Itisdesired to track the location of an underwater data collecting platform using acoustic range data. A long#x2010;range and high#x2010;resolution acoustic system for underwater locating has been investigated. The system provides continuous and highly accurate tracking of a platform referenced to bottom#x2010;mounted buoys. Each reference buoy contains an acoustic transponder, which is used to obtain ranging data from the transponder to the platform. The transponder has a signal source that is phase#x2010;modulated by a maximal#x2010;length binary sequence and a correlation processing unit to be capable of detecting received acoustic signals with high SNR in a noisy environment or in attenuation due to long#x2010;range propagation, and to identify multipath acoustic signals. The acoustic system has been designed and sea tests tried. The results of that experiment have yielded capability of a submeter underwater acoustic positioning system.
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