Kongsberg EM 2042
Multibeam Echosounder
Description
The Kongsberg EM 2042 is a next-generation multibeam echosounder for high-resolution seabed mapping in hydrography, offshore operations, dredging and marine science. It operates across a 150–700 kHz frequency range, maps depths from 0.5 m to 600 m and is engineered to surpass the IHO Exclusive Order and LINZ Special Standard.
The EM 2042 transmitter combines three transmit sectors to enable dynamic focusing on both transmission and reception, along with roll, pitch and true 3-sector yaw stabilization. In the dual RX configuration, a single TX array generates up to 4,096 soundings and covers swaths of up to 220°. The system delivers high-resolution multi-frequency bathymetry and seabed backscatter, and integrates seamlessly with Kongsberg SIS and third-party software.
The transmitter and receiver connect to the topside processing unit through a single subsea cable, which keeps setup and operation simple. The transducers are 60% lighter than the previous generation, with reduced total power consumption. A custom-made portable bracket for over-the-side installations holds the most commonly used INS sensors at a fixed location with known offsets, allowing a quick and easy setup.
The EM 2042 is available with a TX 04 or TX 07 transmitter and a single or dual RX 07 receiver. The receiver can optionally include an embedded KONGSBERG miniMRU and an AML sound velocity sensor, and water column data logging is available as an option.