KONGSBERG BWMS system operation and maintenance

Installation and Wiring Engineering Specification

4.1 Selection of installation locations for bridge alarm panels

It should be installed near the main steering console or navigation workstation, within the range where the duty driver can see and operate with their hands when working normally.

Avoid direct exposure to sunlight, heat source radiation, or direct blowing from air conditioning vents, as this may affect the lifespan of internal circuits or trigger temperature alarms incorrectly.

Sufficient space should be reserved on the back of the panel for wiring and later maintenance; During embedded installation, anti loosening washers should be used for the fixing screws under the four corner decorative cover plate.

4.2 Cabinet layout of distributed processing units

RDi-32, RDo-16 and other DPU units are usually assembled on DIN rails inside the bridge console or in separate junction boxes. Notes:

The communication between DPU and bridge deck panel should use twisted pair shielded cables (recommended Belden 8760 or similar), with a maximum distance of 300 meters.

The dry contact signal line of the input/output terminal should be laid separately from the power cable, with a spacing of at least 200mm, to avoid electromagnetic interference.

Each DPU needs to be assigned a unique address dip switch and registered in MOS-33.

4.3 Power Wiring Requirements

BWMS requires a stable 18-32V DC power supply, and it is recommended to lead a dedicated branch from the 24VDC emergency distribution board and connect it in series with a 5A slow melting fuse. Due to the inclusion of alarm buzzers and relay outputs in the system, the instantaneous starting current can reach 3A, and it is necessary to ensure that the line voltage drop does not exceed 5%. It is recommended to use flame-retardant marine wires with a cross-sectional area of ≥ 1.5mm ². If the ship already has a 24V battery pack, it should be connected through a PSO switching unit to achieve undisturbed conversion between the main/backup power supply.

4.4 Grounding and Shielding

The system's common reference ground should be reliably connected to the ship's main grounding copper bar through M5 bolts. All communication cable shielding layers adopt single ended grounding (only grounded at one end on the bridge deck panel side or DPU side to avoid ground circulation). When not properly grounded, it may manifest as random false alarms or panel display garbled characters.

System settings and parameter configuration

5.1 Initial setting through MOS-33

At the factory, BWMS comes pre installed with the basic firmware of Kongsberg Maritime. The end user needs to complete the specific definitions of the following projects through MOS-33:

Number and level of navigators

In the MOS menu "Crew Setup", enter up to 8 reserve personnel, including Captain, First Officer, Second Officer, etc., and assign priorities (e.g. Level 1 for Captain, Level 2 for First Officer). Each personnel needs to associate an alarm trigger output point (such as a buzzer or information terminal connected to their living quarters).

Alarm description and grouping

The text display of each alarm source can be customized (such as "radar failure", "ECDIS out of step", "autopilot heading deviation") and classified into alarm groups (such as "navigation equipment group", "propulsion monitoring group"). When any alarm is triggered within the same group, the main panel displays it according to the group classification for quick positioning.

Timer parameters

Local Alarm Delay: The time from detecting no one on the bridge to triggering the local sound and light alarm, usually set to 12-30 seconds (IMO recommends no more than 30 seconds).

Master Alarm Delay: The time it takes for a local alarm to be transferred to the captain after it has not been confirmed, usually set to 1-3 minutes.

Third level delay (Backup Alarm Delay): Call the backup navigator after the captain has not responded, recommended for 2-5 minutes.

The above parameters are password protected and can only be modified by authorized electronic electricians or ship captains.

Recovery Mode

Set whether the system automatically clears the alarm sequence and resets the timer when the bridge resumes human activity (such as pressing any confirm button or detecting radar/CDIS operation).

5.2 Tool free on-site debugging

Thanks to the pre programmed architecture, most configurations do not require dedicated debugging software. Engineers only need to follow the "AD-00482 BWM Setup Manual for end user" document provided with the equipment and complete all settings through MOS's wizard interface. If you need to adjust the backlight brightness or buzzer volume of the main panel itself, you can enter it through the hidden menu on the panel (long press 【 Silence 】+【 Acknowledge 】 for 5 seconds).

On duty monitoring logic and operation guide

6.1 On duty detection mechanism

BWMS uses the principle of "activity timeout" to determine whether the bridge building is properly guarded. The system continuously monitors the following two types of events: