Northstar 941X Reference Manual SOFTWARE VERSION 2.05 30 SUDBURY ROAD ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01720 (508) 897-6600 Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996 Northstar Technologies P/N GM1100 Doc. Rev D WARRANTY Northstar Technologies, a Division of CMC Electronics, Inc., warrantees its products to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of two (2) years from the date of shipment to an authorized dealer. This warranty applies to the original purchaser or subsequent owner. This warranty covers repair and/or replacement, at our option, of any part or parts found to be defective, provided such defects in our opinion are due to faulty material or workmanship and are not caused by tampering, abuse, or normal wear. All warranties are F.O.B.: Northstar Technologies 30 Sudbury Road Acton, Massachusetts 01720 This warranty applies only to products in normal use. It does not apply to units or circuit boards defective due to improper installation, physical damage, tampering, lightning or other electrical discharge, receivers or mainframes subjected to fresh water or saltwater immersion*, units with altered serial numbers, or units repaired by unauthorized persons or in violation of Northstar service procedures. The foregoing are the only warranties expressed or implied. No other warranty exists. Northstar assumes no responsibility for any consequential losses or damages of any nature with respect to any products or services sold, rendered, or delivered. * Certain Northstar control heads are warranty protected against damage due to water leakage, provided the head has not been tampered with. IMPORTANT NOTICE Although Northstar products are designed to be very useful navigation tools, they are not substitutes for good seamanship. The prudent navigator should never rely on any single device as the sole source of navigation guidance. Exercise caution and good judgment whenever underway. ! CONTENTS ! 1 2 3 The Northstar 941X Introduction ................................................................. 2 Upon First Start-up ...................................................... 2 Using This Manual........................................................ 3 941X Features ............................................................... 4 941X Functions ............................................................. 5 Comparing GPS and Loran .......................................... 5 Mounting Basics ........................................................... 9 Special Functions.......................................................... 9 The Display Screen ..................................................... 10 Interfacing Capability.................................................. 11 Using the Controls POWER Key ................................................................ 14 CONTRAST Key.......................................................... 14 SAVE/MOB Key...........................................................15 Function Keys ............................................................. 16 Menu Keys....................................................................17 Cursor Keys ..................................................................17 Keypad .........................................................................17 Special Display Windows ........................................... 18 Basic Navigation Displaying Position, Heading & Speed ...................... 22 Position Plotter ........................................................... 22 Using GPS ................................................................... 25 Using DGPS ................................................................ 26 Using Loran ................................................................30 Using Phantom Loran ................................................ 32 4 5 6 Creating Waypoints and Routes Entering Data.............................................................. 36 Creating Waypoints .................................................... 37 Avoidance Areas ......................................................... 39 Waypoint Lists ............................................................ 41 Coordinate Options .................................................... 42 Updating Waypoint Coordinates ............................... 42 Editing Waypoints ...................................................... 43 Transferring Waypoints to a PC................................. 44 Creating Routes .......................................................... 44 Saving a Route ............................................................ 47 Changing a Route........................................................50 Naviga Waypoint & Route Navigation Quick-Start Waypoint................................................. 54 Navigating to Waypoints ............................................ 55 Navigating Along Routes ............................................ 59 Restarting the Course Line......................................... 61 The NAV LOG Function What NAVLOG Does .................................................. 64 Logging Your Trip....................................................... 65 Changing Your Trip .................................................... 65 Adding Waypoints to the Trip.................................... 66 7 8 9 Other Special Functions Alarms .........................................................................68 Screen Backlighting .....................................................71 TideTrackTM..................................................................71 Internal Differential Beacon Receiver ....................... 74 Customizing the 941X Time of Day................................................................. 78 Display Options .......................................................... 78 Navigation Options.....................................................82 Receiver Options......................................................... 87 Port Setup Options .....................................................90 Service Options ........................................................... 91 Geodetic Datum .......................................................... 94 Installation and Interfacing Mounting the 941X ................................................... 100 Wiring the 941X System ........................................... 102 Antenna Location ..................................................... 104 DGPS Antenna Coupler (ACU)................................. 108 Interfacing the 941X ..................................................112 Programming the Output Ports ................................ 115 Appendix (Specifications) ........................................ 129 Glossary..................................................................... 135 Glossary Index ......................................................................... 138 Figures FIGURE 1--MAX. POSITION VARIANCES WITH UNCORRECTED GPS.... 8 FIGURE 2--YOKE MOUNT DRILLING DIMENSIONS........................... 102 FIGURE 3--REAR CONNECTORS ...................................................... 103 FIGURE 4--941X GPS-ONLY ANTENNA (AN145 & AN150).......... 105 FIGURE 5--941X COMBO GPS/DGPS ANTENNA (AN190)............. 105 FIGURE 6--STRIPPING THE COAX CABLE JACKET............................ 107 FIGURE 7--FLARED CABLE BRAID .................................................. 108 FIGURE 8--COMPLETED BNC CONNECTOR .................................... 108 FIGURE 9--ACU ASSEMBLY ........................................................... 110 FIGURE 10--PL 259 (UHF) CONNECTOR........................................ 111 FIGURE 11--INTERFACE CONNECTOR (MATING SIDE)...................... 113 FIGURE 12--200 PPNM OUTPUT BLOCK DIAGRAM........................ 115 FIGURE 13--941X DIMENSIONS ...................................................... 132 Tables TABLE 1--DATUM LIST..................................................................... 97 TABLE 2--INTERFACE CONNECTOR PINS ........................................ 114 TABLE 3--PORT SETUP OPTIONS..................................................... 116 TABLE 4--NMEA 0183 SENTENCE IDENTIFIERS............................. 120 TABLE 5--CONNECTION TO NORTHSTAR 800 PORT A..................... 123 TABLE 6--CONNECTION TO NORTHSTAR 800 PORT B..................... 123 TABLE 7--NORTHSTAR 800 SERIES OUTPUT PORT SETUP............... 123 TABLE 8--YEOMAN ELECTRONIC PLOTTER SETUP WITH 941X ....... 124 TABLE 9--CONNECTING TO EXTERNAL NS BEACON RECEIVER...... 125 1 Introducing the Northstar 941X Introduction Upon First Start-up Using This Manual Features Functions Comparing GPS and Loran Mounting Special Functions The Display Screen Interfacing Capability 2 2 3 4 5 5 9 9 10 11 T his section introduces you to the Northstar 941X navigator, outlining its various operational functions, installation configurations, and specifications. Use this section to get a quick overview of what the 941X is all about, and how you can use it to your best advantage. Rev. D 1 -- Introduction Page 1 Introduction T HE NORTHSTAR 941X combines 12-channel GPS navigation with Differential GPS capability, a high-definition display, loran compati- bility, built-in tide data up to the year 2010, and many other navigation features. For the ultimate in GPS accuracy, the 941X may be purchased as the 941XD, featuring an internal DGPS (Differential GPS) receiver. This advanced system gives you even greater accuracy by accepting Differential GPS signal "corrections" from shore-based transmitters (called "beacons"), and using them to display position fixes as accurate as 2-5 meters. You can also connect your 941X to any external source of DGPS corrections meeting the SC-104 standard (such as the Northstar 8800 DGPS Sensor). Upon First Start-up When you turn your 941X on for the very first time, you may be greeted with a flashing exclamation point symbol in the lower right portion of the GPS POSITION screen, and the word ACQUIRE or SKY SEARCH in the status box at the top. The flashing exclamation point simply means that an alarm message is present and waiting for your acknowledgment. To see the message, press the STAR key once. The ALARMS AND BACKLIGHT screen will be displayed. Page 2 1 -- Introduction Rev. D The alarm message NO GPS POSITION FIX, along with its time and date, are shown in the RECENT ALARMS box. The word NEW in the upper right corner of the box indicates that this is a previously unacknowledged message. This sequence is a normal part of powering-up the 941X for the first time, as it notifies you that it is in the process of acquiring satellite information necessary for navigation. It normally takes only two to five minutes to acquire this data, after which the 941X is ready to navigate. (This alarm condition usually occurs in units shipped to customers located more than several hundred miles from the Northstar factory, and only the first time the 941X is turned on after being installed.) Press the CLEAR ALARM menu key to the right of the display screen to acknowledge and clear the message. Press the POSITION key below the left of the screen to return to the main GPS POSITION screen. The 941X is now ready to navigate. (For more on alarms, see page 68. If you wish to proceed directly to navigating with the 941X, skip to page 22.) Using This Manual Your 941X was designed to be an easy-to-use, full-function GPS navigator, understandable in the information it displays and dependable in its performance. This Reference Manual is intended to complement that ease of use by illustrating and describing the 941X's various functions in a format helpful to quick learning and safe operation. The sections in this manual are grouped by related functions, beginning with an overview of basic control panel layout and function commands, and gradually progressing to more advanced waypoint and route navigation operations. Sample screen images are used throughout to help illustrate what the 941X display screen looks like for the function being described. The "helpful hand" (pictured at left) is a convenient shortcut that leads you directly to step-by-step instructions. You can also use it as a quickreference for locating less-frequently-used operations. " Rev. D 1 -- Introduction Page 3 Features Upon using the 941X, you'll see that you can actually learn to operate the system's various features without constant referral to this manual. After you've read through it once, you won't have to refer to it very often again. Since the 941X anticipates your most frequent requests for navigation information, accessing most functions requires only one or two button pushes. By minimizing the attention needed to navigate, you can now devote more time to other aspects of your trip. GPS features · accurate, worldwide position data in any weather, 24 hours a day · optional internal DGPS (Differential GPS) Beacon Receiver for ac ...