ComNav P4 - Page 105

ComNav P4 Installation and Operation Getting Started
Document PN 29010100 V1r0 - 105 -
Some points to keep in mind while doing this procedure are:
 Use the boat’s manual steering system (wheel, tiller, etc.) to
move the rudder, when prompted.
 When moving the rudder to the maximum Port or Starboard
position, be sure to move it all the way to the physical stops.
NOTE: in normal operation, the autopilot always stops the rudder a few degrees away
from the position of the physical stops, to avoid unnecessary, repeated impact against
them.
The speed at which you move the rudder manually is not critical, nor does it matter if you
move the rudder back and forth a bit when it reaches the requested position.
Do not be concerned if the Rudder Angle Indicator shown on the screen initially goes in
the wrong direction. The autopilot will correct any inconsistencies during the procedure.
If for some reason, the autopilot was not able to detect the type of drive, you will see a
“Drive Detection Failed” screen. If this happens, go back to the Dockside Setup screen,
re-check all the drive wiring, and then re-start the Drive Setup procedure (The word
“Drive”, as used on the menus, sometimes refers to the hydraulic and/or electrical
system that the boat uses to control the steering mechanism (rudder, etc.), and other
times to the mechanism itself).
If you continue to have problems, contact your ComNav Dealer for assistance.
Drive Setup Continued
After detecting the drive type, a P4 with an RFU gives you the option to bleed your
hydraulic steering system. If you wish to do this, please refer to the hydraulic system’s
manual. When all bleeding is done, press the ENTER button on the Control Head.
If you do not have a hydraulic system, just press the ENTER button on the Control Head.
When the P4 with an RFU is testing the drive system’s performance, it will run the rudder
from hard-over port to hard-over starboard a number of times. It will also make a series of
short movements of the rudder – quick starts and stops – in order to determine a base
reference for how the steering system responds to the typical small movements the
autopilot uses during normal operation.
After the autopilot has determined the time span for a Hard Over to Hard Over movement of the
rudder, there are several possible results:
 If the HO-HO time is too fast (less than ~5 seconds), the
setup may fail. That’s because if the Rudder moves too
quickly, it can not be safely controlled by the autopilot.