Hello.
I am trying to put as much data onto a SeatalkNG, and eventually NMEA2000 network as possible, vs a combination of network isolated devices (NMEA0183, SeatalkNG, Seatalk1, NMEA2000). I thought maybe someone here has already tried/done this and might have some input & diagrams.
Right now I have a Garmin 400C FF & Raymarine A50D Plotter & SPX Wheel pilot (NOTE: The SPX will not bridge the SeatalkNG data to the Seatalk1 Control head. The SeatalkNG overides the 0183 data so it wont bridge that way. I will try to 0183 to the control head out of curiosity next but I will eventually remove the original st60 head and replace it with a st70 head). I want the ability to expand on either a NMEA2000 or SeatalkNG network as desired. I also want to remove most of the 0183 network. Basically I want all data being sent on one network available to all MFD devices.
So I got this idea to start by trying to change my current setup as follows.
Garmin 400c CANet output -> Patch Cable to CANet to NMEA2000 -> NMEA2000 & associated devices -> Patch cable NMEA2000 to SeatalkNG -> SeatalkNG A50D, SPX and associated devices
However I am having trouble finding much information to figure if this is even possible or how some of the networks are setup and will interact. Information regarding CANet, the Garmin NMEA2000-CANet patch cable and the Raymarine SeatalkNG-NMEA2000 patch cable is scarce and I find them tight lipped regarding some of this hardware. So does anyone have any information and ideas.
1.) CANet: is there any downloadable PDF manul for this?
1.a) CANet Adapter Cable: does the Garmin CANet patch cable 010-11075-00 translate CANet data from CANet to NMEA2000 or does it only go from NMEA2000 to CANet?
1.b) Will I need a complete mini CANet network or can I just use the cable on the two CANet wires from the 400C?
2.) NMEA2000: I was planning on setting up a mini network with the ability to expand as desired. To start with I just want to bridge the NMEA2000 to the SeatalkNG network can this be done.
2.a) Does the Raymarine A06045 Seatalk NG To NMEA 2000 Female Adapter Cable bridge the two networks together, sharing data bilaterally on both or is it directly connected to a single NMEA2000 device?
2.b) I notice that both networks say you should only have 1 power source. So if both networks are powered with that create issues?
2.c) After some reading on this forum it seems to me the networks appear to be simply pinned/hardware fittings differently. So I was also thinking if the networks cannot be bridged in this way can they be "hardwired" together and if so which side do you power, does it matter?
Thanks in advance for all the thoughts and information.
Edward
As I understand it the Garmin Cannet to Nmea2000 is merely to allow to use the N2K backbone, The device will not interoperate with N2K devices.
Seatalk NG to N2k I understand requires a convertor box reviewed a few ago on Panbo. Raymarine doesnt reccomend seatalk ng and n2K on the same physical backbone. ( though rumor has it that it will work)
Ray autopilots have never been traditionally designed to bridge data between the networks that could possibly be connected to them. The existence of multiple network interfaces doesnt mean they bridge. Generally Rays autopilots use multiple networks to allow the user fexibility to interface the autopilot into their network, not as a bridge
First by the way you need to work out what information you want going around the network, Like what do you want from the Garmin 400C, it maybe better to get rid of it and use Ray equipment exclusively, I cant see why youd bother with it , given the rest of the kit is Ray.
Dave got a little confused. You only need a converter box to go from standard SeaTalk to SeaTalkNG.
https://www.panbo.com/archives/2010/08/raymarine_seatalk-seatalkng_converter_nice.html
I will write a follow-up test entry soon, but can tell you that the converter works fine, even when used in a standard NMEA 2000 network.
In fact what you need to understand, Edward, is that NMEA 2000 and SeaTalkNG are virtually the same thing, just with different cable and plug designs. You can easily mix STng and N2K devices but you want to think of it as one network with a single backbone and probably a single power feed. You either use an all NMEA 2000 backbone, with Raymarine gear dropped in using the STng to Male N2k patch cable...or use an all STng backbone with non-Raymarine devices dropped in using the N2K Female to STng patch cable. Simple as that, no bridges or data translation is needed. (Same deal with SimNet and N2K, by the way.)
Sorry ben your are right, my comments was where you have Seatalk, and seatalkNg bridged and in this case Ray reccomnend you dont connect in a N2K network. MY comments re Garmin still is the case though.
The compatibility between STng and NMEA2K backbones are clear. However the message format support for each vendor might be different.
If you have a Stng backbone with STng instruments and an autopilot, what happens if you add a garmin gpsmap 6008. Would the Garmin work as good as an E90W ? Has anyone tried this ?
I have a boat with a SeatalkNG backbone, ST70 instruments and an SPX30 Autopilot. To this I added a Garmin 700 series plotter using a Raymarine CAN adapter cable. Everything works well... I regularly use the output of the Garmin to send steering data to the autopilot and the 700 plotter displays all of the data that can be viewed on the instruments. I understand that a E90 plotter can enable / disable the autopilot in heading mode, I can't do that with my setup... but frankly that doesn't bother me a bit.
Sorry, I forgot to mention... I also have an Actisense NGW-1 gateway feeding data from the SeatalkNG bus to a laptop. This too works well, sending both instrument and GPS data (from the Garmin 700). The only thing in the system that hasn't worked so fa is true wind data from the Raymarine system to the PC - no true wind data seems to come through the actisense. True wind info does appear on the Garmin plotter.