Automatic system and method for testing marine streamers of seismic exploration systems

In testing a marine streamer of a seismic marine exploration system in a passive or dynamic state, said streamer including a series of hydrophone sections X.sub.1, X.sub.2, . . . X.sub.n each containing a plurality of hydrophones and being transformer-coupled via a set of marine conductors N.sub.1, N.sub.2, . . . N.sub.n, to provide seismic data to seismic processing and recording circuitry aboard an exploration boat, a marine streamer test system also aboard said exploration boat connected to said sets of marine conductors, comprising:

• (i) a relay array means comprising input contacts connected to said sets of marine conductors, first and second sets of output contacts adjacent to said input contacts, and bridging electrical means for controllably connecting said input contacts and either said first or said second sets of contacts in bridging electrical contact, said first set of output contacts being connected to said seismic processing and recording circuitry aboard said boat;
• (ii) a signal conditioning means including terminal means controllably connectable to said second set of output contacts so as to test said streamer for field-worthiness, said conditioning means including
• (a) means for directly driving one of said sections X.sub.1, X.sub.2, . . . X.sub.n with an analog signal A of known characteristics via said terminal means;
• (b) means for detecting an analog signal B across one of said set of conductors N.sub.1, N.sub.2, . . . N.sub.n in response to said drive signal A;
• (c) means for converting said signal B to digital values;
• and
• (iii) programmed digital computer means connected to said signal conditioning means for controlling said drive means, said detecting means and said digitizing means, as well as automatically performing at least one of a series of test measurements Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2, . . . Z.sub.m to determine field-worthiness of said one section X.sub.1, X.sub.2, . . . X.sub.n.