SeaTalk/ST2 adding RPM, oil pressure, fuel flow, temperature

[DITB]

I have a Raymarine ST290 setup with E120 chart plotter and various gadgets to go with it.

Catamaran with 2 x 40HP Yanmar diesels, I would like to add certain parameters into the system. When I am sailing I am mainly standing on the cockpit seat to sea better - but then I can't see the analogue instruments. Also no warning there, if I lose oil pressure or overheat, for instance.

I am looking at

Oil temperature (and other select temperatures)
Oil pressure
RPM
Battery voltage
Fuel Flow
Fuel level (less important but would be nice)

The ST290 DPU has SeaTalk, SeaTalk2, NMEA183, NMEA2000 ... as far as I remember.

Is this doable (within reasonable budget), and what is the best way forward?

It would be nice if I can play with the data as I want - for instance with fuel flow, fuel level and SOG, I would calculate estimated remaining range and time.

RPM should be digital in a way to make it so precise that I can use it to (manually) synchronise the RPM if I want. Maybe even synchrophase, but that would probably take electric throttles which I don't want.

So - add on to the SeaTalk, or use a third party setup and connect it via NMEA2000 or otherwise? I am happy to experiment and build stuff, but it has to be quite reliable.

[smac999]

the 120 isn't going to have engine data displays in it. you would need something newer.

that fact that I have never head of a 290 likly means the same.

the actisense emu-1 will do the first 4. but you'll need a screen to display it on.

[DITB]

Originally Posted by smac999

the 120 isn't going to have engine data displays in it. you would need something newer.

that fact that I have never head of a 290 likly means the same.

the actisense emu-1 will do the first 4. but you'll need a screen to display it on.

The manual says I can display up to three engines on it?

But since this system is more than 10 years old, I don't know if it will work properly and I can get parts that work with it (as it's out of production).

I could

1) Search for SeaTalk2 compatible sensors and update accordingly

2) Ditch everything and upgrade to the newest tech ($$$$!)

3) Experiment with Raspberry Pi, Arduino and such for a hacked/homemade solution.

It can't be too expensive, but it has to be reliable. Yes, I am asking a lot

[DITB]

... on a separate note - I am having some issues with the system.

I have not sailed for a while, and when powering up the system, I have no data for depth, water speed, wind speed/direction and water temperature. These sensors are all connected to the SeaTalk2 side of the ST290 DPU. Two data displays and the E120 chartplotter are connected to ST2 as well - the rest is via SeaTalk (SeaTalk1).

I can't see that 3 sensors stopped working at the same time, so I suspect it could be the DPU (E22055). But since it doesn't have any LED or other indicating that it's even on, all I have is measuring voltages on it. I have just found a USB type-B cable and a Windows 7 laptop. I hope I can connect to it somehow, at least to the extent to check that it is working.

Other equipment seem OK - like my RAY240 VHF is getting the GPS position, the auto pilot is working, even with the E120. Just the wind, depth, water temp and water speed. Every instrument seem powered, those parameters just show with dashes though, rather than data. It was working before ... and I don't know that I changed anything, but I must have. Or some component is not working any more. Yes, I checked the cabling. Cleaned and moved it around, no luck so far.

If I power the SeaTalk2 depth/speed/wind units, and connect to data displays - should they work like that (without DPU)? Or must they have DPU to show anything?

[sail50]

Yes you can display engine data in the 120 MFD, but you have to have a data collection box with NMEA 2000 output. my engine came from masey? in Florida and it came with the box. On my boat the instruments are powered via the autopilot. I have a breaker for the MFD and one for the Autopilot. yours may be different. My 120 went belly up and I got a c127 and the display for the engine data is SO much better.

[DITB]

Originally Posted by sail50

Yes you can display engine data in the 120 MFD, but you have to have a data collection box with NMEA 2000 output. my engine came from masey? in Florida and it came with the box. On my boat the instruments are powered via the autopilot. I have a breaker for the MFD and one for the Autopilot. yours may be different. My 120 went belly up and I got a c127 and the display for the engine data is SO much better.

I have now ordered a Raymarine iTC-5 (so I can connect my transducers to the system as they were on the ST2 bus - with DPU not working).

I also ordered a ShipModul Maritieme Elektronica which has both WiFi and USB - apart from the various NMEA ports. One of those ports can take SeaTalk1 which is what most of my system is. With the iTC-5 I can connect SeaTalkNG stuff as well and just hoping it will all run rather seamlessly.

Later on I will see what I can do with the engine parameters. The engine instruments are analogue electric - so I would either have to extract something from there or do my own hack using Arduino/Raspberry Pi to bridge it to NMEA. There are many other things I'd also like to monitor/log/alert, like temperatures, humidity/dew point, LPG gas warning and so on. It doesn't all have to show on the E120, I just want it to be part of the system and integrate it eventually.