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Double dynamic positioning system (DPS) for ships
MATE™ DP 2 Marine Technologies

A DP 2 system is composed of the same modules as a DP 1 system, but the number of modules have been increased for redundancy in order to comply with Class 2 rules. A DP 2 system will use three control computers and, typically, two operator stations. Using three control computers makes it possible to perform majority voting between the computers, and it is thus possible to reject a computer should it fail.

The number of I/O units is typically much higher on a DP 2 system, as there will be a dedicated I/O unit for each set of sensors, each position reference system, power source and each thruster. This configuration is used to provide redundancy at all levels to make sure that any single failure will not result in loss of position.

The compact design and distributed architecture make the system well suited for retrofit. Upgrading from a DP 1 to a DP 2 system is an easy process, since the same hardware modules are used for both types of systems, only different in the number of units used. The figure below shows a typical DP 2 configuration, where all the modules are connected via a redundant dual network.