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We are happy to have made the radical but correct decision both then and now in choosing Rabbit Semiconductor products.
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Mike Blake, Palladium Technologies president
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The SR9000 Smart Star helps Palladium Technologies provide Marine Stability
Out in the vast expanses of the open seas, “mini cities” travel on their way to exotic destinations in search of rest and relaxation. These “mini cities”, otherwise known as mega yachts, require around the clock supervision and continuous maintenance. Since these vessels are quite large, knowing what is wrong with a ship at all times can be a daunting task. With the assistance of the SR9000 Smart Star, Palladium Technologies helps ships sail effortlessly through the rough waters.
Palladium Technologies specializes in innovative marine technology, particularly in consolidating monitoring and control of complex systems on today's marine vessels into a concise, usable format. The result is Palladium’s flagship product SiMON, featuring Rabbit Semiconductor’s SR9000 Smart Star.
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In 1996, Palladium Technologies was looking for an embedded controller that had Ethernet capabilities to implement into their SiMON solution. At the time, Palladium was working with a well-known company that had been designing controllers with Ethernet. Unfortunately, the company decided to scrap the project, which left Palladium Technologies in a bind. One of the engineers then came across an ad that had a Rabbit Semiconductor product featuring Ethernet. Engineers at Palladium purchased a Rabbit development system and the rest is history. Palladium Technologies president, Mike Blake, said, “We are happy to have made the radical but correct decision both then and now in choosing Rabbit Semiconductor products.” The array of products that Rabbit Semiconductor had to offer allowed Palladium to deliver powerful and reliable products to the marine industry.
Palladium exclusively uses the SR9000 Smart Star within their state-of-the-art marine solution called SiMON. Mr. Blake compared SiMON to an “artificial intelligence” computer, but he explains that system only assists in the maintenance and control of the ships “around the clock” functions. The so-called “non-stop” engineer helps to provide a safe and optimum environment by keeping an “eye” on the ship’s most critical systems. Thousands of sensors are spread through out the ship, leaving no system unmonitored. These sensors keep track of engine operation, electrical generators, water levels, air, sewage, and other system critical components right down to an open door. These sensors are connected to Smart Star controller units that are located through out the vessel. Ten to twenty controllers are installed in a typical mega yacht application. Mr. Blake explained that all of these components are tied together with an Ethernet network. The network of Smart Stars is monitored from the main deck via several 23-inch screens as well as other monitoring stations throughout the ship. Minor adjustments are made by the system, while malfunctions produce an alert that makes the crew aware of a potential system failure. All of the routine system functions and status of the yacht are constantly recorded.
Furthermore, due to the reliability and quick time to market of Rabbit products, Palladium is developing two new applications with Rabbit. The first is a visual notification system powered by an RCM2200 RabbitCore microprocessor module. The visual notification system consists of a translucent trackball that changes colors depending on the system conditions or upon receipt of an alert. The trackball will also allow crewmembers to navigate the screens and address issues immediately. Secondly, the yacht stabilization systems will soon benefit from the control provided by the Smart Star. The Smart Star controls the hydraulic systems onboard, for cranes, doors, anchor systems, thrusters, etc. Sensors monitor all of the demands for the hydraulic systems, providing immediate response via the Smart Star system to the control systems. The Smart Start also provides control to the hydraulics that operates the stabilizer wings. As the water becomes more turbulent, the Smart Star provides the power to the stabilizer wings to keep the yacht steady.
Mr. Blake is pleased with the Rabbit Line of products, and he really appreciates the “ease of use” that the products offer his company. Palladium planned to use the products of a fortune 500 company. When that company failed to meet there requirements, Palladium chose Rabbit. Their decision has really paid off. As Palladium continues to develop innovative marine products, Rabbit Semiconductor and SR9000 Smart Star will be there to make sure Palladium continues to set sail.
For more information on Palladium Technologies, visit: www.palladiumtechs.com
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