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Sigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition System

Supplied By: iSeis, USA



 

iSeis

The International Seismic Corporation was formed to deliver hybrid cableless recording hardware which suffered none of the drawbacks of other systems. Sigma™ solves specific problems identified with earlier technology and takes the exploration industry into a far more flexible future.


Sigma™

Sigma™ is the most advanced, field-proven cableless acquisition system. It is a multi-mode stand alone recorder and also can be used side-by-side existing cabled hardware. It works seamlessly with Seismic Source Co, products and other controllers to provide the most fully integrated source control/recorder solution. It has already set records in passive as well as active acquisition.


Sigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition SystemSigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition SystemSigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition System

 

Seismic Source Co

Seismic Source Co is iSeis’s sister company. Based in Ponca City, the home of vibroseis, SSC has a long history of providing peripheral equipment to the land exploration industry including sophisticated vibroseis/impulsive source controllers. SSC is the world's largest independent vibroseis R&D center, developing a variety of test and QC products. iSeis and SSC products can be used separately or combined to provide the most sophisticated range of land seismic equipment anywhere. Visit the web-site at www.seismicsource.com


Sigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition System

Sigma™ features - benefits:

    • No need to shoot blind - Data and hardware security

    • Mesh Radio Network for QC monitoring - Integrated system to check data and box status

    • Mesh Radio Network for ground unit remote control - Initiate remote tests, control battery usage

    • Multiple timing options – Overcomes limitations of GPS reception

    • Excellent system for passive recording - Very low noise, 32 bit, DC response

    • Multiple harvesting options - Suited to every type of operation

    • Harvesting during recording, pass-by or hardwired - No need to collect up boxes, no need to halt acquisition

    • Considerations for communications using 2.4 GHz

    • Sigma–security: Multiple levels of protection for hardware and data

    • Cable option for ground units - Turns Sigma into cabled digital telemetry system

    • Built-in source control interface - Permits use of SPS, XPS, multisource operation

    • Complete, low cost control/operating system - Fully featured, PC/Windows based

    • Real time recording options - For active or passive operations

    • Mix/match any features for stand alone or side by side operations - Any sources, any recorders, land and TZ

Sigma: Cableless Seismic Acquisition System

 

The Sigma™ Advantage

Sigma™ is the sum of all cableless acquisition experience to date – the world’s first new generation cableless recorder. It is not only a multi-mode stand alone recorder, but it also works side-by-side with existing cabled hardware. Sigma™ is fully integrated with all Seismic Source Co. products and can outperform all rivals. Sigma™ will also work with any source, including the latest simultaneous vibroseis techniques such as slip sweep managing up to 256 groups, on any terrain, in shallow water and TZ. Sigma™ offers multiple data acquisition and retrieval modes integrated with well-proven, user friendly software. No other product provides this total solution with such comprehensive flexibility.


Sigma™

    • Passive and permanent monitoring

    • Provides correlation and stack features within the Central System

    • SigmaObserver™ – the most powerful field tool available today

    • Output in raw formats or standard shot records to SEGY or SEGD

Acquisition Modes

    • Autonomous recording

    • Mesh Radio Networked (MRN)

    • WiFi – Live data retrieval

    • Mixed mode

Source Options

    • Vibroseis

    • Dynamite

    • Advanced Weight Drop

    • All Other Impulse Sources

Data Retrieval Options

    • SmartHarvest™ – PC based

    • Mini-Transporter

    • Portable Mass Harvester

    • WiFi – Harvester

Sigma System in Detail:

Sigma Software

Sigma Compatibility and Flexibility

Sigma Data Retrieval and Equipment Efficiency

Sigma Data Management

Sigma Mesh Radio Network (mrn)

Sigma Microseismic Recording Passive and Permanent Monitoring

Sigma Operational Features

Sigma TZ/Shallow Water

Sigma and High Bandwidth Real Time Data Using SRD Hymesh

 

Sigma Configurations

iSeis and its sister company, Seismic Source Co, comprise a one-stop-shop for virtually all land seismic instrumentation, from cabled and cableless recorders to controllers for almost every conceivable source.


Our innovative instruments can be couple together in a huge variety of ways allowing users to configure equipment for any operation, independent of its size or complexity. Some examples are provided in the following diagrams though it is clearly impossible to show every conceivable combination.


And, unlike most other suppliers, iSeis's and SSC's systems can also be configured to work well with products from many other manufacturers.


Contact us to for recommendations of the hardware you might use to better solve you geophysical problems.


Sigma Field Schematic - 4C Downhole

Sigma Field Schematic - Autonomous

Sigma Field Schematic - Cabled Ethernet

Sigma Field Schematic - High Speed Wi-Fi

Sigma Field Schematic - Mesh Wi-Fi

Sigma Field Schematic - MRN and USB

Sigma Field Schematic - Powered 3C Spread

Sigma Field Schematic - Powered Downhole

Sigma Field Schematic - VHF Timing

Sigma Field Schematic - Wi-Fi Drive-By

Sigma Field Schematic - DAQLink III

SSC Vibrator Options Schematic

 

System Comparison Chart

There are three cable recorders on the market and little to differentiate them. However, there are about ten cableless systems all with significant differences. Some have features not seen in seismic before, allowing modes of exploration which few may be yet aware of. So when comparing cableless hardware, there's much new to consider.


Sigma is the industry's ONLY universal cableless continuous recorder, It can do MUCH more than any other system, in any recording mode. So we developed a comparison chart. Please read to get this most out of this.


Some may think there are only two types of cableless recorder: with real time capability and without. But there is a third distinct category: those allowing transmission to central system of status, QC and noise data. It is a major innovation. This communication is two-way so also permits ground unit remote control, e.g. letting boxes be turned off to conserve power.


But there's also huge differences in all functionality groups. Take the example of shoot blind operations; most systems must be collected up to harvest data. A few, including Sigma, allow boxes to remain deployed and recording while data is wirelessly downloaded. It is much quicker and much less equipment is needed.


There are also differences in how systems time stamp data; in hardware specifications; in real time transmission options; in testing; in source control interfacing and so on. Any single difference can mean either success or failure for a crew. Sigma is fully featured - the only system that is. As we believe nothing else comes close, this chart shows important ways to compare Sigma in ten operational areas, including Recording Modes, Data Retrieval, Source Interfacing, Passive/Permanent Recording, Battery/System Power, Specification, Sensors Options etc.


So decide which area is important to your operations. Then compare Sigma with generic shoot blind systems or those with any form of data return and consider what differences such features might make. Contact us for more detail and any other comparison.


Recording Modes


Data retrieval in non real time mode


Battery and system power


Field operations


System testing


Specifications of importance to cableless operations


System timing


Sensors


Central system


Sources/passive and permanent recording