Altimeter¶

An underwater glider's altimeter is the primary instrument for preventing seabed strikes. It emits an acoustic pulse downward and measures the time-of-flight to the bottom, providing the glider's flight computer with a real-time altitude above the seafloor. When altitude drops below a programmed threshold, the glider commands an ascent.

What This Section Covers¶

• Altimeter Installation — Mechanical mounting, connector sealing, and orientation verification.
• Software Configuration — Enabling the altimeter in the flight computer and setting altitude thresholds.
• Altitude Settings for Bottom Avoidance — Choosing conservative target and minimum altitude values based on terrain.
• Performance Verification — Bench testing in a water tank and in-water verification on the first dive of each mission.

In This Section¶