Abstract: A CHIRP-enabled sonar system includes a transducer having one or more transducer elements for receiving electrical transmission signals and converting the electrical transmission signals into acoustic pulses, and for receiving echo returns and converting acoustic energy of the echo returns into electrical return signals representative of the echo returns. The system further includes a multi-function display unit connected to the transducer so as to receive the electrical return signals representative of the echo returns. The multi-function display unit has a housing that accommodates a display unit having at least one visual display screen, and also accommodates a processor configured to transmit the electrical transmission signals in the form of CHIRP signals. The processor is further configured to perform CHIRP processing on the electrical return signals to produce sonar data. The display unit is arranged to receive the sonar data and display the sonar data as images on the visual display screen.

Abstract: A downscan imaging sonar utilizes a linear transducer element to provide improved images of the sea floor and other objects in the water column beneath a vessel. A transducer array may include a plurality of transducer elements and each one of the plurality of transducer elements may include a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to longitudinal length of the transducer elements that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer elements. The plurality of transducer elements may be positioned such that longitudinal lengths of at least two of the plurality of transducer elements are parallel to each other. The plurality of transducer elements may also include at least a first linear transducer element, a second linear transducer element and a third linear transducer element.