iXBlue Octans User manual

Quick Start
Guide
Octans
Surface
Navigating & Positioning

2015-08/MU/OCTANS/AN/021/Ed. A 1
FOREWORD
OCTANS Quick Start Guide
Objective
This guide describes the OCTANS installation and the basic configuration.
For more information, please refer to the CD-ROM available in the product package. It contains:
•the required softwares for the use of the web-based user interface
•the full user manuals to get detailed technical information about the product, including product
specifications/performances. These documents will help you configuring and operating the product in specific
installation or applications.
Contents
OCTANS SYSTEM OVERVIEW............................................................................................................................................2
BASIC INSTALLATION: OCTANS + GPS ............................................................................................................................2
PACK CONTENTS VERIFYING ...........................................................................................................................................3
INSTALLING & CONNECTING OCTANS.............................................................................................................................4
OCTANS STARTING SEQUENCE........................................................................................................................................7
LAUNCHING THE WEB-BASED USER INTERFACE...........................................................................................................8
CONFIGURING THE SYSTEM.............................................................................................................................................9
CONFIGURING THE MECHANICAL PARAMETERS..........................................................................................................11
CONFIGURING THE INPUTS & THE OUTPUTS................................................................................................................12
CONTACTING IXBLUE SUPPORT ....................................................................................................................................15
TROUBLESHOOTING.......................................................................................................................................................16

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OCTANS SYSTEM OVERVIEW
OCTANS is both a fiber-optic survey-grade IMO certified gyrocompass and a Motion Reference Unit for Marine
applications. OCTANS is certified to meet the requirements of the International Marine Organization (IMO) for
gyrocompass.
The OCTANS system is used to deliver: true heading, roll, pitch; heave, surge, sway; rates of turn and accelerations.
Heading and attitudes are computed whether the system is in movement or not, and without any external aid.
Computation is based on (filtered) measurement of shifts in local gravity as the Earth rotates. It involves angle
integration using quaternion algebra, a heading search algorithm, and Coriolis force correction for vessel speed.
BASIC INSTALLATION: OCTANS + GPS
This guide describes how to install OCTANS with a GPS. Even if highly optional, the use of GPS is convenient. Still no
lever arm measurements are required.
OCTANS being versatile, you have to define its configuration to insure optimal operation.
In this installation, we assume that OCTANS
is aligned with respect to the vessel reference frame
(X1, X2, X3).
All the mechanical information necessary to fix OCTANS is detailed in the figure below.
Roll positive when Port up
Pitch positive when Bow down
Heading positive clockwise

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PACK CONTENTS VERIFYING
You will find in the shipping case a Packing List detailing all the items delivered.
However,
we recommend checking the equipment of the pack immediately after reception against the delivery
packing list
and that none has sustained damage. The below items are typical delivered.
If you observe any non-conformity or damage, please inform the carrier and iXBlue without delay by certified mail,
describing in detail the problem encountered.
Power supply block
Front connector 41 pin
Heat shrink
Power supply cable
Back connector 41 pin
Power supply cable
(local standard)
1
2
3
7
9
OCTANS
8
Ethernet straight cable
Installation & Repeater cable
4
5
6

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INSTALLING & CONNECTING OCTANS
All inertial measurements are default performed with respect to OCTANS reference frame (P) defined in
the figure below, it is not located at the center of the unit.
Step 1Place OCTANS on the mounting plate/surface.
Reference Frame P
OCTANS must be mounted on a rigid
structure (plate) firmly linked/attached
to the vehicle/ platform.
I.e. avoid unexpected displacement
against vehicle or third party equipment
reference frame.

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In case of installation with alignment pins it is recommended
to push the unit into the X2 direction during
the fixation of the 3 bolts in order to ensure the best mounting repeatability.
8
7.5 N.m
210 mm wire way
Push
Step 2Fix OCTANS onboard using three CHC M6 bolts. ²
For mechanical installation
recommendations, refer to:
•Inertial Products – Application
Note – Mechanical Integration
of Inertial Systems
(Ref.: MU-MECHAAPN-AN-001)
In case of optional interface plate,
refer to:
•INSIII-OCTANS IV Interface
plates - Product Description
(Ref.: MU-INSPLATE-AN-001)

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7
1
4
8
Step 3Connecting OCTANS
PC IP address is: 192.168.36.1
Ethernet
Link
Power Supply Pin Definition
Alternative
Serial link
via 41 pin
connector
Ethernet Connector Pin Definition
For OCTANS configuration
through the Web-Based User Interface
HUB
(Not included)

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OCTANS STARTING SEQUENCE
As soon as OCTANS is powered up, it starts its alignment phase.
During the alignment phase, heading and attitude data are available, but have not reached full accuracy. Specified
accuracy on heading, roll and pitch is reached at the end of the alignment phase.
Heave initialization occurs at each OCTANS powering on or soft restart. It is performed in parallel with the OCTANS
alignment phase. At the end of the heave initialization phase, the heave surge and sway outputs have reached full
accuracy.
Figure 1 – OCTANS Starting Sequence
(at powering on or software restart)
Important
OCTANS is delivered with default latitude set to iXBlue’s factory location.
Without user update or external GPS connected, OCTANS will start seeking north with France latitude, which may be
quite different from the current latitude.
Latitude has to be modified by the user (see page 10). Once this modification is performed, it is recommended to save
it and restart the system. This procedure allows OCTANS to enter the correct latitude value as an input in the North
finder algorithm as soon as computation starts. OCTANS will then reach full accuracy after the alignment phase.
Otherwise time for OCTANS stabilization will be increased due to the wrong initial latitude Input. It may even happen
OCTANS cannot be settled.
At any power supply outage, OCTANS restarts its full alignment process. It is recommended to secure power supply
on UPS.

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LAUNCHING THE WEB-BASED USER INTERFACE
Step 2Launching the web-based user interface with Firefox
²²²²²²²²²²
Step 1Checking the version of the required software available on the CD-ROM
²²²²²²²²²²
Firefox Flash Player Java Environment
²²²²²²²²²²
•Note the two last numbers
of the OCTANS serial number
(by default).
•Type the following URL
address: 192.168.36.1xx
xx is the two last digits of the
OCTANS serial number.
For example: in the screen
capture the two last digits
of the OCTANS is 34 and the
URL address is:
192.168.36.134
Step 2
The control page is displayed with the compass.
²²²²²²²²²²

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CONFIGURING THE SYSTEM
Step 2Configuring the network
Step 1 Choosing the language, if needed
²²²²²²²²²²
TCP/IP address change may
require to change as well your
computer own TCP/IP.
For more information refer to
“Inertial Products-Network
set-up guide” document.
Ref.: MU-INS&AHRS-AN-005

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Step 3 Entering the initial latitude and vessel speed
²²²²²²²²²²
Enter the vessel speed or the
estimated adrift speed.
The heading output is sensitive to the
vessel speed towards North. This error
is given by the following formula:
∆Heading[deg]= (∆Vnorth[knot]/5π).seclat
With ∆Vnorth < 1.6 knot
As soon as you have clicked on the
Restart button, OCTANS starts its
alignment phase with the manually
input position.
During the initial alignment phase,
the system should be kept static at
constant speed and heading.
Step 4
Restarting the system
²²²²²²²²²²
Accuracy required on the latitude input
depends on the current latitude:
3 degrees accuracy on latitude of 45
degrees, and 1 degree accuracy for
latitudes below 30 degrees.
Optimum results will be given by taking
updates automatically from a GPS
(with GGA and VTG frames).

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CONFIGURING THE MECHANICAL PARAMETERS
Step 1 Configuring OCTANS orientation with respect to vehicle
²²²²²²²²²²
It is considered that the OCTANS is
mechanically aligned with the vessel.
However OCTANS can be mounted in
any orientation and it is possible to
align the output.
For more information refer to “Web-
based interface user guide” document.
Ref.: MU-INSIII -AN-021

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CONFIGURING THE INPUTS & THE OUTPUTS
Step 1Configuring the GPS input parameters by Ethernet or Serial link
Protocol: GPS (standard NMEA)
Physical link:
Ethernet only
Transport layer:
TCP client
(When GPS is acting as TCP server)
IP:
IP address of the GPS
Protocol: GPS (standard NMEA)
Physical link:
Serial only
Serial parameters:
9600/8/None/1
Serial interface:
RS232
OR

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Step 2Configuring the UTC input parameters for PPS synchronization from the GPS
²²²²²²²²²²
For example, parameters of UTC:
Synchro In:
Pulse A
Protocol:
PPS
Rising + Time
(following the GPS configuration)

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Step 3
Configuring the Output parameters
²²²²²²²²²²
User can freely configure each output. By default
OCTANS is configured at factory to output:
•
Port A
: HETHS_HEROT, RS422,
38400bds, 50Hz
•
Port B
: HETHS_HEROT, RS232,
4800bds, 5Hz
To select an UDP Protocol (User Defined
Protocol) select
From the library
in the Protocol
drop-down list then click on the Browse button
to reach the script file available on the CD-ROM.
Choose the
Heave Output
either real time or
100s delayed.
Tick the
Timestamp (ZDA)
parameter to add
a ZDA message after each output frame.
Tick the
Heart Beat
Management
parameter
to enable the IMO Heart Beat management on
this port.
Tick the
Alerts Management
parameter to
enable the IMO Heart Beat management on this
port.
For full functional description of the Heart Beat
and Alerts management, refer to Interface
Library document (Ref.: MU-AHRS-AN-003).

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CONTACTING IXBLUE SUPPORT
Complete all the information
before sending the mail to
iXBlue support.

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TROUBLESHOOTING
OCTANS has a Built-In status and error Test (BIT) which raises alarms (through the color of the iXBlue Logo) and
displays messages in the OCTANS User Interface.
If you encounter problems when installing or using OCTANS, please refer to the following table.
If you still cannot resolve the problem, please contact IXBlue support (see previous page).
Symptom
Possible causes
Solution
Impossible to display the
Web-based User interface
Incorrect URL address entered
in the Web browser
Type in back the URL address
Default address is 192.168.36.1xx, xx
being the last two numbers of your
OCTANS serial number
Check computer IP address should be in
the same range as the unit.
The URL address has been
changed by another person
1) Retrieve the new OCTANS IP address:
connect the repeater cable to your PC
and start a serial terminal
(HyperTerminal, BBTALK, etc.)
configured at 19200 baud, no parity, 1
stop bit, 8 data bits. Reboot OCTANS once
connected. You will get the OCTANS boot
sequence message that contains its
attributed IP address (line beginning with
“IFCONF”)
2) Enter this URL address in the Web
browser
The compass does not
display on the Web-Based
User Interface
Flash player not installed on
the PC or its version is too old
Install Flash player which is provided on
the CD-ROM

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Symptom
Possible causes
Solution
Impossible to record data,
nothing happens when
clicking on DATA LOGGING
menu
Java Runtime Environment
not installed on the PC or its
version is too old
Install Java Runtime Environment which
is provided on the CD-ROM
Heading out of the
specifications
Wrong initial latitude Check that the latitude entered in the
POSITION FIX page is the current one.
Restart the unit.
Status displayed red Error message Refer to “INS-Marine applications, Web-
based interface user guide” document to
get the explanation of the messages
Status displayed orange Warning message Refer to “INS-Marine applications, Web-
based interface user guide” document”
to get the explanation of the messages
After clicking on “Contact
support” button, a message
is displayed
No mail software is installed Install a mail software on the computer
(Outlook for example)

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PERSONAL NOTES