Argonics argoTrackPilot User manual
Manual
argoTrackPilot!
Automatic track-keeping system for inland vessels
Version 2.7!
25.05.2022
Version
Datum
Änderung
Bearbeiter
1.0
05.12.2017
English version
Lachmeyer
1.1
21.05.2019
Update to newest software
Eichler
2.0
08.01.2021
Update to software version 2.0
Eichler
2.1
06.04.2021
Update to software version 2.1
Eichler
2.2
04.11.2021
Update to software version 2.2,
added chapter 7.5, 7.6
Eichler
2.3
04.03.2022
Updated to software version 2.3,
added chapter 7.7
Eichler
2.6
30.11.2022
Updated to software version 2.6
Eichler
2.7
25.05.2023
Updated to software version 2.7
Eger
Version: 2.7!!
Datum: 25.05.2023
Dateiname: argoTrackPilot_Manual_EN.pdf!
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1. Safety instructions!5
2. General Notes!6
3. Functional Description!7
4. Scope of Delivery!8
5. System Overview!8
6. Technical Data!9
7. Operation!11
7.1.Touch screen!11
argoTrackPilot!11
TrackPilot Settings page 1!14
TrackPilot Settings page 2!15
TrackPilot Settings page 3!16
Profiles!17
Miscellaneous Settings!18
argoTracks - Tracks service!19
argoTargetPilot!24
Collision warning (argoLaneWarning)!25
7.2.Control panel for desk installation!26
7.3.Switching the system on and off!27
7.4.Moving the track!29
7.5.argoTargetPilot - automatic following of AIS targets!31
User interface argoTargetPilot!31
Selecting a target and activating argoTargetPilot!32
7.6.argoLaneWarning - collision warning based on AIS!35
Collision detection!35
List with possible collisions!37
Configuration of argoLaneWarning!38
7.7.argoTracks - Guideline Service!40
On the ECIDS-PC!40
Choosing a track on the ECDIS-PC!41
7.8.Updating the software!43
8. Troubleshooting!44
8.1.Restarting the TrackPilot!44
8.2.Opening the Firewall!44
8.3.Restarting the TrackPilot!44
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Datum: 25.05.2023
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1. Safety instructions
•This manual applies only to the track control system argoTrackPilot. It does not apply to the
autopilot system (rate of turn control), the rate of turn sensor and indicator, the GPS receiver nor the
rudder control system.
•There is no warranty that the tracks delivered with the track control system are free of errors.
The track control system has only one sensor for determining the position and orientation of the ship
(GPS compass). If there is an undetected failure of the sensor there may be large deviations from the
selected track. Beneath bridges and close to large buildings reception of GPS signals is highly
deteriorated and thus the track control system must be monitored carefully.
For safe operation of the track control system the following safety instructions must be respected:
The track control system is not an autonomous system that reacts to the
surrounding traffic. The skipper is fully responsible to comply with the laws
and regulations of inland navigation.
•Read the complete manual before activating the track control system.
•Keep this manual at hand for all users of the track control system.
•Make sure the track control system is only used when in perfect technical
condition.
•Maintenance and installation must only be carried out by qualified persons.
•Risk of electric shock or physical damage!
Always disconnect power to the track control system before performing any
maintenance. Make sure the track control system can not be switched on
by accident.
•Follow the local rules concerning accident prevention and environmental
protection.
•Follow the general safety instructions of the country where the track control
system is used.
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2. General Notes
Although this manual has been written with great care, Argonics GmbH assumes no liability for the
consequences of errors in this manual. Argonics GmbH reserves the right to make changes to this
manual without notice.
Copying or publishing of parts or the whole manual only after written permission by Argonics GmbH.
•The skipper must monitor the operation of the track control system at all
times and switch back to manual control in case of an error.
•At the begin of each trip, the skipper must make sure that switching
between track control, autopilot and emergency steering works correctly.
•If an alarm is signaled by the track control system the skipper must switch
to manual or emergency steering. The track control system must not be
activated again before the cause for the alarm is resolved.
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3. Functional Description
argoTrackPilot is a track control system for inland vessels. It is designed to assist the skipper in
navigation by steering the ship along pre-defined tracks. The track control system computes the
steering commands such that the center of gravity of the ship follows the track with a small cross
track error. The steering commands are sent to the autopilot system as desired rate of turn values.
The autopilot system sets the rudder angle in such a way the ship turns as required by the track
control system. The position, orientation and motion of the ship are measured using a GPS compass
together with a rate of turn sensor (gyro).
The track control system features a network interface for inland ECDIS chart displays. The chart
display shows the selected track. Using the chart system, the skipper can select other tracks or
create new tracks according to personal experience and send them to the track control system.
For passing and meeting of other vessels there is an adjustable offset to the track. The offset is
changed using two buttons on the control panel, a third button serves to reset the offset to zero.
When an offset has been set a new parallel track is computed by the track control system and
displayed in the chart system. The ship will move gradually to the new path.
The track control system is delivered together with a touch screen that displays the most important
data of the control system. The skipper can select different configurations of the control parameters
for different loading conditions. The touch screen also displays alarms and warnings.
The track control system can be delivered with an optional LTE modem for remote monitoring and
maintenance.
Limitations
The argoTrackPilot does an extensive analysis of the sensor data to be able to detect errors of the
GPS receiver and the rate of turn sensor. The detection of errors is subject to the technical limitations.
Detected errors are displayed on the touch screen, severe errors trigger an additional acoustic alarm.
In case of a severe error, the skipper must switch to manual steering.
Since there is only a maximum of two sensors for the measurement of the position and heading of the
ship there is no guarantee that every possible error of the sensors is detected. If there is an
undetected failure of the sensors there may be large deviations from the selected track. Underneath
bridges and close to large buildings reception of GPS signals is highly deteriorated and thus the
argoTrackPilot must be monitored carefully.
The skipper must monitor the operation of the argoTrackPilot at all times and switch back to manual
control in case of an error or erratic behavior of the ship.
The argoTrackPilot is not an autonomous system that reacts to the surrounding traffic. The skipper is
fully responsible to comply with the laws and regulations of inland navigation.
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Datum: 25.05.2023
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4. Scope of Delivery
•Control system argoTrackPilot
•Control panel for table top mounting
•Touch screen 7’’
•LTE modem
5. System Overview
Version: 2.7!!
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1. LTE modem!
2. Touch screen / AlphaRiverTrackPilot panel!
3. Control panel argoTrackPilot (only argoTrackPilot)!
4. Control system argoTrackPilot / PLC!
5. ECDIS!
6. Rate of turn sensor!
7. Autopilot!
8. GPS compass
6. Technical Data!
Control system / PLC
Supply voltage
18 V DC ... 32 V DC
Supply current
1,5 A
Ambient temperature
-25 °C ... 60 °C
Storage temperature
-40 °C ... 85 °C
Relative humidity
5% .. 95%
Dimensions
Width: 220mm, Height: 100mm, Depth: 50,1mm
Weight
1,4 kg
Control panel
IP rating
IP 65
Dimensions front plate
Width: 130mm, Height: 70mm
Dimension for mounting hole
Width: 121mm, Height: 61mm, Depth: 100mm
Weight
0,5 kg
Ambient temperature
-25 °C ... 60 °C
Storage temperature
-40 °C ... 85 °C
Relative humidity
5% .. 95%
Touch screen
Size
7“
Resolution
800x480px
Power Supply
24V
Dimensions
Width: 222mm, Height: 167mm
Dimension for mounting hole
Width: 197mm, Height: 141mm, Depth: 45mm
Weight
0.85 kg
Ambient temperature
0 °C ... 60 °C (without cooling)
Storage temperature
-20 °C ... 70 °C
Relative humidity
5% .. 95% (without condensation)
Version: 2.7!!
Datum: 25.05.2023
Dateiname: argoTrackPilot_Manual_EN.pdf!
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Modem
IP rating
IP 30
Supply voltage
9 V DC ... 30 V DC
Ambient temperature
-40 °C ... 75 °C
Relative humidity
10% .. 90%
Dimensions
Width: 109,6mm, Height: 100mm, Depth: 50,1mm
Weight
280g
Conformity
ES-TRIN 10.20
Version: 2.7!!
Datum: 25.05.2023
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7. Operation
The track control system is operated using either the touch screen or the control panel.
7.1. Touch screen
The user interface on the touch-sensitive screen can be used to perform all actions that can also be
performed via the control element in the console. In addition, alarms and warnings are displayed in
detail. The selection of configurations for loading and convoy composition is also carried out via the
user interface on the touch-sensitive screen. In addition, some measured values relevant for the
TrackPilot are displayed.
After switching on the touch-sensitive screen, a PIN input field opens. After entering the correct
number combination and pressing "OK", the graphical user interface opens with the "TrackPilot"
subpage.
The subpages of the user interface are selected using the keys on the left of the screen.
argoTrackPilot
The TrackPilot page shows information about the status of the TrackPilot.
1. Current track offset (distance of the shifted line to the base line): If the red triangle is to the right
of the blue marking (blue marking represents track offset = 0), the ship will move to the right of
the base line and vice versa.
2. Distance to the shifted line. In this example the ship is 1.1m right of the shifted track.
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3. Set the offset of the shifted guideline (see chapter "Moving the guideline")
4. Display of argoTargetPilot targets with name (or mmsi) and the distance (only with active
argoTargetPilot)
5. Setpoint from TrackPilot to autopilot. This is a turning rate in ° / min.
6. Turning rate of the ship, in °/min. For a good performance of the system, the turning rate of the
ship must follow the setpoint (see 7.) with only little delay.
7. Valid turning rate range for the autopilot of the ship. This means that the turning rate of the ship
(green bar) should always be between the two light blue lines.
8. Status light ”Active“ indicates whether the TrackPilot is active. The system can be activated via
the "Track" button (not available with some autopilots) or via the autopilot
9. Status light "Track". The system can only be activated if the selected track meets the minimum
requirements. This includes a sufficient length and curvatures which are not too large. If this
status light is red, the selected track must be checked.
10. Status light "Filter". The system can only be activated if the filter of the measured values can
estimate a sufficiently accurate position. A red filter status light indicates that the filter's
estimation is insufficiently supported with measurement. After a few seconds in this state, an
alarm ("FilterDegraded") will sound in the switched-on state which warns the captain of the
insufficient accuracy. A yellow light indicates that one or more readings are out of range.
However, the estimate in this state is still sufficiently supported by measurements with a yellow
light. A green light indicates correct functioning of the filter. The system can only be switched
on with a green filter status light.
11. Speed of the water in km/h and its direction. This has to be set by the scipper via the menu
button (13).
12. Speed of the vessel in km/h. If the speed is below 5 km/h, a warning is displayed. The reason
for this warning is an insufficient flow of the rudder at low speeds.
13. Button for opening the water speed menu. Besides the water speed the captain has to set the
stream direction (with the ship/against the ship).
14. Currently active profile name
15. Alarm symbol indicating the current state of the alarms and warnings. A warning will be
signaled with a yellow symbol, an alarm with a red symbol. If there is no warning and alarm a
grey checkmark will be displayed.
16. Navigation button to get to the main argoTrackPilot user interface
17. Navigation button to get to argoTrackPilots configuration menu
18. Navigation button to get to the menu for changing the active profile
19. Navigation button to get to other settings like dimming, language etc.
20. Alarm and warning display. Alarms are displayed on the left edge with a flashing red alarm icon.
Confirmed but active alarms are displayed with a permanently visible red alarm icon. Warnings
are displayed on the left edge with a yellow icon. A flashing symbol indicates a new warning
and a permanently visible symbol indicates a confirmed warning. The lower center part of the
display shows the time of the last occurrence and the text of the alarm or warning. Warnings
are automatically confirmed and go away when the cause disappears. A confirmation of the
warnings can also be made by clicking into the text area. You can test the alarm horn by
pressing the symbol for more than 5 seconds. The horn will sound as long as the button
remains pressed.
21. Optional: Navigation button to get to the user interface of argoTargetPilot. Only available with
an active argoTargetPilot license. More information in chapter „argoTargetPilot“.
22. Optional: Navigation button to get to the user interface of argoLaneWarning. Only available with
an active argoLaneWarning license. More information in chapter „argoLaneWarning“.
Version: 2.7!!
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23. Optional: Navigation button to get to the user interface of argoTracks. More information in
chapter „argoTracks“ (list view)”.
24. Optional: Navigation button to get to the user interface of argoTracks. More information in
chapter „argoTracks (map view)”.
25. Heavy wind setting: When activating the heavy wind setting a symbol will flash on this page to
indicate the active status. More details in part „TrackPilot Settings 2“.
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TrackPilot Settings page 1
On the sub-page "TrackPilot settings" important settings of the TrackPilot can be changed. The
settings are divided into two – optionally 3 – sub-pages, which can be switched between using the
buttons on the right and left edge (3).
1. Controller gain: This can be varied in several stages from little (left button) to much (right button). A
larger value for the controller gain allows the system to be more active at the rate of turn. As a
result, deviations from the track can be reduced faster, but the navigation becomes more dynamic
due to the increased rudder activity. The selected setting is indicated by a blue bar.
2. Drift gain: The preset settings of the drift factor might not always be the best setting for the current
situation. To adjust the drift the captain can lower or raise the drift gain here. Raising the drift gain
will increase the drift and move the ship more to the inside of the curve. Lowering the drift gain will
therefor reduce the drift and move the ship more to the outside of the curve. The selected setting
is indicated by a blue bar.
3. To get to the second page of the settings press this button.
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TrackPilot Settings page 2
1. Distance Warning: This can be varied in several stages from little (left button) to much (right
button). A larger value for the controller gain allows the system to be more active at the rate of
turn. As a result, deviations from the track can be reduced faster, but the navigation becomes
more dynamic due to the increased rudder activity. The selected setting is indicated by a blue bar.
2. Safety contours feature: Activates the safety contours feature. This feature is only available when a
suitable pair of safety contours is selected.
3. Activates the heavy wind setting. This allows the argoTrackPilot to compensate for large
deviations due to wind more freely. The compensation might take a few minutes.
4. To get to the first page of the settings press this button.
5. To get to the third page of the settings press this button.
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TrackPilot Settings page 3
1. Activating Deadman Alarm: The led displays the status of the deadman warning and alarm. To
activate or deactivate the deadman warning and alarm press the button below. If deadman
monitoring is active a warning will be displayed and the buzzer will sound after a period of time
with no input from the captain while sailing with TrackPilot active. The delay time can be set up
with the input under (2). If another 60 seconds after the warning has appeared pass without an
input from the captain an alarm will be activated which can only be acknowledged by deactivating
the TrackPilot.
2. Deadman Delay: The time before the warning will appear can be set up here. Pressing the +/-1
buttons will change the time by one minute. Pressing the buttons +/- 5 will change the time by 5
minutes. To reset it to 10 minutes the middle „reset“ button can be pressed.
3. To get to the second page of the settings press this button.
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Profiles
On the page „profiles“ which can be reached with the button shown in the picture above different
predefined settings can be loaded. The active profile is shown with a frame around the corresponding
button.
The selected profile is also displayed on the "TrackPilot" page in the lower left area.
During active driving with the argoTrackPilot, the profile cannot be changed. In this case the buttons
are greyed out.
A maximum of 10 preset profiles can be created. Profiles that have not been set are no longer
displayed in the user interface as of version 2.3. If you need more profiles than what was initially set up
please contact argonics customer support.
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Miscellaneous Settings
With the settings (gears) button on the left of the page the miscellaneous settings can be opened.
The following settings can be changed:
1. Brightness: Opens a menu to set the brightness and color scheme of the touch display. The
brightness of the buttons built into the control panel can also be changed here.
2. News: Opens the latest news regarding software updates or changes to the TrackPilot. The
system checks daily if there are any news and downloads them automatically. If this is the case, a
new message is displayed at the bottom left of the button for switching to the settings page.
3. About: This button can be used to display the system name, version and CPU utilisation of the
TrackPilot system. The note at the top right corner of the button indicates that a new software
version is available for the TrackPilot. The update can be performed after pressing this button.
4. Language: The language setting can be changed here. The languages German, English and
Dutch are available. If a permanent setting of a specific language is desired, this must be done
elsewhere. Please contact the Argonics customer support.
5. Help: Pressing this button takes you to a sub-page with a redirect to the service homepage and
the contact information of the customer support.
6. Reboot: After updating the TrackPilot or when problems with the touch display occur restarting
the display is necessary. The graphical user interface will come back automatically after rebooting
the touch display. This button only reboots the touch display. The TrackPilot is not affected by
rebooting the touch display. This process can take up to a few minutes.
7. Firewall: The firewall installed for operational security can be operated via the two buttons "Open"
and "Close". Pressing the "Open" button deactivates the firewall and allows connections for
remote maintenance etc. To reactivate the firewall, the "Close" button must be pressed for a few
seconds. A small bar above the button indicates the closing process. The status of the firewall is
shown above the two buttons. The lock symbol represents whether the firewall is open or closed.
If the firewall is open, the remaining time is also displayed. After the time has expired, the firewall is
automatically closed again.
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argoTracks - Tracks service
Filter - Select - Activate
What is the difference between filter, select and activate?
1. Filter
We provide you with filters so you don't have to browse through all the available tracks from
A to Z. You can filter the tracks in different ways, e.g. by "last activated" or "in my immediate
vicinity". List view and map view provide different filters.
2. Select
1. List view: Use the arrow keys to scroll through the listed (and filtered) tracks. You select the
desired track by clicking on its name. If a track is selected, it has an orange frame (see
graphic under "List View”).
2. Map view: Use the arrow keys to scroll through the filtered tracks. As soon as the name of
the track appears at the top of the free field (9), it is selected.
3. Activate
Clicking on the checkmark symbol activates the track. It is loaded and can be used.
List view
Pressing the button (23) on the main page opens the sub-page “argoTracks-Service” in its list
view.
The buttons on this page have the following functions:
1. Downloading new tracks from the server.
An error during download can have different reasons. Try again at a later time. If a successful
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connection could not be established after several attempts, please contact Argonics customer
support.
2. Filter: Alphabetical
Displays the list divided into five sections of the alphabet. To deactivate the filter, press the filter
button again.
3. The arrow keys up and down can be used to scroll through the list. Below the buttons, the current
page and the total number of pages are displayed.
4. List of locally saved tracks.
Displayed are only tracks which are saved inside argoTrackPilot. If a track is greyed out, the usage
time has expired. Please contact the Argonics customer support.
To preselect a track, please press the respective area. The selected track is now displayed with an
orange frame, but is not yet activated.
For each track the following details are displayed if available:
1. River or start to end point
2. Direction (only for rivers)
3. Waterlevel (if available)
4. Miscellaneous informations like version, type, etc.
5. Activating the selected track: To activate the selected track, the TrackPilot must be deactivated.
The successful loading of the track is displayed. Also check the correct selection of the track in
the connected ECDIS.
6. Switch the display back to the main screen.
7. Filter: Last activated tracks
This button switches the display to the 5 most recently used tracks. The list is sorted by time.
For displaying an overview of all tracks and selecting a track via an external PC please read
chapter 7.7.
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Datum: 25.05.2023
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