KONGSBERG K-Chief 600 Control Room Panel (CRP) for Ship Automation System

KONGSBERG K-Chief 600 Control Room Panel (CRP) for Ship Automation System

Overview of K-Chief 600 System

K-Chief 600 is a modular ship automation system launched by Kongsberg, covering core functions such as alarm monitoring, power management, pump control, and liquid level telemetry. The system adopts a distributed architecture, connecting various remote I/O units, controllers, and operation stations through a network to achieve comprehensive monitoring of ship power equipment and auxiliary systems. The control room panel, as an important component of the operation station, is usually installed on the platform of the control room, providing round the clock interaction means for the engineers.

CRP panel design concept

The design of CRP panel follows the principle of user centeredness, aiming to simplify the operation process and reduce the risk of misoperation. Its layout is divided into functional zones, with commonly used controls and status indicators arranged in a centralized manner, combined with high brightness LEDs and built-in buzzers, to ensure clarity and recognizability under normal lighting conditions in the control room. The surface of the panel is made of wear-resistant materials, suitable for long-term industrial use. The installation method is flexible and supports embedded tabletop installation. It is fixed with four corner bolts for easy integration into existing consoles.

Detailed explanation of panel functional areas

The front of the CRP panel is divided into four main functional areas: Alarm area, Panel status area, Command area, and Input area. In addition, there is a trackball and matching mouse buttons in the center of the panel for cursor positioning and menu operations.

Alarm Zone

The alarm area contains three indicator lights and three buttons for indicating and confirming alarm events:

Alarm indicator lights: usually divided into red (emergency alarm), yellow (warning), and green (normal), but the specific color definition may vary depending on the system configuration.

Confirm button: The operator can press it to mute and confirm the current alarm. The system records the confirmation time and operator information.

Reset/Test button: Used to reset processed alarms or initiate panel self-test.

Panel status area

Power indicator light: Green constant light indicates that the panel power supply is normal.

Fault indicator light: When the red light is on, it indicates that the communication between the panel and the host is interrupted. At this time, the panel cannot be operated and the network connection needs to be checked.

Command area

CMD CTRL button: One click to open the command control dialog box, facilitating quick execution of device start stop and other operations.

1 and 0 buttons: used to directly start (1) or stop (0) the selected pump, valve, or compressor. Combined with menu selection, it can greatly improve operational efficiency.

Input area

The input area contains multiple buttons to meet different input needs:

Function keys: used to activate specific functions on the screen.

Number keys: used to input numerical parameters.

Alpha numeric keys: support text input, used for tagging or searching.

Cursor control keys: The four directional keys can replace the trackball for cursor movement, suitable for high-precision operations.

Trackball and mouse buttons

CRP uses an industrial grade mechanical trackball, which is smooth and wear-resistant. With three mouse buttons (left, center, and right), it can achieve functions such as selection, dragging, and right-click menu. The trackball also integrates four directional keys, providing redundant cursor control.

Built in buzzer

Buzzer is used for sound prompts:

An intermittent sound is emitted when a new alarm occurs.

When there is a power failure or command execution, a specific tone is emitted to help operators perceive changes in the system status in a timely manner.

Technical specifications and performance parameters

The design of CRP panel meets the strict requirements of marine environment, and the technical parameters are as follows:

Power supply: 18-32 Vdc (allowing ± 5% ripple), fully isolated through DC/DC converter to ensure that power interference does not enter the internal circuit.

Power consumption: nominal 10W, maximum 20W (depending on USB peripherals).

Protection level: IP22, can prevent finger contact and vertical dripping, suitable for indoor environments such as control rooms.

Environmental standards: comply with IACS E10, IEC 60945, covering temperature, humidity, vibration, impact, etc.

Working temperature: -25 ° C to+70 ° C, same storage temperature (requires dry environment).

Relative humidity: up to 96% without condensation.

Signal interface:

2-channel relay output (conversion contact, maximum 3A 24Vdc inductive load)

4-channel digital input (dry contacts)

2-channel analog input (0-5V, used for dimming)

1 PWM output (used for dimming other devices)

Analog input accuracy: ± 1%.

Communication interface: USB 2.0 HID, supports external keyboard, mouse, or storage devices.

Built in self-test: Real time monitoring of module temperature to ensure normal operation.

Dimensions and Weight: Width 240mm, Height 192mm, Depth 80mm; Net Weight 1.3kg.