Compact Portable Acoustic Command Systems for the National Data Buoy Center at Stennis Space Center, MS

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Acquisition Division intends to utilize the authority under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106(b)(1), to purchase two new acoustic release command deck sets from EdgeOne, LLC. for the National Data Buoy Center at Stennis Space Center, MS. Sole Source Justification: The government intends to buy solely from Edge One LLC. The EdgeOne 8242XS acoustic releases contain proprietary hardware and firmware.

Included in this proprietary firmware are specific command structures to activate the release, to get ranging information, and to provide tilt information. The deck set to communicate with these releases must have the same proprietary firmware that can send the release and ranging commands and receive the responses from the acoustic release.

Essentially, the acoustic release and the deck set must communicate at the same acoustic frequency and use the same proprietary command/response firmware to communicate with each other. EdgeOne has designed two command deck sets to communicate with their 8242XS releases that the NDBC uses. There is the full-sized 8011M deck set with a 67-meter transducer cable and the new PACS portable lightweight unit with a 20-meter transducer (formerly an AMD200).

The NDBC uses the 8011M deck sets for most applications in the field, but the smaller portable unit with a shorter transducer cable is easier to use at the NDBC Stennis location for laboratory and pre-shipment functional tests of the releases because it is much easier to move around to different locations for testing multiple releases in one test period. In September of 2022 EdgeOne introduced a new set of release codes to work with the newest 8242XS releases.

The three portable deck sets (former model AMD200) that the NDBC used for in-house testing were over 20 years old and could not be updated with the latest firmware to accommodate the new release codes. The NDBC is purchasing two of the new model PACS deck sets to replace these older units. This is the only notice to be posted. This special notice is not a request for competitive offers, and no solicitation package is available.

However, firms that believe they can meet this requirement may submit substantiating documentation in writing within the open period of this notice. Responses should be sent via email to tyran.claypool@noaa.gov. The submitted documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. The decision by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based on the responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. If no documentation is received, the award will be made directly to EdgeOne LLC. DOC, Eastern Acquisition Division requires that all contractors doing business with this office be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). No award can be made to a company not registered in SAM.