Communications Interface: The Cerulean Sounder S500 features 3 hardware connection options. Ethernet (100Mb/sec), USB (12Mb/sec), and 3.3V Serial (115kbaud). After each power up, all interfaces are polled. The first one to send a valid packet is selected as the host, and the remaining interfaces are disabled.
API Compatibility: S500 communication uses a binary packet format compatible with the Blue Robotics Ping-Protocol. It supports most of the Blue Robotics Ping1 packet types, and maintains compatibility with the Blue Robotics Ping Viewer.
Documentation: The generic packet format is documented below, as are the specific payloads. These packet types are recommended for new applications targeting the S500 sounder.
Apology: The terms "altitude," "distance," and "depth" are used somewhat interchangeably here. They all mean the sensed distance from the device to some object, which is usually the bottom.