Low power telemetry system and method

A telemetry system comprising:

• a bus having a termination device;
• a transmitter coupled to the bus;
• a plurality of sensing channels, each sensing channel coupled to the bus and comprising a sensor and sensor conditioning electronics contained within a submersible enclosure;
• and
• a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel, and (5) combining channel signals into a packet for external transmission.

A mobile marine surveillance system comprising:

• a termination device;
• a bus having a plurality of submersible enclosures displaced at intervals, each submersible enclosure enclosing a sensing channel coupled to the bus;
• a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel;
• and
• a marine vehicle means for towing the bus through water.

A remote waterborne telemetry system for triggering a defensive countermeasure, comprising:

• a bus having a termination device;
• a transceiver coupled to the bus;
• a plurality of submersible sensing channels displaced at intervals along the bus, each sensing channel coupled to the bus;
• a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel;
• (5) combining channel signals into a packet;
• and (6) transmitting the packet via the transceiver to a host platform;
• a buoy for deploying the bus and enclosing the termination device, controller, and transmitter;
• and
• a triggering means for triggering the defensive countermeasure responsive to receiving a firing signal from the host platform.