User guide

FS 20/25 Operators Manual 901-10037001/1.1
Maintenance and Troubleshooting Page 5.1
5
Kongsberg Simrad Mesotech Ltd.
Port Coquitlam, BC - Canada
5.5 TROUBLESHOOTING
In the event the Simrad FS Trawl Monitoring system does not operate correctly, care
must be taken to properly diagnose the cause of the failure. Quite often the failure
is thought to be with the FS electronics when the actual cause is due to the winch
slip rings, or the trawl cable. The following sections provide helpful advice on
troubleshooting the FS system.
5.5.1 System Tools
The system tools available for troubleshooting the FS system are:
♦ Test Cable
Provided with every FS Trawl Monitoring system, the test cable enables the
FS system to be tested without the winch slip rings or full trawl cable. This
provides a quick and simple means of checking whether the problem is with
the FS electronics or not.
♦ Power Supply Unit Voltage and Current Meters
The power supply unit meters allow the trawl cable voltage and current to be
continuously monitored. When a fault is detected the meter values should be
noted and current meter behavior observed. Jitter in the current meter may
indicate current spikes due to the winch slip rings. Higher or lower values
than normal (typical values: 120 Vdc, 250 - 350 mA) may indicate additional
losses in the trawl cable due to physical or water damage, bad splice, etc., or
problems with the trawl unit electronics.
The meters can also indicate if one of the heads is having difficulty powering
up properly, by having the current fluctuate from zero to a level, back to zero
and repeating this cycle continuously.
♦ Message Error Log
Refer to Section 5.1.1
♦ Monitoring Cable Gain
Refer to Section 5.4.3
The usefulness of these tools is greatly enhanced when they are used on a regular
basis to monitor system performance. Records of past system performance, when
units were operating properly, provide a basis for comparison that may assist in
diagnosing the problem when an FS system fails.