Touch Screen Control General Operation

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It is recommended that each vessel using the Octoplex Multiplexed Control System have a minimum of two Touch Screen Controls (TSCs) to provide system redundancy. As normal practice, one touch screen control will always be located with the main AC distribution Panel (ACP). This will enable ease of monitoring, selecting, and allocating the available shore power and generator feeds to the existing AC Sub-panel(s) (ACS). Additional TSCs may be placed as desired throughout the vessel at locations such as the helm, the salon, the owner’s and/or captains stateroom, the galley, and the crew lounge. Subsequent to vessel construction, TSCs may be added to any desired location with the provision of a bus connection.

All Touch Screen Controls will provide complete monitoring and, where applicable, control of the various components installed on the system. Immediate notification for alarm functions and other monitored functions, such as bilge pump operation, high water alarms, fire/heat alarms, battery overheat, etc., will be provided while accessing any screen information. A bilge pump monitor bar and an alert scrolling message bar will appear at the bottom of every system screen view. These notifications may be accompanied by audible alarms as desired and programmed into the system. Circuit breaker tripping indication will receive priority, requiring acknowledgment through the touch panel to clear the tripping indication. Visual indication of a circuit breaker trip may be accompanied by an audible alarm as desired and programmed into the system for circuits such as freezers, refrigerators, battery chargers, etc. All alarm indications and alert notifications, as they become active, will appear simultaneously on screen at all TSCs throughout the vessel.

From any TSC the operator may acknowledge, and investigate within the system, certain occurrences such as a tripped circuit breaker. With the acknowledgment of a tripped breaker warning, the system will bring up on-screen the function of the tripped breaker. The operator then may turn the circuit breaker back on, or investigate further.

By depressing and holding any touch screen activation legend for three to four seconds, the operator may access a detail page for that function. The detail page will specify the panel for the circuit breaker with its location within that panel, and enable modification of its screen label. For DC circuits this page will enable modification of the trip current setting, and will also provide analysis of the current usage for the device on that circuit. Notifications of bilge pump activity, high water alarms, heat and fire alarms, etc., will specify the location of the occurrence and will continue until the situation is corrected. The Touch Screen Control will also provide immediate notification when any DC load is activated and a no-load condition occurs due to a failure of the component or the circuit to the component. The system will enable individual circuit protection for each navigation lamp, with all navigation lamps to be activated with one Touch Screen “button”. In this mode, the system will provide immediate warning of and specific identity of any individual navigation lamp burn out. Touch screen acknowledgement of certain alarm notifications, such as a battery over-heat condition, will activate a detailed information page onscreen relative to that particular function. The detailed page will enable a greater understanding and analysis of the problem.

The operator will have the ability to program the system to restrict operation via any touch screen for specified circuits. This programming will set a required code to be entered prior to either turning off the specified circuit, or alternatively, activating the circuit. This will enable the operator to protect the system from inadvertent shutdown of important loads, such as freezers, refrigerators, battery chargers, etc., and also protect individuals performing repair or maintenance on a circuit from its inadvertent re-activation.

The operator may also, through any Touch Screen Control, access all DC lighting circuits. The touch screen will give the operator dimming control for these lighting circuits as desired. Each individual lighting circuit will be defined by the lights connected to any one Electronic Circuit Breaker. The operator may, through TSC entered programming, assign groups of lighting circuits to be dimmed simultaneously, and additionally, assign pre-defined dimming settings for single or selected groups of lights (ie. “mood lighting”). These groupings and defined lighting settings will be presented with on-screen, operator programmed, descriptive pages.

Additional touch screen enabled programmable features available are:

• Load Shedding – The operator may program the system to shed AC or DC loads in desired priority when a specified current level is reached, and reconnect these loads in the order desired as current usage returns below this level.
• Brown-out Protection – The operator may program the system to shut down specified loads, such as A/C compressors, refrigerators, and freezers, when voltage drops below a specified level, and re-connect these loads when the voltage level returns to the specified level.
• Battery Over-heat Protection – The operator may program the system to shut down the appropriate battery charger if a battery over-heat condition occurs.
• Legend Entry – The operator may assign or alter the designated functions of the circuit breakers.
• Setting of alert notifications with desired messages for DC current usage levels higher or lower than normal, including open circuit alerts.
• DC Trip Current Setting – The operator has limited access to modify DC trip current settings. This capability will enable the replacement of equipment requiring a different current protection level. A not-to-exceed current limit for each circuit will have been programmed by the yacht builder. Trip current alteration must be exercised with caution, and the operator thereby assumes responsibility for assignment of proper current trip level.
• Assignment of Legends – the operator may modify existing legends or add legends for spare AC or DC circuits

In summary, the Moritz Octoplex Multiplexed Control System enables control, monitoring, and programming through all system touch screens of all AC and DC electrical distribution and protection panels throughout the vessel, and all the alarm and monitoring functions that are interfaced to the system via various Sensor Interface Units (SIUs) and Battery Monitor Units (BMUs). In addition, the Touch Screen Controls will interface with additional NMEA 2000 bus connected components, including GPS units, depth-sounders, and electronic compasses.