Baywei M9 Integrated Multibeam Sonar
Baywei M9 Integrated Multibeam Sonar
High-resolution shallow-water surveying
Baywei M9 is an integrated multibeam survey system for projects that require a narrow acoustic beam and a compact GNSS/INS arrangement. The current configuration combines one-degree transmit and receive beam widths with 512 receive beams and a swath of up to 140 degrees. Its integrated navigation system supports deployment on conventional survey boats and unmanned surface vehicles without assembling a separate motion-sensor package.
The sonar operates at a nominal 400 kHz with frequency agility from 200 to 550 kHz. Bathymetry and side-scan data are standard outputs. Equal-distance and equal-angle distributions allow coverage to be adapted to the seabed and survey objective, and roll stabilisation supports operation from a moving platform. The package includes data acquisition and is compatible with established hydrographic software workflows.
Optional data and applications
M9 can be configured with electronic beam tilt, water-column recording and snippets collection. These are factory options, rather than functions that should be assumed present in every delivered system. Water-column information can complement bottom detections, while snippets provide additional acoustic-return information for interpretation. M9 is suited to harbour and coastal mapping, dredging surveys, marine construction, environmental investigation and research projects requiring detailed underwater coverage.
Installation and quality control
Positioning performance depends on the RTK solution and installation geometry. The specified heading accuracy assumes two metres between GNSS antennas; the horizontal and vertical position figures also include distance-dependent terms. A rigid mount, suitable sonar immersion, sound-velocity observations and controlled vessel speed remain essential. Combine appropriate line overlap with processing and quality checks before producing final terrain models. The 60 m pressure rating refers to allowable instrument immersion and must not be confused with the acoustic measuring range.
Technical specifications
| Swath | 140° |
|---|---|
| Receive beams | 512 |
| Frequency | 400 kHz; agility 200–550 kHz |
| TX / RX beam width | 1° / 1° |
| Range | >200 m |
| Range accuracy | <10 mm |
| Pressure rating | 60 m |
| GNSS/INS | Integrated |
| RTK horizontal | ±(8 mm + 1 ppm × reference-station distance) |
| RTK vertical | ±(15 mm + 1 ppm × reference-station distance) |
| Heading | 0.08° RTK; 2 m antenna separation |
| Pitch / roll | 0.03° |
| Heave | TRUEHEAVE: 2 cm or 2%; real time: 5 cm or 5% |
| Ping rate | 50 Hz |
| Weight including bracket | 5.8 kg in air; 3.1 kg in water |
Download Baywei M9 Integrated Multibeam Sonar datasheet (PDF)