Spectre Processor Board

The technology developed using the simulation environment includes a suite of self-tuning autopilots and attitude control, and this has been incorporated into the Spectre Processor Board (3D-MC) which has been developed in collaboration with Chelsea Technologies Group. This board weighs 75g and provides 6 serial I/O channels and multiple analog and digital I/O channels and supports standard navigational instruments and sensors. Boards may be daisy-chained to expand the I/O still further as may be required for more complex vehicles.

  • Controller algorithms, including:
    • Heading control,
    • Speed control,
    • Track following, including event management at waypoints
    • Vehicle following,
    • Attitude and depth control,
    • Hovering.
  • Machinery and control surface interfaces
    • Analog, e.g. analog I/O voltages, Pulse Width Modulation,
    • Digital I/O, e.g. ON/OFF, ENABLE and DIRECTION signals,
    • User requested: Additional interfaces may be provided upon request.
  • Navigational interfaces
    • NMEA 0183 serial interface, standard NMEA uses 4800 baud, but each port may be individually configured to different baudrates
    • Analog and Digital input: e.g. voltage from a pressure sensor,
    • TCM2 propriety interface format,
    • User requested: Additional interfaces may be provided upon request.
  • Command communications protocol; The propriety communications protocol is robust and efficient and ideally suited for low bandwidth applications. This allows RS232, radio or acoustic communications between the remote control operator workstation and the 3D-MC board.

The standard remote control workstation includes a PC, or laptop PC, running the RCW software which provides:

  • Route planning and upload/download
  • Mission recording and replay
  • Electronic chart input/output for vehicle activity, waypoints, routes
  • Vehicle system status and control
  • Payload system status and control

The workstation may be supplemented by a handheld remote control unit for convenient use.

The SPECTRE Remote Control System has been developed for autonomous control for surface craft. This is a turnkey system, based on the 3DMC autopilot, which offers additional functionality including interfacing with navigation systems, and with engine and throttle control. The standard system is configured to control a craft with a single engine via a standard electronic throttle actuator and hydraulic steering pump, but is designed to be easily reconfigurable to meet the needs of a variety of craft.

A data fusion algorithm has been incorporated which extracts the complementary strengths of the rate gyro and the fluxgate compass, whilst discarding their respective weaknesses, providing both rate and heading information which is optimally filtered for the purpose of the autopilot in all sea conditions.

For more information, send a request using the inquiries form.

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