A Fetch AZA instrument is mostly in one of two main states, which are (1) transport mode; and (2) seabed mode. This article describes how to instruct a Fetch AZA instrument to enter these modes.

A Fetch AZA must be in seabed mode when it is deployed, and this is done when configuring the instrument before deployment using Subsea Array Manager (SAM). Once the logging setup for your Fetch AZA has been completed in SAM, the AZA sensor must be set up, which can be done from the AZA tab in SAM.

The AZA sensor at this stage will be in an indeterminate state, so you must click ‘Get AZA status’ before any AZA functionality is available.

As displayed in the example below, this will show pressure readings (as a deck test expect atmospheric pressure readings so <1.5bar/150kPa), internal temperature readings of the transfer and ambient pressure sensors (expect good agreement), and the status of the instrument, which at this stage will be unknown.

What status ‘unknown’ simply means is that the electronic brain of the AZA sensor doesn’t know the positions of any of the mechanical components, and this happens every time the Fetch AZA is switched off with the magnet. Instruct the AZA to enter seabed mode by clicking on the ‘seabed’ AZA mode option. Note it can take 20 minutes or so to enter this mode. The AZA will confirm it is in seabed mode in the status line (example below).

The time for instructing the Fetch AZA to enter transport mode comes once the deployment is over and the instrument is safely back on deck. Connect the instrument to SAM via your iWand, navigate to the AZA tab, and click the ‘Transport’ AZA mode option.

You can find out more detail on how to set up a Fetch AZA instrument for deployment by watching the video below and check out the other FAQ to find out what Seabed Mode and Transport Mode actually mean.