GCS

CyScan ™

Positioning
System
Operator’s Guide

GCS

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G U II D
DAAN
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S Y S T E M S
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Copyright © 2003 Guidance Control Systems Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright in the whole and every part of this manual belongs to Guidance Control
Systems Limited (the “Owner”) and may not be used, sold, transferred, copied or repro-
duced in whole or in part in any manner or form or in or on any media to any person
other than in accordance with the terms of the Owner’s Agreement or otherwise without
the prior written consent of the Owner.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies or organisations.

Release: 1.1
Date: 17/3/03
Document No: 94-0004-1

Previous issue: Operator’s Guide v1.0

Date: 9/1/03
Changes: Various minor changes

Guidance Control Systems Limited

4 Dominus Way • Meridian Business Park
Leicester • LE19 1RP • United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)116 229 2600

Fax: +44 (0)116 229 2604
Email: cyscan@gcsltd.co.uk
Website: http://www.gcsltd.co.uk

Printed in the UK
Contents

Introduction .................................................... 3
Quick Start ...................................................... 4
A - Start the CyScan sensor ....................................................................... 4
B - Start the CyScan Console program ....................................................... 4
C - Select a reflector or mooring point ....................................................... 5
Ending navigation ..................................................................................... 5

Using the System ........................................... 6

Start up .................................................................................................... 6
Shutdown, suspend or reset communications ............................................ 6
Screen layout ............................................................................................ 7
Scanner display ............................................................................... 8
Navigation section ........................................................................... 9
Status bar ....................................................................................... 9
Property sheet ............................................................................... 10
Button bar .................................................................................... 11
Mooring Points and Reflectors ................................................................. 13
Surveying a New Mooring Point .................................................... 13
Editing a Mooring Point................................................................. 14
Editing Mooring Point details ......................................................... 15
Alarms .................................................................................................... 17
Using the Alarm filter .................................................................... 17
Using the Historic Alarm list ........................................................... 18
Starting navigation .................................................................................. 19
Ending navigation ................................................................................... 19
Scanner tilt adjustment ........................................................................... 20
Leveller Platform Mode ................................................................. 20
Blanking zone ......................................................................................... 21
Align mooring point ................................................................................ 21
Configuration ......................................................................................... 22
Colour Contrast ............................................................................ 22
DP Feed Type ................................................................................ 22
Using Log Files ........................................................................................ 23

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 1

 Troubleshooting .......................................... 24
For further assistance .............................................................................. 24
Alarm Codes ........................................................................................... 26
Cleaning the CyScan Sensor .................................................................... 26
CyScan LED Indicators ............................................................................. 27
CyScan Fuse Information ......................................................................... 28

Appendices ................................................... 29
Appendix 1 - Mooring Point Reflectors - Installation and Definition .......... 29
Reflector types .............................................................................. 29
Reflector Installation ...................................................................... 30
Defining Reflector Positions ........................................................... 31
Reflector Positioning Examples ...................................................... 32
Appendix 2 - DP Feed Types ..................................................................... 35
ASCII types ................................................................................... 35
NMEA types .................................................................................. 35
Appendix 3 - NMEA 183 - $RLS Conventions ........................................... 37
Appendix 4 - Vertical Beam Divergence .................................................... 38
Appendix 5 - DP Message Types .............................................................. 39
Introduction .................................................................................. 39
NMEA0183 Format ....................................................................... 39
ASCII17 Format ............................................................................. 39
Single Target/Single Prism Operation .............................................. 40
Named Mooring Point (Multiple Targets) Operation ....................... 40
Appendix 6 - DP Message String Status Bits definition (MK II) ................... 41
Appendix 7 - Axes Definition and Geometry ............................................ 42

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 2

Introduction
Welcome to the CyScan positioning system. CyScan uses high accuracy laser navigation to
provide automated approach and/or station keeping relative to one or more designated
mooring points. The mooring points can be fixed structures or other vessels.
CyScan is designed to be semi-portable and straightforward to operate. In use, the
CyScan system consists of several key elements, these being:
• The CyScan Sensor, which is mounted on
deck as required.
CyScan
• The CyScan Console. A monitoring and Sensor
control application running within
Windows on a notebook computer. This
provides the DP operator with full Power PSU
information and control over the data
stream being fed to the DP system.
• The Power Supply Unit (PSU). It is Data
Converter
contained within a watertight enclosure
and is mounted near to the CyScan sensor.
The Console and DP System cables are fed CyScan DP
via the PSU. Console System

• The Data Converter. Situated near to the The key elements of the CyScan system
DP System, this sealed enclosure translates
between the RS485 signals used by the
CyScan Sensor and DP Systems, and the RS232 signals used by the CyScan Console
Notebook computer.
The remaining requirements for the CyScan system are the Targets that must be
mounted on the designated mooring point(s). The Targets consist of specialist reflective
strips or cylinders placed in certain positions along the side of the mooring point structure
or vessel. The coordinates of the targets are then declared to (or discovered by) the
CyScan Console, and using this data the system is able to determine the exact position of
the vessel relative to the mooring point.

Reflective Targets

Mooring Point/Vessel

CyScan
equipped
Vessel

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Positional information is gained by using highly reflective target strips in fixed locations

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 3

Quick Start
These two pages provide a summary of the key actions that are required to begin using
the CyScan system for approach or station keeping duties.
Assuming that the sensor is correctly installed, there are three main stages that must be
completed in sequence:
A Start the CyScan sensor
B Start the CyScan Console program
C Select a reflector or mooring point

A - Start the CyScan sensor

In order to operate, the CyScan Sensor must be powered on, its rotor should be spinning
and it should have a clear view of the vessel or structure that is to be approached.
1 Locate the main power switch for the CyScan Sensor and set it to its ON position.
Each CyScan installation may have a different layout but generally the CyScan
sensor power switch will be located either near the sensor, on the bridge or near
the UPS.
2 The upper rotor of the CyScan sensor should begin spinning after roughly twenty
seconds. Check that it has a clear view of the vessel or structure to be approached.

B - Start the CyScan Console program

Once the CyScan sensor is powered on and spinning you can then start the CyScan
Console program.
1 If it is not already switched on, power up the CyScan notebook computer and
check that the Windows operating system loads correctly.
2 On the Windows desktop, locate and double click the CyScan User Console icon.
The CyScan User Console program will load and begin communicating with the
Scanner display CyScan sensor. Any communication errors will be reported within the Alarms page
Target reflections of the property sheet in the lower right corner.
Once communication between the sensor and
console has been established, any located
target reflectors outside the blanking zone will
be displayed on the scanner display. If the
target reflectors are not close to your vessel,
then you may need to click the button to
zoom out and view a wider area on the
scanner display.

Alarms page within the property sheet

Zoom out/in buttons

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 4

C - Select a reflector or mooring point
Once the Console program is loaded and the target reflectors of the vessel/structure are
visible on the scanner display, you can then begin navigating. You can choose from two
main types of navigation:
• Single target/prism navigation - allows you to select one reflector on the scan-
ner display and navigate relative to it. This method of navigation cannot provide
heading data.
• Mooring point navigation - allows you to select a pre-configured mooring point
file that contains pre-configured information about the reflector layout of the
vessel/structure being approached.

To select single target/prism navigation

1 Click the button to reveal a pop-up list of mooring point options.
2 Select either Single Target (if the vessel/structure reflectors are flat or cylindrical
reflectors) or Single Prism (if the vessel/structure reflectors are prism style). Note:
the most common reflectors are flat or cylindrical.
3 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.
4 Use the cursor to point and click on one of the target reflections shown on the
scanner display.
After a short delay, the navigation data will be determined and displayed. Note
that only range and bearing or A/B pos values will be shown as single target/prism
modes cannot provide heading information

To select mooring point navigation

1 Click the button to reveal a pop-up list of mooring point options. A list of all
pre-configured mooring point names will be listed below the [Single Prism] option.
2 Select the mooring point name that matches the vessel/structure that you are
currently approaching.
3 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.
After a short delay, the navigation data will be determined and displayed.

Information quality indicator

Whether using single target, single prism or mooring point navigation, the perceived
validity of the information derived from the reflector(s) is shown by the Information
Quality Indicator in the top right corner. This bar graph will increase and change colour as
the navigation information improves. The navigation data readouts also similarly change
colour to match the chart. After a short while the information quality indicator should
light-up an increasing number of bars and correspondingly, the red characters in the
navigation section should change from red to orange and finally to green.

Ending navigation

To end navigation
1 Click the button.
2 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message. The
readouts in the navigation section will become inactive.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 5

Using the System
CyScan User Console provides an intuitive graphical and text environment that allows the
DP operator to quickly assess and control the functions of the CyScan system. This section
provides full information about the options and procedures within the CyScan Console
program. For a Quick Start summary, please refer to the preceeding two pages.
In addition to the CyScan Use Console, there is also a CyScan Admin Console program
which is used to make fundamental settings changes and to perform sensor firmware upgrades.
Details about this program are given in the Installation and Maintenance Guide.

Start up
To enter CyScan User Console
1 Ensure that the notebook is correctly powered on and that the Windows operating
system is loaded and running. Quit any other applications that are running so that
you can clearly see the Windows background.
2 Locate the CyScan User Console icon and double click it.
3 After a short while the Console display screen will appear. After a brief initialisation
period indicated by a progress dialog, the sensor will begin operation and its
scanning results displayed on screen.

Shutdown, suspend or reset communications

When operation is complete, CyScan User Console offers you three options for shutting
down, suspending or resetting the scanner communication link:
• Shut down - Completely closes down all functions within the CyScan scanner. A
power cycle of the scanner is necessary to resume fresh operation.
• Suspend - Places the scanner into a ‘sleep mode’ whereby the rotor ceases spin-
ning and the leveller returns to a fixed state. However, upon command from the
Console application, the unit will return to full operation. This mode is suitable for
use when travelling between mooring points.
Note: When the sensor is suspended and then resumed, a dialog will be displayed
to indicate the progress being made towards regaining full operational status -
until the resume period is complete, no further CyScan operations can occur.
• Reset Communications - Re-initialises the communication links between the
Console computer, the CyScan scanner and the DP unit.

To shutdown, suspend or reset communications:

1 Click the ‘CyScan’ button in the lower
left corner of the screen (this button is
unavailable while navigating). The control
dialog will be displayed:

2 Click the down-arrow to reveal the three options. Select the required option and
click the OK button.
3 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.
4 If necessary, close down the Console application by clicking the small X button in
GCS the top right corner.

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Screen layout
The CyScan User Console screen has five key areas:

Scanner display Navigation section

Click (when not Click to view Button bar Status bar Property sheet
navigating) to the online
view the user guide
Shutdown/
Suspend/Reset
control screen

The five key areas are:

• The Scanner display
• The Navigation section
• The Status bar
• The Property sheet
• The Button bar
The pages that follow provide explanations of each of the five key screen areas and the
elements presented within them.

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 Scanner display
This circular area shows the
relationship between the
CyScan equipped vessel and
the reflectors of the current
mooring point. There are a
number of key elements within
the Scanner display:

CyScan vessel
The CyScan vessel image is
shown, as determined by the
setting in the Display options,
either as an outline or a solid
filled shape, with a distinct bow
and stern, or alternatively the
vessel image may be switched
off – see ‘Display options’.
Depending upon the DP
reporting method used and the
chosen display option, the
centre of the Scanner display will either represent the CyScan sensor, or the origin reflec-
tor of the current mooring point – see ‘Display options’. The orientation of the ship
outline is set within the admin console to suit the physical layout of the DP console.

Blanking zone (dark red area shown on the perimeter of the scan)
Shows the angular area, within each revolution of the sensor rotor, where the laser range
finder is switched off. This is typically set to correspond with the area where the beam
would strike portions of its own vessel. The blanking zone can be adjusted to suit particu-
lar requirements – see ‘Blanking Zone’.

Range circles
A series of radiating labelled concentric circles provide a visual indication of the proximity
of the CySCan vessel to the mooring point. Use the Zoom in and Zoom out buttons to
change the scale of the Scanner display.

Reflector frame axis

Indicates the theoretical A-B axis that the CyScan system uses to define the positions of
each reflector, relative to the origin of the mooring point. This axis can be included/
excluded from the display as required – see ‘Display options’.

Tilt-direction and tilt-angle

These dynamically indicate the amount of tilt, and in which direction, that the leveller of
the CyScan sensor is currently applying, in order to keep its rotor at a set level. The arrow
head and tail infer the up/down tilt attitude using colour, when the arrow is:
• Green – the scanner is tilting upwards,
• Grey – the scanner is level,
• Red – the scanner is tilting downwards.
When manually adjusting the tilt-angle and tilt–direction, the outer arrow head is dragged
using the cursor to apply the necessary offsets – see ‘Scanner Tilt Adjustment’

Reflector images
These indicate reflector responses that have been successfully received and recognised.
During an active navigation session, you will notice red or yellow boxes being drawn
around certain reflectors – this shows the CyScan system associating the located reflectors
with the mooring point information that it has been given. Yellow indicates good recogni-
GCS tion and red indicates a failure to recognise the reflection.

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 8

 Navigation section
The upper right corner of the screen
provides navigation information in a
simple clear manner whenever naviga-
tion mode is invoked and a mooring
point is successfully located. This section
comprises four primary elements, some
of which are variable – depending on
which reporting format is selected for the DP feed within the Configuration section:
For NMEA0183 formats: The A and B distances are given for the CyScan sensor, relative
to the origin reflector of the current mooring point (or single target).
For ASCII-type formats: Range and Bearing values are given from the CyScan sensor to
the origin reflector of the current mooring point (or single target).
Heading – Available only in NMEA0183 format when a full mooring point is selected (not
single target mode), this value provides the heading of the CyScan-equipped vessel
relative to the currently selected mooring point. The value is taken as a clockwise rotation
from the A-axis and may bear no relation to the compass bearing.
Information Quality Indicator - This graphical representation provides a quick indication of
the confidence that the system has in the quality of the information presented. The more
bars shown (red, then orange, then green), the better the information. The colours of the
A/B/Heading data display change according to the quality of the information. The status
of the Leveller and DP Feed are also displayed.

Status bar

Provides important feedback information on various topics and displays the date and time
that the situation was first reported. A flashing sphere icon is also shown to indicate that
communications are connected between the User Console and the CyScan sensor.
Double click on the Time and Date portion of the status bar displays the system time
properties and allows you to adjust the current settings.

Status bar buttons

To the left of the status bar are two buttons:
CyScan
Click this button to view the Control
dialog. From here you can
• Shut down - Completely closes down
all functions within the CyScan
scanner. This is only available if
navigation is stopped. A power cycle
of the scanner is necessary to resume
fresh operation.
• Suspend - Places the scanner into a ‘sleep mode’ whereby the rotor ceases spin-
ning and the leveller returns to a fixed state. However, upon command from the
Console application, the unit will return to full operation. This mode is suitable for
use when travelling between mooring points.
Note: When the sensor is suspended and then resumed, a dialog will be displayed
to indicate the progress being made towards regaining full operational status -
until the resume period is complete, no further CyScan operations can occur.
• Reset Communications - Re-initialises the communication links between the
Console computer, the CyScan scanner and the DP unit.
Help

GCS Click this button to load Acrobat reader and view the online CyScan User Console
operator’s guide.
CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 9
 Property sheet
This area of the CyScan User Console screen provides detailed information on a number
of different topics. The property sheet uses tabbed pages to group information and has
four main tabs plus an ‘About’ page which indicates the software version and copyright
details. The four main tabbed pages are as follows:

Alarms page
Lists any messages received from the various component units of the CyScan sensor.
These are classified into four types of alarm which are, in increasing order of severity:
Information - indicated with grey symbols
Warning - indicated with orange symbols
Error and Fatal - indicated with red symbols
A filter is available to suppress the display of particular alarm types. As standard the filter
is activated and the Information messages are hidden from the list.
When you have noted one or more new alarm messages, an accept button allows you to
transfer and append them to an Historic list.

Reflections page
Provides a numeric representation of the
reflections received during the last com-
plete revolution of the sensor rotor. This
page can be used to verify the graphical
representation of reflections shown within
the Scanner view.
As a new revolution is started, the list is
cleared and starts again. For each verified
reflection the list provides range, bearing
and brightness values.
Note: If an arrow is appended to a reflec-
tion entry, this indicates that the reflection
may be improved by tilting the sensor
either upwards (up arrow) or downwards
(down arrow). Please refer to the section
‘Scanner tilt adjustment’ later within this
guide.

Mooring Points page

Lists all currently stored mooring points and the reflectors that are defined for each. A
blanking zone and leveller tilt bearing are defined for each mooring point. Within this
page you can manually edit any aspect of an existing mooring point and its reflectors.

Configuration page
Contains two options, the first of which allows you to change the screen colour contrasts
between ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ modes. The remaining option, DP Feed Type, does not usually
require adjustment during normal operation, however, this will depend on your DP
manufacturer’s recommendations. This page also indicates the name of the vessel, the
name of the vessel’s operator, the serial number of the CyScan unit and the version
numbers of all installed software components – these items are for information only and
are not editable.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 10

 Button bar
A collection of nine buttons that provide, or control, a range of functions. When a func-
tion is not available, the button image will fade and become unselectable:

Start Sensor
navigation Zoom in Alarms operations Apply

Stop Zoom out Display Cancel

navigation options

Start navigation
Click to begin a sequence of steps that lead to the CyScan system providing live positional
data to the DP system. After selecting this button, you will be requested to select a stored
mooring point or single target.

Stop navigation
Click to cease sending live positional data to the DP system.

Zoom in
Click to enlarge the inner portions of the Scanner display so that individual elements may
be seen more clearly.

Zoom out
Click to view a wider area on the Scanner display such that elements further out may be
seen.

Alarms
Becomes available when one or more alarms have occurred, click to view the Alarms page
within the Property sheet in the lower right corner of the screen.

Display options
See next page

Sensor operations
See next page

Cancel
Click to discard any current changes and revert to the previous setting.

Apply
Click to accept the current changes.

continued

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 11

 Button bar (continued)

Display options
Click to view a list of options that determine the elements within the scanner display:
• Show Bearing Axis – display/hide the tickmarks around the outer circle of the
scanner display.
• Show Range Circles – display/hide the concentric distance circles of the scanner
display.
• Show Labels – display/hide the range and reflector labels within the scanner
display.
• Show Reflections – display/hide the markers representing the reflections received
by the CyScan sensor.
• Show Reflectors – display/hide the association boxes that the CyScan system
superimposes on the scanner display to indicate how it is attempting to relate the
reflections received, with its knowledge of the current mooring point.
• Show Blanking Zone – display/hide the angular area within each rotor revolution
where the laser scanner is instructed to switch off and not search for reflectors.
• Show Tilt Bearing – display/hide the tilt arrow and angle label that indicate in
which direction, and by how much the CyScan sensor is currently tilting its upper
body to counteract the effect of waves and vessel movement.
• Show Vessel Shape – allows you to determine how the CyScan-equipped vessel is
represented on the scanner display – the options are: Off, Outline and Filled (solid
object).
• Scanner Centered On – when navigating, allows you to select whether the centre
of the scanner display is affixed to the origin reflector of the current mooring point
(‘Mooring Point Origin’) or follows the ‘Cyscan Sensor’. Note: Mooring point origin
mode is not selectable when using any ASCII-based reporting modes, such as:
ASCII17, MDL Standard, Artemis Mk IV, Kongsberg Standard or Kongsberg Legacy.

Sensor operations
Click to view a list of configuration options that include:
• Align Mooring Point – allows you to rotate the entire mooring point data set so
that the axis frame superimposed by the CyScan system aligns with true North/
East. Consequently, when navigating, the reported position will be given in true
northings and eastings. Using this option all you need to do is enter the current
reading from the ship’s compass to set a permanent alignment for the current
mooring point.
• Survey Mooring Point – allows you to define a new mooring point by individually
selecting a series of reflections from the scanner display, that represent the reflec-
tors mounted on a platform in the vicinity.
• Set Blanking Zone – allows you to change the angular area within each rotor
revolution where the laser scanner is instructed to switch off and not search for
reflectors.
• Set Leveller Tilt Bearing – allows you to impose a preset tilt value in a particular
direction for the CyScan sensor. Such an operation is typically necessary when
station-keeping close to a platform where the reflectors are mounted high and the
CyScan sensor must be made to ‘look up’ for them. Note: Leveller tilt presets are
only possible when the ‘Leveller Mode’ setting is ‘Fixed Offset’.
• Set Leveller Mode – allows you to enable or disable the leveller and to apply an
offset. For more information, please refer to the ‘Leveller Platform Mode’ section.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 12

Mooring Points and Reflectors
Mooring point is the collective name for two or more reflectors positioned on a platform
or vessel, to which the CyScan-equipped vessel will approach and/or station-keep. CyScan
User Console can store reflector information for many different mooring points and new
ones are added using the Survey Mooring Point option.
A blanking zone and a tilt bearing are defined for use while navigating in a single target
mode and while not navigating - these are called the baseline settings. When a new
mooring point is created, it automatically inherits the current baseline blanking zone and
tilt bearing settings. These can then be changed, if necessary, using the ‘copy’ functions
discussed in the ‘Editing mooring point details’ section.

Surveying a New Mooring Point

A survey of a mooring point may be carried out whenever the CyScan-equipped vessel is
within range of the platform or target vessel, and two or more (preferably three) reflec-
tors are visible on the console Scanner display.

To survey a new mooring point

1 Click the Sensor Operations button and from the pop-up list, select the
‘Survey Mooring Point’ operation.
2 Using the cursor, point to, and click on the reflector image (within the Scanner
display – click the Zoom in button, if necessary) that you wish to use as the moor-
ing point origin. Note: The cursor pointer changes to cross hairs when it is posi-
tioned over a reflector.
Note: The positions of all other reflectors within this mooring point will be calcu-
lated relative to this origin reflector.
3 Again using the cursor, click on a second reflector image, that is a reasonable
distance from the origin reflector and is suitable to form the A-axis from the origin
point.
An A-B axis will now be superimposed on the Scanner display, relative to the
reflectors that you chose as the origin and the A-axis points.
4 Now select, in turn, up to three more reflectors.
Note: CyScan navigation accuracy is greatly improved by the addition of more
reflectors (up to a maximum total of five) where the reflector-to- reflector spacings
differ greatly, i.e. 5m spacing between one pair, 20m spacing between the next,
etc. This helps the CyScan scanner to differentiate between reflectors with greater
precision.
If unique spacing between the reflectors isn’t given, then it is better to operate
with fewer (say 3) reflectors. If more targets are mounted on the rig, then the
superfluous ones should be physically removed and not just merely omitted from
the mooring point survey.
5 When all required reflectors have been selected, click the ‘Tick’ button and
then in the subsequent dialog, click the ‘Yes’ button to confirm your actions.
Attention will now switch from the Scanner display to the info box in the lower
right corner of the screen. The coordinates and other details of all surveyed reflec-
tors will be displayed here along with an automatically generated name for the
new mooring point.
6 Edit the mooring point name and/or any of the other details and then click the
Apply button.
Note: You can automatically align the mooring point so that the navigation infor-
mation given by CyScan coincides with true North/East. For further details, please
refer to the section ‘Align mooring point’

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 13

 Editing a Mooring Point
You can edit all aspects of a mooring point, right down to the type of reflectors used and
the order in which they should be numbered.

To display a mooring point

1 View the Mooring Points page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the down arrow to the right of the Mooring Point Name box to reveal a drop-
down list of stored mooring points.
3 Select the appropriate mooring point to view its details. The toolbar within the
Property page will have the following layout:
Export all Delete all
Import mooring mooring mooring
point(s) from file points to file points

Add new Export this Delete this Edit this

mooring mooring mooring mooring
point point to file point point

To manually add a new mooring point

1 View the Mooring Points page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the New Mooring Point button. A blank mooring point will be created.
3 Enter a name for the new mooring point.
4 Click the New Reflector button and add the required details for the reflector –
repeat as necessary up to a maximum of five.
5 Click the Apply button to confirm the new mooring point.

To import mooring point(s) from file

1 View the Mooring Points page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the Import button.
3 In the subsequent dialog, locate the required location text file (.ltf) containing the
required mooring point information and click the Open button.
4 The imported mooring point(s) will be added to the drop-down list and can be
selected from there.

To export or export all mooring point(s) to file

1 View the Mooring Points page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click either the Export or Export All button.
3 In the subsequent dialog, locate the required drive and folder, and then create a
name for the name for the file.Then, click the Save button.

To delete a mooring point

1 Display the required mooring point as discussed in ‘To display a mooring point’.
2 Click the Delete button.
3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action. A warning is given if you attempt to
delete a mooring point which is in use.

To delete all mooring points

1 Display the required mooring point as discussed in ‘To display a mooring point’.
2 Click the Delete All button.
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3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 14

 Editing Mooring Point details

To edit reflector details

1 View the Mooring Points page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the down arrow to the right of the Mooring Point Name box to reveal a drop-
down list of stored mooring points.
3 Select the appropriate mooring point to view its details. It is not possible to edit a
morring point that is currently in use.
4 Click the Edit button. The focus of the dialog will now subtly change from
editing the mooring point, to editing the reflectors within the mooring point. The
Add new Delete all Move Copy blanking
reflector reflectors down zone

Delete Move Copy leveller Rotate mooring point

reflector up tilt bearing frame of reference

toolbar within the Property page will now change to the following layout.

To add a new reflector

1 Display the reflector information ready for editing as discussed in ‘To edit reflector
details’.
2 Click the New Reflector button. A blank reflector will be added to the end of the
list.
3 Enter the required details for the new reflector.
4 Optionally move the new reflector up or down the list as necessary – see ‘To edit
the order of reflectors’.
5 Click the Apply button to confirm your actions.

To delete a reflector
1 Display the reflector information ready for editing as discussed in ‘To edit reflector
details’.
2 Click on the reflector that you wish to delete.
3 Click the Delete button.
4 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

To delete all reflectors

1 Display the reflector information ready for editing as discussed in ‘To edit reflector
details’.
2 Click the Delete All button.
3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

To edit the mooring point name

1 Display the reflector information ready for editing as discussed in ‘To edit reflector
details’.
2 Click the mooring point name to highlight it and then enter your new name.
3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 15

 To edit the order of reflectors
Ideally, the reflectors should be numbered starting from the one on the far right (as
viewed from the expected working area) and continuing anticlockwise through the other
reflectors. This may not always occur during a survey, so this operation allows you to
reorder any reflector accordingly.
1 Display the reflector information as discussed in ‘To edit reflector details’.
2 Click on the reflector that needs to be moved to highlight it.
3 Use the move up and move down buttons to reorder the list as necessary.
4 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

To copy the current leveller tilt bearing

When a mooring point is first created, manually or by survey, it inherits the leveller tilt
bearing that is being used at the time, this is called a baseline setting. The copy feature
within the Mooring Points property sheet allows you to optionally set and copy a new
leveller tilt bearing for use with the selected mooring point. Once copied, the new leveller
tilt bearing will be utilised next time the selected mooring point is used for navigation.
1 Manually adjust the leveller tilt bearing to the appropriate angle and direction for
the current mooring point, as discussed in the section ‘Scanner tilt adjustment’.
2 Click the button to copy the current leveller tilt bearing. The Leveller Tilt Bearing
indicator (lower left corner of the Mooring Points property sheet) will indicate the
copied tilt bearing and inclination.
3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

To copy the current blanking zone

When a mooring point is first created, manually or by survey, it inherits the blanking zone
that is being used at the time, this is called a baseline setting. The copy feature within the
Mooring Points property sheet allows you to optionally set and copy a new blanking zone
for use with the selected mooring point. Once copied, the new blanking zone will be
utilised next time the selected mooring point is used for navigation.
1 Manually adjust the blanking zone segments to the appropriate setting for the
current mooring point, as discussed in the section ‘Blanking Zone’.
2 Click the button to copy the current blanking zone setting. The Blanking Zone
indicator (lower right corner of the Mooring Points property sheet) will indicate the
copied blanking zone segment settings.
3 Click the Apply button to confirm your action.

To rotate the mooring point frame of reference

This feature will rotate the whole A/B coordinate frame about its origin, recomputing new
positions and orientations for all reflectors. An automatic method is available to align the frame
with the ship’s compass - for further details, please refer to the section ‘Align mooring point’
1 Select the appropriate mooring point.
2 Click the Edit button.
3 In the small box to the right of the button, enter the angle through which the
mooring point is to be rotated.
4 Click the Rotate Mooring Point button.
5 Click the Apply button.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 16

Alarms
During operation, the CyScan system generally produces a flow of reports from its various
constituent components and these range in increasing order of severity from: Information,
Warning, and Error to Fatal. As such reports are received from the CyScan sensor, the
console application lists them within the Alarms page of the Property sheet (lower right
corner). As an alarm condition begins, its entry is appended by a triangular start arrow.
When an alarm end message is displayed, the entry is appended with a square ‘stop
symbol.
To assist with quick recognition of the various alarm types, a colour coding scheme is
employed. The triangular and square symbols used to represent the start and stop points
of each alarm conndition are represented in three colours to indicate their severity:
• Red (Fatal and Error)
• Orange (Warning)
• Grey (Information)
The Alarms page offers two key features to help with the flow of information, these are
the Alarm filter and the Alarm History.

Using the Alarm filter

This allows you to choose which types of alarms (of the four categories) to display within
the Alarms page. As standard the filter is activated with only the ‘Information’ alarms un-
ticked to conceal them. To use the alarms filter:
1 View the Alarms page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the right side of the two-part filter button . A drop down list will be
displayed showing the four types of reports/alarms.
3 Click on each type of alarm to tick/un-tick them as necessary – Note: Alarm types
that are ticked are shown in the alarms list, un-ticked items are hidden. When
complete, click the right side of the two-part filter button to hide the list.
4 To enable and disable the filter, click the left side of the two-part filter button .
The filter is active whenever the button is ‘pressed in’.

continued

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 17

 Using the Historic Alarm list
The Alarms page in fact has two alarms lists. The ‘Current’ list is where new alarm reports
are automatically stored. The ‘Historic’ list is available to you in order to clear the Current
list without losing potentially important diagnostic feedback.

To transfer reports to the Historic list

1 View the Alarms page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Ensure that the Current alarms list is being displayed – See ‘Select Log Type’ at the
top of the box.
3 Click the Accept alarms button. All items within the Current list will be trans-
ferred and appended to the Historic list.
4 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.

To clear the Historic list

Items in the Current list cannot be deleted, they may only be moved to the Historic list.
Once there, however, they may be erased.
1 View the Alarms page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Ensure that the Historic alarms list is being displayed – See ‘Select Log Type’ at the
top of the box.
3 Click the Clear alarms button.
4 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.

To export an alarms list

1 Click the Export alarms button to export the currently selected alarms list to a
text file.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 18

Starting navigation
You can choose from two main types of navigation:
• Single target/prism navigation - allows you to select one reflector on the scan-
ner display and navigate relative to it. This method of navigation cannot provide
heading data.
• Mooring point navigation - allows you to select a pre-configured mooring point
file that contains pre-configured information about the reflector layout of the
vessel/structure being approached.

To select single target/prism navigation

1 Click the button to reveal a pop-up list of mooring point options.
2 Select either Single Target (if the vessel/structure reflectors are flat or cylindrical
reflectors) or Single Prism (if the vessel/structure reflectors are prism style). Note:
the most common reflectors are flat or cylindrical.
3 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.
4 Use the cursor to point and click on one of the target reflections shown on the
scanner display.
After a short delay, the navigation data will be determined and displayed. Note
that only range and bearing or A/B pos values will be shown as single target/prism
modes cannot provide heading information

To select mooring point navigation

1 Click the button to reveal a pop-up list of mooring point options. A list of all
pre-configured mooring point names will be listed below the [Single Prism] option.
2 Select the mooring point name that matches the vessel/structure that you are
currently approaching.
3 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message.
After a short delay, the navigation data will be determined and displayed.
Note: when a mooring point is selected for navigation, the leveller tilt bearing and the
blanking zone defined for that mooring point are applied.

Information quality indicator

Using either type of navigation, the readouts in the navigation section of the screen (top
right corner) will now turn red (to indicate that the positional information received is not
yet sufficient). The CyScan system will now attempt to match the reflectors that it is
currently scanning, to the expected coordinates stored within the chosen mooring point
definition. After a short while the information quality indicator should light-up an increas-
ing number of bars and correspondingly, the red characters in the navigation section
should change from red to orange and finally to green.

Ending navigation
1 Click the button.
2 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message. The
readouts in the navigation section will become inactive and turn dark green and
while viewed reflectors will remain shown on the scanner display, CyScan will make
no attempt to associate them.
Note: Once navigation stops, the baseline leveller tilt bearing and blanking zone
defined for single target mode are applied.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 19

Scanner tilt adjustment
This operation may be necessary when navigating or station-keeping close to a platform,
where the reflectors are high above the level of the vessel. In such circumstances, the CyScan
sensor must be instructed to ‘look up’ by adding a bearing and an angular preset to its usual
levelling duties. The reflections page of the Property sheet provides hints on tilting the sensor
using arrows appended to reflection entries and indicating the necessary direction of tilt.
Note: If the tilt bearing and angle are adjusted while navigating, the new values are
applied only to the active mooring point. However, if the tilt bearing and angle are
adjusted while out of navigation mode, the new values are not applied to any existing
mooring points but instead form a new baseline setting.

To adjust the tilt bearing and angle

Note: Leveller tilt adjustments are only possible when the ‘Leveller Platform Mode’ setting
is ‘Fixed Offset’ - see below.
1 Click the Sensor Operations button to reveal a pop-up list of options.
2 Select the ‘Set Leveller Tilt Bearing’ option.
3 Select the tilt bearing - place the cursor around the outer area of the scanner
display (the arrow head will follow the position of the cursor).
4 When the tilt bearing is correct, click the mouse button to fix the setting.
5 Select the angle of tilt – within the area of the scanner display where you fixed the
tilt bearing, now move the cursor in and out between the centre of the scanner to
the outer edges. As you move the cursor, you will notice a line following the cursor
and a small readout (located just outside the circles) indicating the current angle of
tilt. The colour of the line also indicates the up/down direction of tilt:
• Green – upwards tilt in the chosen bearing axis - when the cursor is be-
tween the middle circle and the outer reaches of the scanner display.
• Grey – level – when the cursor is over the middle circle.
• Red – downwards tilt in the chosen bearing axis – when the cursor is be-
tween the middle circle and the centre.
6 When the tilt angle is correct, click the mouse button to fix the setting.
7 Click the button to confirm your new tilt settings.

Leveller Platform Mode

The self-levelling component of the CyScan sensor offers a selection of modes to suit
various situations, these are as follows:
• Disabled – the leveller is switched off completely, thus the upper body of the
scanner will not respond to movement.
• Horizontal – the leveller maintains the scanning rotor at a horizontal position
regardless of the action of waves and vessel movement.
• Fixed Offset – the leveller accepts and maintains a tilt bearing and angle, set using
the scanner display – see ‘Scanner Tilt adjustment’.

To change the Leveller Platform Mode:

1 Click the Sensor Operations button to reveal a pop-up list of options.
2 Select the ‘Set Leveller Mode’ option to reveal a drop-down list of options (as
described above).
3 Select the appropriate leveller mode and then click the button to confirm.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 20

Blanking zone
The blanking zone is the angular area within each rotor revolution where the laser scan-
ner is instructed to switch off and not search for reflectors. Generally, the blanking zone
does not require adjustment during normal operation, however, there may be occasional
circumstances where it is necessary.
Note: If the blanking zone is adjusted while navigating, the new values are applied only to
the active mooring point. However, if the blanking zone is adjusted while out of naviga-
tion mode, the new values are not applied to any existing mooring points but instead
form a new baseline setting.

To set the blanking zone

1 Click the Sensor Operations button to reveal a pop-up list of options.
2 Select the ‘Set Blanking Zone’ option.
Note: The 3600 sweep of the scanner display is split into 16 segments (indicated by
the tick marks around the outer circle). The CyScan scanner rotates in an anti-
clockwise manner (when viewed from above) and hence when selecting the start
and stop segments for the blanking zone, you must always work in an anti-clock-
wise direction.
3 Using the cursor click the first segment where you wish the laser to switch off.
4 Now click the last segment of the anti-clockwise rotation where the laser will still
be off (the laser will resume at the beginning of the next segment) Note: the
blanking zone must be a minimum of four segments. As you click, the selected
blanking zone will be shown shaded on the scanner display.
5 Click the button to confirm your new settings.

Align mooring point

When navigating using a mooring point, CyScan applies a mathematical framework to it
and bases all of its calculations on that. It is possible to rotate that framework so that it
aligns with the ship’s compass and hence when navigating, the reported position will be
given in true northings and eastings.
Note: The data to the DP system will change instantly once the alignment is
confirmed, hence it is recommended to deselect the CyScan sensor at the DP
Console before commencing this operation.

To align the mooring point

1 Click the button and begin navigating using the required mooring point.
2 Click the Sensor Operations button to reveal a pop-up list of options.
3 Select the ‘Align Mooring Point’ option. The property sheet will display the Align
Mooring Point page containing a compass representation.
4 Enter the current heading from the ship’s compass and click the Apply button to
confirm.
5 Click ‘Yes’ to confirm your selection in the subsequent pop-up message. After a
short pause, the mooring point frame reference will be rotated and navigation will
begin using the new mooring point frame reference.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 21

Configuration
The Configuration page offers two options, one of which (DP Feed Type) is key to correct
operation but which does not usually require alteration during day-to-day operations. The
colour contrast option, however, is essential in maintaining optimum usuability between
day and night operations.

Colour Contrast
To provide maximum visibility during daytime operation and minimal glare during night
shifts, CyScan User Console offers two display modes, aptly titled ‘Day’ and ‘Night’.

To change the Colour Contrast Mode:

1 View the Configuration page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the down arrow to the right of the Colour Contrast box to reveal a drop-
down list of two options.
3 Select the appropriate display format and then click the Apply button.

DP Feed Type
This option controls the format in which the positional information is packaged and sent
to the vessel’s DP system. The DP Feed Type may only be changed when CyScan is not
navigating. Any changes to this setting MUST be carried out in conjunction with a similar
change on the DP system – both systems must use exactly the same format and variant
thereof. The choice of DP Feed Type can have an effect on the information displayed in
the Navigation section (top right corner) of the Console screen. Note: Appendix 2 pro-
vides a list of all DP Feed Types supported at the current time and guidance on the most
appropriate for selection.
The DP Message string field displays the current text being sent to the DP system based
on the current selection of the DP Feed message type

To change the DP Feed Type:

1 View the Configuration page within the Property sheet (in the lower right corner).
2 Click the down arrow to the right of the DP Feed Type box to reveal a drop-down
list of options.
3 Select the appropriate format and then click the Apply button. Ensure that the DP
system is correctly prepared to receive the new message format.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 22

Using Log Files
Whenever CyScan Console is navigating it automatically generates a set of comprehen-
sive operation logs which can be used at a later date to check system operation. These
files (typically 1 hour long) can be particularly useful in cases where an unknown problem
is causing navigation difficulties. The log files can be transmitted to GCS where a full
investigation can take place. To avoid filling the system with files, the Console program
automatically deletes any log files that are more than a month old.

To locate and send a log file:

1 When a sufficient time period has elapsed in which at least one instance of the
expected problem has occurred, end the navigation session and use the Windows
key on the keyboard to access the Start menu.
2 Click the ‘My Computer’ option (or in Windows NT/2000 - select Programs and
then ‘Windows NT Explorer’).
3 Choose the C: drive and locate the ‘Program Files\GCS’ folder.
4 Within the folder, locate the log file whoose filename matches the date and time
of your session. The name of the folder will include the start and finish dates and
times, for example:
13d07m2001y 13h19m30s to 13d072001y 13h39m18s
5 This folder and its contents should be transmitted via email (cyscan@gcsltd.co.uk)
or posted on diskette back to GCS where the captured data can be interpreted.
Note: You can make use of the “Compressed Folders” option under
Windows(TM) ME to compress the whole folder prior to transmission by
email. Such compressed folders can be also be decompressed with standard
tools such as WinZip.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 23

Troubleshooting

For further assistance

If you experience problems when installing or using the CyScan system, please check
through this Troubleshooting section for a possible solution.
If your problem is not listed here and you cannot resolve the issue, then please contact
the system fitter or equipment provider who are trained to assist with installation and
operation problems. A screen dump can be obtained by pressing the F10 key and select-
ing OK. The location of the file is shown in the dialogue box. This image can be emailed
to GCS, if necessary.
If the problem cannot be resolved by the system fitter or equipment provider, then please
contact GCS directly:
By phone: +44 (0)116 229 2600
By fax: +44 (0)116 229 2604
By email: cyscan@gcsltd.co.uk

No communication between CyScan Console and the Sensor

• The User Console informs the operator on loss of communications and offers 3
actions which can be taken: Suspend, Shutdown or Reset Communications. Try the
‘Reset Communications’ option.
• Check the Power, DP Feed and Display/Diagnostic connections to the sensor.
• Ensure that the LEDs on the sensor unit only show the green LED flashing fast, the
yellow and red LED should be off. If this is not the case, power cycle the system
and observe the LED behaviour.
• Check on the data feed converter that it is powered (yellow LED on) and that the
outer transmit/receive lights are flashing once every couple of seconds (i.e. the
laptop is trying to establish communications with the sensor unit). Under normal
conditions the outer LEDs should flash first followed by the inner two LEDs flashing
in response (the sensor unit answering with data).
Some further checks may be made when investigating this problem using the
CyScan Admin Console program which is not covered by this guide. Please refer to
the Troubleshooting section within the Installation and Maintenance Guide for
more details.

Sensor head does not rotate

• The sensor rotor might be prevented from rotating due to mechanical
blockage.
• Investigate and remove blockage.
• Sensor rotor shaft may need lubrication. Please refer to the section ‘Greasing the
Gearbox’ within the CyScan Installation and Maintenance Guide.
• Lubricate using the grease duct on the motor gearbox. This duct is accessible once
the rotor heatshield is removed. Please refer to the section ‘Greasing the Gearbox’
within the CyScan Installation and Maintenance Guide.
• Check the LEDs on the system unit. Ensure that the red LED is not on. Otherwise
there is a hardware fault; power cycle the unit and observe LED behaviour.
• Check for ice build up between rotor and gearbox cover. Remove any ice which
may be present.
• Check that the red locking pins have been removed.
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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 24

 Sensor rotates slowly
• When switched on from cold at low temperatures the unit may rotate slowly for
several minutes before building up to normal speed of 1 rev per second.

System appears to be operational, however, the sensor head is not levelling or

rotating or no reflections are displayed within CyScan Console
• Check that the blanking zone (Blind Spot) is configured correctly.
• Clean lenses of CyScan unit. Please refer to the section ‘Cleaning the CyScan
Sensor’ within the CyScan Installation and Maintenance Guide.
Some further checks may be made when investigating this problem using the
CyScan Admin Console program which is not covered by this guide. Please refer to
the Troubleshooting section within the Installation and Maintenance Guide for
more details.

System is operational but is not navigating

• Check that the correct mooring point is selected.
• Check that the sensor has a clear view of the targets.
• Check that the blanking zone is not blocking targets from view.
• Check within the Admin Console that the power gain settings for reflections are
working.

System navigating but no data is received at the DP system

• Check the DP Feed connection to the sensor.
• Check that the DP Feed data converter is flashing.
• Check that the correct data format is selected for the DP system.
Some further checks may be made when investigating this problem using the
CyScan Admin Console program which is not covered by this guide. Please refer to
the Troubleshooting section within the Installation and Maintenance Guide for
more details.

System appears to be operational, however, it is exhibiting erratic behaviour

with communications locking up occasionally
• Check that the external supply voltage, supplied via the Power cable, to the sensor
has not dropped below 18V.
Some further checks may be made when investigating this problem using the
CyScan Admin Console program which is not covered by this guide. Please refer to
the Troubleshooting section within the Installation and Maintenance Guide for
more details.

System operates correctly but in cold weather loses targets.

• Check for condensation or ice on targets. Wipe clean if necessary.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 25

Alarm Codes

For the purpose of an audit trail, events of any nature are reported in the Console applica-
tion in the form of 4 different alarm types. These alarms only apply to the embedded
navigator and the interaction between the sensor unit and the Console user-interface.

Fatal alarms - codes 2xxx

Signifies a fatal event such as malfunctioning software; the system might be able to
recover from this but a power cycle is always recommended (both sensor unit and console
laptop)

Errors - codes 3xxx

Signifies an unexpected event such as a missing parameter file or a lack of response from
a particular sub-system; these errors normally clear themselves after a while. If these
errors occur repeatedly in quick succession especially after restarting the system, then a
serious hardware problem might have occurred.

Warnings - codes 4xxx

Signifies a possible error source; it will be followed by a suitable error message if the
system deteriorates, otherwise this will clear itself in due course. In general most warnings
if they are infrequent can be ignored.

Information - codes 5xxx

Signifies purely an event, user initiated or automatic, for audit purposes.

In addition a special category of leveller alarms in the code range 6xxx can occur in any of
the four classifications above. These will signify events that are purely associated with the
sensor rotor and leveller hardware and can provide clues about possible hardware faults.

Cleaning the CyScan Sensor

To maintain the CyScan Sensor in good working order it is important that both its casing
and optical elements are kept free of contamination.

To clean the casing and bellows:

Use a sponge or cloth with warm water to wipe any sea spray or other contamination
from the metal casing or the flexible bellows.

To clean the optical window:

Use a lint-free cloth with IPA spray to carefully wipe the optical window.

To clean the targets:

As per the CyScan casing and bellows above. In dirty environments the reflective faces of
the targets should be cleaned regularly for best viewing. Also, under icy or frosty condi-
tions, the targets should be cleared of any condensation or ice.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 26

CyScan LED Indicators
To provide instant status information, the CyScan sensor features three LED indicators
mounted beneath the carrying handle at the Stern side. Each indicator displays the
current status of three key elements of the sensor circuitry:

Red Leveller diagnostic

Yellow Embedded PC status
Green Main heartbeat

Correct startup indication

As the CyScan sensor initialises itself, the following sequence should be seen:
Red Flashes once briefly when power is applied and should then be off for as
long as the yellow LED is on. As soon as the yellow LED has turned off, it will
toggle at one second intervals as the leveller circuitry initialises for about 30
seconds. After the initialisation period, the Red indicator should switch off
and stay off. If at any point it stays on permanently then a hardware fault
has been detected.
Yellow On continuously after power has been applied while the embedded PC
circuitry initialises. After the initialisation period, the Yellow indicator should
switch off and stay off. It will come on again once the system has been
shutdown or in case of an embedded PC failure.
Green Toggles twice a second after power is applied and while the yellow led is on. As
soon as the yellow led switches off and the leveller initialises (RED led toggles),
the green led will begin to flash at 10 Hz intervals giving the main system
heartbeat. When the system is suspended it flashes briefly once a second.

Error states and possible causes

Red Permanently on at any point - Electronic hardware failure within the leveller
or sensor circuitry. Can also come on when a hardware failure is detected
during operation.
Yellow On after the initialisation period is complete - Embedded PC failure or unit is
shut down. Communication with the sensor is not possible. Recycle power
to the CyScan system.
Green Permanently on or off - No heartbeat to the system. No operation is possi-
ble. Recycle power to the CyScan system.
Blinking slowly - unit suspended or shutdown (see YELLLOW and RED leds).
Toggling twice a second - after power has been applied, waiting for the PC
to initialise and the yellow LED to turn off.

Shutdown/suspend
Red Off unless there is a hardware failure.
Yellow On for shutdown, Off for suspend.
GCS Green Flashes briefly once a second.

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 27

CyScan Fuse Information
The CyScan system contains two fuses, their locations are:
• Inside the Power Supply Unit casing on the AC input
• On the Controller Board within the CyScan sensor housing on the DC input

Power Supply Unit Fuse

Fuse specification:
1
20mm
32
4A rating
54
76
98
3 12 1110 Slow Blow
13
514
161

Controller Board Fuse

Fuse specification:
20mm
5A rating
Slow Blow

Please refer to the Installation and

Maintenance Guide (Maintenance
and Servicing section) for details on
gaining access to the controller
board.

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 28

Appendices
Appendix 1 - Mooring Point Reflectors - Installation and Definition

Reflector types
Two main types of reflectors are used with the CyScan system, flat and cylindrical. These
are shown below:

Flat reflectors
Flat reflectors are generally attached
using steel clips to rigid structures such
as metal posts.
2m long flat reflectors can typically
be seen up to 280m in good
conditions. A short 1m
reflector will be
visible to
200m.

Cylindrical reflectors
Cylindrical reflectors can be hung
over the side of the mooring
point vessel.
The GCS cylindrical
reflectors can be seen
up to 180m in good
conditions. A shackle
at either end can be
used to secure them.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 29

 Reflector Installation
Key to the operation of the CyScan system are correct installation of reflectors and accurate
information about their positions on the Mooring Point/Vessel. Please follow the guidelines
given below when installing target reflectors on the Mooring Point/Vessel.
Once the reflectors are installed, their relative positions should ideally be measured (by
theodolite using a fully qualified site surveyor) and declared to CyScan Console. Alterna-
tively, in many circumstances reflectors can also be automatically surveyed by the system,
however restrictions apply and navigation performance may be reduced. For details about
this process, please refer to the section Defining Reflector Positions shown overleaf.

Installation tips
• All targets must be placed in positions where the sensor can see them while the
vessel is within the expected working area.
• Targets should not be placed too far along the Mooring Point/Vessel from the
expected working area.
• The sensor beam should not strike any flat target at an angle of less than 45
degrees to the reflector surface as the resulting reflected beam will not be correctly
received. The laser power returned from the target
at the maximum angle of 45 degrees can be re-
duced by 50% and thus limit the effective maximum
range by up to 25%.
45 o
• Cylindrical targets can be viewed from any angle 45 o
equally well. However, it is important to place them
in such a way that they cannot be viewed from the
rear.
• Targets should be positioned with unequal spacing
between them – this helps the system to distinguish between specific targets. For
example, with a typical mooring distance of 40-80m using three targets, suitable
spacings between the reflectors would be 10m and 20m – giving a total spread of
30m.
• Targets should be placed no closer than 5m together. Ideally they should be placed
10m or more apart.
ORIENTATION

A axis
B axis

SURFACE NORMAL
ON REFLECTIVE SIDE

BACKING SIDE

REFLECTIVE SIDE

Reflector Orientation
The direction in which each reflector faces must be
declared to the CyScan Console. All measurements are
made using the direction of the reflector face relative
to the direction of the A axis. Using a centreline
running through the reflector, perpendicular to the
reflector face, the angle between this line and the A
axis is measured and declared to the system.

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 30

 Defining Reflector Positions
To achieve the most accurate results, please follow the suggestions given below when
defining the coordinates of installed reflectors.
• Target positions are measured using two perpendicular axes, A and B. The Origin of
the two axes can be any fixed point on the Mooring Point/Vessel, with all measure-
ments along both axes being taken from that point.
If the reflectors are mounted along the side of the Mooring Point/Vessel, then the
logical arrangement (and the most straightforward for measuring reflector posi-
tions) is to make the A and B axes match those of the vessel (as shown below). This
would involve the B axis passing across the vessel (starboard to port, or vice versa),
while the A axis would run parallel to the side of the vessel (stern to bow, or vice
versa).

B
MOORING POINT/VESSEL

A_supply vessel
A3 A2 R1 (ORIGIN)

A R3 B3

R2 B2

θ_supply vessel

Defining Reflector Positions

The Origin can be any fixed point on the vessel,
however, in most cases it will be defined as the
first reflector R1. The remaining reflectors are
defined relative to the origin using the B_supply vessel
perpendicular axes A and B running through it.

SUPPLY
VESSEL

• If the Mooring Point/Vessel has no particular fixed reference point, then it is recom-
mended that the first reflector, R1 is designated as the Origin.
• The reflectors should be numbered starting from the one on the far right (as
viewed from the expected working area) and continuing anticlockwise through the
other reflectors.
• The direction in which each reflector faces must be declared to the CyScan Con-
sole. All measurements are made using the direction of the reflector face relative to
the direction of the A axis. Using a centreline running through the reflector, per-
pendicular to the reflector face, the angle between this line and the A axis is
measured and declared to the system.
Using the above diagram as an example, the perpendicular centrelines of all the
reflectors are parallel to the B axis, but pointing in the opposite direction (i.e. they
are facing the sea) – therefore they all have a rotation (or Orientation) of 270
degrees.
• The reflector definitions must be entered in the order R1, R2, R3, etc.
• When using auto-survey the first reflection detected in each rev will be used as the
datum or primary target defining the origin of the A/B coordinate frame.
Please refer to the following three pages for examples of typical reflector layouts.
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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 31

 Reflector Positioning Examples
These three pages provide examples of typical reflector layouts.

Example 1 - Ship on Tanker’s Port side, CyScan on ship’s Starboard side

A
Reflector Positions
0
1 A=0, B=0, orientation= 270
0
2 A=+52.52m, B=0, orientation= 270
0
3 A=+64.89m, B=0, orientation= 270

1 B
CyScan's Position
(NMEA-$RLS convention)
A = +29.559m
B = -61.451m
Heading = 3450

Notes:
1 The DP system will display the Origin of the A and B axes. This could be any
point on the tanker, the main mast, midway between perpendiculars or one of
the reflectors. In this example it is number 1 reflector.
2 The reflector numbering should be chosen so that they form an anti-clockwise
sequence when seen by CyScan.
This can be 1-2-3, or 2-3-1 or 3-1-2, etc.
3 In Auto Survey, target 1 would be the datum (primary target) and denotes the
GCS origin of A/B frame.

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 32

 Example 2 - Ship on Tanker’s Starboard side, CyScan on ship’s Port side

Reflector Positions
0
1 A=0, B=0, orientation=+90
A 2 A=+56.21m, B=0, orientation=+90
0

0
3 A=+42.51m, B=0, orientation=+90

* When auto-surveyed (Items shown in grey)

Specifically, the auto-surveyed reflector positions
would be:
1 A=0, B=0, orientation=+2700
2 A=13.7m, B=0, orientation=+2700
0
3 A=56.21m, B=0, orientation=+270

Resulting in a CyScan navigation position of:

(NMEA-$RLS convention)
A = +15.028m
B = -38.251m
Heading = 1950

B* (1*) 2

(2*) 3

(3*) 1
CyScan's Position B
(NMEA-$RLS convention)
A = +41.182m
B = +38.254m
Heading = +150
A*
Notes:
1 The DP system will display the Origin of the A and B axes. This could be any
point on the tanker, the main mast, midway between perpendiculars or one of
the reflectors. In this example it is number 1 reflector.
2 The reflector numbering should be chosen so that they form an anti-clockwise
sequence when seen by CyScan.
This can be 1-2-3, or 2-3-1 or 3-1-2, etc.
3 An auto-survey would have assigned reflector 2 as the origin resulting in the A/B
frame pointing downwards and left respectively, i.e. target 2 would be labelled
as 1, target 3 as 2 and target 1 as 3. In terms of navigation the resulting ship’s
position in this auto-surveyed frame would still be a positive A coordinate but a
negative B coordinate.
GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 33

 Example 3 - Ship moving round the corner of a fixed platform
A
Reflector Positions
0
1 A=+11.21m, B=+28.56m, orientation=156
0
2 A=+5.12m, B=+16.00m, orientation=156
0
3 A=0, B=0, orientation=201
4 A=+36.94m, B=-17.75m, orientation=246
0 240
5 A=+52.57m, B=-24.01m, orientation=2460

3 2 1

CyScan's Position
(NMEA-$RLS convention)
A = -44.456m
B = -38.032m
Heading = 3020

Notes:
1 The DP system will display the Origin of the A and B axes. This could be any point on the
platform. In this example it is number 3 reflector at the south-west corner of the platform.
2 The reflector numbering should be chosen so that they form an anti-clockwise sequence
when seen by CyScan.
3 If the reflector positions are in northings and eastings, CyScan gives the ship’s position in
northings and eastings and gives the heading relative to true north.
4 The DP system will display the corner of the platform since that is at the origin of A & B.
5 The ship can move round the corner of the platform without any interruptions in CyScan’s
reception.
6 This location could not be auto-surveyed as not all targets can be in view at all times, be-
cause it contains more than 4 targets (the limit of the auto-survey) and the targets are not
GCS facing the same orientation or are indeed aligned with each other.

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 34

Appendix 2 - DP Feed Types
The CyScan systems supports a range of reporting formats to allow connection with the
most common DP systems. The DP Feed Type is selected within the Configuration tab of
the Property sheet (lower right corner of the screen) and must similarly be set within the
DP system at the same time.
This appendix lists the various DP feed types of the two main categories - ASCII and
NMEA. Where available this section provides information about which option to choose.

ASCII types
ASCII 17
MDL Standard
Artemis Mk IV
Kongsberg Simrad Standard
Kongsberg Simrad Legacy

NMEA types
NMEA0183R - raw format
NMEA0183P - primary format
The use of two NMEA formats depends largely upon the structure beign approached and
the nature of the targets available upon that structure, as discussed below.

Working alongside a fixed structure

If only one reflector is available, use ‘primary’ mode with the DP console showing CyScan
as ‘fixed’.
If the single reflector is obscured then the CyScan cannot continue to provide a position
reference. Also, if another target e.g. a worker’s reflective jacket, is detected the CyScan
may not be able to distinguish the two. Hence, the single reflector mode should be used
with caution and ideally with two other measurement devices to enable automatic
median rejection logic.
If two or more reflectors are available the Cyscan can be used in ‘primary’ or ‘raw’ mode
(depending upon the reflector) with the DP console showing CyScan as ‘fixed’.
In primary mode with two or more reflectors, the CyScan is better able to reject false
reflections that are incorrectly spaced.
In raw mode, the CyScan is able to compute vessel position using the ranges from each
target. The targets are known in N.E. co-ordinates and hence the scanner position can be
calculated. CyScan has an automatic survey feature, which gives target co-ordinates in
orthogonal axes aligned to reflectors. There is then a facility to rotate the axes to align
with North and East - see ‘Editing a Mooring Point / To rotate the mooring point frame of
reference‘.

Working alongside a mobile structure

When two or more reflectors are available, the CyScan can be used in ‘primary’ or ‘raw’
mode depending upon the target geometry with the DP console showing CyScan as
‘mobile’.
In primary mode, the main target must not be obscured whereas in raw mode, all targets
are being used and contributing to the calculation.

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 35

 Example settings

Example 1 - Single target in view

Scanner position calculated from range and
bearing relative to vessel

Example 2 - Multiple targets in view offering good geometry

Targets must be unequally spaced, as shown,
with locations programmed into CyScan as a
‘mooring’. Scanner position calculated from
the range from each target.
The angle, at the ship, between the most
separated targets should be between about
60 and 120 degrees.

Example 3 - Multiple targets in view but poor geometry

Targets must be unequally spaced, as shown.
Scanner position is calculated from the range
and bearing of one target relative to the
vessel.

Summary of examples and most appropriate settings

Examples 1 2 3
Fixed Mobile Fixed Mobile
structures structures structures structures
DP console setting Fixed Fixed Mobile Fixed Mobile
Moorings As Rotate As As
surveyed to North surveyed surveyed
CyScan message Primary Raw Primary

When the moorings have been correctly rotated to North the CyScan displayed heading
(DP database parameter RLSO_ANGLE) will be equal to the ships’ heading.
When the device is selected as mobile, the ‘button’ appears ‘striped’. In DP mode any
mobile device is excluded from position calculation. The device is allowed in the ‘ROV
follow’ mode where the mobile is used to update the target but station keeping is per-
formed on the fixed devices. Unless there are no fixed devices in which case the mobile is
used.

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 36

Appendix 3 - NMEA 183 - $RLS Conventions
This diagram indicates the navigation conventions used when NMEA mode is selected.

Relative
Heading

Orientation
A
B
Reflector 1

Reflector 2

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CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 37

Appendix 4 - Vertical Beam Divergence

Range R

Target

h
(Not to scale)

MK II

Range R (m) Height h (m)

20 5.6

30 8.4

50 14.0

70 19.5

90 25.1

100 27.9

120 33.5

150 41.9

180 50.3

200 55.9

250 69.8

300 83.8

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 38

Appendix 5 - DP Message Types

Introduction
The CyScan Mk II distinguishes between two operating modes: a) single target and b)
multiple target operation. Independent of the operation mode different DP feed message
types can be selected based on the NMEA0183 or ASCII17 format. In addition the
NMEA0183 DP message types can be coupled with the ASCII17 format to provide simul-
taneous feedback of both message types on the same serial line. The DP message update
rate is 1 Hz.

NMEA0183 Format
A 42 character string: $RLS,±AAA.AA,±BBB.BB,S1,XXX.XXX,S2,HHHH*CC<CR><LF>
$RLS message header
AAA.AA resolved position in A axis [metres]
BBB.BB resolved position in B axis [metres]
S1 status of position data in A and B axis, A – available; V – void
XXX.XXX resolved bearing of vessel with respect to A axis [degrees]
S2 status of bearing data, A – available; V – void
HHHH status word in hexadecimal. Up to 16 bits defined by GCS in a separate
specifications document
CC computed checksum in hex
<CR> Carriage return (ASCII 0D hex)
<LF> Line feed (ASCII 0A hex)

Note: when the reflectors are installed on a fixed platform and their coordinates
are entered in Northings and Eastings, AAA.AA and BBB.BB will also be in
Northings and Eastings and XXX.XXX will be true vessel heading.

ASCII17 Format
A 17 character string delimited only by <CR> and <LF> with bearing measured bow
clockwise.
CHARACTER INDEX DESCRIPTION FORMAT
0-5 Range (metres x 10) nnnnnn
6 Space (0x20h) X
7-12 Bearing (degrees x 1000) nnnnnn
13 Space (0x20h) X
14 Status Flag (0 = invalid, 1 = valid) N
15 carriage return (0x0Dh) X
16 line feed (0x0Ah) X

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 39

 Single Target/Single Prism Operation
In single target or single prism operation the system runs a different algorithm which
captures targets based on the signal strength and then tracks them based on range,
bearing (and signal strength where applicable).

Any NMEA0183 Format

Position feedback is based on a per-rev instantaneous trigonometric calculation using the
raw range and bearing to the primary target only. The position is referenced to a vessel
aligned target frame.
The heading status is always flagged as void.
Bit 15 is always set and bit 14 is always unset.
If no fresh data is available the most recent data is resent but the void flag is asserted.

ASCII17
The feedback is the raw range and bearing to the primary target. If there is no target the
status flag is set to invalid.

Named Mooring Point (Multiple Targets) Operation

In this operation mode the CyScan runs a Kalman filter for its association. The DP Mes-
sage format selection has a vital impact on the nature of the data transmitted.

NME0183R (Raw)
Position and heading feedback is based on a per-rev instantaneous iterative optimisation
calculation using the raw ranges and bearings from the two associations with the widest
baseline. If less than two associations are available, then the position and bearing feed-
back is flagged as void. The data is referenced to the target frame.
Bit 15 is always unset and bit 14 is always set.

NME0183P (Primary)
Position feedback is based on a per-rev instantaneous trigonometric calculation using the
raw range and bearing to the primary target only. If no primary association is available,
then the position feedback is flagged as void. The position is referenced to a vessel
aligned target frame, i.e. the vessel frame with the origin located at the primary target.
If more than one association is available, then the further associations are used to com-
pute a bearing. This bearing is identical to the bearing computed in the raw data mode.
The relationship between raw data position feedback and primary data position feedback
is defined by a transformation from the target frame into the vessel centred frame located
at the primary target as shown below:
Bits 15 and 14 are always set.

xv sinot cosot 0 xt
yv cosot sinot 0 yt
ov 0 0 1 ot

ASCII17
The feedback is the raw range and bearing to the primary target. If there is no target the
status flag is set to invalid.

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 40

Appendix 6 - DP Message String Status Bits definition (MK II)
The DP message string makes use of the 16 status bits originally set to zero. This docu-
ment gives the means to decode the status bits and to ascertain their meaning. These
bits only apply for navigation with the NMEA0183 DP message type selected.

Format
The 16 status bits are encoded as 4 hex characters of which only the least and most
significant four bits are relevant. The format of the string is thus [x3x2x1x0] with characters
xi taking on values 0x0h to 0xFh.
Character x0 = Bit Definitions [b3b2b1b0]
b0 : bNavEnabledTest Control flag indicating whether the navigator is enabled.
This must be set to 1 when navigating; otherwise the
navigation data is invalid.
b1 : bScnEnabledTest Control flag indicating whether the scanner is enabled.
This must be set to 1 when navigating; otherwise the
navigation data is invalid.
b2 : bRefTargetTest Control flag indicating whether the current mooring
point contains a valid reference target definition. This
must be set to 1 when navigating; otherwise the
navigation data is invalid.
b3 : bFixedStructure If the above reference target definition is available
(b2 = 1), then this flag indicates whether the current
mooring definition corresponds to a fixed structure
(b3 = 1) or a mobile structure (b3 = 0). Otherwise this
flag is always 0.
Character x1 = Bit Definitions [b7b6b5b4]
B7-4 : reserved These bits may or may not be set.
These bits are currently reserved and should be ignored.
Character x2 = Bit Definitions [b11b10b9b8]
b11-8 : reserved These bits may or may not be set.
These bits are currently reserved and should be ignored.
Character x3 = Bit Definitions [b15b14b13b12]
b12 : bAssocPrimary Control flag indicating whether a primary association
has been made this rev.
b13 : bAssocRaw Control flag indicating whether two (or more)
associations have yielded a raw position and heading
estimate.
b14 : bRawDataMode The second most significant bit is a special status bit
indicating whether the system is operating in raw data
mode (b14 = 1) or Kalman filtered mode (b14 = 0)
b15 : bSingleTargetMode The most significant bit is a special status bit indicating
whether the system is operating in single/primary target
mode (b15 = 1) or multiple target mode (b15 = 0)

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 41

Appendix 7 - Axes Definition and Geometry
Objective
To document the axes definitions for roll and pitch action with respect to the standard
marine orientations.

Overview
Viewing the CyScan™ unit from the front, i.e. looking at the front hatch, the axes defini-
tion is as shown below. The front hatch faces bow, the rear where the three system
connectors are located faces stern.

Ste
rd rn
b oa -ve Z +ve

tar
Pit Pitch Roll
drich
S ve

R
drioll
ve

+ve -ve
e -v Pitch Roll
+v ll Pit e
o ch X Y
R -ve +ve
Bo +v
rt
Yaw Yaw
-vel Pit e
w Ro
l ch Po

The axes of the corresponding Cartesian coordinate frame align with positive X running
towards bow and positive Y towards port. Z reaches upwards out of the unit.

Roll
Still viewing the unit from the bow, i.e. looking at the front hatch, positive roll action
results in port up / starboard down, negative roll action in port down / starboard up.

-ve Roll +ve Roll

Starboard Y Port

+ve Roll -ve Roll

Pitch
Viewing the unit from port so that bow faces to the left, positive pitch action results in
bow down / stern up and negative pitch action in bow up / stern down.

-ve Pitch +ve Pitch

Bow X Stern

+ve Pitch -ve Pitch

GCS

CyScan Positioning System • Operator’s Guide r1.1 42