High-Frequency Sonar Calibration Using Thin Wires as Standard Point Targets

Abstract

Sonar calibration using a standard point target is always crucial for sonar manufacturers and researchers. Traditionally a sphere with certain size and material is selected as the standard point target for a given frequency. As the sonar frequency increases, the required size of the sphere tends to decrease and its supporting structure may not be neglected. We discover that the thin wire is a better point target for high-frequency wideband sonars. This paper addresses how a stainless steel thin wire of a diameter of 0.356mm is successfully adopted to calibrate our newly developed high-frequency wideband multibeam sonar from 700kHz to 1.4MHz.