DP Operator Manual

Section 9 Artemis
Systems
Designed in Holland, a single manufacturer, design has been refined, and while not
used as commonly as in early days it is still used for offshore loading and close in
operations. Companies rent and service the units

Components
A fixed unit that is deployed to a structure or ashore
A mobile unit that moves with the ship
Power supply units
Power cables
Intrinsically safe unit
Air hoses

On modern systems the fixed and mobile units are interchangeable with programming.
Whilst it used to be commonplace for structures to have fixed units always rigged, this
is less common, and normally the vessel has to carry both units and use own staff to set
them up.

Mode of Operation (with ship setting up both stations)

1. Team sent to platform that assembles Artemis at desired location, with the
bearing of a fixed point if one is nearby.
2. The frequencies that are going to be used are set up, using the address card
3. When ready Artemis is referenced to North.
4. Using the Telescope the fixed station antenna is pointed at the known point,
once the Artemis knows one direction it uses a shaft encoder to work out where
north is.
5. If in open water point the ship directly at the Artemis fixed station, the set up
team then sight along the masts and enter The RECIPROCAL of the ships head
6. Or put the Artemis dead astern the set up team the sights along the masts and
inputs the SHIPS HEAD.
7. The monitor readings are then compared, to ensure they are correct, and both
sets agree.
8. Provided all is well operation is selected, and both stations are set to lock.
9. when the system is in lock the antennae on the two stations are kept aligned
and parallel to each other
10. This system can be relative or geographic, the system is normally in relative for
DP, geographic can be used when surveying.
11. Range is derived from time delay
12. A break in signal is sent from the mobile unit to the fixed unit, when received, a
reply is generated and sent to the mobile unit.
13. At the mobile unit the round trip time is measured, the turn around time in the
fixed unit removed, then the time delay is multiplied by the known speed of
signal, this distance is divided by 2 to get the range
14. Bearing is obtained from the direction that fix station antenna is pointing
15. The Mobile and Fix stations are set in operation and the antennas locked. The
bearing is taken from the vessel and reported to the Fix station. At the Mobile station
180 o is added to the bearing, and the resultant bearing is entered into the system.

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Antenna tracking in Lock mode
1. The Antenna consists of 2 equal lengths of slotted waveguide joined in the middle.
2. The two lengths of wave guide feed into a four port microwave device.
3. These ports are two types input output or two sum ports and two diff ports.
4. The sum ports transmit and receive, the diff ports only receive.
5. The phase of the ports is set with the left waveguide diff pattern phase -90 to sum
ports, and right wave guide diff pattern phase +90 to the sum pattern.
6. The diagram below shows the resulting sum and diff patterns

7. When the two antennae are parallel there is maximum sum signal, and zero diff
signal
8. If the antennae move out of parallel due to movement of the vessel the sum pattern
slowly decreases, and the diff pattern rapidly increases
9. The sum and diff are combined as shown below to produce a voltage.
10. this is zero when the antennae are parallel, and rapidly increases

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11. This error voltage is used to power a servo motor, which is set to drive the antennae
back to the zero position
12. The signal is also used as a control signal to maintain position.

Distance Measurement (Range)

The distance measurement is based on measuring the time elapse between a coded
interruption in the microwave signal transmitted by the Mobile station and the reception of a
single coded interruption in the microwave signal transmitted by the Fix station as a response
to that.

Dip Zones
1. Caused by reflection of microwave against the water surface.
2. Vertical lobes are reflected off the sea surface into the other antenna.
3. The reflected signal travels a longer distance, and has a 180 degree phase shift as it
is reflected off the sea surface.
4. The reflected signal may have a different phase.
5. This may cause the direct signal to be amplified or attenuated.
6. This is cyclic in nature, these area are called dip zones range holes, interference
zones.
7. The position of the zones depends on the antenna heights, and wavelength of
transmitted signal.
8. Strength and character of interference depends distance between the antennae, and
the sea surface ( smooth is better )

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The diagram below is an example of the table that can be used to calculate the position of the
dip zones.

Combined height of
Fixed and mobile unit

Range to fixed unit

Operation menu functions for MK IV

Below is a list, and brief description of the basic operating menus

- OPERATE
Is selected to display the position parameters distance and azimuth

- MODIFY
Is selected to read and/or change station parameters, location parameters, auto
search scan angles, clock, operating mode, communication parameters and voice
channel volume.

- MONITOR
Is selected to monitor supply voltages, mixer crystal currents, Automatic Gain Control,
tuning and servo signal readings, temperature of wave guide and distance measuring
circuit.

- WAKE-UP
Is selected to define the time and date the station is to switch itself on, this function is
normally not used.

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- FIX (if Mobile station)
Is selected at the Mobile station to remotely access the Fix menu structure to read
and/or modify Fix station parameters.

- MOBILE (if Fix station)

Is selected at the Fix station to remotely access the Mobile menu structure to read
and/or modify Mobile station parameters.

- CONFIG
Is selected to configure an ABU before it is put into operation for the first time.

Artemis Beacon

1. For short range positioning the Artemis Mk IV Beacon is a good alternative.

2. Typical applications are Floating Storage Tankers and Loading Buoys.
3. The beacon provides only the distance to the Artemis Mobile station.
4. The bearing is obtained by combining the Mobile antenna bearing with the heading of
the vessel as measured by the vessels gyro compass.
5. There are three different antennas available:
Omni-directional antenna for range 10 2500 m
Semi-omni-directional antenna for rang 10 5000 m
Horn antenna for range 15 1000 m
6. The horn antenna is specially intended for applications where the beacon is mounted
in a substantially higher position than the Mobile station and the system is operated at
very short ranges
Advantages
1. Relatively long range (up to 30km)
2. High accuracy
3. Possibility to geographically reference the system
4. Very convenient inside the 500m zone, or any other controlled area

Disadvantages
1. Requires a fixed location nearby to set up the fixed station.
2. Unit needs to be calibrated and configured, this needs experience and skill.
3. Special unit needed for hazardous areas.
4. Assistance required from platform personnel.
5. Can be interfered with by platform personnel.
6. Can suffer interference from heat haze, or precipitation.
7. Signal lost with line of sight interference.
8. 3cm radar interferes with Artemis.
9. Vulnerable to power supply problems at fixed end.

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