Using Moxa Ethernet Switches With Vessel Instrument Networks

Introduction

A world leading vessel manufacturer in Australia commenced operations in 1988 with a vision to build high quality commercial vessels for the international market. By the company's fifth anniversary, It had become the dominant supplier to Asia.

Marine transportation, harbor authorities, and offshore oil and gas platforms all rely on real-time and reliable marine as well as weather data to ensure safe operations. Both real-time and historical data for analyses and early warnings are critical to help decision makers with the control and planning of marine transportation applications. The customer adopted Moxa's industrial-grade Ethernet switches to form a VESSEL LAN system that constitutes a communication network between the operator devices on the bridge and devices in the hull and engineering room.

System Requirements

• DNV and GL certified network solutions to ensure reliable operations in marine and offshore environments.
• Network redundancy with a fast recovery time, which is required to guarantee stable data transmission.
• Rugged design to withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as vibration, shock, and humidity.
• SCADA support with SNMP OPC server.
• Multi-mode fiber options to avoid interference and improve long-distance transmission.
  
  

Moxa Solution

A vessel instrument communication system was developed to provide operators and users with different navigational data from weather reports, radar/sonar systems, and position control instruments. The communication system can be used to identify and track ships and other navigational objects when at sea or when sailing in coastal areas. Moxa's industrial Ethernet switches were selected for this application to build a communication network for dual-hull vessels.

The EDS-408A managed Ethernet switches were deployed on the bridge and in the engineering room. Together with the propeller and side thruster control, Moxa's EDS-408A Ethernet switches form a ring network for data transmission. The EDS-408A on the bridge connects to a workstation with a 19" LCD panel. The PC-based workstation can interface different types of loggers and sensors to display information on the screen, perform calculations, and process different oceanographic and meteorological data. The system allows the pilot to obtain useful real-time information and operate the vessel smoothly and safely when near the dock.

Moxa's EDS-SNMP OPC Server Pro is used to provide a user-editable tag file for SNMP devices. This powerful function lets operators use existing HMI software to create a customized, real-time view of the integrity of all Ethernet networked devices, the overall network traffic volume, and the network status.

Why Moxa

• Moxa's managed Ethernet switches are DNV and GL certified, ensuring reliable operation in marine and offshore environments.
• To satisfy the stringent redundancy requirements for ships, Moxa's Turbo Ring provides a fast recovery time of less than 20 ms when the network is disconnected accidentally.
• All Moxa Ethernet switches come with a 5-year warranty and long MTBF, making them ideal for mission-critical applications.
• Moxa provides a complete solution of industrial networking solutions.