iCR - intelligent Comms Router
The Fathom Systems intelligent Comms Router, or iCR, is a topside serial data instrumentation hub that may be used in a number of applications and not just for the DMS.
Whenever a system features Fathom Systems or 3rd party sensor equipment that requires signals to be converted from their ‘raw’ format to an Ethernet network data stream, the iCR is the ideal solution. Packaged in an industrial 19” x 2U rackmount system chassis, the iCR is commonly installed in SAT & Dive Control room areas.
There are 8 isolated serial ports featured on the iCR. These serial ports are connected to system devices to provide the DMS with data which is transferred around the vessel between the data acquisition hardware and the various system PCs using a 10/100BaseT Ethernet network. This network is installed using managed Ethernet switches and dual-path ‘trunked’ cabling between different vessel locations.For each of the 8 ports on the iCR there is a status panel on the display window. The status ‘LED’ indicators are similar in function to the LEDs on the front panel of the iCR itself and show if the Port is enabled, whether valid data is being received, if there is a fault present in the serial communications and which of the three serial protocols are being used for the Port (RS232 / RS422 / RS485).
Typical hardware hosted by the iCR includes high accuracy digital pressure transducers, ultrasonic hot water flowmeters and gas analysis equipment.
