KW941-D

STEPPER INTERFACE

AMI MARINE (UK) LTD

AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

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AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

Document Date Modification Number (where applicable)

Issue Brief Record of Change and Reason for Change
1 29.11.02 Original Issue
2 09.06.06 Addition of Front Cover
3 15.05.08 Change of address and change of switch

NOTE: All alterations must be verified by re-authorisation and approval of the complete
document.

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CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence
AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

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CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence
AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

NMEA / STEPPER AMPLIFIER

KW941D

TECHNICAL MANUAL

CONTENTS

SPECIFICATION ........................................................................................................ 6
INSTALLATION GUIDE.............................................................................................. 7
FITTING THE TRANSFORMER...........................................................................................7
MOUNTING THE ENCLOSURE...........................................................................................7
POWER ................................................................................................................................7
STEPPER INPUT .................................................................................................................7
DATA INPUT ........................................................................................................................7
ALARM RELAY OUTPUT.....................................................................................................8
STEPPER OUTPUTS...........................................................................................................8
NMEA 0183 OUTPUT...........................................................................................................8
REPEATER FOLLOW-UP for NMEA 0183 or FURUNO INPUT ..........................................8
STEPPER INPUT .................................................................................................................9
STEPPER AMPLIFIER OPERATION...................................................................................9
CAUTION..............................................................................................................................9
BOARD LAYOUT................................................................................................................10

AMI MARINE (UK) LTD

Unit 2
Tower Lane
Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 6NZ
United Kingdom

Tel No: +44 (0) 23 8048 0450

Fax No: +44 (0) 23 8065 1126

Email: technical@amimarine.net

Web: www.amimarine.net

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CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence
AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

SPECIFICATION
INPUT: Standard stepper 6 steps per degree common +ve. 8 to 35 volts.
NMEA 0183. $HEHDT and all valid heading sentences.
Or Furuno AD10 format serial data and clock. (DIP switch selectable)

OUTPUT: Stepper, 6 steps per degree.

6 ports. Output nominal 24v, 35v, 50v, 70v, DC. (1A per port)
Transformer is fitted to suit the output voltage required.
Option 1. 24v or 50v. Option 2. 35v or 70v.
Also possible to fit off-the-shelf transformer.
The output voltage varies with the load, it is not a regulated supply. 6 outputs.
Rotation or follow up rate 24 degrees per second. (May be altered in EPROM)
Step input and step output is the same, except that false states are removed.

OUTPUT: NMEA 0183. RS232 and RS422 compatible.

Sentence $HEHDT output when heading changes and once per second.

OUTPUT: Alarm relay. Contact held open when OK. 1 Amp DIL relay.

CONNECTORS: Lift off terminal blocks. Power is orange snap-in connector.

POWER: Nominal 115 volts or 230 volts 50/60 Hz double fused, switched and filtered.

ENCLOSURE: 400 x 300 x 150 powder coated electrical enclosure with door.

FEATURES: LEDs on all inputs and outputs. Simple design. Watchdog restart circuit.

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AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

INSTALLATION GUIDE

FITTING THE TRANSFORMER

There are two transformer types for two stepper voltage ranges. Naturally the correct
transformer must be fitted, and it can be supplied separate to the main unit to be fitted on
installation. Note that the connectors lift off.
1. Nominal 24 volts or 50 volts DC output.
2. Nominal 35 volts or 70 volts DC output.

The transformer has 4 secondary windings, and SW2 and SW3 are used to put the windings
in series or parallel.
1. 24 volts = parallel. 50 volts = series.
2. 35 volts = parallel. 70 volts = series.

The colour code for the transformer windings will be shown on the schematic page 2. It is
possible to use an off-the shelf transformer which has 2 secondary windings as an alternative
and there may be occasions when this option is used.

MOUNTING THE ENCLOSURE

Remove the chassis plate and door to make it easy to mount. (You may have to do this
anyway to fit the transformer.) The door may be fitted to the left or the right so it opens in the
most convenient way.

POWER
It is essential to ground the unit for reasons of safety. There is a power line filter fitted which
must be grounded. This filter can cause domestic (low current) residual current devices to
trip out on switch on due to the power surge.

STEPPER INPUT
SK13 allows 8 to 35 volt stepper input, positive common as standard. If a stepper input is
detected it takes priority over the data input.

NOTE !If the option another input voltage is required please ask on enquiry.

DATA INPUT
The NMEA 0183 input goes to SK4, 1 & 2. Set the DIP switch as follows.
SW4, 1, = on.
SW4, 2, = off.
SW4, 6, = off.

If you want to use the Furuno AD10 format connect as marked on the board.
SW4, 1 = off.
SW4, 2 = on.
SW4, 6 = on.

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Issue: 3
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ALARM RELAY OUTPUT

The relay contacts are for low power alarms only. The relay is held energised when all is
well. A separately powered alarm should be used. If there is a problem with the heading input
the contacts will pulse in time with the bi-colour status LED.

The interface alarm is the simplest possible. If you need a compass alarm or off course alarm
then fit a separate instrument. The KW941 does not monitor its output, as this is best done in
an independent alarm instrument.

STEPPER OUTPUTS
The output is for the standard stepper system of negative steps, with the common line
positive, marked +V. Use the + and 0 volt line for illumination. You must not use the 0v line
as the common step line for any repeater.

The 6 outputs have 1 amp diodes in the step lines to help isolate ground faults from one
channel to another. If there is a faulty repeater it can be isolated by lifting off the connector.
Always check each repeater on ohms for leakage to ground. Each step winding should be
equal and not draw more than 0.5 amps maximum. Note that there are some step motors
normally driven by unsmoothed rectified DC and these motors have a very low resistance so
would take very large currents from pure DC. We can supply the interface outputting raw
rectified DC simply by not fitting the main smoothing capacitor during production.

Capacitors fitted for “smoothing” the step signals (in a radar for example) can stop the radar
from following well as the capacitors will slow down step transitions. In such a case the
instrument will lose heading. The answer is to fit “pull-up” resistors in parallel on that
particular port. (Example 470 ohms from common + to each step line.) Mechanical motor
repeaters pull up quickly (to 0.0 volts across the load) so are no problem.

There should be no leakage to ground on any repeater. If there is then disconnect it.

NMEA 0183 OUTPUT

For NMEA 0183 receivers use A and B.
For an RS232 compatible output use A and 0.

Before connecting make sure that no voltage exists between the KW941 “0” terminal and the
line, otherwise you may blow the KW941.

The data is $HEHDT,xxx.x,T with a fast update rate, outputting whenever heading changes
plus once per second. In the case of step input the heading is for test purposes, being
$HETXT,xxx.x, not aligned.

REPEATER FOLLOW-UP for NMEA 0183 or FURUNO INPUT

The interface cannot lose track of the steps, internally. If a motor, or even an electronic
instrument cannot follow fast enough it will lose synchronisation. The output turn rate will
normally be controlled by the compass rate of turn, which would not normally jump more than
1/6th degree between successive inputs. If the input jumps then the step output changes
through all intermediate steps at a rate of 24 degrees per second to the new heading. This is
easily done in simulation but not so easy with a real installation. The rate of follow up of 24
degrees per second is specified by Furuno to match that of the SC60/120 compass and
existing gyro compasses.

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AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

It is recommended that the follow-up rate of the repeaters be tested on installation to see that
they are all capable off following. This can be done by giving a maximum slew-rate to the
compass, or by using a simulator such as Recsim and making a large heading change.

Should a repeater or electronic interface fail to follow the fastest turns perhaps the addition of
pull-ups to counter capacitive delay as mentioned above will fix the problem, which is not an
interface problem. It must be mentioned that some repeaters have been found not to be
mechanically able to follow at 24 degrees per second, due to the high inductance of the
motor windings, which do not allow the current to rise sufficiently to turn the motor. In the
past some electronic devices have not been able to follow fast turns due to their sampling
(on interrupt) period being too slow. Again, the addition of smoothing capacitors or long cable
capacity can slow the transition of the signals and make things worse.

Should some repeater fail to follow and nothing can cure it then the output rotation rate of the
interface can be changed in the EPROM. Change location 4D hex in an EPROM
programmer, entering a new value in hexadecimal. It is set to the time between step
changes in multiples of 0.5mS. A simple formula is value = 333/(degrees per second). Thus
for 24 degrees per second the value is 14, or 0E hex. For 12 degrees per second the value is
28, or 1C hex.

When the input is stepper the KW941 does not follow-up, it just outputs whatever was input,
whilst filtering out false step states.

STEPPER INPUT
When driven from a high power driver you should fit load resistors to overcome the effect of
capacitance in the gyro transmission unit. Such capacitance slows the transition of the steps
input. The KW941 will give an alarm if it detects false steps input, that is it will flash the
bicolour led red, and pulse the relay.

STEPPER AMPLIFIER OPERATION

The step input is transferred to the output, without an attempt to track and follow-up. This is
because the situation of input and output steps being different looked peculiar. However, the
false states of 000 or 111 are not passed.

CAUTION
The interface contains mixed high and low voltages of necessity. Take care not to short
anything or spectacular results can occur. Do not touch any AC high voltage parts.

The interface cannot detect if a repeater is faulty or losing step. Keep a good lookout and
navigate with caution.

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CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence
AMI Manual KW941-D Doc No: AMI TM941D
Issue: 3
CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence

BOARD LAYOUT

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CLASSIFICATION: Commercial In Confidence