Excavator data acquisition and control system and process

A system for locating an underground utility, comprising: a detector unit that generates detection data representative of an underground utility within a subsurface of the earth; a geographic positioning system that generates geographic positioning data representative of a geographic position of the detector unit as the detector unit moves along a predetermined route; memory for storing the geographic positioning data and the detection data acquired by the geographic positioning system and the detector unit, respectively; and a processor, coupled to the memory, that associates the geographic positioning data with the detection data to generate location data representative of a location of the underground utility within the subsurface.