6
Module
OCEANEERING TRAINING CENTER
Distance Training Module Series
Module Six: Interface Tray
OCEANEERING TRAINING CENTER
MODULE SIX
INTERFACE TRAY
Rev 1.2 Jan. 2003
Oceaneering Training Center
777 Delmar Rd. Bayou Vista La, 70380
Phone 985-395-5247 • Fax 985-395-8524
Table of Contents
MODULE LAYOUT ............................................................................................................ 1
INTERFACE TRAY............................................................................................................. 2
! MODULE REVIEW ....................................................................................................... 8
REVISION CHANGES ........................................................................................................ 9
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M O D U L E S I X R E V . 1 . 2
Module
Module Layout
T he following information gives a basic outline of how to use this module.
Through out the module the ICON KEY below will graphically represent key
items.
Valuable information is information that the user will find
ICON KEY most beneficial in relation to the subject being presented.
! Valuable
Test your knowledge are questions to test what you have
information
learned.
" Test your
Tech Tips are quick technical aspects that the user will
knowledge
find resourceful.
# Tech Tips
Module review is a summary of what the user has
! Module review
learned through out the various chapters.
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Chapter
INTERFACE TRAY
The interface tray handles the interface of all analog and
digital functions between the PDU, pilots console and pilot
computer. It also enables monitoring of incoming frequency
and voltage as stated earlier. The interface tray has a
voltage meter mounted on the front left side of the tray; this meter is used in
conjunction with a meter shunt device that drops one leg of the incoming voltage
down to a safer voltage level. These two devices (meter and shunt) work in
conjunction with each other and usually come as a set. The technician needs to be
aware of this so he does not inadvertently put a regular voltage meter in place of
the one designed to work with a shunt. There is also a frequency meter mounted
on the front right side of the tray. This meter monitors incoming frequency from the
secondary side of the Hammond control transformer located in the PDU.
Also located on the front of the interface tray is a 3-channel selector switch labeled
phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3. This selector switch selects between the three
phases of the18 voltage/current sensors described in the power distribution section
earlier in this manual. The reason we only select 6-signal lines at a time is due to
the amount of channels the analog board in the interface tray (STBHLO2 Board)
can handle, which is sixteen inputs and 4 outputs. The six channels will be all
phase-1, phase-2 or phase-3 for both voltage and current. These values are read
on the computer monitor graphics page using the CTAG software. The graphics
block can be selected with the computer mouse to read either voltage or current for
the three motors, just not voltage and current at the same time.
The interface tray is also connected to the power tray by a 5-pin connector. This 5-
pin connector provides the signal path for two switches located on the power tray,
these two switches are digital type functions and they operate the cage and vehicle
motor bypass circuits.
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All of the remaining digital and analog control functions are transferring between
the pilot tray and interface tray through the two 47-pin connectors as stated earlier.
There are basically three separate devices inside the interface tray for interfacing
these control signals to the pilot computer. Two of these are commonly referred to
as the Phoenix connectors. These two connectors are labeled C-1 and C-2, and
handle all digital control signals between the pilot’s console and the pilot computer.
These Phoenix connectors take hard wires, such as 20 awg (American Wire
Gauge) conductors and connect them to a ribbon header. These ribbon headers,
labeled C-1 and C-2 are connected to the digital circuit card inside the pilot
computer, which is called the PIO96W card. This circuit card is an 88 digital input
and 8 digital output card. The circuit card has four connectors on the top of card
where the ribbon cables C-1 and C-2 connect. These are labeled CN-1, CN-2, CN-
3 and CN-4. Ribbon cable C-1 connects to CN-1 and CN-2 while ribbon cable C-2
connects to CN-3 and CN-4.
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The third device for signal interface in the interface tray is the STBHLO2 board. In
some systems where the cage thruster option is installed, there will be two
STBHLO2 boards, the second handling the cage thruster signals. The STBHLO2
board is a 16 analog input, four analog output board. This board takes all analog
signals from the pilot tray and the PDU, multiplexes them and sends them down a
26-pin rainbow colored ribbon cable to the RTI820 circuit card in the pilot computer.
This RTI820 circuit card is a 64-channel analog input, and 16 analog output board.
When two STBHLO2 boards are used, they are daisy chained together; in other
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words, they use the same ribbon cable in series. Up to four of these boards can be
daisy chained together if needed. The address jumpers on the boards accomplish
this series capability.
The STBHLO2 board has a jumper that can configure the board to use +5-vdc
power provided by the RTI820 board or an external +5-vdc supply. In the current
configuration the board is configured using the +5-vdc from the RTI820.
Jumper explanation and configuration sheets are provided in the Circuit Card
Jumper Information Section of this manual.
The interface tray also provides the console with the capability to convert the
telemetry stream, created by the pilot computer, from an RS-232 protocol, to an
RS-485 or RS-422 protocol. Two line driver cards mounted inside the tray
accomplish this. These two line driver cards, in most systems, are OPINA Cards,
but both OPINB and OCINT line driver cards are being used. Regardless of which
version of line driver cards a system has, they will all convert the above listed
protocols. The biggest difference between these different cards is the ability to
jumper the boards for either RTS, which is Request To Send or SD, which is Send
Data. The OPINA boards have only the ability to use RTS, while both the OPINB
and OCINT can be configured to use either RTS or SD. The major factor between
the OPINA and OPINAB boards is this RTS and SD, in other words the technician
can use an OPINB board in place of an OPINA board, but not the other way around
due to this RTS and SD factor. Another important factor of both of these OPINA
and OPINB boards is their baud limitations. Both of these boards have a maximum
baud rate guarantee from the manufacturer of 19,200 BPS. Although the boards
would generate a baud rate higher than the guaranteed amount and the telemetry
circuit would work, expansion would be a problem. With this in mind the OCINT
board was introduced into the system.
This OCINT board is similar to the OPINB board, with jumper capability for both
RTS and SD, but also provides jumper capability for a baud rate selection of either
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9600 BPS or 38,400 BPS. Since the telemetry circuit operates at 38,400 BPS the
OCINT is jumpered to provide this baud rating. The new systems are all being fitted
with OCINT boards. In the current configuration all boards are jumpered to use the
RS-485 protocol.
As stated earlier, there are two line drivers mounted in the interface tray. These
line drivers require 12-vdc to 15-vdc to operate, these voltages are provided by two
power supplies. The RS-232 side is powered by the PS1 (12-vdc light supply) and
the RS-485/422 side is powered by PS2 (15-vdc Calex supply). This dual power
mode along with the opto-isolators on the board provides electrical isolation for the
board’s circuitry.
There are two DB-25 connectors on the back of the interface tray, each one of
theses connectors is connected individually to the RS-232 side of one of the line
drivers.
The RS-485 sides of both of these line drivers are paralleled together and are
connected to one three-pin connector on the back of the tray.
The telemetry is created by the CTAG software in the pilot computer, it is then sent
through a four channel RS-232 input / output board called the Fastcom board
located in the pilot computer. From there it is sent to the back of the interface tray
through one of the two Db-25 connectors where it enters the tray and is connected
to the RS-232 side of one of the line driver boards. Since the RS-485 sides of the
line drivers are in parallel, it is up to the technician as to which DB-25 is used. If for
some reason the RS-485 sides have been separated, then the technician must find
out which RS-485 side is connected to the three-pin connector and in sure that the
correct DB-25 (RS-232 side) is used.
Once the telemetry enters the interface tray through the DB-25s it is sent to the RS-
232 side of a line driver. It is then converted, by the line driver, to an RS-485
signal where it is then sent out the back of the interface tray through the three-pin
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connector. Once it leaves the interface tray through this three-pin connector it is
sent to the PDU and down to the cage and vehicle.
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MODULE
! Module Review REVIEW
!
The interface tray handles all analog and digital functions
between the PDU, pilot’s console, and pilot computer and
monitors incoming frequency and voltage. A voltage meter
and a 3-way channel selector switch (labeled phase 1,
phase 2, and phase 3) are also mounted on this tray.
The tray houses the STBHL02 analog board, which has 16 inputs and 4 outputs.
Some computers may have two boards, the second handling the cage thruster
signals. All analog signals from the pilot tray and PDU are multiplexed and sent
down a 26-pin rainbow-colored ribbon cable to the RTI820 circuit card in the pilot
computer. Up to four of these boards can be daisy-chained together if needed.
Phoenix connectors (labeled C1 and C2) handle all digital control signals between
the pilot’s console and the pilot computer. These are connected to the PIO96W
card inside the pilot computer. The four connectors on top of the card where C1
and C2 connect are labeled CN-1, CN-2, CN-3, and CN-4. C-1 connects to CN-1
and CN-2 while ribbon cable C-2 connects to CN-3 and CN-4.
The interface tray can also convert the telemetry stream from an RS-232 protocol to
an RS-485 or RS-422 protocol. This is done through OPINA, OPINB, and/or OPINT
line driver cards. There are a couple differences between these cards in regards to
RS (request to send), SD (send data), and baud rate. RS-232 is powered by PS1
(12-vdc light supply) and RS-485/422 is powered by PS2 (15-vdc Calex supply).
Two DB-25 connectors on the back of the interface tray are connected to the RS-
232 side of the line drivers. Telemetry is created using the CTAG software in the
pilot computer. It is sent thru the RS-232 (Fastcom) board in the pilot computer to
the back of the interface tray through a DB-25 connector, through to the RS-232
line driver board. It is converted to an RS-485 signal and sent back out the interface
tray through a 3-pin connector. It is then sent to the PDU and down to the cage or
vehicle.
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REVISION CHANGES
DATE REV CHANGE APPROVED BY
1/1/02 1.0 Initial Release Nick Gallien
12/30/02 1.1 Answer sheet added Nick Gallien
1/20/03 1.2 Remove answer sheet and quiz in Larry Mixon
accordance with API RP2D
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