System Overview - Dometic Optimus EA1000 Installation And User Manual

2 System Overview

Optimus EPS with Electric Actuator is the marine industry's first fully
electric, retrofittable, steer-by-wire system for outboard engines. This
premium system is engineered for simple installation, with fewer parts than
our standard electro-hydraulic EPS, no hoses to route, and no hydraulic
system to purge. With a list of extensive safety features including redundant
communications, self-monitoring, and fault alerts, Optimus EPS with
Electric Actuator will give you years of safe and reliable operation.
The system consists of the major components listed below. Figure 2-1 and
figure 2-2 show these components in a schematic system diagram.
The electric steering actuator is a state-of-the-art device that converts the
Electric steering actuator and
rotation of a brushless DC motor into precise linear motion and position
steering control unit (SCU)
control. It mounts directly to the outboard motor in place of a conventional
hydraulic steering cylinder.
The Steering Control Unit (SCU), integrated with the actuator, receives wheel
movement messages from the helm and controls the actuator to steer as
required. The SCU manages CANbus communications between system
components, synchronizes multiple actuators, and monitors rudder position.
The SCU can also respond to inputs from the SeaWays autopilot, or from a
certified third-party autopilot system. The SCU replaces the PCM used in
the standard Optimus electro-hydraulic system.
Electronic
The helm converts steering wheel movement into digital messages that are
helm
sent over CAN1 to the SCU. A system of friction plates in the helm allow the
steering effort to be adjusted according to a setpoint received from the SCU.
(A steering wheel is not included with the Optimus EPS system.)
CANtrak display
The CANtrak displays system status and fault information and enables the
operator to make changes to user-adjustable steering settings (when so
configured by the installer). It is also used to activate the optional SeaWays
autopilot and SeaStation GPS anchoring features on boats with the Optimus
360 joystick control system. Authorized installers have access to additional
menus with system setup and calibration tools.
CAN Networks CAN (controller area network) is a serial network protocol that is widely used
in marine and automotive control systems. Each device (node) on the network
can send and receive data using specially formatted messages. The ability
to reliably communicate data between devices is what enables the steer-
by-wire functionality of Optimus EPS.
Optimus EPS uses up to three independent CAN networks, designated CAN1,
CAN2, and CAN3.
• CAN1 is a low-speed, fault-tolerant network with redundant power wiring.
It is used for safety-critical communication between the helm and SCU.
2-1
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