Experiments in marine environments may require the use of many machines to carry out specific mechanical or engineering tasks. Often an electronics unit is needed to ensure the full control of these different machines. K.U.M. created the 4Tuna precisely for this purpose. Its modular design and programmable electronics ensure that a wide variety of different tasks can be accomplished autonomously.

The 4Tuna provides clients with autonomous control of most 12V appliances and, although initially introduced for use with the Sediment Trap and Lander, the unit’s versatility has now proved its value across a wide array of services.

The 4Tuna is equipped with six power outputs that can be programmed independently. Users input the desired commands via a PC, with operations initiated via either a calendar setting or in response to an event. Once the task is completed each event is logged and can be transferred to a PC for review. User commands can be saved and repeated for future tasks using the integrated time-shift function.

The internal electronics of the 4Tuna are protected when power is supplied to the motor (or depleted) as the voltage is ramped up (or down) steadily to avoid electronic ‘backstroke’ within the inductive coils. Additionally, the 4Tuna has very low power consumption to allow for extended operations.