Raymarine Smartpilot / Garmin GPSMAP Compatibility

[bluenoser613]

I'm looking for a way to troubleshoot and fix a Raymarine/Garmin integration problem. I've asked Garmin and Raymarine but received no help.

I have a Garmin GPSMAP 420 wired via NMEA 183 to a Raymarine SmartPilot x-5. When I create a route on the Garmin GPS I can see the details on the SmartPilot display. However when I select "Track" to engage the autopilot it always returns an error "no data".

The Raymarine manual says:

"NO DATA" Caused by any of the following situations:

• the compass is not connected

• the SPX-5 Wheel system is in Wind Vane mode but has not received wind angle data for 30 seconds

• the SPX-5 Wheel system is in Track mode and:

- is not receiving SeaTalk navigation data, or

- the position sensor (GPS) is receiving a low strength signal – this will clear when the signal improves

Check connections to the compass, wind instrument and navigator.

Note: The SPX-5 Wheel system stops adjusting the heading as soon as it loses data.


I have verified:
- the compass is connected, compass info is displayed, and I did a calibration to ensure it was working properly
- the Wheel is not in wind vane mode.
- the Garmin GPS has an error of only about 6 feet, and has a great signal strength
- the track/route navigation data is available on other screens in the Autopilot.

Is there any way to figure out what data the Raymarine Smartpilot x-5 is missing? Is there any way to figure out what data the Raymarine Smartpilot x-5 has?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Brent

[Ex-Calif]

Shot in the dark here...

The route has been transferred so data is flowing.

Have you "started" the navigation on the 420 or is it in standby mode. Maybe if the gps route is not active it is not sending any steering data out so the autopilot is really not getting any steering data.

Good luck....

[bluenoser613]

I believe the route is active. For example when I tell the GPS to create the simplest route being a direct GOTO waypoint the GPS immediately starts tracking that route. Varioius data pages on SmartPilot instrument display show distance to end, bearing, etc... so it looks like at least some of required data is making it to the autopilot.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by bluenoser613

I believe the route is active. For example when I tell the GPS to create the simplest route being a direct GOTO waypoint the GPS immediately starts tracking that route. Varioius data pages on SmartPilot instrument display show distance to end, bearing, etc... so it looks like at least some of required data is making it to the autopilot.

Yes. Thought of that after my post.

Simply by creating a goto waypoint and activating should create steeering calculations and input to the autopilot.

We'll neeed a real sparky to help out on this one. I am not familar enough with both units or nmea 0183 and 2000 message formatting. Is the autopilot navigator on the same nmea circuit?

I am making an assumtion the SP display is the unit commanding the autopilot navigator. Maybe not? Maybe the gps should be talking to the autopilot steering box. I.e. the gps send steering info directly. Sorry once again not familiar at all with the smartpilot.

[Jcpmorvan]

Brent,

I have the same configuration (Raymarine X5 and Garmin GPSMAP 430S) on my sailboat.

From your description of the problem, it is not a hardware or connection problem.

If the "NO DATA" message appears only after you press "TRACK", the compass or wind instrument are not involved.

Only the GPSMAP has the concept of "route"; the autopilot sees only one "leg" at the time. So GOTO to a waypoint is the best way to debug the problem.

The fact that you can display "distance to waypoint" and "bearing to waypoint" proves that the AP receives some of the NMEA0183 information. The NMEA connection from the GPS to the AP is correct (can be connected either to the NMEA IN of the course computer or to the NMEA IN of the Control head)

The X5 AP accepts the following data:
NMEA0183 to Course Computer
Header Data in
APB Cross track error, bearing to waypoint, waypoint number
BWC
BWR
Bearing to waypoint, distance to waypoint, waypoint number, time
GGA
GLL
Latitude/longitude, time
HDG
HDM
HDT
Heading
MWV Apparent wind angle, apparent wind speed
RMA Course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), latitude/longitude,
variation
RMB Cross track error, bearing to waypoint, distance to waypoint, waypoint
number
RMC Course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), latitude/longitude,
time, variation
VHW Speed through water, heading
VTG Course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG)
XTE Cross track error
ZDA Time,
Only a few sentences are required for tracking. There is not setting on the AP.


The GPSMAP will send NMEA0183 sentences to the AP when following a goto/route. You have to set up the GPSMAP to send the required sentences

(extract from the GPSMAP manual)
To enable or disable NMEA 0183 output sentences:
1. From the Home screen, select Configure > Communications >
NMEA 0183 Setup.
2. Select a setting (Sounder, Route, System, or Garmin).
3. Select the NMEA 0183 output sentence to toggle the output on or
off.
Posn. Precision—adjust the number of digits (Two Digits,
Three Digits, or Four Digits) to the right of the decimal point
for transmission of NMEA output.
Waypoint IDs—determine how the unit identifies waypoint
identifiers (Names or Numbers)


I suspect that one (or more) sentence is missing. (RMB is a critical one.)

I will be on my boat next Monday. I you have not solved your problem before, I could give you the list of the sentences I use.

Good luck

Jean Claude

[Samantha ann]

Jean Claude please send info. I too having problems with Garmin 492 and RM autopilot talking together. Thanks

Greg

[bluenoser613]

I think I turned on all the sentences. I would certainly appreciate it if you could look at your configuration.

I did verify I have the latest Garmin firmware. I'm not sure about the autopilot, or even how to check that.

Regards,
Brent

[mrm]

A long shot, but what is the length of the waypoint name if any?
I seem to remember, that older Raytheon units would recognise only very short waypoint names, maybe worth checking?

[bluenoser613]

Originally Posted by mrm

A long shot, but what is the length of the waypoint name if any?
I seem to remember, that older Raytheon units would recognise only very short waypoint names, maybe worth checking?

Good idea. I believe that the automatic waypoint names are four character numbers. The names show up as "0001", "0002", etc... in the Garmin HomePort software where the tracks, routes and waypoints are downloaded from the GPSMAP 420.

I will check the GPSMAP 420 on the boat this weekend to be sure.

[Jcpmorvan]

About the waypoint name length:On the Garmin GPS a waypoint can be up to 10 characters
On the Raymarine Autopilot, only the 9 first characters are displayed
(screens XTE, DTW, BTW)
So, the waypoint name length does not seem to be a problem.
I do remember length problem with an older Raymarine chart plotter .


Garmin 4xx communications
I did install my Garmin 441S GPS in 2010 to control a Raymarine ST4000+
I think that I just used the "default" setting. I just recently upgraded my autopilot to an X5. I did not have to change any GPS setting.


The setting is as follow:
Home>configure>communications
Serial port 1. NMEA Std.
NMEA 0183 setup
Sounder. (all OFF)
Route. (GPRTE , GPWPL, GPXTE OFF)
System. (GPGSA, WIMWV OFF)
Garmin ( all ON)


Position Precision 4 digits
Waypoint ID. Names


This is the setting you get when you select DEFAULT


I then put all the sentences ON. It did not make any noticeable difference. The purpose of the test was to verify if sending too many sentences would not limit the refreshing rate below what is expected by the autopilot.




In conclusion, the setting does not seem very critical.


Regards,


Jean Claude

[Jcpmorvan]

Have you tried a "FactorySetting" reset of the GPS.

[bluenoser613]

The boat is on the hard for the next couple of weeks. These are great notes to compare the settings. Before I do the factory reset I will write down the current configuration.

Thanks,
Brent

[bluenoser613]

I've finally been able to look at the settings:

Serial Port 1: NMEA Std.
Serial Port 2: NMEA Std.

NMEA 0183 Setup
Sounder screen: all off

Route Screen
GPAPB: On
GPRTE: On
GPBOD: On
GPBWC: On
GPWPL: On
GPVTG: On
GPXTE: On

System Screen
GPRMC: On
GPRMB: On
GPGGA: On
GPGSA: On
GPGSV: On
GPGLL: On
WIMWV: On

Garmin Screen
PGRME: On
PGRMZ: On
PGRMM: On

Posn. Precision: Four digits

Waypoints: Names (other option is Numbers)

[44'cruisingcat]

I have a similar problem with a Northstar plotter and a Simrad autopilot. Both Navico products BTW. As far as I can work out, the pilot needs the "WPL" sentence, (I believe that's the name and position of the next target waypoint) but the plotter doesn't transmit it.

[bluenoser613]

It has been a while but I just finished a change that has resolved the problem (and highlighted another).

The Raymarine SmartPilot x-5 has two NMEA inputs, one on the rear of the the display, and one on the control box.

The previous owner wired the Garmin 420 to the rear of the the display. This makes sense since the two units are only inches apart.

I connected the Garmin 420 to the other input and now the tracking works. Yay!

I am not certain why it matters. The x-5 display screens show the same data as before. Now the track function works.

An added benefit of wiring to the control unit is that there is also a NMEA output on the X-5, which of course I wired to the input on the Garmin 420. The 420 supports the input of wind and depth sentences. So far no data from the X-5 to the Garmin 420 is displaying. I suspect there may be some configuration on the X-5 needed to output the sentences. I will continue to investigate.