DP Footprint Verification with KM DP software rel. 8

How to carry out a DP Footprint Verification with Kongsberg DP software rel. 8?

Medea srl, Naval Architects, Marine Engineers & DP Auditors Company, has recently found that the new version 8 of the Kongsberkg DP software does not allow DP Operators to carry out DP Footprint Verification as normally intended.

DP Footprint Verification is a common practice, well described in IMCA and MTS Guidelines, recommended by class (see DNV-RP 307 “DP Operation Guidance”, January 2011, paragraph 2.5 and 3.2.2), generally conducted on board DP Vessels.

In the new KM DP software release 8.0, the numeric view on the operator panel is lacking in the information needed for DP Footprint, i.e.

deviation from setpoint as absolute module and
bearing of that deviation.

In previous software releases, these values were properly displayed in the numeric view and DP operators were able to record and track Footprint Plot on their own forms as requested by the most of the DP Operation Manuals.

See on the left an example of the most used form to record a DP footprint.

Actually, in KM DP software K-Pos release 8, it is no more so simple to have a DP Footprint: i.e. by printing-out (using the “hardware copy printer” button/function) the OS display with posplot view where trace function has been preventively enabled.

But the “hardcopy printer” is an option to DP KM basic scope of supply.

So, practically, on board the most of the DP vessels with basic KM DP equipment (with no hardcopy printer), DP Operators cannot comply with the requirements given by IMCA etc.

We suggested two solutions:

to fix the software by adding and showing the numeric values requested, which, for sure, can be easily returned by the software;
to consider the hardcopy printer/function as minimum standard DP supply.

Medea has forwarded this issue to the System Support DP (Kongsberg) Service in Norway as a software improvement suggetion.

Proposed corrective action was not satisfactory and we have been not authorised to publish the reply.

While the corrective actions suggested seem to be questionable, we still are not able to find out the deviation and bearing information for footprint.

Below a comparison between the numeric view of the release 7 and release 8.