Simrad AUTOPILOT SYSTEM AP50 - Manual (Page 13)

General Information
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1 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Simrad AP50
autopilot system and thank you for selecting what we feel is one
of the most advanced autopilot systems available on the market
today.
Today, Simrad manufactures a complete range of autopilots for
all types of vessels, from leisure boats to advanced steering
systems for merchant marine vessels. Our factory for these
products Simrad Egersund AS, is located in Egersund on the
southwest coast of Norway. The company's involvement in
autopilots began in 1953 with equipment for the North Sea
fishing fleet under the brand name Robertson. Professional
mariners around the world acknowledge that the Robertson and
Simrad brand names are synonymous with the absolute best in
autopilot technology.
The AP50 autopilot from Simrad represents yet another step
forward in autopilot technology with the intent of providing
small fishing boats and work boats up to 200 feet with a host of
new features. The system can be expanded and enhanced with a
selection of options and accessories.
The brain in the AP50 autopilot system is the single "intelligent"
junction unit that communicates with all other system modules
on a RobNet network. The RobNet has been developed to
establish a reliable digital communication and power
distribution network between the units in the system. The
RobNet simplifies installation and enables the AP50 system to
be easily expanded at any time. Any unit that is connected to the
autopilot system via RobNet is called a RobNet Unit (See
Junction Unit Comparison table on page 14).
The AP50 system is produced and tested in accordance with the
European Marine Equipment Directive 96/98. This means that
the AP50 complies with the highest level of tests for non-
military marine electronic navigation equipment existing today.
The Marine Equipment Directive 96/98/EC (MED), as amended
by 98/95/EC for ships flying EU or EFTA flags, applies to all
new ships, to existing ships not previously carrying such
equipment, and to ships having their equipment replaced.
This means that all system components covered by annex A1
must be type-approved accordingly and must carry the
Wheelmark, which is a symbol of conformity with the Marine
Equipment Directive.