Raymarine Network design

[Bigjim]

I just bought a Cal-27 and discovered that the speed and depth instruments are toast. The Wind indicator still works but I really need a new setup.

So, I have been doing some research on various brands and decided to go with Raymarine. I already bought an ST-1000 autopilot that has a option for connecting to a SeaTalk network. I found a great deal for a i50/i60 System Pack and bought it. But figuring out how to hook everything up is another challenge. Why is this information so hard to find.

There doesn't seem to be any decent easy to follow instructions anywhere. Everywhere I look the description are so arcane or overly complex. This reminds me of early computer networking from the 90s. I'm a competent computer user and have installed my fair share of Cat-5 cable and various computers and printers, but this is so frustrating.

I think I finally figured out some basics and want to bounce it off someone who knows what they are doing before I waste more time and money.

I sketched out two alternate network diagrams based on my research:

Network 1: wires the transducers directly to the instruments. This is the old fashioned way and requires longer cables from each transducer back to the single instrument panel location in the front of the cockpit. This is a simple design but requires longer cables.



Network 2: uses a Raymarine iTC-5 Converter than turns the analog transducer input into digital signals that can be sent over the network backbone. However, the iTC-5 is not included in my system pack and costs over $200. But this design requires only one cable run from the point where all the transducers are combined in the converter.



First, please forgive my simplified diagram. The system is on a switch to the battery with a breaker not directly connected to the battery.

Second, have I correctly understood how the network functions?

1. From what I've read the transducers produce analog signals only and need to be connected directly to the instruments or converted into digital input, Yes?

2. The backbone needs to be terminated on either end. Does the instrument pack need to have a terminator too?

3. I'm assuming that the wind instrument will automatically pick up the wind signals, the other two gauges are selectable? Or, dedicated to one or the other signals for speed and depth?

Or, do I need something completely different from these designs and assumptions.

Thanks

[DeepFrz]

Is this what you are looking for?
Raymarine iTC-5 Instrument Transducer Converter

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Is this what you are looking for?
Raymarine iTC-5 Instrument Transducer Converter

I'm not looking for the converter. I know what product I need to use. I described it in the post and showed it in the diagram. I'm just wondering if this is a viable network design.

[toddster8]

Can you mix and match seatalk-original with seatalk-NG (nmea2000) like that? Isn't some kind of adapter required? And if you want to send control signals back to the tiller pilot, thats nmea0183.

[anchorbend]

I can' comment on your diagrams but I sure can empathize . Raymarine's instructions are pure crap. I bought their wheel autopilot last year and their instructions were the worst I have ever seen. One would think that given the volume of instruments they sell, they could take some time to rewrite their manuals so they made sense to the average buyer.

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by anchorbend

I can' comment on your diagrams but I sure can empathize . Raymarine's instructions are pure crap. I bought their wheel autopilot last year and their instructions were the worst I have ever seen. One would think that given the volume of instruments they sell, they could take some time to rewrite their manuals so they made sense to the average buyer.

Have you tried their customer service. I keep hearing it is great. I may send my diagrams to them to see if I hit the mark.

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by toddster8

Can you mix and match seatalk-original with seatalk-NG (nmea2000) like that? Isn't some kind of adapter required? And if you want to send control signals back to the tiller pilot, thats nmea0183.

According to the manual, the ST-1000 supports both SeaTalk and NMEA.

As for NG and 2000, I'm not sure. I'll have to check. Thanks for the suggestions.

[DeepFrz]

Well, did you look at the document I referenced? It shows exactly how to wire the networks.

[smac999]

The 1000 is seatalk. (Old system)

The i60 looks seatalk ng. (Current system). They do not plug directly together. You will need a seatalk to seatalk ng converter. Actually it might be seatalk plug as well.

Are your transducers analog or seatalk ng? All the current models are seatalk ng. And would plug anywhere into network. If yours are analog,and your screens have analog inputs. Use that. The apadter is to use the analog transducers with newer screens that don't use analog like the 70's

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Well, did you look at the document I referenced? It shows exactly how to wire the networks.

Yes, this is one of the documents I referenced to make my diagram. Thanks.

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by smac999

The 1000 is seatalk. (Old system)

The i60 looks seatalk ng. (Current system). They do not plug directly together. You will need a seatalk to seatalk ng converter.

Are your transducers analog or seatalk ng? All the current models are seatalk ng. Analog. Is old.

According to the instructions supplied with the system pack it shows two ways to connect the transducers to the instruments as far as I can tell. You either connect directly to them them using the individual leads from the cable supplied or you use a converter like the iTC-5 as shown here:

That's the point of this post, to ascertain if I'm designing the system correctly.

[smac999]

It would be silly to pay fir the converter if you don't need it. It's primary purpose is to allow people with older analog systems to upgrade to newer non analog systems but keep their sensors.

[Pizzazz]

Actually, it is quite simple. Raymarine uses a few networking protocols that you need to be aware of. Seatalk (which your autopilot undetstands) has three wires, 12V+, ground and data. It is a great system but limited in bandwidth. Modern instruments (such as your i60 series) use Seatalk NG which is similar to NMEA2000.

One way to go is to get a Seatalk-to-Seatalk NG converter ($90 on ebay) and use that to connect your autopilot to the Seatalk NG network that you are building (Network 1). Another way is to get a chartplotter that has both Seatalk and Seatalk NG connections, then you will not need the converter. Most modern chartplotters only support Seatalk NG so unless you stay with something of the Raymarine E80 vintage you will need to get the converter anyway. Another benefit of the converter is that it will allow you to steer to a fixed wind angle without a chartplotter (also good for redundancy).

I guess I am saying get the converter and be done with it. You also need a GPS if the chartplotter you buy does not have it built in. Don't even bother with Network 2, few people go that route and it is typically done if you have the transducers but not the i60 instrument displays.

[Bigjim]

As mentioned above, it looks like the transducers are analog. The gauges have SeaTalkng connectors, but the transducers can be wired directly to the back of each instrument as shown below:



Here's a more elaborate network, showing SeaTalkng instruments using direct connections to transducers only and then connecting the SeaTalkng instruments to other SeaTalk accessories:



A very complex network still connecting transducers directly to the gauges:



But here is the type of network I'm considering:



Please note how the transducers are all connected to the iTC-5 converter and then to the network backbone.


Here is a link to one of the manuals:

http://productimageserver.com/litera...al/47883OM.pdf