Approved NPPU for the Panama Canal
Both R6 NEO and R6 NAV NEO are approved by the Panama Canal Authorities (ACP), meeting the requirements for a pre-installed, non-portable piloting unit (NPPU) for vessels with a beam of 109 feet / 33.22 metres or more (NeoPanamax vessels), tested to be meeting rigorous accuracy requirements for monitoring ship movements while transiting the canal.
The R6 NEO and R6 NAV NEO systems include:
- DGNSS providing high accuracy position, speed, course, heading and rate of turn
- IMU (Intertial Measurement Unit) back-up and improvement of ship position and motion
- Correction via IALA beacon, SBAS, ATLAS and RTK service
- AIS target data from built-in AIS receiver
- UPS with >5 hours battery back-up
- Wireless interface for piloting software and reception of RTK corrections
R6 NAV NEO for general use on open sea, ports and other waterways
The R6 NAV NEO system exceeds the Panama requirements, and is designed to meet the increased global demand for precision navigation. It is SOLAS approved for general use on open sea, ports and other busy waters while also fulfilling the Panama Canal Authority requirements for a non-portable piloting unit (NPPU).
Additional features of the R6 NAV NEO system:
- SOLAS-approved DGNSS providing top of the line accuracy for position, speed, course, heading and rate of turn.
- Operator HMI available in the R6 CDU (Control and Display Unit). Additional R6 CDU may be installed in a network configuration.
- Prepared for additional SOLAS approvals as Transmitting Heading Device (THD) and Speed and Distance Measuring Equipment (SDME) and Rate of Turn Indicator (ROT). Expected late 2024.
- Supports GNSS corrections via SBAS, IALA beacon, global ATLAS correction services, and local RTK services.
- Ability to use the same system on open sea as well as in narrow waters or at docking.
- Precise ship position and movements displayed on the R6 CDU (control and display unit) as well as distributed to ECDIS, ARPA or other systems onboard the ship over standardized network and serial interfaces.
The modular design allows for additional configurations and features.
Integrity protection
Besides extreme precision, the R6 NAV NEO provides outstanding position integrity to battle increasing threats from jamming and spoofing attacks in the GNSS-band. Featuring a 1100+ channel dual GNSS-sensor, it utilizes multi-constellation and multi-frequency GNSS reception, alongside inertial backup of GNSS position and advanced active filters to mitigate jamming effects.
By integrating multi-GNSS with inertial position backup (IMU) and external corrections, the R6 NAV NEO redefines navigation precision and integrity protection.
Choosing between R6 NEO or R6 NAV NEO
The R6 NEO system meets the requirements of the Panama Canal Authority, but does not include the R6 CDU (control and display unit). It does not provide an operational HMI, all configuration is done using networked Web interfaces of the I6 IMU and R6 NAV PRO Compass. The vessel’s position and movements is monitored on the external piloting software/tablet only. Without the CDU it will not be SOLAS approved for general use, but can anytime be upgraded to R6 NAV NEO with a CDU.
The R6 NAV NEO system exceeds the Panama Canal Authority requirements by inclusion of the R6 CDU (control and display unit), enabling SOLAS approval. Precise ship position and movements are displayed on the R6 CDU and may be distributed to ECDIS, ARPA or other systems onboard the ship.
With the R6 NAV NEO, the system’s precision can be utilized for general use and with ECDIS integration as a highly capable primary or backup GNSS.
