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Operating
modes
3.5
Track (T) control mode
3.5.1
Introduction
Track (T) control mode (also referred
to as ‘Track steering’) combines a
n ECDIS with the Autopilot.
The navigator can program a voyage plan into the ECDIS that contains one or more tracks.
The TCS (Track Control System) is used together with the input from the sensors for position, course
and speed and is designed to keep the vessel on the plotted route.
WARNING
This functionality is not compliant to the SOLAS convention unless
approved. Otherwise, Track (T) control mode can be only used on non-
SOLAS ships and leisure crafts.
NOTE: Autopilot receives commanded Heading-To-Steer (HTS), commanded radius or commanded
ROT from TCS.
NOTE: While in Track (T) control mode, the system continuously checks for the validity (age), format
and check sum of ‘HTC’ / ‘HSC’ messages. If one of these
messages are missing, an alarm is
generated.
NOTE: ‘Rudder Limit’, ‘
SET ROT
’
and
‘
SET RAD
’
parameters are not used during operation in Track (T)
control mode. AlphaPilot uses incoming HTC sentences (commanded HTS, ROT or RAD) from an
external TCS.
3.5.2
Enable Track (T) control mode
Press the
MODE|AUTO
button to change the control mode (the identifier of the next available
control mode appears on the display). When Track (T) control mode is shown, press the
CONFIRM/SET
button, and the Autopilot goes into selected mo
de (the ‘T’ symbol appears in
‘Operating mode’ field on the display).
3.5.3
Steering in Track (T) control mode
Commanded heading to steer and rate of turn (HTC, HSC or proprietary messages) is set by an
external TCS.
