VideoRay Defender MSS, Operator'S Manual

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MSS Defender
Operator's Manual, 1.00.00
Module Configuration
The modular concept requires that modules be configured prior to installation or replacement in a
specific vehicle arrangement.
Configuration information is specific to each vehicle. Information about the configuration for a
specific vehicle can be found in the Submersible section of the Equipment Guide .
Conceptual Overview
Thrusters and other modules can be thought of as employees, and the vehicle as the jobsite. Each
employee (Module) has a unique name (Serial Number stamped or printed on the module and coded
in the firmware). When the employee goes to work at the jobsite (is installed on the vehicle), it is
assigned an employee number (Node ID) by the person doing the configuration. The jobsite supervisor
(control software) communicates with the employees using their employee number, so the employee
number for each module on a jobsite must be unique. Work instructions are announced to all
employees at the same time, so each employee must listen for their specific instructions and ignore
the instructions for other employees. When there are multiple employees of the same type on a
jobsite, these employees may be assigned specific work tasks (Application ID or Motor ID). The
employee will only listen for instructions related to their work task. For example a starboard thruster
will only respond to horizontal control inputs, while a vertical thruster will only respond to vertical
control inputs. This approach allows vehicles to be configured with great flexibility. Examples include:
A vehicle can be configured with one LED light, or with multiple LED lights. Multiple LED lights
can be controlled in unison, or divided into banks that operate independently.
A vehicle can be configured with a single vertical thruster, or additional vertical thrusters can be
added to create a heavy lift vehicle, or to enable pitch and roll control.
General Requirements
1. Each employee (Module) must have a unique name (Serial Number).
2. Each employee (Module) must have a unique employee number (Node ID) on a jobsite
(vehicle), but different vehicles may use repeated Node IDs.
3. Some employees (Modules) may be assigned specific work tasks (Application ID or Motor ID).
4. At a specific jobsite (Vehicle) more than one employee (Module) may be assigned the same
work task (Application ID or Motor ID).
5. Modules may have additional parameters that can be configured that can affect their operation
or performance, such as temperature cut-off, RPM limit or calibration values.
The following sections provide information about module replacement.
Configuration Commands
The following configuration commands are available for updating firmware and configuring M5
modules for MSS vehicle systems:
vr_refresh - Refresh the firmware for a module
vr_enum - Enumerate (list) the connected modules
vr_setid - Set the Node ID and Group ID for a module
vr_debug_putty.py - Debug and/or configure a module
vr_create_virtport_all.sh - Create virtual ports for modules not connected directly to the RS-
485 bus
More information about using these commands can be found in the following section of this guide.