Category: Kongsberg

The K-Chief 600 is based on Kongberg’s system technology,

where each ship configuration is built up using standard modules,

communicating through dual redundant process buses and

networks. The system is configurable for all ship types, including oil

tankers, bulk carriers, container and Ro-Ro vessels, reefers and other

special purpose vessels.

The main purpose of the system is to give ship’s officers all the basic

alarms and status information they require in order to maintain safe and

efficient operation of the machinery, cargo system with auxiliaries and

other relevant equipment.

The K-Chief 600 complies with the requirements of IMO, local maritime

authorities, IACS and eleven classification societies. It is designed

to meet the classification societies’ requirements for periodically

unmanned engine room operation.

Main Building Blocks

The main building blocks of the K-Chief 600 system are the Operator

Stations, Watch Calling System, Distributed Processing Units and dual

redundant process bus and network.

Experience

We installed the first computerized machinery automation system

back in 1970. Since then we have accumulated 40 years of experience

in manufacturing, installing commissioning and servicing systems

all over the world. The K-Chief 600 marine automation system is designed

to meet the challenging demands of shipyards and ship owners.

Key features

The K-Chief 600 offers cost effective solutions that can be tailored to

individual requirements. Modular design allows flexibility in configuring

the system to individual requirements, covering the whole range from low

complexity alarm systems to highly integrated control and monitoring

systems.

Sub-systems can include:

• Alarm and monitoring system

• Auxiliary control system

• Power management system

• Propulsion control

• Ballast automation system

• Cargo control and monitoring

• HVAC (air conditioning)

• Fire system

The WCC 600 unit communicates with the main computer in the

K-Chief alarm system using a high speed communication network

(CAN). A redundant solution with automatic change-over to another

main computer in case of failure can be provided.

Functions

• Indicating and accepting the transfer of machine watch

responsibility to/from the bridge.

• Call the on-duty engineer at his quarters at any time.

• Self-check function with “system failure” indication.

• Buzzer, sound off and test function.

• Alarm Summary.

• Date & Time indication.

• Fire alarm (optional).

Features

• One combined bridge alarm and watch calling panel.

• 5.7” LCD touch panel.

• Alarm group indicators.

• Repeat alarm indicator.

• 13 alarm groups.

• 1 common machinery alarm lamp.

  1 repeat common machinery alarm

• System failure indication.

• Buzzer and sound off button.

• “Acknowledged from cabin” indication.

• Attended/unattended engine room indication and selection.

• Facilitates 8 engineers on-duty.

Description

The Kongsberg Maritime Watch Calling C600 (WCC 600), is a system

required to run an unmanned engineroom. The Watch Call unit can be

mounted on:

• bridge where the main function will be to indicate engine room

alarms, and to indicate / accept the transfer of machine watch

responsibility to and from the bridge.

• engineer on duty´s cabin and in the public quarters where the main

function will be to indicate engine room alarms while in bridge control.

An alarm situation will be presented on the Watch Call unit with a buzzer

sound and a visual indication. The unit will automatically switch to

Alarm Summary page and present alarm information to the user.

Configuration of alarms in the system can be grouped according to the

customer’s specification.

The WCC 600 unit is equipped with a 5.7” LCD touch display for

presentation and navigation.

User-friendly and intuitive design makes the Watch Call unit easy to

operate for all vessel personnel.

The WCC 600 unit communicates with the main computer in the

K-Chief alarm system using a high speed communication network

(CAN). A redundant solution with automatic change-over to another

main computer in case of failure can be provided.

Description

This digital output module is a multipurpose flexible device that covers the

most common output signal types in a marine automation system.

The module requires 24VDC input power and provides over redundant

CAN Open 4.0 high speed field bus, sensor data processed and time

stamped.

Functions

•  16 digital output channels with LED status indicators

•  One pole change over, brake before make

•  CAN net status, error handling 

Features

•  All parameters stored in the module

•  Remote configuration

•  No trimmers or jumpers

•  No serviceable parts inside module

•  All connections are plugable

•  Suitable for direct installation on the main engine

•  Module includes status LED’s

for: Watchdog, running, general information, initialized module and

power polarity

Technical Specifications

Inputs and Outputs

Number of input/output channels 32

Input/output connections guration: can be individually set as input or output 

Digital inputs

Loop voltage: 24 VDC +/- 20

Input loop current: 4 mA max. at 24 VDC loop voltage

Channel ‘off’ current <0.5 mA

Channel ‘on’ current >3 mA

Maximum input voltage: loop voltage

Maximum input

Signal frequency: 10 ms pulse

Connector: screw terminal, 2.5 mm2

Digital output

Loop voltage: 24 VDC +/- 20

Loop driver: 1 A, short-circuit proof ‘High Side’ driver (HSD)

Drive (HSD)

Loop driver trip current: approx. 1.4 A (reset by command)

Loop Driver

Shutdown leakage: 2 mA max. at 24 VDC loop voltage

Connector: Screw terminal, 2.5 mm2

SPBus interface

SPBus interface: 2

Supply voltage

From SPBus: 10 to 28.8 VDC

SPBus connector: 9-pin male DSUB

SPBus Isolation 500 V (optocoupler)

SPBus type RS-485 (multiplexing)

SPBus Frequency: up to 2 MHz

SPBus signal coding Manchester code (self clocking)

Dimensions

Height: 355 mm

Width: 158 mm

Depth: 87 mm

Weight: 1.35kg

Electrical

Input Voltage: 24 V DC +/- 20

Power Consumption: 6 W max for 32 inputs

or 32 outputs max. 768 W

Connectors: Screw terminals, 2.5 mm2

ECM/EPM

– Frequency Hopping – Conventional and Adaptive. Frequency hopping speeds up to 1000 times/second.

– Automatic power control

– Automatic frequency avoidance

– Pulse Jammer Protection – Advanced jammer detection algorithms.

– FEC, channel coding and interleaving.

The RL542A mounts on top of the mast near the antenna and connects directly to the IP router.

No indoor or baseband unit is required.

The RL542A can be remotely located via a fibre optic interface.

The radio can be fully configured and remotely managed via the

KONGSBERG Communication Management System (CMS).

The RL542A is a software-defined radio with additional analogue filtering to

provide excellent tactical performance, ensuring long range and good positioning capability.

Communication Carrier

The RL542A is ideally suited as a communications carrier for tactical wide area

networks connecting command posts to advanced weapon systems such as NASAMS air defence systems.

Fast link establishment combined with a robust waveform ensures a stable and reliable connection.

Features

– Point-to-Point

– Point-to-Multipoint

– Lightweight, compact and easy to operate

– Field-proven equipment with rugged design

– Frequency hopping

– Flexible data interface and SNMP-based management

– Spectrum-efficient modulation

– Communication carrier in IP-based tactical systems

– AES256 encryption (optional)

RMP420-Remote Multipurpose Input/Output

RPM420 is a multipurpose I/O module for use in Alarm monitoring and

Integrated Control Systems.  RMP420 is designed for 32 field input channels

in single topologies. Its interface towards the host control computer (RCU) is

provided by redundant I/O bus.

The module is approved for Ex Zone 2 applications.

Functions

• 32 software configurable multipurpose solid-state channels.

• Analog and Digital Input and Output (AI, AO, DI and DO).

• 2 or 3 wire Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD).

• 2 channels can be configured as pulse/frequency/encoder input.

• Short-circuit protected I/O loop power output.

• Dual Remote I/O process BUS interface for redundant communication with host computer(s).

• Communication ports galvanically insulated from other module circuitry.

• Loop monitoring (per channel).

BENEFITS

• Over-voltage protection

• Extensive module diagnos tics

• I/O channels online configurable

• Soft and hard fail-safe

• Dual watchdog

• Certified for use in hazardous area zone 2

• RIO module and I/O loop, powered from the same source

• Automatic recovery protection e.g. automatic start of faulty channels

• Easy installation and replacement

• Simple and safe FW up grade

• Status LED

Product Overview

The Kongsberg RCU502I 421768 is a ruggedized Remote Control Unit (RCU) designed

for mission-critical industrial automation and maritime control systems.

Part of Kongsberg’s K-Chief series, this module serves as a decentralized processing

node for real-time monitoring and control in harsh environments.

The Kongsberg RCU502I integrates seamlessly into distributed architectures,

offering deterministic I/O handling, advanced diagnostics, and fail-safe operation.

Its primary role is bridging sensors/actuators with central systems (e.g., Kongsberg’s K-Log or K-Chief 600),

ensuring high availability in offshore platforms, marine vessels, and energy installations.

Engineered to withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, and corrosive atmospheres,

the RCU502I 421768 is the backbone for safety-critical automation where downtime is unacceptable.

Key Features and Operational Benefits

High Availability & Fault Tolerance: Dual-processor redundancy with “hot standby” failover

ensures uninterrupted operation during CPU faults.

Built-in diagnostics continuously monitor hardware health, network integrity,

and I/O signal quality, triggering automated alerts via Kongsberg’s K-Chief software suite.

Extreme Environment Resilience: Sealed aluminum housing withstands salt spray,

high humidity, and mechanical shocks. Compliant with IEC 60945 marine standards,

the RCU502I 421768 operates reliably in engine rooms, offshore rigs, or Arctic environments without derating.

Scalable I/O Architecture: Modular design integrates digital/analog I/O cards

(e.g., RAI-322 analog input, RDO-411 relay output) via backplane expansion.

Supports thermocouples, RTDs, 4–20 mA signals, and high-voltage discrete I/O.

All configurations are managed through Kongsberg’s Windows-based configuration tool.

Cybersecurity Hardened: Features hardware-enforced security with authenticated firmware updates,

role-based access control, and encrypted communications to prevent unauthorized access.

The RCU 500 is a stand-alone computer designed for process control.

Typical applications include

– Dynamic positioning systems

– Vessel control systems

– Process control systems

– Safety systems

Functional Features

– Power PC processor 8245. 400 MHz, running AIM and DP www.cniacs.com applications, 32 MB SDRAM memory and 16 MB flash memory

– Built-in self-test (BIST) device and error reporting system (via operator station)

– Watchdog with system status output

– Four general-purpose digital input channels

– Four general-purpose digital output channels

– Twelve general-purpose RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 serial line interfaces

– Four isolated RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 general-purpose serial line interfaces

– Dual CAN bus interfaces (1 Mbps)

– Dual Pro bus (12 Mbps)

– Serial Process Bus (SPBus) interface to RIO 400 remote I/O devices

– Dual 100 Mb Ethernet LAN connectors

– Prepare for redundant RCU operation

– Allows “hot swap” of RCU 500 in redundant systems

– Built-in high temperature and cooling fan alarms

– Easy to install and replace:

– DIN standard rail mounting

– Plug-in connection

– LED status indicator on the front