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RedPhone Wireless underwater acoustic voice communication system Test program and procedures |
RedPhone
Wireless underwater acoustic voice communication system
Test program and procedures
Contents
- 1. Test object
- 2. Test objective
- 3. General information
- 4. Equipment set
- 5. Test site requirements
- 6. Test plan
- 6.1. General information
- 6.2. Preparation and checking of the equipment for testing
- 6.3. Communication system operability test
- 6.4. Intelligibility test
- 6.5. Maximum communication range test
- 6.6. Instrument battery life test
1. Test object
The test object is the set of instruments and equipment included in the RedPhone wireless underwater acoustic voice communication system (hereinafter referred to as the equipment set, ES).
2. Test objective
Determination of the compliance of the ES with the declared technical specifications.
3. General information
3.1. Instrument composition
The RedPhone wireless underwater acoustic voice communication system was developed by UCNL LLC; the base equipment set includes the following instruments:
- RedPhone-OS - surface communication station;
- RedPhone-D - diver communication station.
They are manufactured at the facilities of UCNL LLC.
3.2. Procedure for using additional equipment and transport cases
Additional equipment means any devices and accessories that are not an integral part of the ES instruments, in particular:
- diving masks, diving telephone headsets;
- additional light signaling equipment: retroreflective markers, reflectors, light beacons, lamps, etc.;
- various devices: resistance, temperature, voltage, pressure and depth meters;
Transport cases are special cases for transporting the instruments included in the ES. The additional equipment and transport cases are not manufactured by UCNL LLC and are not test objects under this test program and procedures; their composition is agreed with the customer separately. By separate agreement, it is also possible to carry out both delivery tests of a separate set of additional equipment and/or transport cases and their incoming inspection according to a procedure agreed separately with the customer.
3.3 Frequency of testing
Tests according to this procedure are carried out on one ES from each series of equipment. Additional tests are carried out when changes are made to the design of the instruments and/or to the specialized software of the ES. By separate agreement, acceptance tests according to this procedure or according to a simplified scheme are possible.
4. Equipment set
4.1 The base equipment set for testing according to this procedure includes the following instruments:
Table 1 - Base equipment set
| No. | Name | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RedPhone-OS surface communication station | 1 | See the set composition in Table 2 |
| 2 | RedPhone-D diver communication station | 1 | See the set composition in Table 3 |
Table 2 - Standard delivery set of RedPhone-OS
| No. | Name | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RedPhone-OS station | 1 pc. | |
| 2 | Underwater acoustic transducer | 1 pc. | 7 m cable |
| 3 | Microphone with PTT button | 1 pc. | |
| 4 | Mains charger | 1 pc. | |
| 5 | Carabiner for securing the transducer cable | 1 pc. | |
| 6 | Waterproof bag for transporting and storing the transducer and microphone | 1 pc. | May be supplied in two smaller waterproof bags |
| 7 | Adapter with a 3.5 mm Jack socket for connecting headphones | 1 pc. |
Table 3 - Standard delivery set of RedPhone-D
| No. | Name | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RedPhone-D station with strap mount and headset connector | 1 pc. | Availability of a PTT button, connector type and headset type are agreed separately |
| 2 | Mains charger with cradle | 1 pc. | |
| 3 | Spare parts and tools kit (bit for a hex nut, set of bolts and nuts) | 1 pc. | By agreement |
4.2 Additional equipment set
This list includes the additional equipment required for testing and may differ from the delivery list.
Table 4 - Set of required additional equipment
| No. | Name | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headset for a full-face mask with connector | 1 | The connector on the headset must match the one agreed upon |
| 2 | Full-face diving mask | 1 | |
| 3 | Strap for fastening the diver communication station to the tank | 1 | |
| 3 | Set of diving equipment | 1 | Prepared in accordance with industry safety standards |
| 4 | Set of serviceable, charged batteries for the diver instrument | 1 | According to the requirements specified in the device specification |
| 5 | Multimeter capable of measuring voltage in the range from 0 to 20 V with an accuracy of 0.1 V and resistance in the range from 1 Ω to 20 MΩ, with a set of probes | 1 | |
| 6 | Room thermometer with a measuring range no narrower than 0 .. 40 °C with an accuracy of 1 °C | 1 | |
| 7 | Timer capable of setting two time intervals of 7 hours 45 minutes and 99 hours 45 minutes with an accuracy of 1 minute | 1 | |
| 8 | Fender (small buoy) and anchor with a rope for marking the diver’s position at the required distance. The rope length must allow the buoy to be set at the given water depth, and the parameters of the anchor and buoy must prevent them from drifting on the water body. | 1 |
4.2.1 Requirements for the mask and headset
- The headset and mask used must be compatible with each other, which must be confirmed by the guarantees of the manufacturer(s) of the mask and headset;
- The mask must allow the diver to speak with a free mouth (i.e., without using a mouthpiece, etc.) during testing;
- The headset connector must be fully mechanically compatible with its mating part mounted on the cable of the RedPhone-D instrument;
- If the version of the RedPhone-D instrument with a PTT button mounted on the cable is being tested, a headset without a PTT button must be used, and vice versa;
Table 5 - Compatibility requirements for the electrical parameters of the headset
| No. | Name | Units | Permissible range | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resistance of the headphone(s) channel | Ω | 4 .. 32 | Using a multimeter in resistance measurement mode at the headset connector. |
| 2 | Absence of rectifying elements in the headphone(s) circuit | N/A | N/A | The resistance of the headphone(s) is measured in turn, reversing the polarity of the multimeter probes. The measurement result must not vary with polarity by more than 5% of the larger of the two values. In the case of two headphones, it is measured for each channel separately |
| 3 | Microphone resistance | Ω | 100 .. 400 | Using a multimeter in resistance measurement mode at the headset connector |
| 4 | Insulation resistance between the common conductors of the headphone(s) and microphone circuits | at least 10 MΩ | Measured with a multimeter at the headset connector |
5. Test site requirements
The test site for testing according to this test program and procedures must meet a number of requirements, in particular:
- fresh or salt water body;
- for intelligibility tests, the size of the water body is not less than 100 x 50 m (testing in a pool is possible, if each of its dimensions is not less than L x W x D - 25 x 25 x 2 m);
- for maximum communication range tests, the size of the water body is not less than 200 x 1500 m;
- sea state no more than 0.5 (according to the meteorological service);
- no currents with a speed of more than 1 m/s;
- water depth at the site not less than 2 and not more than 40 m;
- line-of-sight conditions between the communicating devices must be ensured; The test site must have free access to the water so that the divers can enter the water and the transducer of the surface communication station can be deployed without hindrance; Preference is given to water bodies with a relatively flat bottom composed of sandy and/or silty soils and a depth of about 10–15 m, with the size of the water body not less than 100 x 100 m.
6. Test plan
6.1. General information
The recommended set of procedures for full-scale tests for compliance with the declared specifications is presented below. This type of testing is normally carried out at the acceptance stage of the equipment set for one arbitrarily selected ES from the set of supplied equipment. By mutual written agreement with the customer, the tests according to selected procedures may be omitted. Before testing, read the user’s manuals of the instruments included in the system:
- RedPhone-OS surface communication station: User’s manual
- RedPhone-D diver communication station: User’s manual
6.2. Preparation and checking of the equipment for testing
At the preparation stage, do the following:
- Install charged batteries in the RedPhone-D diver communication station in accordance with section 3.3 of the User’s manual;
- Charge the batteries (if necessary) in accordance with section 3.2 of the User’s manual;
- If necessary, charge the built-in power supply of the RedPhone-OS surface station in accordance with section 3.2 of the User’s manual;
6.2.1. Test procedures for the RedPhone-OS surface communication station
6.2.1.1. External visual inspection
Perform this inspection with the station lid open. During the inspection, check that:
- The protective caps on the “Speaker” and “Power” toggle switches on the front panel of the station are intact;
- There is no water, salt deposits or other contamination inside the connectors on the front panel of the station and the mating connectors (transducer, microphone, headphones (if used));
- The insulation of the transducer and microphone cables is intact;
If the observed conditions do not match the expected ones, operation of the station is prohibited. The ES is considered to have failed the check.
6.2.1.2. Functional check of the device
Perform this check after a successful visual inspection in accordance with section 6.2.1.1.
Additional check conditions:
- the “Power” toggle switch is set to the “Off” position;
- the “Speaker” toggle switch is set to the “On” position;
- the “Volume” control is set to the 12 o’clock position (50% of the scale);
During the check, make sure that:
- When the “Power” toggle switch is moved to the “On” position, the station emits a short beep, indicating that power is present and the device is operational;
After the check, move the “Power” toggle switch to the “Off” position.
If the observed conditions do not match the expected ones, operation of the station is prohibited. The ES is considered to have failed the check.
6.1.2.3. Checking the transducer and microphone
Perform this check after the successful checks in accordance with section 6.2.1.1 and section 6.2.1.2.
Additional check conditions:
- the “Power” toggle switch is set to the “Off” position;
- the “Speaker” toggle switch is set to the “On” position;
- the “Volume” control is set to the 12 o’clock position (50% of the scale);
- the supplied transducer is connected to the “Antenna” connector on the front panel of the station;
- the supplied microphone is connected to the “Microphone” connector;
- the PTT button (PTT, Push-to-talk) on the microphone is not pressed;
During the check, make sure that:
- When the “Power” toggle switch is moved to the “On” position, the station emits a short beep, indicating that power is present and the device is operational;
- A constant background noise is heard from the station speaker, and its intensity may vary;
- When the transducer is touched, the station responds with a change in the noise (for example, when the transducer is tapped lightly, these clicks should be heard from the station speaker);
- When the PTT button is pressed, the noise from the speakers stops completely (transmission is in progress), and when it is released, the station emits a short beep, after which the background noise may be heard again;
After the check, move the “Power” toggle switch to the “Off” position.
If the observed conditions do not match the expected ones, operation of the station is prohibited. The ES is considered to have failed the check.
To check the headphones, the “Speaker” toggle switch must be in the “Off” state and all sound signals, including the background noise, must be monitored through the headphones using the procedure described above.
Video tutorial: checking the RedPhone-OS station before use
6.2.1.4. Preparation for communication checks
Perform this check after the successful checks in accordance with sections 6.2.1.1, 6.2.1.2, 6.2.1.3.
Make sure that:
- The station is placed on a stable non-slip horizontal surface and tied by the handle to a guardrail, railing, etc. to prevent the station from tipping over into the water;
- The device lid is open;
- The transducer is connected to the “Antenna” connector;
- The microphone is connected to the “Microphone” connector;
- If the station is used without headphones:
- The “Speaker” toggle switch is in the “On” position;
- If the station is used with headphones:
- The “Speaker” toggle switch is in the “Off” position;
- The headphones are connected to the “Headphones” connector;
- The covers of all unused connectors are lightly screwed on;
- The nuts on all connected cable connectors are lightly tightened;
- The “Power” toggle switch is set to the “On” position;
- The “Channel” switch is set to the position corresponding to the communication channel set on the divers’ devices;
- The transducer is lowered into the water to a depth such that it is at least 2 m from the lowest point of the vessel and at least 1.5 m from the bottom;
- There is a direct line of sight between the station transducer and the transducers of the diver stations (not obstructed by elements of the underwater landscape, parts of various structures, vessels, etc.).
6.2.2. Test procedures for the RedPhone-D surface communication station
6.2.2.1. External visual inspection
During the inspection, check that:
- The insulation of the cables and splices is intact;
- The instrument has no mechanical damage;
- There is no water, salt deposits or other contamination inside the connector.
If the observed conditions do not match the expected ones, operation of the station is prohibited. The ES is considered to have failed the check.
6.2.2.2. Preparation for communication checks
Perform this check after the successful checks in accordance with section 6.2.2.1.
Make sure that:
- The station is securely fastened to the diver’s tank with a strap (for tests involving divers);
- The headset is connected to the station via the connector and the connector is tightly closed (checked in accordance with the documentation for the connector used);
- The headset is placed on the diver in accordance with the documentation for the headset model used;
- By the sound signal played in the headset, the diver confirms that the station switches on when it enters the water;
6.3. Communication system operability test
The tests are carried out to reject obviously inoperable ES and their components. The surface and diver stations have successfully passed the visual inspections and preparations in accordance with section 6.2. A diver equipped with a RedPhone-D station dives to a shallow depth (~1–1.5 m) and moves away from the location of the RedPhone-OS station transducer to a distance of 10–15 m. Both the surface station operator and the diver are briefed in advance on the procedure for this check. The check proceeds as follows:
- The surface station operator presses the PTT button and, after a short pause (0.5 s), slowly says the names of the digits from 1 to 9 with clear articulation, ending the transmission with the word “Over!” and, after a short pause (0.5 s), releases the PTT button;
- Then the diver makes the same transmission if the diver clearly heard the words transmitted from the surface; meanwhile, the surface post verifies that the voice message has been received.
If there is no communication after three unsuccessful attempts, the ES is considered to have failed the check.
6.4. Intelligibility test
The tests are carried out to confirm the quality of communication. The tests are carried out on at least three diver - surface communication station operator pairs. If the participants have hearing levels of more than 90% confirmed by a specialized medical institution, it is permitted to conduct the test on one “diver - operator” pair, but the total number of words transmitted must be at least 200 (4 lists).
The test for one diver - operator pair is conducted according to the following procedure: The diver is instructed to repeat each received word over the underwater telephone link. The diver is positioned at a comfortable distance from the location where the transducer of the surface communication station is lowered, but not closer than 10 m and not farther than 1000 m. The immersion depth in this case must be at least 2–3 m. During the test, the relative position of the diver and the surface station must not change significantly (by more than 2–3 m horizontally).
The surface station operator says the words from the articulation lists in section 6.4.1 in turn; each of them must be repeated by the diver, after which the word is crossed out (or marked) to avoid repetition.
Table 6 - Recommended form for recording the results
| No. | Word | Used | Without errors | No. | Word | Used | Without errors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | кружок | 26 | часто | ||||
| 2 | хлеб | 27 | вздохнуть | ||||
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 25 | доклад | 50 | река |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of error-free repetitions | |
| Intelligibility percentage |
When the operator says a word, it is marked with a check mark (✓) in the “Used” column.
If the diver repeats the transmitted word without error, a check mark (✓) is placed in the “Without errors” column.
When recording the results, only the exact reproduction by the diver of all phonemes of the heard word is accepted as a correct answer. Any change in the repetition of the word is regarded as an incorrect answer.
The total number of check marks in the “Without errors” columns is counted and entered in the “Number of error-free repetitions” row.
To determine the value of the intelligibility percentage, the value of the “number of error-free repetitions” is divided by the total number of words in the form and multiplied by 100%. The resulting value is entered in the “Intelligibility percentage” field.
Then the “Intelligibility percentage” is averaged over all completed forms (summed and divided by the number of completed forms). The final value is called the “Average intelligibility percentage”.
The test is considered passed if the average intelligibility percentage based on the results of at least three tests is not lower than 70%.
6.4.1. Articulation lists
Balanced lists of words of different syllable counts (50 words per list) (Avakyan R.V., Khorga D.S., 1974)
List 1:
Будущий, выйти, мотор, солдат, краска, съезд, чистый, платье, давно, убрать.
Значить, прибор, вещь, служить, светлый, подай, воля, бумага, дальше, черта.
Темный, судно, встреча, клетка, комсомол, беда, вместе, сигнал, шестой, лечь.
Слеза, недавно, упасть, туман, легкий, час, слушай, вскочить, автор, буква.
Живой, третий, понимать, честный, схватить, крыло, шапка, вверх, польза, порог.
List 2:
Конец, решать, простой, знание, страшно, душа, форма, тон, тридцать, пустить.
Палец, смена, яркий, нога, вновь, отец, близкий, прочесть, спорить, коридор.
Камень, закрыть, мера, район, урок, свет, крепкий, прости, называть, точно.
Взрослый, сложный, студент, назад, война, двенадцать, память, пей, ехать, рыба.
Малый, вчера, вступить, спаршивай, станок, карта, сцена, друг, послать, плечо.
List 3:
Кружок, хлеб, здание, милый, висеть, встретить, верно, язык, любой, форма.
Работник, позвать, плохо, страшный, рассказ, успех, деньги, снять, доктор, десять.
Небо, шаг, вернитесь, волос, доклад, часто, вздохнуть, желать, стена, тонкий.
Тонна, огонь, гореть, вспомни,правильно, тихий, лететь, трактор, игра, сто.
Домой, дружба, собрать, герой, теплый, носить, дорогой, ветер, взгляд, река.
List 4:
Родной, есть, создать, всего, желтый, сила, магазин, карман, опыт, театр.
Прежний, назвать, ответ, купи, голос, книга, строить, доска, глубокий, вслед.
Берег, узкий, месяц, помогать, гора, вагон, клуб, мешай, ладно, следить.
Пятый, площадка, встань, группа, матрос, папа, ясно, серый, старик, мечтать.
Мастер, помощь, важный, громко, звезда, верить, учитель, больной, глядеть, сад.
List 5:
Легко, красный, зайти, сердце, школьник, шум, бросьте, весна, морской, природа.
Шофер, весной, белый, отдай, право, лошадь, нести, сосед, агроном, звать.
Журнал, юный, летом, спорт, искать, солнце, июль, красивый, вызвать, праздник.
Трава, рано, достать, объясни, парень, нужный, брать, море, статья, восемь.
Волна, радость, седьмой, разный, взглянуть, воздух, стоять, этаж, звук, сначала.
List 6:
Мало, счастье, звонок, расти, брат, целый, крикнуть, пальто, погода, двести.
Плакать, петь, никогда, открой, тетя, жена, лагерь, мечта, плохой, личный.
Судьба, готовьте, двор, завтра, учить, тема, книжка, хватить, прошлый, стекло.
Техника, попасть, восьмой, цифра, портрет, борьба, держать, кухня, вниз, лучший.
Скоро, след, забыть, принять, трубка, металл, село, великий, парта, черный.
List 7:
Трудно, слесарь, костер, успеть, пол, задача, поднять, лодка, русский, девять.
Крыша, знамя, всегда, боец, молоко, сильный, кричать, плакат, быть, чужой.
Чай, лампа, поехать, кино, предмет, сразу, считай, падать,средний, лето.
Правый, взяться, яблоко, поход, спутник, сюда, зритель, спать, закон, реши.
Народный, молчи, зима, трудный, сбор, шея, кресло, бежать, тихо, сестра.
List 8:
Добрый, играть, случай, уметь, дрова, билет, семь, техникум, стройка, крепко.
Выбрать, путь, костюм, помочь, домик, дядя, дворец, закончи, детский, едва.
Густой, просить, триста, образ, крупный, болото, артист, песок, вдруг, ездить.
Ночной, утро, длинный, перестань, малыш, быстро, труба, мир, лежать, птица.
Смелый, пройти, встреча, колесо, двойка, сесть, войди, любовь, приказ, поздно.
6.5. Maximum communication range test
The tests are carried out to confirm the declared maximum communication range. At the test site, a location 1000 m away from the place where the surface station transducer is lowered is marked with an anchor and a buoy. The distance is checked either with a GNSS receiver or with a rangefinder. At this location, the diver descends to a depth of at least 2–3 m and transmits voice messages, reporting readiness. During this test, the diver must not move away from the descent point by more than 2–3 m.
Short messages are transmitted in turn between the diver and the surface point. Next, in their replies, the diver and the station report a subjective assessment of communication on a 10-point scale. The recommended sequence of messages:
- Diver: In position. How do you read me? Over
- Surface station: I hear you X out of 10. Understood. How are you feeling? Over
- Diver: Received. I feel fine. I hear you Y out of 10. Over
And so on.
If speech messages are successfully received by the diver and by the surface station in at least one of 5 attempts, the ES is considered to have passed the test, and the declared characteristic is considered confirmed.
6.6. Instrument battery life test
The instrument battery life test is carried out without the need for diving. The diver station is placed in a container of water so that the entire housing of the device is covered with water, while the cable with the connected headset remains in the air. The ambient temperature must remain within the range from 20 °C to 30 °C. On the surface station, the Speaker toggle switch must be turned on and the volume set to the 12 o’clock position (50% of the scale). The fully charged devices - the surface communication station and the diver station - are switched on and left for the declared operating time in receive mode:
- 7 hours 45 minutes for the surface communication station
- 99 hours 45 minutes for the diver communication station.
The time is measured with a clock or a timer.
After the specified time has elapsed (for each instrument separately), the instrument is switched off (the diver station is taken out of the water for this) and switched on again; the instrument must play the power-on sound, as described in the corresponding user’s manual.
The ES is considered to have passed the test if the corresponding sound is played when both instruments are switched on again.