The Open Research Vessel Data Acquisition System (OpenRVDAS) is a software framework used for building custom data acquisition systems (DAS). OpenRVDAS target audiences are oceanographic research vessel operators and operators of other science-related platforms that have the need to record streaming data. OpenRVDAS is capable of reading data records from serial ports and network-aware sensors, optionally modifying those data records and streaming either the result to one or more destinations, including logfiles, network ports, databases, etc.
OpenRVDAS is designed to be modular and extensible, relying on simple composition of Readers, Transforms and Writers to achieve the needed datalogging functionality.
The primary purpose of an oceanographic research vessel is to gather data from sensors. Oceanographic research vessels carry a combination of oceanographic, meteorological and other specialized sensors. Some of the more complex sensors (i.e. ADCP, Multibeam, imaging systems) include specialized data acquisition systems tailored to the particlular sensor. Many simpler sensors, however, can simply stream data values over a network port or serial connection.
At present there are limited options for operators wishing to store and display data from these simple sensors. This task is commonly referred to as underway data logging. Most research vessel operators rely on closed-source, solutions (i.e. SCS, WinFrog) or on dated datalogging systems (i.e. dsLog, LDS) for underway data logging. Both options provide limited support mechanisms, thus bugs are slow to be resolved and feature requests are slow to be implemented.
OpenRVDAS hopes to provide an alternative underway data logging solution that is defined, developed and maintained by the global oceanographic research community.
OpenRVDAS recognizes that each ship is different, that each ship has a unique set of sensors and that each ship has a unique way of operating. With this understanding, OpenRVDAS does not try provide a turn-key, one- size-fits-all solution but instead provides research vessel operators with a modular and extensible toolset for developing and deploying a custom underway datalogging solution tailored to the vessel's individual needs.
DISCLAIMER: THIS CODE IS EXPERIMENTAL AND STILL IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. IT SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BE RELIED ON, ESPECIALLY NOT IN ANY APPLICATION WHERE ITS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN INJURY, LOSS OF LIFE, PROPERTY, SANITY OR CREDIBILITY AMONG YOUR PEERS WHO WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.
Please refer to INSTALL.md for details on how to install OpenRVDAS
Individual logging modules can be composed using a few lines of Python, e.g.
reader = SerialReader(port='/dev/ttyr15', baudrate=9600)
timestamp_transform = TimestampTransform()
prefix_transform = PrefixTransform(prefix=‘knud’)
logfilewriter = LogfileWriter(filebase=‘/data/logs/current/knud’)
while True:
in_record = reader.read()
ts_record = timestamp_transform.transform(in_record)
out_record = prefix_transform.transform(ts_record)
writer.write_record(out_record)
Documentation (also still incomplete) for the code is available online in a shared Google Doc folder via the shortcut url http://tinyurl.com/openrvdas-docs.
The listen.py script is included to provide access to the most commonly used Readers, Transforms and Writers from the command line, e.g.
listen.py --serial port=/dev/ttyr15,baudrate=9600 \
--timestamp --prefix knud \
--write_logfile /data/logs/current/knud
For full details on the use of listen.py, run:
logger/listener/listen.py --help
Server scripts for managing multiple loggers are described in the server/README.md file.
Installation and running of the Django-based web interface is described in the django_gui/README.md file.
Please contact David Pablo Cohn (david dot cohn at gmail dot com) - to discuss opportunities for participating in code development.
This code is made available under the MIT license:
Copyright (c) 2017 David Pablo Cohn
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.