Implementation of software on the CR6 is done with the use of PC400 Datalogger Support Software and CR Basic Editor. The PC400 Datalogger support software serves several functions. First of all, it enables the user to send program code and retrieve data from the unit via USB interface with a Windows computer. It also lets the user set the internal clock of the CR6 easily. With the Windows program, publicly declared variables can be read at real-time from the device via the USB cable to ease the process of debugging. However, the software does not support debugging with the use of common tools such as breakpoints and memory access. The lack of such tools does increase development time significantly and should be taken into account when planning development of future system functions. The CR Basic editor lets the user write programs for the CR6 device. The editor has a built-in compile function that will check for faults such as syntax errors and incorrect memory allocation, but the program is recompiled on the CR6 device after it has been transferred to the device. The file extension of the programs that are sent to the CR6 is “.CR6”.

There are two methods for implementing the desired behaviour on the CR6. One method is to use a program called Short Cut, the other option is to use the CR Basic Editor. Short Cut can be used for simple tasks such as sampling a sensor at a set interval and storing the data, CR Basic Editor is the only suitable alternative for the USV system. The CR Basic programming language is based on BASIC, which is a programming language that was released in 1964 (26). Although CR Basic has functionality that was seen in the original BASIC language, it is a lot more similar to newer procedure- oriented dialects of BASIC. The operating system (OS) on the CR6 automatically runs the program when the device is turned on. Only one program can run, and a program can only have one thread. Hence, the OS does not have the characteristics associated with a real-time operating system (RTOS). That does restrict the number of options for implementation of the system functions, but it could be positive for future developers who are not accustomed to the particularities of RTOS.