assemblies consisting of an electronics unit
and a sensor unit. The model depends on the type of sensors in the MRU. The electronic unit
consists of plug-in circular multi layer boards. Extensive use is made of surface mounted
components. The number of sensor boards mounted will depend on the MRU model number.
The unit is divided into nine separate mechanical parts, which may be exchanged very quickly
by plug-in boards when the housing cylinder has been removed. The housing cylinder should,
however, not be removed by anyone else than Seatex.
41
Figure 19 MRU 6 mechanical layout
42
4.2.1 Internal sensors
The MRU 6 has three built-in sensors that measure the following physical vector quantities:
angular rate, linear acceleration and magnetic field. The sensor system is equal for all three
axes, providing no limitations in mounting or operational orientation. The sensor readings are
scaled, linearized, orthogonalized and temperature compensated before they are passed on to
the more advanced signal processing inside the MRU. This is described in chapter 4.2.3.
The sensor axes are accurately aligned to the axes marked on the top lid of the MRU by the
orthogonalisation procedure. This means that accurate axis directional trimming is not
performed mechanically, but by computer software. The precision reference is the top lid.
Index holes in the top lid help the customer to align the MRU properly. The actual MRU axes
can be turned by software to various sets of roll, pitch and yaw angles relative to the basic
directions marked on the MRU housing.
No analog trimming is used inside the MRU. All sensors are trimmed by software during a
computer controlled calibration and burn-in-procedure completed at the factory.
4.2.1.1 The angular rate sensors
The MRU models measure the angular rate vector initially without the use of moving parts
(gyros). Coriolis force based vibratory angular rate sensors are used in the MRU 5 and 6
models. These rate sensors use linear vibratory motion instead of rotary motion, and have low
power consumption and no wear-out parts.
The accuracy of the angular rate sensors is very important for the accuracy of the MRU. If the
gyroscopes are accurate only small and slow feedback from the accelerometers is needed to
determine the vertical direction at all times. This ensures low sway and surge acceleration
sensitivity in the vertical direction.
The characteristics of the Coriolis force based angular rate sensors are as follows:
• Very low environmental sensitivity to acceleration and vibration given by high frequent
oscillation (14 kHz), and a symmetric design that cancels external vibrations. This means
that mechanical vibrations in the sensor have only limited impact on the MRU rate
sensors.
• Both the scale factor (gain) and the offset (zero) of the sensors are stabilised by a
symmetric and simple mechanical design of the oscillatory mechanical system. Electrical
drift is cancelled in the basic analog design.
• High linearity, which results in small average drift errors during oscillating rate loads (as
on a ship's roll axis).
• Small high frequency noise level.
The design of the Coriolis gyro is based on the use of a vibration cylinder.
43
Figure 20 The Coriolis force rate gyro function
d Drive axis direction.

f Feedback, measurement of drive axis.
s Sensing axis.
c Compensation axis.
ω Rotation rate in an axis normal to the paper plane.
v Linear velocity set up by driven oscillation.
ac The Coriolis acceleration.
The sensor is implemented as a force feedback system. The d-axis is used for excitation, and
the f-axis is used to measure the drive amplitude to control the excitation. A measurement
feedback loop controls an excitation along the c-axis. This excitation cancels the vibration set
up along axis s given by the Coriolis acceleration ac, which we want to measure. The drive
signal to the c-axis is thus the final output from the rate sensor. The gyroscopes are interfaced
to the computer by a high resolution A/D system (∑δ technology), and some of the signal
processing for the rate integration is performed directly in a gate array creating the interface
to the micro-computer. A similar design based on quarts rate sensors are used in the MRU
models 4, H and 2.
4.2.1.2 The accelerometers
The accelerometers in the MRU 5 and 6 models are of the accurate pendulum type. These
accelerometers consist of a proof mass, a hinge, some damping, a pickoff, a forcer and a servo
loop.
44
Figure 21 The pendulum accelerometer construction
The etched quarts seismic element is held in place by an electronic servo loop during both
static and dynamic acceleration. Acceleration is determined by measuring the current required
to keep the seismic element (proof mass) in place. The current output is directly proportional
to the acceleration input.
The accelerometers are interfaced to the internal MRU computer with a special integrating
interface, based on gate array technology. This means that the computer directly reads
velocity increments and not acceleration, from this interface. The resolution of the
accelerometer interface is very high due to the Σδ signal conversion technology.
4.2.1.3 The magnetometer
The magnetometer is based on the servo fluxgate principle. This means that a local 3-axis coil
system (of Helmholtz type) cancels the external (the field to be measured) magnetic field. The
output from the sensor is then three DC currents representing the three magnetic field
components. The relation between current and magnetic field in a non-ferromagnetic
environment is linear and given by Biot Savart's law. This means high gain stability and high
linearity. This sensor has a much better linearity and stability than standard fluxgate sensors
based on direct voltage output from the fluxgate itself without the use of a zero field.
A zero field detector is placed inside this coil system and creates feedback to the DC current
flowing in the Helmholtz coils. The detection of the zero field offset is carried out by the use
of a traditional fluxgate based on a ferromagnetic metallic glass core and non-orthogonal use
of the core.
The electronics is directly controlled by the micro-computer for easy self-check and trimming
of the sensor from the internal MRU computer. Most of the electronics is placed in a gate
array. The DC current output conversion is implemented by the use of a ∑δ high resolution
A/D converter.
45
4.2.2 Sensor calibration procedure
An advanced, time efficient and error-safe procedure for calibration of the internal sensors is
one of the key properties to achieve the quality of the MRU product. Calibration,
orthogonalisation, linearisation and temperature compensation is carried out for each physical
sensor inside each MRU by a computerised procedure.
For calibration of the angular rate sensors and the accelerometers a 2-axis Acutronic rate table
system with temperature chamber, is used. The calibration process is fully automated with the
capacity of calibrating and testing eight MRUs simultaneously. Due to the temperature
chamber on the rate table, temperature gradients can be kept at a minimum during calibration.
The accuracy of this Acutronic system is better than 1 arc s (0.0003°) and provides a very
accurate reference during calibration and testing. The calibration of the angular rate sensors is
performed at different rates and temperatures. The accelerometers in the MRU are calibrated
by setting the rate table at certain angles relative to the vertical and repeating the procedure
for different temperatures. From these data the complete sensor calibration parameters are
computed using a generalised least square parameter fit procedure.
The magnetometer is calibrated with the MRU inside a precise 3-axis Helmholtz coil set
controlled by a computer. This is a magnetic field generator that generates homogenous
magnetic fields. Fields with different directions and magnitudes are set up across the MRU.
The internal dynamic and static ferro-magnetism of the MRU is compensated for in the sensor
calibration.
The parameters from the calibration process for each MRU can be found in the ASCII file
with the name "mruNNNN.par" on the floppy disk accompanying each MRU delivery. Here
NNNN is the serial number of the MRU.
4.2.2.1 MRU calibration certificate
After calibration, static and dynamic tests are performed on each MRU for final performance
verification. These tests are carried out utilising the Acutronic rate table system and
performed immediately after sensor calibration. The results from these tests are presented on
the MRU Calibration Certificate delivered with each unit.
In order to provide the customers with data showing the quality of each MRU compared with
its technical specifications, the following tests are carried out:
1) Dynamic roll and pitch test that combines two sine functions with different frequencies for
a 10-minute recording period. The results are presented by RMS numbers and plots of both
the measurements and the errors are shown on the certificate.
2) Static noise level test for the roll, pitch and yaw angles and angular rate along with the
accelerometers and the magnetic sensor. The results are presented as RMS numbers for a
30-minute recording period.
46
3) Rate gyro scale factor test by rotating each sensor axis in the rate table at ±10°/s and
±30°/s. The measured scale factor error is presented as an RMS number.
4) The accelerometer scale factor is tested by tilting the MRU in steps of 30 degrees around a
circle. The measured scale factor error is presented as an RMS number.
All the above tests are performed at room temperature. The Calibration Certificate contains
data of each measurement along with the test requirements and an approval column
(passed/failed). The test requirements are according to the technical specifications for each
MRU model given in chapter 2.5 in this manual.
Figure 22 The Calibration Certificate for an MRU 6
When an MRU has passed the test requirements for each test, the certificate is signed by the
tester and included in the MRU Delivery Specific Documents, ref. [7]. At the top of each
MRU Calibration Certificate there is a model type number, the serial number of the approved
unit and a unique Calibration Certificate number.
The formula for the RMS (Root Mean Square) calculation of the errors used in presenting the
performance accuracy on the MRU Calibration Certificate and the technical specification for
each MRU model, is as follows:
47
∑
1 N
RMS ( x) = x2
N i =1 i
where,
x the measured variable amplitude for the sample, i.
N the total number of samples.
4.2.3 Processing algorithms
It is important to understand its internal functions to fully exploit the possibilities of the
MRU. This section should be read before the MRU is used in a new application. The Seatex
MRU should not be used in applications for which it is not designed.
The MRU 6 operates much like a magnetic north seeking "strap down" inertial navigation
system. It is an inertial navigational system without use of gimbals or a mechanical platform.
All sensors are "strapped" to the housing of the unit or to the vehicle where the MRU is
mounted. The MRU 6 algorithms are tailored to obtain optimum performance from the
MRU's internal sensors in marine applications dominated by ocean wave induced roll, pitch
and heave motion. It is important to obtain as much information as possible from the angular
rate sensors, and to provide fast data response for use in critical real time applications of the
MRU.
A variable gain Kalman filter is part of the sensor error estimator. The algorithms take into
account the fact that the placement of the ship's centre of gravity, the MRU 6 location and the
measurement location on a ship, are usually different (lever arm compensation). An
"intuitive" description on how the MRU works, can be summarised as:
a) The angular rate sensors determine the short term orientation of the MRU, expressed as
roll, pitch and yaw angles or body angular velocity. Internally, the orientation
information is kept in a rotation matrix (a 3 x 3 matrix). This computation is executed at
fast cyclic rates and gives instant orientation response to the user.
b) A small feedback from the horizontal acceleration of the vehicle's centre of gravity, CG,
and the earth rate compensates for the angular rate sensor errors. (Compensation for
centripetal acceleration by speed log input is also performed, if available). In a time
frame of 3 to 10 minutes, the horizontal frame in the MRU will slowly be adjusted so that
the observed horizontal accelerations of the CG is averaged to zero.
c) A small feedback from the magnetometer in the heading direction compensates for the
angular rate sensor errors. This is done by first finding the true horizontal component of
the magnetic field, and then computing the north direction. The deviation from north is
used to correct angular rate sensor errors in the heading (yaw) direction. If no magnetic
sensor is available (MRU 5), or the magnetic conditions are poor, then external heading
information input from a gyro compass may replace the internal heading information.
When there is no heading information available, the measurement will drift slowly in
yaw. In this case the yaw angle is of no use.
48
d) Linear motions are computed by limited double integration of the acceleration. This
computation is performed in the g-frame. The limited integration means that the ideal 40
dB/decade frequency response of a double integration is broken at a lower cutoff
frequency. This frequency is typically chosen to be 0.005 Hz, but the user can change it
freely. If a low cutoff frequency is chosen, there will be a moving bias in the velocity
outputs. If a high frequency is chosen, the MRU will not measure low-frequency motions
well. The exact setting can be tuned to achieve the best performance from the MRU. (The
setting of this cutoff frequency corresponds to a tradeoff between external navigation
input weight and INS weight, for those who have worked with integrated navigation.)
The corresponding navigational input of the MRU is always set to zero.
Trimming of the MRU Axis Directions
The axis directions of the MRU are set to be aligned with the axis directions marked on the
MRU housing (R, P, Y) during the calibration procedure. When the MRU is installed in the
vehicle, it is important that the MRU axes are trimmed and aligned to the vehicle axis or the
axis of the system for which it is supposed to compensate the vehicle motions. These offset
angles between the MRU and the vehicle axes need to be downloaded to the MRU from the
setup software, MRC, or from a PC (see the Installation Manual for instructions). The entered
offset angle setting will change the directions of the sensor axes immediately, but the rate
sensors will not "feel" any physical rotation of the MRU. This means that the MRU will align
to the new direction given by the accelerometer and the axes of the magnetometer.
4.2.3.1 Computation of orientation
The orientation information is kept in an on-line rotation matrix representing the rotation of
the geographic frame (g-frame) relative to the body or vehicle frame (b-frame). From a given
initial value of the rotation matrix from b to g-frame Cbg , the present value of Cbg is calculated
by using the differential equation:
C& bg = Cbg ⋅ Ωb
Here,
Ω the skew symmetric form of the angular rate vector ωb

C&bg the time derivative of Cbg .
Angular rate sensors measure the angular rate. The equation above is solved with high
numeric accuracy using a special numerical method. Some of the processing is carried out in
the electronic interface and some in the software. An accurate computation is important for
the MRU's ability to operate in vibrating environments, where strong coning motion is a
problem.
49
The initial value of Cbg is computed in a special initial alignment procedure, where the average
value of the acceleration ab is supposed to provide the down-direction, and the heading from
the magnetic north defines the R-axis. If no magnetic north is available, the measurement will
drift slowly in yaw.
The average time needed to stabilise the initial alignment computation is approximately one
minute. Initial alignment starts immediately after power on, or after a command from the user.
If the vehicle has high dynamics (moves a lot) during startup, there may be problems with the
Kalman filter. At worst the alignment must be redone by restarting the MRU. High
dynamics during startup means that the MRU is moved up to ±10 degrees in all axes.
The Orientation Estimation
The orientation estimator observes angular rate sensor errors from the measurement of
acceleration and magnetic fields in the g-frame. The estimator is designed as a variable gain
Kalman filter. The gain is a function of the present noise levels estimated from the
measurements (dependent on the present orientation of the MRU) and the present estimated
error variance in this estimator.
Earth rate compensation takes place in the orientation estimator. The earth rate is slightly
higher than the random drift of the angular rate sensors. Earth rate compensation gives a
small improvement to the performance of the MRU during fast changes in the
orientation of the vehicle. Earth rate is only compensated for when absolute north direction
is available (this means MRU 6, 5, 4 or MRU H with external heading input).
If the vehicle turns with a high velocity or accelerates up to a high velocity, this may result in
a dangerous long term acceleration error in the vehicle's CG. This can occur even if there are
no excursions in roll or pitch angle.
Over a very long period of time (> 500 sec), the size of this error δφ in radians is directly
given by
δφ = a/g [rad]
where "a" is the horizontal acceleration and "g" is the gravity. In this case the MRU functions
like an inclinometer.
Over a short period of time, the roll and pitch error of the MRU is given by
δφ = kv ⋅ Δv
where "Δv" is the change in horizontal velocity of the MRU or the actual time integral of
acceleration, while
kv = 0.0014 [s/m]
A changed pitch rate will give a roll error with the opposite sign. The value of kv is rather low
for the MRU if compared to similar products. This means that the sway acceleration
sensitivity is generally lower for the MRU.
50
In the case of turning at a high speed, we get a centripetal acceleration caused error given by
δφ = kv ⋅ ψ ⋅ v
where "ψ" is the turn angle [rad] and "v" is the cruise speed.
An Example
A ship accelerates up to 10 m/s (20 knots) from standstill in a short time. The measured pitch
error caused by this is given as:
δφ = kv ⋅ 10 = 0.014 rad (0.8°)
The same ship does a fast turn of 180° at the same speed v = 10 m/s. The resulting roll error
angle is given as:
δφ = kv ⋅ π ⋅ 10 = 0.044 rad (2.5°)
As seen above, it is necessary to use an external velocity input to the MRU 6 (both speed and
heading input to MRU 5 and H) to restrict the errors on vessels that accelerate fast or operate
at high speeds. Note that the calculation above requires the turn to be so sharp that the
equivalent inclination error (direction of total acceleration) in the turn is more than 2.5
degrees. The error will converge to the acceleration direction after a long period of time. Most
of these errors will be eliminated with a velocity speed log (both speed and heading input
required for MRU 5 and H). An alternative is to neglect the vertical erection during short
periods of expected high acceleration.
Orientation Output Alternatives from the MRU
The orientation can be output as a rotation quaternion or as roll, pitch and yaw angles. The
basic internal entity in the MRU is the rotation quaternion from which the other quantities are
derived. There are several ways of defining these entities and below you will find how this is
defined in the MRU.
Roll, Pitch and Yaw (Angle) Output
There are numerous ways to define the orientation between the g-frame and the b-frame. We
will denote the roll, pitch and yaw angles (φ,θ,ψ), which are actual outputs from the MRU. It
is important to note that these angles are not directly related to the R, P and Y-axes. The used
definitions for roll, pitch and yaw angles (named φ,θ,ψ) are given by the following turning
operation between the frames g and b:
a) Start with the two frames g and b aligned.
51
b) Rotate the b-frame an angle ψ about the common Y and D-axis. This angle is defined as
the heading of the vehicle.
c) Rotate the b-frame an angle θ about the new P-axis of the b-frame.
d) Rotate the b-frame an angle φ about the new R-axis of the b-frame.
These definitions of rotation angles correspond to the standard definition of roll/pitch/yaw

angles for ships. The definition is a set of so-called Euler angles.
Notes
• The angles are measured from the start position to the final position in each step above.
Positive angular directions are clockwise rotations around the actual turning axis, when
looking from the origin to the end of the axis.
• Roll and yaw - angles are not defined for pitch angles of ±π/2 (so-called singular
configurations). This is because the roll angle and the yaw angle in this case both describe
a rotation about the same vertical axis. Ships do not reach this configuration of a 90-
degree pitch in normal operations. If the MRU is used on an ROV with full orientation
control, the user should apply the quaternion outputs. An MRU requiring external heading
input will also malfunction in the internal processing close to these points, due to that yaw
angle input (same as heading). An MRU 6 using the internal magnetometer will, however,
function in the entire orientation space.
How to Compute the Rotation Matrix from Roll, Pitch and Yaw
Each of these three rotations given by the roll, pitch and yaw angles can be represented by a
rotation matrix. If all three transformations are multiplied, we get the rotation matrix shown
below. The definition can be used if the user wants to generate the rotation matrix from roll,
pitch and yaw outputs from the MRU (C and S are short notes for cosine and sine).
⎡C (ψ )C (θ ) C (ψ ) S (θ ) S (φ ) − S (ψ )C (φ ) C (ψ ) S (θ )C (φ ) + S (ψ ) S (φ ) ⎤
Cbg = ⎢⎢ S (ψ )C (θ ) C (ψ )C (φ ) + S (ψ ) S (θ ) S (φ ) − C (ψ ) S (φ ) + S (ψ ) S (θ )C (φ )⎥⎥
⎢⎣ − S (θ ) C (θ ) S (φ ) C (θ )C (φ ) ⎥⎦
The roll and yaw outputs are also unusable close to θ = π/2 due to numeric inaccuracies. This
means that the roll, pitch and yaw angles should not be used when close to the singularity,
that is when operation in the vicinity of pitch angle = ±π/2 is expected. For example, do not
try to generate Cbg from φ,θ,ψ when close to this singularity.
52
Rotation Quaternion Output
The user can derive the rotation matrix by use of the corresponding symmetric Euler
parameters (quaternions ). The MRU quaternion output is a four parameter vector which
expresses the rotation matrix by the formula below. The quaternions can be an efficient way
to generate the rotation matrix in the user's software, because trigonometric function
evaluation is avoided, and there are no problems with singularities like at pitch = ±π/2. The
quaternion components are denoted q1 to q4, and the rotation matrix can be expressed as:
⎡q12 − q 22 − q 32 + q 42 2(q1 q 2 − q 3 q 4 ) 2(q1 q 3 + q 2 q 4 ) ⎤

⎢ ⎥
C bg = ⎢ 2(q1 q 2 + q 3 q 4 ) −q +q −q +q
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
4 2(q 2 q 3 − q1 q 4 ) ⎥
⎢ 2(q1 q 3 − q 2 q 4 ) 2(q 2 q 3 + q1 q 4 ) − q12 − q 22 + q 32 + q 42 ⎥⎦
⎣
[
q bg = [q1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 ] = l x sin (Θ / 2 ), l y sin (Θ / 2 ), l z sin (Θ / 2), cos(Θ / 2)
T
] T
Here lx, ly and lz are the direction cosines of the rotation axis, and Θ is the angle of rotation.
Horizontal Plane Pitch Angle Output
The MRU can output horizontal plane roll angle instead of roll angle around the present pitch
axis. This type of roll angle is used in the sensors manufactured by Datawell. The Datawell
sensors additionally output the sine of the roll and pitch angles. The MRU in this case
outputs:
RollHippy (var. no. 66) = sin(β) = sin(φ)⋅cos(θ)

PitchHippy (var. no. 67) = sin(α) = -sin(θ)
Here
φ is the Euler roll angle.
θ is the Euler pitch angle.
4.2.3.2 Magnetic heading estimation
The MRU models 4 and 6 include a 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer measuring the magnetic
field at the MRU location. In case of a dominating earth magnetic field (small magnetic
disturbances), a fairly good estimate of the vessels heading angle relative true north can be
determined and output from the MRU. An even better estimate is obtained if the measured
magnetic field can be compensated for the vessel magnetic signature.
The MRU software includes a procedure which can be performed in order to find this
magnetic signature. During training an internal model describing the magnetic signature is
updated continuously while providing online information about the model quality to the user.
If the user accepts the result from the training procedure, the model is stored and used
internally at runtime.
53
Magnetic field from magnetometer
Ship magnetic Ship magnetic

signature signature
neutralization estimation
Magnetic
heading
estimation
Internal heading
Angular rate
gyro bias
estimation
Figure 23 The magnetic heading estimation process
The training of the internal magnetic model is performed by running the MRU configuration
program, MRC, while turning the vessel. In the MRC magnetic neutralisation menu a model
quality figure is displayed that indicates when the model is properly trained. The collection of
magnetic samples has to last for at least five minutes and the vessel has to complete at least
one circle before a good magnetic model can be achieved. The data collection should continue
until the model quality figure is 0.8 or higher.
For more details on the magnetic estimation process, see description of the MRC software in
the Installation Manuals ref. [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].
Note If the vessel is operating in the vicinity of external constructions such as offshore
structures, putting up an additional magnetic field, the true north reference can
generally not be found, even though the vessel magnetic signature has been found.
4.2.3.3 Linear motion computation
The linear motion computation basically provides acceleration, velocity and position in the g-
frame (geographic north, east, down). Alternatively, they can be provided in the h-frame
(heading frame F, S, D) or the b-frame (R, P and Y-axes). See definitions of frames in chapter
4.1.6. All internal processing takes place in the h-frame, and data are later transferred to the
other actual frames.
The relative linear position computation is based on double integration of acceleration over
time. Only changes within a short time frame can be estimated, since we do not get static
information on motion (no position measurements). Hence, the MRU cannot be used for any
direct navigation purposes but it can be used to provide smooth measurements within a time
frame up to 25 seconds. The performance is far better in the heave direction than in the surge
and sway directions. The reason for the difference between the channels is the influence of
54
roll/pitch-error generated gravity components being a first order effect in the horizontal
channels, and a second order effect in the vertical channel.
A ship or vessel will have short term motions dominated by ocean waves when it is at sea.
The average heave level for a ship or vessel is zero and the heave measurements from the
MRU will always be output relative to this zero level. For surge and sway motions we can
expect motions around a straight-line trajectory.
Acceleration Processing
The measured acceleration is initially transformed to the h-frame at a high sample rate in the
same way as for the vertical erection acceleration processing. The down direction remains
stationary, hence the heave velocity and position can be obtained by direct integration over
time of the acceleration.
The acceleration is compensated for lever-arm effects and gravity. The user can specify a
lever arm from the MRU to the actual measurement point during the installation of the MRU.
The linear motions are then computed in the measurement point. The static value of g is
subtracted before the linear motion computation takes place. The static value is obtained by
using a low-pass filter for the computed acceleration in the vehicle's centre of gravity. The
angular velocity is low-pass-filtered with a cutoff at approximately 10 Hz, prior to processing
of lever-arms in order to reduce effects from sensor noise. This will influence the high
frequency heave/sway/surge components of the lever arm.
The acceleration at the measurement point is computed from:

g
amp = amru
g & )r b
+ Cbg ( Ω 2 + Ω mp
where:
b
rmp Lever arm vector from the MRU to the actual measurement location
(measurement point) for surge, sway and heave.
Ω Angular velocity (from the angular rate sensors, b-frame), skew symmetric form.
&
Ω Angular acceleration (derived from the angular rate, b-frame), skew symmetric
form.
g
amru Acceleration sensed by the MRU.
55
Computation of Velocity and Position
The linear motion computation for position is a double integration over time for a selected
average period To. Integration of the acceleration over time for each axis gives velocity and
position. However, it is problematic to measure linear motions with long periods, like periods
of 25 seconds or more. The reason for using a highpass filter on the acceleration
measurements, is to remove static or slowly varying errors. These errors will give errors in the
velocity and position data. The filter may be made under-damped to improve the amplitude
response slightly down to To and to improve the phase response above To. The phase varies
more close to To. Low damping also means ringing at the selected average period To. The user
must tune this filter according to the requirements.
The user can set the average period To in the range 1 to 25 seconds. If a too long period is
selected, the velocity and position outputs will have a slowly varying error. If a short period is
chosen, the estimated heave will have a phase error for long period motions.
A low damping factor ε reduces the short term error for long period motions close to the
selected average period To, since the phase error is reduced. However, ringing in the output at
To may cause some problems. The damping factor ε can be set in the range 0.3 to 1.0. The
bias in the surge and sway directions is higher than the bias in heave. This is caused by the
influence of small orientation errors providing gravity components in the horizontal direction.
Average periods To set above 2.5 seconds is not recommended in surge and sway due to this
problem.
In the software two different types of filter structures are implemented. The filter mode
"General purpose" is implemented to achieve optimal amplitude performance, whereas the
"Hydrographic survey" mode provides optimal phase performance. For the "Automatic" filter
mode the hydrographic survey filter structure is used. This algorithm estimates the sea
conditions by computing the dominating period of the waves seen from ship or vehicle and
automatically sets the average heave period To in real time during operations. For the surge
and sway measurements the filter mode "General purpose" is the only mode available.
Selection of Heave Filter Mode
The following selections are available in the MRU configuration in order to achieve the
optimal heave performance:
• Heave filter mode. Selection between different filter structures.

• Period. The average heave period for the vessel, To.
• Damping. The heave damping factor ε to be used in the filter.
The heave filter damping and average period should be chosen in order to obtain the best
possible correspondence between the estimated heave motion and the real heave motion.
These parameters can be set to a constant value or the automatic adaptive filter may be chosen
in case of varying sea environments. The following should be considered when selecting the
different heave filter modes and parameters:
56
Heave filter mode:
• Automatic. To be selected when the vessel is operating in various sea states or when the
average heave period is unknown.
• General purpose. Is selected when an optimal heave amplitude is to be measured and the
heave phase is of no importance. This mode is typically selected when the MRU is to be
used for measuring the heave height and period on oceanographic buoys.
• Hydrographic survey. To be selected when the heave phase and amplitude have to be
output correctly according to real time. This mode is typically selected when the heave
output signal from the MRU is to be used for heave compensation of echo sounders and
offshore crane systems.
Period:
• An expected average heave period has to be set to the heave filter. This period can be
determined by measuring the time between two wave-tops by a watch or by looking at the
MRU output variable 129 Heave period, when the vessel is operating in the actual survey
area.
• The settling time for the heave measurements from power-on or after a turn will be about
10 times the selected period, To. By selecting an unnecessary high heave period the settling
time will be slower than it has to. For vessels performing surveys with frequent turns, the
period should be set as low as possible to minimise the heave settling time after turns.
Damping:
• The heave damping factor shall usually be set to 0.7. Only for special occasions should this
parameter be changed. In operations with heave periods of more than 25 seconds, the
damping factor should be reduced to 0.6 in order to achieve correct phase measurements.
In operations with heave periods of less than 2 seconds, the damping factor should be
increased to 0.8.
Figure 24 and Figure 25 below are to be used as a guideline for selecting the correct average
heave period (To) in the "Hydrographic survey" filter.
57
Figure 24 Relative heave residual in percentage of amplitude for "Hydrographic survey"

filter with damping 0.7 and various average heave periods 5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds
Figure 25 Step response in heave with corresponding settling time for "Hydrographic
survey" filter with damping 0.7 and various average heave periods 5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds
The selection of heave filter settings is a trade-off between low heave error over a wide range
of heave periods and the settling time after an occurrence introducing a step response in the
heave filter, like after a turn if the MRU does not have external input of the vessel speed.
Input of vessel speed to the MRU is important to reduce the heave errors after a turn or
changes in speed.
58
For an MRU without external input we recommend the following selections:
• The selection To =5 or lower is recommended for vessels performing surveys with a lot of
turning on rivers or within harbours. The settling time in heave will be about 50 seconds.
• The selection To =10 is the default setting for this heave mode and covers most surveys,
unless long period heave motions.
• The selection To =20 is recommended used for vessels operating in oceans with deep
waters or vessels that frequently operates with following sea.
Figure 26 illustrates the change in the "Hydrographic survey" filter performance by changing
the damping factor. We recommend that the damping factor is set to 0.7.
Figure 26 Relative heave residual as percentage of amplitude for "Hydrographic survey"

filter with average heave period set to 10 seconds with various damping factors 0.5, 0.6, 0.7,
0.8 and 0.9
The filter mode "General purpose" has been the only heave mode used in the MRU software
up to version 2.51. For the users that prefer to use this heave mode and their original setting,
the corresponding heave period and damping for each heave application used in earlier
versions, are as follows:
59
Application Period Damping

[s]
General purpose 10 0.6
Rigs & non-cruising ships 25 0.45
Large ships, cruising 14 0.6
Small ship, cruising 10 0.8
ROVs, towfishes & buoys 3 1.0
High speed vessels 3 0.8
Small survey boat 3 0.8
Heave Measurements with Mean Value Dependent on Vessel Tilt
In the MRU it is possible to output heave position and velocity measurements where the mean
heave value is not zero, but depends on the vessel trim and list at any time. These output
variables are:
109 LA PosMonD Lever arm compensated heave position with the mean value
dependent on vessel tilt.
119 LA VelMonD Lever arm compensated heave velocity with the mean value
dependent on vessel tilt.
These variables are calculated in the following way; First, the CG heave acceleration is
integrated twice to obtain the CG heave position and velocity in the normal way. Then the CG
heave position and velocity is lever arm compensated using the vector between CG and MP
(measurement point) to obtain the alternative MP heave position and velocity. The difference
lies in the lever arm compensation of heave position and velocity after integration, instead of
performing heave acceleration compensation before the integration process. Hence, the
measurement point (MP) heave position is not zero mean, instead its value depends on the
vessel tilt at any time. These variables are useful especially in applications where the distance
between the MP and the sea level is to be determined, like in offshore crane operations or in
echo sounder installations with depth changes due to changes in vessel trim and list.
4.2.3.4 Internal processing and I/O delays
The total time delay for the output data seen from the user is a sum of a number of delay
sources. The size of the contribution from each delay source is determined by the
configuration of the MRU. It also strongly depends on the baud rate and if polled or cyclic
I/O is used.
Below there is a summary of the timing delays found when measuring the time by the use of
an oscilloscope connected to software triggered hardware outputs. The basic timing of each
operation was measured. The actual times given by the configuration setting must be included
to find the total time. The timing will probably vary slightly depending on the release number
of the software. The numbers below are valid for the release 2.50 of the MRU software. Be
60
aware of the difference between cyclic and polled output of data. The sample interval will
always be an integer times the internal computation period within the unit (10 ms) when
cyclic output data are used. The output data will then be synchronous with the internal life of
the MRU. With polled output data the sample interval is set by the user during software
configuration, and it is then decoupled from the internal life of the MRU.
Summary of Time Delays Inside the MRU
a) Sensor interface delay given by averaging

over the last measurement sample : ta = 5 ms
b) Main processing time. Varies with

varying processing time : tb = 2.5 ms
c) Last sample adaptation : tc = 10 ms ±10 ms

(only present with polled (asynchronous)
output)
d) Output data preparation, n variable : td = 0.8 + n • 0.2 ms

(includes transmit overhead)
e) Digital line request response time : te = 2.5 ± 2.5 ms

(only present with polled output)
f) Transmission delay on digital line : tf = (n + 1) • 40000/b ms

b is the baud rate, n is number of variables
g) Polling message transmission delay : tg = 50000/b ms

b is the baud rate, only valid with
software polling.
61
Summary of Time Delays Given by Application
This is the time from the physical event until data are available as a complete message
received by the user.
By cyclic analog output: t = ta + t b
By cyclic digital output: t = ta + tb + tc + td
By polled hardware output: t = ta + t b + t c + t d + t e + t f
By polled software output: t = ta + tb + tc + td + te + tf + tg
Polling Response Times
This is the time from a request is issued until a complete message is received and not the
actual "age" of the physical data.
Hardware polling response time: thr = td + te + tf
Software polling response time: tsr = td + te + tf + tg
Examples
1) Analog output of data, three variables configured, cyclic reading of data by pulse on the
EXT0-line. The EXT0-line goes to low value each time new data are transmitted.
ta = 5 ms, tb = 2.5 ms
delay = ta + tb = 7.5 ms
2) Digital cyclic output of data, three variables at 19200 baud:
td = 0.8 + 3 • 0.2 ms
tf = 8.3 ms
Delay on output signals from the MRU; delay1 = ta +tb + td = 8.9 ms
Delay on output signals when received by the computer; delay2 = delay1 + tf = 17.2 ms
62
4.2.3.5 Electronics and mechanics
Software Programmable RAM Logic
Most of the logic in the MRU is made by RAM based logic circuits. These circuits can be
uploaded via a serial line from the computer. This means that the MRU can be updated with
new and improved functionality later without opening the MRU housing. Simply install new
software.
CPU
The CPU is a 32 bit CMOS microcomputer placed on one electronic board. A calendar clock
running from a Lithium battery makes the MRU able to time-tag data from this clock. The
serial line from the MRU has an adjustable baud rate up to 57600 baud.
Power Supply
The internal power supply also contains the MRU connector and noise filters. The power
supply can operate at 12-30 V DC. Seatex declares EMC with immunity, enclosure port
EN50082-2, and with radiation, enclosure port EN50081-2. The MRU complies with product
safety standard IEC/EN60950 regarding fire, mechanical and heat hazards, radiation hazards
and chemical hazards (the EMI is reduced even more with a screened cable).
The User I/O
The user I/O is placed on a separate board inside the MRU. Seatex's philosophy is to isolate
the faster changing demands for different types of I/O from the functionality of the MRU to
keep the number of MRU models at a minimum. An exception has been made for analog I/O
which is provided internally in the MRU. The MRU provides a voltage output.
All digital RS-232 I/O to and from the MRU are galvanically isolated. For those who prefer
RS-422 communication with the MRU an additional board can be mounted in the MRU
junction box in order to convert the RS-232 signal to RS-422 and vice versa.
The Real Time Software System in the MRU
The signal processing inside the MRU is real time with very accurate timing requirements and
high-speed operation. The important tasks are always performed independent of external user
requests. The processing software, configuration settings and calibration constants are
downloaded to the MRU from a PC via the RS-232 interface. The software and other data
remain resident while the MRU is not powered due to the Lithium battery inside. Seatex or
the users can download new configuration and revised or new versions of the MRU software
at any time. New software versions can be distributed to existing customers.
63
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64
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Operating instructions
5. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
5.1 Start procedure
The following start procedures shall be used when the MRU is installed according to the
procedures described in the Installation Manual.
1) Set power-on. The MRU starts automatically when the unit receives power and will be in
operation as long as power is received.
2) The MRU needs some time before full accuracy is achieved. The maximum erection time
is 15 minutes. During this period the MRU runs an internal self check procedure for
sensors and electronic boards and performs an initial alignment.
3) When the MRU has obtained full accuracy, the status message from the MRU will change
from "reduced accuracy" to "normal" on the asynchronous serial line, and the MRU
XOUT pin goes high or low depending on the selected configuration.
4) The MRU is preferably left with power on since there are no wear-out parts.
Once the MRU is installed, there is no need for manual intervention during operation.
Note If the vehicle has high dynamics during startup, the MRU may run into problems.
At worst the alignment must be redone by restarting the MRU. High dynamics
during startup means that the MRU is moved up to ±10 degrees in all the
orientation axes.
5.2 Operation
Normally the MRU outputs signals on the serial line and/or the analog channels without any
involvement from the user.
When using the MRU for heave measurements it is important to tune the heave parameters
(heave period and damping) to the vessel size and motion characteristics for the actual
weather conditions. Since the configuration parameter "Heave filter mode" only enters the
default values of the heave period and damping according to the selected mode, these values
have to be tuned for the actual vessel and weather conditions in order to achieve optimum
heave performance. Therefore, before a survey and/or during operation check the heave
performance of the MRU and tune the heave parameters until the best heave performance is
achieved. An alternative is to select "Automatic" and let the MRU automatically choose the
best settings.
For applications where the magnetic heading from the MRU 4 and 6 models are used, be
aware that the magnetic field of the vessel can change during operation, and that the magnetic
deviation and the magnetic model may need to be recalculated to ensure an optimum heading
measurement.
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Operating instructions
5.3 Stop procedure
When the power to the MRU is interrupted, the MRU will stop automatically in a controlled
way. The internal battery ensures that the configuration downloaded into the unit will be kept
while unpowered.
5.4 Performance monitoring
The "Sys Port" serial line from the MRU can be set up to transmit status and event messages
to the host computer for performance monitoring. These messages are set up in the MRU
configuration software, MRC, and in the configuration parameter Verbose mask. In addition
to the status and event messages described in appendix B, there is a quality status flag
transmitted via the "Sys Port" serial line. The quality status is either normal or invalid data.
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Maintenance
6. MAINTENANCE
The MRU is not designed for service in the field except for installation of new software
versions and change of user configuration. An opening of the housing will result in damage or
degradation of the unit and void the warranty. The MRU is gas filled to insure correct thermal
conductivity and to avoid condensation of water vapour inside the MRU housing at low
temperatures.
An MRU that needs service has to be shipped in the original transportation box to Seatex.
You will find the address on page two of this manual.
During maintenance, Seatex can rent out a spare MRU unit to the user if needed. The user can
load his own configuration file into the spare MRU making it ready for operation. Seatex will
also assist the user with the configuration if needed.
Seatex will regularly provide software upgrades for the MRU. These upgrades will improve
the function of the MRU as additional features evolve. New software versions can also
improve much of the electronic hardware functions inside the MRU. These upgrades can be
carried out without opening the MRU housing by connecting a PC to the MRU and
downloading the new software.
All upgrades are intended to be "backward compatible" with the user's digital drivers so that
previous versions of these drivers will work. This depends on how well the driver is coded by
the user. Therefore, Seatex cannot give a warranty that is " backward compatible".
6.1 Periodic maintenance
The periodic maintenance of the MRU can be divided into three categories:
6.1.1 Software upgrades
Seatex will offer regular software upgrades for the MRU with improvements and new
functionalities. It is up to the user to decide whether he will upgrade his MRU with the new
software. The new software is downloaded to the MRU by following the setup procedure
described in appendix A.
67
6.1.2 Changing the internal lithium battery
The lifetime of the internal lithium battery within the MRU should be at least 10 years, unless
the unit has been stored unused for many years. An indication of a discharged battery will be
that the MRU loses its configuration when the unit is unpowered. The MRU has to be
returned to Seatex for changing of the lithium battery. A discharged battery will not have any
influence on the MRU as long as it is connected to an external power source.
6.1.3 Recalibration
The need for recalibration depends on the MRU model and the application in which it is used.
In general the following is recommended:
• For the models MRU 1, 2, H and 4 a recalibration is recommended after four years in
operation.
• For the MRU 5 and 6 models a recalibration is recommended after two years in operation
• For the MRU D and Z models a recalibration is recommended after one year in
operation.
The above mentioned recommendations are valid for applications where it is required that the
roll, pitch and yaw measurements are within the specifications for the actual MRU model. For
MRU applications where the heave measurements are used only mentioned recommendations
are NOT valid.
A recalibration is recommended due to changes in the characteristics of the internal sensors

over time and is therefore necessary in order to achieve the specified performance. Exactly
when a recalibration is required will depend on the use of the unit and the actual model
number. An indication that recalibration is needed is oscillations in the roll, pitch and yaw
measurements that cannot be related to the vehicle motions. The MRU has to be returned to
Seatex for recalibration.
The following procedure can be used to determine whether a recalibration is required:
1) Set up the MRU as described in "Appendix A - Arrival Check and Test of the MRU". The
MRU has to be brought onshore and located on a rigid and stationary table.
2) Output the variables 63, Roll, 64, Pitch and 65, Yaw at an interval of one second (1000
ms). Log data to file with the MRC software for a period of 30 minutes (approximately
2000 samples). Ensure that the MRU has been powered-on for at least 30 minutes before
the logging is started. For MRU 6 and MRU 4 units the parameter Fluxgate usage under
Magnetic conditions in MRC has to be set to Disabled before starting this procedure.
3) Import the logged data file to a spreadsheet and plot the variables on paper. If one of the
roll, pitch or yaw measurements oscillates around its average with a maximum amplitude
of more than 10 times the specified noise level of this model number, it indicates that the
unit will benefit from a recalibration.
68
Note The sensors in the MRU D and Z models are not as accurate as the sensors in the
more expensive units. One result of this is that the sensors will drift more over
time. It might not be necessary to recalibrate the MRU D and Z units every year
but the units should be checked (at harbour if on board) at least once a year. If an
automatic setup of mounting (Auto Mount) is performed by use of the MRC once
a year and the mounting angles are compared before and after, you will see how
much the sensors have drifted. If the drift is several degrees we recommend that
the unit is sent to us for recalibration. If it is just minor changes no recalibration is
needed and the unit can be left in its place until the next scheduled check.
To reduce the need for recalibration, try to install the unit in an environment with constant
and low temperatures.
6.2 Repairs and modifications
Repair of the MRU products consists of replacement of damaged cables, replacement of the
MRU, the MRU junction box or other MRU additional equipment.
6.2.1 Repair of the MRU
All repairs and modifications of the MRU except for installation of new software versions and
user configuration have to be carried out by Seatex. An opening of the MRU housing will
result in permanent damage and the user should under no circumstances make any attempt to
do so.
CAUTION
An opening of the MRU housing will result in permanent damage and the user should
under no circumstances make any attempt to do so.
6.2.1.1 Installing a spare unit
If a spare unit is rented while your unit is in for repair, use the following procedure to
download your configuration to the spare unit:
1) Connect a PC to the MRU to be repaired as described in "Appendix A - Arrival Check

and Test of the MRU", if your MRU configuration is not already available on your PC or
backup diskette. When contact is established with the MRU by the MRC software, enter
the folder list Parameter Management \ Save to file in Configuration mode and click the
Save to file button. The configuration in the MRU will then be saved on a file on the PC
or diskette. When the configuration file is saved on your hard disk or on a floppy disk,
close down the MRC software. If it is not possible to establish contact with the MRU and
a backup copy of the used MRU configuration is not available, the spare MRU has to be
configured from the start according to the configuration instructions in the Installation
Manual, reference [2], [3], [4], [5] or [6].
69
2) Disconnect the MRU to be repaired from the configuration cable and connect the spare
unit to this cable.
3) Enter the MRC software and click the Connect button to establish communication with
the spare MRU. When contact is established, enter the folder list Parameter
Management \ Load from file in Configuration mode and click the Load from file
button to read your saved configuration from a file on the PC or floppy disk. Enter the
folder list Parameter Management \ Download to download your configuration to the
spare MRU. Click the Download Parameters to MRU button to start downloading the
configuration into the MRU.
4) Finally, exit the MRC software. Disconnect the spare MRU from the configuration cable
and mount the unit into the mounting bracket. Ensure that the MRU is mounted in the
correct orientation.
6.2.2 Repair of the MRU Junction Box
First check that the fuse within the box is not blown and replace it if it is. The fuse used is of
type F1AH 250 V with size 5x20 mm. Second, check if any of the cable wires have loosened
from the terminals. If the LED light diodes indicate that the junction box is still not working,
the box has to be returned to Seatex for repair.
6.3 Troubleshooting
The best tool for troubleshooting of the MRU is utilising the configuration software MRC. If
trouble occurs, always connect a PC to the MRU by the test cable MRU-T-013 and power up
the unit. The equipment needed and how to start the MRC, is described in detail in the
"Appendix A - Arrival Check and Test of the MRU" in this manual.
Listed below are some hints for troubleshooting:
6.3.1 No contact with the MRU
If you have started the MRC software and there is no contact with the MRU:
• Check that you have followed the start-up procedure described in the "Appendix A -
Arrival Check and Test of the MRU", in this manual.
• Try to download the MRU software to the unit if the MRU consumes normal power
(approximately 0.25 A). First, ensure that you have the correct MRU software available
on your hard disk or on a floppy disk. Secondly, start up MRC once more by pressing the
Connect button and check that the MRC tries to connect from the communication port on
your PC (COM1 is default). Let the MRC software search through all baud rates. This can
take some minutes. If the MRC enters the monitor during the connection process, MRC
will ask whether you want to download MRU software. Then answer Yes and follow the
70
instructions on the screen. Third, if no contact at all click the Offline button. Enter the
Status Folder List and click on the Download Program code button in Status mode.
Click the Download new MRU software button in the next window and select the
location of the software to be downloaded (available on the MRU floppy disk label
delivered with the unit). Press Yes on the question "Are you sure about downloading
program file Mru330.0". After the MRU software is downloaded, remember also to
download the calibration parameter file "mruNNNN.par" by clicking the Download
Calibration set button. Finally, enter the folder list Parameter Management \
Download in Configuration mode to download the MRU configuration file
"mruNNNN.cfu".
• If there is still no contact with the MRU after downloading the MRU software, the
hardware inside the MRU has most likely been damaged and the unit has to be returned to
Seatex.
6.3.2 MRU status: Abnormal
If the MRC software responds with the MRU status "Abnormal" in red characters in the MRC
Info Bar, no data will be transmitted from the MRU. When this status appears on the screen,
two types of failures may have caused the problem:
Corrupted Calibration and Configuration within the MRU
This can occur when downloading a major software upgrade to the MRU. A window with the
message "Warning: MRU is in 'Abnormal' mode" will then appear on the screen. Reloading of
the user configuration and the calibration file may help. Do the following:
• Download the MRU configuration file "mruNNNN.cfu" (or the name on your own
configuration file) by entering the folder list Parameter Management \ Download in
Configuration mode (NNNN is the serial no of the MRU). A default configuration file is
available on the original software diskette supplied with your MRU or on the diskette with
the software upgrade.
• Download the calibration parameter file "mruNNNN.par" by clicking the Download

Calibration set button in Status mode. A calibration file is available on the original
software diskette supplied with your MRU or on the diskette with the software upgrade.
• Restart the MRU by clicking the Restart MRU button in Status mode. If the unit still
does not function properly, please contact your nearest Seatex office.
71
Failure in One of the Boards within the MRU
The MRU can enter into the "Abnormal" mode if there has been or there is a failure in one of
the boards within the unit. Enter the MRC Status mode to show the status of the MRU. It is
important that you write down or save on file the listed errors under "Raw status" window and
errors listed in the folder MRU Status \ HW error for later troubleshooting. If you have a
hardware failure in your MRU, it can be difficult to establish contact with the MRU through
the MRC and have any status information listed.
You should now try to restart the MRU from the MRC software by clicking the Restart
MRU button in Status mode
• If the unit functions properly afterwards, there has been a temporary failure on one of the
boards within the unit. A temporary failure can occur if the unit has been subject to
environmental conditions for which the MRU is not specified. Typically, if the unit was
started when the temperature was below -5°C. In this case the unit can be used as normal
after a restart.
• If the unit still does not function properly, there is a permanent failure in one of the boards
within the unit. Ship the unit back to Seatex for service.
6.3.3 MRU status: Unreliable data or not ready
If the MRU reports unreliable output data (big Q) or a not-ready signal is output on the DP-
system, check the following:
• The length of the lever arm vector from the MRU to CG configured in the MRU. This arm
should under no circumstances be longer than 150 meters. If a long arm is configured in
the MRU, try to zero it out and check whether this removes the unreliable data status flag.
• The MRU status log by clicking the Status button in MRC to see the MRU Status
window. In the folder EventLog, enter the following events to check whether any events
have happened during the observed period with unreliable output data:
- Rate Sensor Overrange

- Acce Sensor Overrange
- Magn Sensor Overrange
- Kalman Overrange
- Hardware error
If any events have occurred in these folders, save this report to file by clicking the Save
status to text file button and send the file to your nearest Seatex office for comments.
72
6.3.4 Large oscillations in the roll and pitch measurements
Check the actual mounting orientation of your MRU according to the mounting angles set in
the MRU software configuration. Check the parameter Mount Angles by entering the
Configuration Folder List Sensor \ Geometry in the MRC. For help to enter the correct
mounting angles, enter the Mounting Wizard in the MRC software.
6.3.5 Reduced roll or pitch performance
Reduced roll or pitch performance may occur if:
• The MRU +R arrow is not properly aligned with the vehicle's longitudinal axes. A
misalignment of only one degree to two degrees will reduce the performance when
exposed to heavy motions due to cross-coupled roll and pitch measurements. If not
already done, ensure that the MRU yaw offset according to the vehicle's longitudinal axis
is accurately measured and entered into the MRU configuration.
• There have been several years since the MRU was last calibrated. Check the quality of the
calibration with the procedure described in chapter 6.1.3.
Depth errors in the outer beams on a multi-beam echo sounder may occur when:
• The oscillations in the depth of the outer beams are correlated with the pitch angle of the
vessel. Check the mounting angle around the Y-axis. The MRU R-axis has to be parallel
with the ship's longitudinal axis as long as the sounder transducer is aligned with the ship
axes.
• The oscillations in the depth of the outer beams are correlated with the roll angle of the
vessel. Check the lever arm vector (the components along the R, P and Y-axes) from the
MRU to the ship's centre of gravity (CG), and especially the vertical component (Y).
Please note that it is the co-ordinates from the MRU to the CG that should be entered and
that positive vertical direction is downwards. If the location of the CG is below the
location of the MRU, the vertical component (Y) must be positive. Use the 3D "vessel
window" to check that the MRU is on the expected location according to the ship's centre
of gravity.
• There is incorrect synchronisation of the MRU and the multi-beam data (timing error).
Check that the measurements from the two sensor data are handled correctly and that a
timing error has not occurred. A 1PPS input to the MRU should be considered used. Post-
processing of the MRU and the multi-beam data can be used to analyse whether incorrect
synchronisation is the reason for the depth errors.
73
6.3.6 Reduced heave performance
Reduced performance in heave or depth errors in the centre beam of an echo sounder may
occur:
• If there are oscillations in the depth of the centre beams. Check that the correct heave
filter mode and heave period is selected in the MRU configuration.
• Be aware that the MRU outputs heave measurements in the MRU mounting location and
not in the transducer location, unless the lever arm vector (the components along the R, P,
and Y-axis) from the MRU to the transducer head (MP, measurement point) is entered
into the MRU configuration. Please note that the vertical vector component from the
MRU to the measurement point is defined positive down. If the location of the transducer
head is below the location of the MRU, the vertical component will be positive and vice
versa. Use the 3D "vessel window" to check that the MRU is on the expected location
according to the enter measurement point (MP).
• If the analog output channel is used to output heave from the MRU. Please be aware that
positive heave is defined as down in the MRU. If positive heave is preferred upwards,
change the sign of the gain for the analog channel.
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Drawings
7. DRAWINGS
For outline drawings of the mechanical dimensions of the MRU or its additional equipment,
see the Installation Manuals, reference [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].
75
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Drawings
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76
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Parts list
8. PARTS LIST
The MRU basic packet consists of:
Part no. No. Description

MRU 1 to MRU 6 unit 1 The MRU sensor.
MRU-T-013 1 Three-metre test cable for PC connection.
MRU-D-011 1 Delivery specific documents for the delivered MRU.
MRU-SW-USB 1 USB memory stick including the MRC configuration
software, User's Manual, Installation Manuals,
configuration and calibration file.
MRU-M-SC1 1 Transportation box.
The MRU can be delivered with the following additional equipment:
Part no. Description

MRU-M-MB1 Wall mounting bracket with indexing for easy mounting.
MRU-M-MB2 Vibration damper extension to the MRU-M-MB1.
MRU-M-MB3 Hydrographic mounting bracket for easy alignment of MRU.
MRU-M-LP1 Laser pointer for use together with MRU-M-MB3.
MRU-M-SB5 Subsea bottle with two 8-pin Sea Con connectors depth rated to
4000 metres. The bottle is made in titanium.
MRU-M-SB6 Subsea bottle with two 8-pin Sea Con connectors depth rated to
1000 metres. The bottle is made of black anodised aluminium.
MRU-M-SB7 Subsea bottle with one 8-pin Sea Con connector depth rated to 10
metres. The bottle is made of black anodised aluminium.
MRU-E-PT8 Pigtail for 8-pin Sea Con connector.
MRU-E-JB1 MRU junction box for flexible connection of MRU to user
equipment.
MRU-E-JB1P MRU junction box with power supply for flexible connection of
MRU to user equipment.
MRU-E-JB2 Junction box for use in the Hydrographic Package with 10 meter
MRU-E-HY1 cable with connector to the MRU.
MRU-E-JBRS Additional board for the MRU Junction Box which includes RS-
232/-422 converting and galvanic isolation of input/output lines
to/from MRU.
MRU-E-SBRS Additional board for the Subsea bottles which includes RS-232/-
422 converting and galvanic isolation of input/output lines
to/from MRU.
MRU-E-HYD Hydrographic package.
MRU-E-POS Hydro acoustic positioning package.
MRU-SW-SF ANSI C source code drivers for the RS-232 interface.
MRU-E-CS1 Heavy duty screened cable with 14 twisted pairs.
MRU-E-CS2 Heavy duty screened cable with 4 twisted pairs.
MRU-E-CS4 Umbilical cable for the two 9-pin subsea bottles.
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Parts list
Part no. Description

MRU-T-021 Test and configuration cable for subsea bottles MRU-M-SB5, 6
and 7.
MRU-T-022 Configuration cable for use between a PC serial port and the
MRU service port connector in MRU-E-JB1/2/P
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix A - Check and test of MRU
9. APPENDIX A - ARRIVAL CHECK AND

TEST OF THE MRU
We recommend that a simple test of the MRU is performed when receiving the unit. The test
procedure described below can also be used as a satisfactory test of the delivered MRU
products and as a setup for troubleshooting of the unit. The test is carried out by connecting
the MRU to a PC by the test cable supplied by Seatex.
Equipment Needed for the Test
a) A 24 V DC 1.0 A power supply.
b) The test cable MRU-T-13 (supplied with the MRU delivery).
c) A PC that runs under Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 or NT 4.0, keyboard, mouse
and a VGA screen. The PC must have at least one free COM port (COM1 or COM2).
d) A stable table on which to place the MRU.
PC
Configuration
cable
MRU
DC power supply
Startup Procedure
a) Place the MRU on a stable table with the connector end of the housing pointing up.
b) Connect the MRU to the PC by the test cable MRU-T-13, and to a power supply of 24 V
1 A DC (Note: The red banana connector is positive). Make sure that it is a 1 A fast fuse
on one of the power leads to the MRU. The COM1 port is the default port when the test
cable is connected to a PC.
c) Install the configuration software, MRC, on the PC fixed disk as follows: First insert the
MRU memory stick in the USB port on the local PC. Then start up the Explorer program
if not already done. Then enter the FlashDisk drive into which the MRU memory stick is
connected. In the WinMRC403 folder, open the file "MRCSetup.exe". Then follow the
instructions on the screen in order to complete the installation of the MRC program.
79
d) In the Select Components window shown in Figure 27, select the Standard mode. The
other selection, Hydrographic mode, is for those who want to select the digital interface
from the predefined list of echo sounders.
Figure 27 Selection of program mode to install
e) When the installation of files is finished, the window shown in Figure 28 appears. Choose
to restart the computer now or later. Click Finish and the setup is complete. Terminate
the Explorer program and remove the MRU USB memory stick for the local PC.
Figure 28 MRC Installation Complete
80
f) Approximately 10 seconds after connecting the MRU to the power supply, the user can
start the MRC software from Microsoft Windows by double-clicking on the MRC icon.
Click the Connect button to establish communication with the MRU. When
communication is enabled the user is free to configure the MRU.
Figure 29 MRU Configuration Window
81
If No Response
When the Connection Status field shows failed connection, check the following:
• COM port connection and that the baud rate is selected correctly.
• Power supply and voltage supplied to the MRU.
• Cabling between the MRU and the PC.
• The 10-second wait: wait at least 10 seconds after supplying the MRU with voltage before
starting the MRC from Windows. The MRU does not respond to requests on the serial
line due to internal self check during the first 10 seconds.
Click the Retry connection button to re-establish connection with the MRU
The MRU Test
a) When the MRC software is started and the connection with the MRU is established,
select the MRC mode Configuration to enter the MRU configuration folder list.
b) Modify the mounting angles of the MRU models 6, 5, 4, H and 3 by entering the
Configuration Folder List Sensor \ Geometry. Input the mounting angles 180.0, 0.0 and
0.0 in roll, pitch and yaw field. (The default mounting of the MRU is with the MRU
connector pointing right down 0.0°, 0.0°, 0.0°). For the MRU model 2 and 1, the units
have to be mounted with the cable pointing down and the mounting angles should
always be 0.0, 0.0 and 0.0 in the roll, pitch and yaw field when performing this test.
c) The digital channels have to be used to get output data from the MRU on the screen
with the MRC software. Enter the folder Data Interface / Digital and set the Protocol
to MRU normal, Digital channels to 4 and Interval to 100 ms. In the Source ID field
select variable no. 63 for roll measurement on the first channel, 64 for pitch on the
second, 65 for yaw on the third and 105 for heave (PosMonD) measurement on the
fourth.
d) In the Parameter Management folder select Download and click the Download
Parameter to MRU button in order to download the edited configuration to the MRU.
e) Select the MRC mode Data Presentation and click the Run button to display the MRU
data graphically on the screen. Check that roll, pitch, yaw and heave measurements
have stabilised within 20 minutes from startup of the MRU. Check the outputs of roll,
pitch, yaw and heave changes by moving the unit gently.
CAUTION
Avoid bumping into things and turning the MRU fast. This may result in short term
sensor overload, degraded performance or automatic restart of the MRU.
g) If the MRU is functioning according to the description above, the unit is found
acceptable.
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix B - Status messages from MRU
10. APPENDIX B - STATUS MESSAGES

FROM MRU
These are messages transmitted from the MRU without being asked for. The user
configuration parameter Verbose mask controls which messages that are transmitted and the
following settings are available:
0: Silent. No messages transmitted

1: Status report
2: Events report
3: Status + events report
Status Change Report Message
This message is transmitted after every MRU status change if enabled through Verbose mask
in the MRU configuration.
<'c'><6><9><0><s_0><s_1><s_2><s_3><chk>
s_0,1,2,3 32 bit MRU status, see "Appendix C - MRU Status Bits".
Event Message
This message is transmitted at every MRU event (i.e. change of normal operation in MRU, if
enabled through Verbose mask in the MRU configuration).
<'c'><10><9><event><t_0><t_1><t_2><t_3><c_0><c_1><0><0><chk>
event MRU event number + 16, see "Appendix D - MRU Event Numbers".
t_0,1,2,3 32 bit date of event occurrence, number of sec. since 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00
c_0,1 16 bit code connected to event (only for internal use).
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Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix B - Status messages from MRU
Welcome Message
This message is sent at startup.
<'c'><20><8><'MRU VV.RR'><type><vers><v_0><v_1><s_0><s_1><0><mode><opt><0><chk>
MRU VV.RR is a 10 byte string with software version and revision level
type MRU type: 1..7

bit 7=1 if emulation of other MRU type
vers hardware version

'0', '1', '2', 'd' and 'e' hardware version identification
v_0,1 16 bit software number multiplied with 100 (version 3.20 will then be 320)
s_0,1 16 bit MRU serial number
mode MRU modus

1: Normal
2: Abnormal
opt N/A
Abnormal Mode Message
This message is sent every 2 seconds if the MRU is in "Abnormal" mode i.e. some error has
occurred. If the user configuration in the MRU is OK, the message is transmitted at user
specified baud rate & settings. Otherwise the default setting of 4800,N,8,1 is used.
<'c'><6><9><1><h_0><h_1><h_2><h_3><chk>
h_0,1,2,3 32 bit MRU HW report status, see "Appendix E - MRU HW Report Status
Bits".
84
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix C - MRU status bits
11. APPENDIX C - MRU STATUS BITS
MRU status bits in a 32 bit status:
stat 32 bit status, made up of the following bit fields:
runtime modus: bit 0..3

bit 0 Normal mode
bit 1 Abnormal mode
model status: bit 8..15

bit 8 Kalman initialise
bit 9 Sensor over range
bit 10 Data unreliable
bit 11 Sensor clipping
system status: bit 16..31

bit 16 Break detected
bit 17 Overload, too many parameters out selected
bit 18 Configuration changed, need restart to take effect
bit 19 Magnetic erection off
bit 20 Gravity erection off
bit 21 External velocity
bit 22 External speed
bit 23 External yaw
bit 24 External magnetic
bit 25 External position ref.
bit 26 Emulating
bit 27 Bad Environment
bit 28 Time Sync
bit 29 Transmit buffer overflow
85
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix C - MRU status bits
Blank page
86
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix D - MRU event numbers
12. APPENDIX D - MRU EVENT NUMBERS
MRU event numbers:
1: Startup OK
2: Startup Error
3: Last Stop
4: Receive Frame Error
5: Transmit Queue Full
6: Receive Message Error
7: Kernel error
8: Desc. version error
9: Transient Pwr Off/On
10:
11:
12: Bad Temp
13: Bad Pressure
14: Rate Sensor Over range
15: Acce Sensor Over range
16: Magn Sensor Over range
17: Heavy Load
18: Overload Data Out
19: Improper Power Down
20: Spurious NMI
21: Kalman Over range
22: Bad External Data
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28: Arithmetic overflow
29: Hardware Error
30: Orientation Init Err
31: System Restart
87
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix D - MRU event numbers
Blank page
88
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix E - MRU HW report status bits
13. APPENDIX E - MRU HW REPORT

STATUS BITS
MRU HW report status bits in a 32 bit status:
bit 0: 332 error

bit 1: Board config error
bit 2: SW descriptor error
bit 3: HW descriptor error
bit 4: Board error
bit 5: SW level error
89
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Appendix E - MRU HW report status bits
Blank page
90
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Index
Index
Heading Frame · 39
heave · 65, 74
A horizontal plane · 53
Hydrographic mode · 80
Abnormal · 71
Acceleration Processing · 55
accelerometers · 44 I
alignment · 50
angular rate sensors · 43 Installation · 27
Automatic · 65
J
B
junction box · 70
battery · 68
Body frame · 38
K
C Kalman filter · 48
capabilities of MRU models · 6

CPU · 63 L
cyclic output · 61
limited · 23
linear motion computation · 54, 56
D lithium · 68
Lithium battery · 63
damage · 8, 69
Datawell · 53
depth errors · 73 M
downloading · 71
drawings · 75 magnetometer · 45
maintenance · 67
mechanical shock · 8
E memory stick · 79
misalignment · 73
Earth rate compensation · 50 modifications · 69
Event message · 83 MRC · 81
MRU 1 · 22
MRU 2 · 19
F MRU 4 · 12
MRU 5 · 11
MRU 6 · 8, 41
fluxgate · 45
MRU D · 20
Frames · 36
MRU H · 15
MRU Z · 17
G
N
Geographic frame · 37
no contact · 70
North seeking · 35
H not ready · 72
hazards · 7
heading · 51
91
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Index
sensor · 43
O Sensor frame · 39
software upgrades · 67
offset angles · 49 spare unit · 69
operation · 65 speed · 51
orientation estimator · 50 Standard mode · 80
over-voltage · 8 start procedures · 65
synchronisation · 73
P
T
performance monitoring · 66
periodic maintenance · 67 test · 79
Pitch · 52 time delay · 60
polarity · 8 transportation · 8
polled output · 61 Trimming · 49
Power · 24 trouble shooting · 70
power connection · 8 tune · 65
Q U
quaternions · 53 unreliable · 72
upgrades · 67
R
W
recalibration · 68
reduced · 73, 74 warranty · 7, 8, 67
Repair · 69
roll · 73
Roll · 52
rotation matrix · 52
Y
Yaw · 52
S
satisfactory test · 79
92
Seatex MRU User's Manual, rev. 12 Reader's comments
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• The content of this manual is subject to change without notice.

Copyright © 2008 by Kongsberg Seatex AS. All rights reserved.

Document ID Rev. Date Reason for revision Approved

1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1

Figure 1 MRU 6 functional modules....................................................................................9

1.1 About this manual

Chapter 1 Introduction - A brief presentation of this manual with references and

Chapter 4 Technical description - An in-depth description of the design principles and

In this manual the following remarks are used:

1.3 Definitions, abbreviations and acronyms

alignment Is the process of adjusting the current internal navigation

starboard When looking in the bow direction of a vehicle this is the

1.3.2 Abbreviations and acronyms

Roll/pitch Heading Heave Acceleration

Overview of capabilities of MRU models

2.2 Health, environment and safety

2.3 Restrictions in export

Export of the MRU models 6, 5, 4, H, 3, 2 and 1 to other countries than EU countries or

2.4 Restrictions in guarantee

a) The MRU is not shipped in the original transport boxes.

b) The MRU has been exposed to extreme shock and vibrations.

d) Over-voltage or incorrect power connection.

2.4.1 Mechanical shock and improper transportation

Whilst the MRU is designed to be very robust, it is nevertheless an accurate measurement

2.4.2 Wrong electrical connection, fusing of the power supply

2.5 Performance data

2.5.1 MRU 6 specification

Figure 1 MRU 6 functional modules

Variables Output from the MRU 6

Variables Input to the MRU 6

Angular Rate Sensors

Heave Motion Output

1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.

2.5.2 MRU 5 specification

Figure 2 MRU 5 functional modules

Variables Output from the MRU 5

Variables Input to the MRU 5

Angular Rate Sensors

Heave Motion Output

1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.

2.5.3 MRU 4 specification

Figure 3 MRU 4 functional modules

Variables Output from the MRU 4

Variables Input to the MRU 4

Angular Rate Sensors

Heave Motion Output

1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.

2.5.4 MRU H specification

Figure 4 MRU H functional modules

Variables Output from the MRU H

Variables Input to the MRU H

Angular Rate Sensors

Heave Motion Output

1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.

2.5.5 MRU Z specification

Figure 5 MRU Z functional modules

Variables Output from the MRU Z

Variables Input to the MRU Z

Angular Rate Sensors

Heave Motion Output

1) When the MRU is stationary over a 30-minute period.

2.5.6 MRU 2 specification