The ExpoMAR 2009 exhibition in Olhão is an annual event which presents Marine activities from the region. The Exhibitors are companies, ocial entities and educational institutions. The exhibition is visited by the local public, school groups but also by visitors from the larger Algarve region and Spain. In total this usually exceedes 30000 visitors. For this exhibition the UAN project was presented by CINTAL inside the Pavilion of the University of the Algarve. Posters were presented which represented CINTAL/SiPLAB as an university laboratory in underwater acoustics. The UAN project and the experiment were shown on large scale posters with explanation in detail.

CINTAL prepared a live experiment which consisted of the demonstration of an underwater digital communications system. The system was setup in two locations, the first was inside the exhibition, the other was the acoustic equipment setup inside the Olhão marina.

PASUThe visitor was presented with a computer terminal, where it was possible in enter a text message. This text message was sent at 1000bits/s modulated in BPSK with a carrier frequency of 10kHz and output to the Portable Acoustic Source Unit (PASU), developed by CINTAL for the UAN project. The portable unit was located next to the computer inside the stand. A cable connected the portable unit to the acoustic transducer which was located in the marina. The visitor could then move on to a second computer and after a few seconds view the demodulated and decoded message. This message was transmitted from the acoustic transducer through the water (depths 3-4 meters, distance 100meters) and received at the Acoustic Oceanographic Buoy (AOB) an equipment developed by CINTAL.

ExpoMAR 2009 standExpoMAR 2009 visitors

The AOB is an autonomous surface buoy with up-to 16 acoustic sensors which can be placed at various positions in the water column. For This setup 6 hydrophones where placed with a spacing of 10cm to form a compact Array. The received signal in the AOB was retransmitted using a wireless setup to the CINTAL stand. This data was received at the processing server and a message detection algorithm which was running continuously on the received data extracted sequences when these where detected

These detected sequences were processed and a visual plot of processed parameters (impulse response, constellations and others) including the decoded message were presented to the visitor. This exhibition contributed to the advance of the UAN project by development and testing of various components including:

• real time signal detection
• synchronization algorithms
• real time streaming of acquired data
• equalizers
• testing of various hardware components

Dissemination of the UAN project and EU support of scientic research was also achieved to the non specialized public. A member of the CINTAL / SiPLAB personnel was present at all times for a specialized explanation of experiment and activities