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Survey guide

How do I connect the CEE-LINE™ to a Trimble TSC5 over Bluetooth?

The Trimble TSC5 can’t receive depth data through its USB-C port, so use the CEE-LINE™ with a Sena Parani SD1000 Bluetooth module on the standard data / power Y cable. Pair the SD1000 in Trimble Access as an echo sounder, set the survey style to NMEA SDDBT, and keep the CEE-LINE™ at 9600 baud with draft set to zero.

By CEE HydroSystems

Updated Oct 2026

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New systems now ship with the CEE Bluetooth cable (LEMO to USB-C), which replaces the Sena Parani SD1000. If you have the new cable, follow How do I connect the CEE-LINE™ HD to a Trimble TSC5 with the CEE Bluetooth cable? This guide still applies if you use an SD1000.

SD1000Bluetooth module

9600baud rate

1234pairing PIN

NMEA DBToutput format

Why do I need a Bluetooth module?

The CEE-LINE™ is designed around a USB cable for power and data. The TSC5 cannot receive depth data through its USB-C port, so a Bluetooth radio is needed between the two.

The Sena Parani SD1000 is a self-contained radio that plugs into the standard CEE-LINE™ data / power Y cable and pairs with Bluetooth-only devices like the TSC5. It has its own USB-rechargeable battery with several hours of runtime. Unlike a built-in Bluetooth radio, it has an external antenna and long range, so the CEE-LINE™ can work much further from the controller, which is useful on small USVs.

How do I power it?

There are two options. Power draw is low, so running from the TSC5 battery won’t noticeably shorten its runtime.

Option	How	Best for
TSC5 battery	Power the CEE-LINE™ from the TSC5 through the USB-C to USB-A adapter cable.	The simplest set-up, with fewer parts.
USB power pack	Power the CEE-LINE™ from an external USB source, independent of the TSC5.	Long days: the power pack can also recharge the SD1000.

**Figure 1.** CEE-LINE™ with an SD1000 Bluetooth module, powered by the TSC5.

**Figure 2.** CEE-LINE™ with an SD1000 Bluetooth module and a USB power pack.

How do I set up the SD1000?

Check the DIP switches match the CEE-LINE™ default of 9600 baud: top three switches to the right, bottom switch to the left.
Put it in pairing mode the first time you connect: press the recessed Pair button with a paper clip or small screwdriver for 2–3 seconds. The MODE light flashes faster. After the first pairing it links automatically.

**Figure 3.** Sena Parani SD1000 DIP switches and pairing button.

What the SD1000 lights mean

Light	What it tells you
RS232-TX/Rx flashing rapidly	Data is arriving from the CEE-LINE™. If it isn’t flashing, the CEE-LINE™ is not enabled, not powered, or its baud rate doesn’t match the SD1000.
Connect	Only lights when the acquisition software is receiving data, i.e. a survey has started. It does not light just because the SD1000 is paired.

How do I pair it in Trimble Access?

In Trimble Access, open the Connections screen and search for Bluetooth devices.
When the scan finishes, select CEELINE and press Pair. An SD1000 not supplied and configured by CEE HydroSystems shows as SD1000_XXXXX instead.
Enter the PIN 1234 (unless it has been changed with the ParaniWin software).
When pairing is confirmed, set the device type to echo sounder.
Back on Connections, select the new CEELINE connection under Connect to echo sounder.

**Figure 4.** Trimble Access Connections screen, searching for Bluetooth devices.

**Figure 5.** Discovered devices, ready to pair with CEELINE.

**Figure 6.** Entering the SD1000 pairing PIN.

**Figure 7.** Pairing confirmed, with the device type set to echo sounder.

**Figure 8.** Trimble Access connections with CEELINE selected as the echo sounder.

The CEE-LINE™ is now ready to record position with appended depths in your survey style.

How do I set up the survey style?

Each survey style you use with the CEE-LINE™ needs its echo sounder settings configured.

Open the project and job, go to Settings › Survey Styles, and select Echo sounder.
Set Type to the output format the CEE-LINE™ is set to, usually NMEA SDDBT.
Press Accept to store the survey style.

Set draft to zero if you enter the antenna height as the total distance from the CEE-LINE™ transducer face to the GNSS antenna. Adding a draft here as well counts it twice in the final elevations.

**Figure 9.** Survey style settings, Echo sounder option.

**Figure 10.** Echo sounder type set to NMEA SDDBT.

With the echo sounder set up, Trimble Access adds a Depth field to the survey screen when this style is used for continuous topo bathymetric surveys.

**Figure 11.** The Depth field in the continuous topo display.

How do I configure the CEE-LINE™?

The CEE-LINE™ is configured with the CEE-LINE CONNECT software, which runs on a PC or tablet with full Windows (not on the TSC5). Download the installer, then connect the CEE-LINE™ with the “Smart” USB cable.

**Figure 12.** The CEE-LINE CONNECT utility.

Setting	Set to	Why
Output format	NMEA DBT (default) or CEESTAR	Trimble Access reads either. CEESTAR carries both channels (high and low frequency); NMEA DBT carries only the channel that’s enabled.
Baud rate	9600 bps (default)	Don’t change it when using the SD1000 with a TSC5 or other wireless device.
Maximum depth	Expected survey depth + 30–50%	It’s a hard limit: deeper than this and no data is received. Don’t use the largest value (e.g. 100 m for a 20 m survey); a sensible limit improves performance.
Draft	0	The antenna height from the base of the transducer to the GNSS is applied in Trimble Access.

Press the green Save button. The settings are stored in the CEE-LINE™’s non-volatile memory.