A practical, vendor-neutral guide to NaviPac project setup, sensor inputs, navigation outputs, logging, displays, QC and troubleshooting.
NaviPac survey data flow — original Offshore Survey Community technical illustration.
EIVA NaviPac is widely used in offshore survey and construction workflows to integrate navigation and positioning sensors, calculate positions and distribute outputs. The most useful way to learn it is to understand the data flow rather than memorize menu locations.
Think in inputs, calculations and outputs
Map every input first: GNSS, heading, motion, depth, USBL/LBL, ROV sensors and other project data. For each source know protocol, port, update rate, units, time reference and quality indicators. Then identify what NaviPac calculates and which systems consume each output.
Build the project from the reference frame
Define vessel and vehicle objects and reference points carefully. Enter sensor offsets using the project's axis convention and verify signs independently. Confirm geodesy before accepting any displayed coordinate.
Configure interfaces methodically
For serial inputs check baud rate, data bits, parity and stop bits. For Ethernet check IP addresses, ports, TCP/UDP behaviour and network routing. Confirm the raw telegram before troubleshooting the interpreted value.
Validate navigation sensors
Compare GNSS, heading and motion against independent sources where available. Check update rates and timestamps. A stable number can still be stale or referenced incorrectly.
Configure subsea positioning
For USBL/LBL or ROV positioning, confirm beacon IDs, offsets, depth sources, sound-velocity assumptions and the relationship between vessel and subsea objects. Keep raw observations available for troubleshooting.
Displays are QC tools
Design online displays to show not only final position but also sensor quality, age, status and differences between redundant sources. Operators should recognize degradation before it affects deliverables.
Logging
Verify that all required raw and calculated data are logged, filenames and storage locations are correct and recording is active. Perform a short test recording before critical operations.
Troubleshooting workflow
When a value is wrong, trace it from raw input to interpreted sensor to calculation to output. Check one layer at a time: physical connection, network or serial settings, telegram, units, reference frame, timing, calculation and display.
Version-specific operation
Software versions and exact menus change. Use current official EIVA documentation for version-specific commands; this guide focuses on transferable survey workflow and QC principles.