A Solid-State Digital Tide Gauge

A new type of marine water-height sensing device has been designed and built for use as a tide gauge. Primary prerequisites for the instrument were inexpensive construction, avoidance of moving parts, reliability of operation in a marine environment, and direct computer interface for automated data acquisition. The resultant instrument employs carbon electrodes fixed to a polyvinyl chloride pipe, and remote electronics to sense water level in the pipe. The electronics were designed so as to minimize current through the electrodes. The design is adaptable to different tidal ranges and resolutions, and could also be used as a wave-height sensor.