The Electrical Outboard Engine Proposal Encreases
12 December 2019
Azimut Yachts Grande S10 at Dusseldorf Boat Show
13 December 2019
Xenta enriches its integrated steering systems with a new interface dedicated to Simrad autopilots. New functions? Independent use of rudders and the use of multiple autopilot functions.
Simrad and Xenta together
As in the automotive world, electronics are also used in navigation to do everything in a more efficient and safe way. Simplify to make the sea more accessible.
Xenta produces systems such as wheelhouses, joysticks and handcuffs and uses electronics and mechatronics to connect the dashboard, the parts responsible for the motion (engines, inverters and propellers) and steering (the rudders) of the boat. A great plus of the system is the interface dedicated to Simrad autopilot systems. This integration is always carried out by means of a CAN BUS connection, with which any mechanical connection is replaced by electrical signals and this guarantees greater efficiency, reactivity and precision in the exchange of information between the parties. The NMEA interface, adopted by both Xenta and Simrad, provides advanced functions such as independent rudder use and making the most of the autopilot’s functions.
Speaking specifically about the rudder, the digital information exchanged between the XENTA steering system’s rudder wheel and the Main Control Unit allows dedicated software to control the yacht’s rudder blades with micrometric precision. The rudders, driven by electro-hydraulic actuators, no longer operate only in pairs, but independently of each other, moving independently and able to rotate on their own vertical axis with different incidences, depending on driving conditions. The independent management of the two rudders, at different speeds, enhances the performance of the boat in turn and ensures maximum safety in all situations.
XENTA’s “Tactile Steering Systems” wheelhouse offers the pilot unique sensations, a true automotive-style driving feeling. The wheel is self-centering, i.e. capable of returning to a central position independently, thus optimizing the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, when the wheel is in the central position, the direction is automatically maintained – auto course function – thus relieving the driver of the need to make continuous corrections. During navigation, XENTA’s Tactile Steering Systems adjusts the sensitivity of the wheel and its end stops, to always have a precise and smooth turn never before perceived.
The XENTA Application, based on the development made with Simrad-Naviop, will be increasingly present for the entire range of SIMRAD displays equipped with Naviop interface and will be able to provide detailed information on all products. It will not be limited, in fact, to the Steering System with Helm Active, but will also report information about the “Joystick Docking System”, “Dynamic Positioning” and “Engine Control”.
