diff --git a/scripts/aqdturnaround.py b/scripts/aqdturnaround.py
index dd45ca1f..8de610a0 100755
--- a/scripts/aqdturnaround.py
+++ b/scripts/aqdturnaround.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 T_orig = meta["AQDTransMatrix"].copy()
 T = meta["AQDTransMatrix"]
-if args.orientation == "DOWN":
+if args.orientation.upper() == "DOWN":
     T[1, :] = -T[1, :]
     T[2, :] = -T[2, :]
 
diff --git a/stglib/aqd/aqdutils.py b/stglib/aqd/aqdutils.py
index d84bed88..893d482d 100644
--- a/stglib/aqd/aqdutils.py
+++ b/stglib/aqd/aqdutils.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def set_orientation(VEL, T):
 
     T_orig = T.copy()
 
-    if VEL.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+    if VEL.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
         print("User instructed that instrument was pointing UP")
 
         VEL["z"] = xr.DataArray(elev + VEL["bindist"].values, dims="z")
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def set_orientation(VEL, T):
             np.nanmean(VEL[presvar]) - VEL["bindist"].values, dims="depth"
         )
 
-    if VEL.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN":
+    if VEL.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
         print("User instructed that instrument was pointing DOWN")
         T[1, :] = -T[1, :]
         T[2, :] = -T[2, :]
@@ -1368,6 +1368,14 @@ def check_valid_config_metadata(metadata, inst_type="AQD"):
             "Conventions other than a version of the CF Metadata Conventions are not supported"
         )
 
+    if metadata["Conventions"] != "CF-1.8":
+        warnings.warn(
+            f"You are using a version of the CF Conventions ({metadata['Conventions']}) that is not the latest supported version (CF-1.8). Consider changing to CF-1.8."
+        )
+
+    if "orientation" in metadata:
+        metadata["orientation"] = metadata["orientation"].upper()
+
 
 def apply_wave_coord_output(ds, T, T_orig):
     # Transform coordinates from ENU to BEAM if necessary
diff --git a/stglib/core/utils.py b/stglib/core/utils.py
index 51455fc4..132e570a 100644
--- a/stglib/core/utils.py
+++ b/stglib/core/utils.py
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ def create_z(ds):
         if "bindist" in ds:
             if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
                 presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1ac"]) + ds["bindist"].values
-            elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+            elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
                 presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1ac"]) - ds["bindist"].values
         else:
             presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1ac"])
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ def create_z(ds):
         if "bindist" in ds:
             if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
                 presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1"]) + ds["bindist"].values
-            elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+            elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
                 presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1"]) - ds["bindist"].values
         else:
             presvar = np.nanmean(ds["P_1"])
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ def create_z(ds):
         if "bindist" in ds:
             if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
                 presvar = ds.attrs["WATER_DEPTH"] + ds["bindist"].values
-            elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+            elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
                 presvar = ds.attrs["WATER_DEPTH"] - ds["bindist"].values
         else:
             presvar = ds.attrs["WATER_DEPTH"] - ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"]
diff --git a/stglib/eofe.py b/stglib/eofe.py
index e12d8e11..11787d1f 100644
--- a/stglib/eofe.py
+++ b/stglib/eofe.py
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ def add_attributes(var, dsattrs):
                     "sensor_type": "ECHOLOGGER AA400",
                 }
             )
-    
+
     # don't include all attributes for coordinates that are also variables
     #for var in ds.variables:
     #    if (var not in ds.coords) and ("time" not in var):
@@ -487,14 +487,14 @@ def calc_bin_height(ds):
         "Calculating center of bin height from seafloor as: initial intrument height - bin(center) distance from transducer"
     )
 
-    if ds.attrs["orientation"] == "down" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN":
+    if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
         ds["bin_height"] = (
             ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"] - ds["bindist"]
         )  # get bin distance referenced from sea floor
 
         math_sign = "-"
 
-    elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "up" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+    elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
         ds["bin_height"] = (
             ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"] + ds["bindist"]
         )  # get bin distance referenced from sea floor
@@ -571,14 +571,14 @@ def calc_seabed_elev(ds):
             % ds.attrs["geopotential_datum_name"]
         )
 
-        if ds.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "down":
+        if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["NAVD88_ref"]
                 + (ds.brange * -1)
                 + ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"]
             )
 
-        elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "up":
+        elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["NAVD88_ref"]
                 + ds.brange
@@ -591,14 +591,14 @@ def calc_seabed_elev(ds):
             % ds.attrs["geopotential_datum_name"]
         )
 
-        if ds.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "down":
+        if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["height_above_geopotential_datum"]
                 + (ds.brange * -1)
                 + ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"]
             )
 
-        elif ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "up":
+        elif ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["height_above_geopotential_datum"]
                 + ds.brange
@@ -612,14 +612,14 @@ def calc_seabed_elev(ds):
             % ds.attrs["geopotential_datum_name"]
         )
 
-        if ds.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "down":
+        if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["WATER_DEPTH"]
                 + ds.brange
                 - ds.attrs["initial_instrument_height"]
             )
 
-        if ds.attrs["orientation"] == "UP" or ds.attrs["orientation"] == "up":
+        if ds.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
             ds["seabed_elevation"] = xr.DataArray(
                 ds.attrs["WATER_DEPTH"]
                 + (ds.brange * -1)
diff --git a/stglib/vec/cdf2nc.py b/stglib/vec/cdf2nc.py
index 35f0da68..e798dd10 100644
--- a/stglib/vec/cdf2nc.py
+++ b/stglib/vec/cdf2nc.py
@@ -116,19 +116,21 @@ def set_orientation(VEL, T):
 
     T_orig = T.copy()
 
-    if VEL.attrs["orientation"] == "UP":
+    if VEL.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "UP":
         print("User instructed that instrument was pointing UP")
 
         VEL["z"] = xr.DataArray(elev + [0.15], dims="z")
         VEL["depth"] = xr.DataArray(np.nanmean(VEL[presvar]) - [0.15], dims="depth")
 
-    elif VEL.attrs["orientation"] == "DOWN":
+    elif VEL.attrs["orientation"].upper() == "DOWN":
         print("User instructed that instrument was pointing DOWN")
         T[1, :] = -T[1, :]
         T[2, :] = -T[2, :]
 
         VEL["z"] = xr.DataArray(elev - [0.15], dims="z")
         VEL["depth"] = xr.DataArray(np.nanmean(VEL[presvar]) + [0.15], dims="depth")
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("Could not determine instrument orientation from user input")
 
     VEL["z"].attrs["standard_name"] = "height"
     VEL["z"].attrs["units"] = "m"