Kongsberg Seatex, the position reference systems division of Kongsberg Maritime, has introduced two new additions to its Differential Positioning Sensor family in the form of the DPS 232 and DPS 122. Both systems offer advances in the Human Machine Interface (HMI) design, whilst the DPS 232 also boasts the ability to utilise both L1/L2 frequencies of GPS and GLONASS, and is ready for future systems such as Galileo.
The primary goal of the new HMI of the DPS 232 and 122 is to enable the operator to identify and react safely to critical situations as early as possible. Operators need to assess the quality of their positioning quickly and effectively, and by providing multiple layers of information they are able to customise the screen for the safest and most efficient operation. The DPS HMI can also be adjusted to different light conditions on the bridge, with a set of proven night display colours.
The new architecture behind DPS 232 and DPS 122 separates the DPS engine from the HMI. The DPS Engine runs all critical computations independent from the HMI to ensure continuous and reliable operation. It runs in a safe mode, protected from unintended user operations and is designed to operate in a networked architecture.
A vital aspect of ensuring the safety and efficiency of DP operations is the ability of the system to utilize all available position reference signals. Several factors including physical location, The Ionospheric conditions and shadowing from nearby objects may degrade signal availability. Position reference systems able to provide a greater choice of signal sources and frequencies are therefore being demanded by the industry.
DPS 232 comprises a dual frequency GPS/GLONASS receiver and offers the best possible combination of GNSS signals for demanding operations in a challenging environment. The addition of GLONASS to GPS significantly increases satellite availability, provides robust integrity monitoring and results in more precise solutions, particularly in highly obstructed environments.
DPS 122 is a single frequency DGPS solution that fully utilizes available SBAS services (EGNOS, WAAS, MSAS and GAGAN). In addition to increased accuracy, SBAS offers vital integrity information, enhancing the confidence in the positioning solution when operating in safety-critical environments.
"Kongsberg DPS products are designed to offer the best signal availability 24/7 as this transfers into more uptime for DP operations along with numerous safety and efficiency benefits," says Vidar Bjørkedal, VP Sales & customer support. "Our new DPS range is the next logical step. In addition to the advantage of both DPS 232 and DPS 122 using SBAS, DPS 232 also combines signals and frequencies from GPS and GLONASS. This will improve DP operations anywhere in the world, and will improve performance for operations close to the equator where GNSS signals can be degraded by Ionospheric disturbances."