Typical Commissioning Plan

 1         Document history

 2         Summary

This document describes some key steps to be followed in the setting up of a Navtech Radar SafeGuard System. The document assumes familiarity in accessing the radar's web user interface.

The steps below are provided simply as a suggested work flow; any commissioning activities must be carried out in line with local safe working procedures. It is intended that the suggested steps below will be incorporated within the commissioning and signoff activities of any machine control or monitoring systems.

Note that the the verification of detection capability in all protected zones is one of the key steps in the commissioning procedure. It is not recommended to assume a certain level of system capability across all detection areas, based on test results from a section of the system.

3         Initial setup

Dependent on the project scope, this stage may be considered as a factory acceptance test of the system.

3.1        Network settings

In a work area separate from the target installation, power up the radar unit. Connect to the radar (default address is 192.168.0.1) with a web browser and configure the radar with network address details according to the IP plan for the installation.

Within the “Radar Configuration” page of the radar's web user interface, enter the IP address of the relay module to be controlled, and set the value of "Modbus Alarm Offset" to 10.

Connect the suppled relay module to the same network as the radar and the configuration computer, configuring the relay unit's network settings as required, using the Advantech ADAM .Net utility software.

 
3.2        Relay interface configuration (not required for systems where the Radar is being used as a Modbus device)

 Verify the correct communication between the radar and the relay unit - using the radar’s web user interface to enable, invert, and then disable each of the six SafeGuard detection areas in turn. Check that the expected relay channel operates as required in for each area.

 Take particular note to ensure that the NO / NC operation of each of the six switched channels matches the system requirements, and ensure that the relay output states in loss-of-power and loss-of-communications scenarios are as required. Using the radar’s web user interface, the logic state (on or off) associated with a detection in each of the six SafeGuard output channels can be inverted as required to suit.

 The Advantech utility software for the relay module allows configuration of “Watchdog mode” and ”Fail Safe mode” to set the output states in the case of loss-of-power or loss-of-communications.

3.3         Detection Area Configuration

Obtain a machine drawing in plan or section view according to the radar’s orientation. Mark up the machine drawing with the (up to six) detection areas to be implemented. Where possible, mark the drawing corners or key features of each detection area with distances/coordinates according to the radar installation location and orientation.

With the radar powered and networked, connect to the radar’s web user interface and access the “SafeGuard configuration” view. For the six detection areas in turn, adjust the shape of each area according to the marked-up drawing. Note that the the coordinates (from the radar) are displayed within the SafeGuard area adjustment screen, in units of metres.

4         Installation

Once the preceding steps are complete, the radar can be installed at its’ target location, using the 4x M8 fixings. In order to make the subsequent commissioning steps as logical as possible, aim to orient the radar such that the connectors are facing downwards, backwards, or South (as appropriate).

The radar itself has a beam spread of less than 2 degrees, so pay particular attention to align the radar’s mounting angles correctly to ensure the correct coverage. Navtech Radar can provide utility software to provide a live image of the radar’s field of view to assist with this step if required.

4.1        Sensitivity Parameter Configuration

Review the marked up drawings and identify the closest distance (from the radar) for which object detection is required. Using the radar’s range resolution (either 4.4cm-per-bin or 17.5cm-per-bin) convert this closest detection distance to a value in units of bins. Access the “SafeGuard configuration” pages within the radar’s web user interface and set the value of “Min. bins to operate on” to the calculated value.

 Similarly, calculate the farthest required detection range in units of bins. From the “Factory Configuration” webpage, set this value in the field “Range in Bins”.

 From the “SafeGuard settings” webpage, set the value of “Threshold” value to 55[1].

 Set the value of “Bins to Operate on” to a value of 10. This value can subsequently be increased if the system does not reliably identify objects which present themselves within an extended range in the radar data. 

4.2        Detection Area verification

Ensure that there are no obstacles within the radar’s field of view. Mount a radar reflector/target (Navtech Radar part MBP0137 or equivalent) on a suitable pole, such that it can be introduced safely within the radar's field of view. Keeping the open face of the reflector/target facing the radar, move the target around the perimeter of each defined detection area in turn. By monitoring the system operation through the radar’s web user interface, verify the correct alarm/alert conditions for each detection area. If any adjustments to the shape, size or position of the detection areas are required, make the adjustments using the “SafeGuard configuration” webpage and repeat this step.

4.3        System tuning

Once the boundaries of the system’s detection areas have been physically checked in the previous step, arrange to move either the machine or adjacent machinery in a controlled manner to create a condition for which an alarm should be raised.

With the equipment positioned in a condition for which an alarm is required, incrementally increase the value of the “Threshold” setting on the “SafeGuard Configuration” webpage until the alarm condition is no longer set. Reduce the “threshold” setting back by 3dB [2] from this value, and verify that the alarm condition is raised.

Calculate a response time within which the alarm condition must be raised: consider the speed of motion of the machine or adjacent equipment, and the distance travelled within the proposed response time. For each detection area under consideration, set a value for the “Break Allowance” parameter according to the number of sequential radar sightings ( ¼second intervals) for which detection conditions must be met before the alarm output is enabled. Selecting too small a value for this parameter risks the increasing the possibility of false alarm triggers, and too large a value could lead to the machine moving completely through the detection area before sufficient time has elapsed for the alarm output condition to be met.

Move the machine, or adjacent machinery such that no alarm condition should be required and verify that the alarm output is disabled

Move the machinery back again to create a condition for which an alarm state should be enabled and verify that this is the case.

In the event of no alarm being raised when required, set the “Threshold” value to a smaller value and repeat this process step. If the system is too slow to raise an alarm against the provided condition, set the “Break Allowance” parameter to a smaller value and repeat this section.

Repeat this section for each of the detection areas in turn.

Note that for very specific applications and use-cases, the system supports a different setting for the value of “Threshold” for each of the six defined detection areas. Contact industrial.automation@navtechradar.com for detail about this if required.

5         System Testing

According to any project testing and signoff procedures, operate the monitored machine or adjacent equipment in a safe and controlled manner to generate the required detection conditions in each of the detection areas defined within the SafeGuard system.

Verify that the alarm conditions are raised in every test scenario, keeping all necessary test records.

Verify that the alarm output conditions cease when the machine or adjacent equipment is moved back to a safe position.

If any test steps here do not provide the required result, repeat sections 4.2 and 4.3 of this suggested procedure before re-testing

At the conclusion of satisfactory testing store a backup of the radar’s SafeGuard system configuration in a secure location.

[1] 55 is a plausible starting-point for this parameter to support the subsequent stages of tuning the system’s operation.

[2] This value of 3dB may need to be larger - TBC