[TG] [TG11] Honda BF150, Axiom and eci 100

[Char05]

Hi
I have a Honda BF150 which ist connected to my Axiom 7 through Nmea 2000.
As the Axiom can not display all engine data I ordered the eci 100.I got two questions
Installation
As I understand I can plug the nmea 2000 cable from the honda engine directly into the eci100 and will the connector cable which comes with the eci 100 fit to the nmea 2000 backbone into a T?
Honda gauge
I got aditional two Honda nmea meters Will they still work properley after the eci 100 installation?
Thank you for the help
Stefan

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hi Stefan,

Quote:I can plug the nmea 2000 cable from the honda engine directly into the eci100

You can't ever directly connect two NMEA2000 / SeatalkNG / CANbus devices. Every NMEA2000 network, no matter how small, always needs a powered, terminated backbone-and-spur network. The SeatalkNG reference manual gives a good overview of what a functional network should look like, regardless of whose brand of electronics is used or whether the connectors and cabling are our SeatalkNG-style or the standard Devicenet type.
If you already have a powered, terminated NMEA2000 network that the engine is connected to, then you can take a Devicenet spur cable off that to the Devicenet (engine-side) of the ECI100, but I don't want to just say yes, you can plug straight in without knowing what cabling you have now.

Quote:two Honda nmea meters Will they still work properley after the eci 100 installation?

If you have a properly powered, terminated network on the Honda side then the addition of the ECI100 won't change anything there, but again, I don't want to just say yes, it will all work without knowing more about your current network.

All this aside, though:

Quote:As the Axiom can not display all engine data I ordered the eci 100

I'm not sure that the ECI100 is the solution you need. Recent Honda engines output NMEA2000 directly (https://marine.honda.com.au/technology), and adding the ECI100 won't add the capability to get more data, it still just outputs the same types of NMEA2000 engine data. It can help with some problems such as incorrect Instance numbers, but if you're getting some data through then it doesn't sound like that's your problem.

What data specifically is it that you're getting and not getting?

Regards,
Tom

[Char05]

Dear Tom
first of all thank you for your help.
I do have a properley configured Nmea network on the motor side. The Axiom is connected with a T piece to the Nmea backbone.So far it works and I get data from the engine to display on the Axiom and Honda meters.

What bugs me If I go to settings in the Axiom there is a button detect engine. If I I push it there is an error message no engine detected.
On the motor display page the oil pressure left to the rpm meter is not displayed and
on the right side the motor temperature ist also empty.
I thought the eci 100 can read this data from the engine and it is detected properly. But it looks like I am wrong?
Thanks
Stefan

[Char05]

Hi Tom
first of all thanks for your inputs. On the data screen there ist no display of oil pressure the battery voltage can not displayed and the meter right to rpm I guess it is motor temperature is also empty.
I have got a properly configured Nmea network but no sealtalk network at all. As I understand now I can use a devicnet cable to input the data into the eci 100. Out it seems to be two possibilities

Choice 1: Use a Sealtalk to Nmea converter cable and back the nmea backbone

Choice 2: Set Up a sealtalk backbone with a Starter Kit and use the seatalk cable which comes with the eci 100. I think I must then connect my Axiom to the Sealtalk backbone with an Nmea to seatalk cable as Axiom has only Nmea out and no DirectX seatalk Connection.

Thanks
Stefan

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Char05,

Sorry for the delay replying - Sydney Boatshow got in the way.

The 'No engine data detected' message refers specifically to data coming from the ECI100: there is no need to run the Identify Engines setup if the engine data isn't coming via the ECI100.

You can connect NMEA2000 (I'm always explicit about NMEA2000 because we still get a lot of enquiries about NMEA0183) either with or without the ECI100. The ECI100 provides isolation, acts as a fuel accumulator and can resolve some common problems with the data within some engines' NMEA2000 implementations. If what's coming out of the engines is valid, accurate NMEA2000 data though, it often isn't absolutely required.

How exactly is your network connected at present? Can you draw a diagram and upload a photo of your drawing? It sounds to me as if even though you have the ECI in the STNG network (again, explicitly SeatalkNG, as distinct from original Seatalk1), the engine might not be connected through the ECI.

Regarding the missing data: we'll read it, if it's standard NMEA2000 and the data is there. What we would really need in order to be able to tell whether the data is in fact present, complete and accurate would be a log of the raw data. This can be captured using Lighthouse 2 MFDs, but not yet Lighthouse 3 (Axiom.) Probably your local Raymarine technical dealer can help you with a log of the data. With this log, we can read the raw data and see what's going on.

In the meantime though, I wouldn't suggest changing your cabling until we can see exactly what you have now.

Regards,
Tom

[Char05]

Hi Tom,

thank you for your reply. I understand now why the function identify engine will not work at present.

I do have a NMEA 2000 network and made a drawing of the current wiring and of my idea of implemeting ECI 100. The ECI 100 sits on my desk and is not installed yet.

I like the idea of the logging but I am afraid there will be no assistance of a local Raymarine dealer. I could downgrade my Axiom to Lighthouse 2 get the logging and upgrade back to Lighthouse 3 ;-) Will not do that.

Thanks
Stefan

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hi Stefan,

Sorry - dealer training this time...

The ECI100 unfortunately won't do what you need it to in the installation method in your drawing: it'll take in and retransmit engine data, but can't stop the existing engine data from being on the network so you'll likely end up with conflicting data. It's designed to be the meeting point or bridge between two separate, powered and terminated networks.

Have you given our US tech support team a call about this? What I would be doing if you were in my region (Australia-New Zealand) is sending you a black-box data logger that can record the NMEA2000, then analysing the data when you sent it back. Perhaps my colleagues over there can do the same. If you speak with someone there, feel free to get them to drop me a mail so we can work out a solution between us.

Re. a local deaeler: we get our local dealers to use a $200 USB PC-CANbus interface and some software to look at the network traffic. If all else failed, anyone with one of those interfaces would be able to gather the data that would solve the problem pretty quickly.
Or, do you have a friend who has a different model MFD that can view or record raw NMEA2000 data that you can get to me?

Regards,
Tom

[Char05]

Hi Tom,
thank you for your help. I understand now that my proposed solution won`t work as you outlined there will be conflicting data. Bad idea on my side :-(

I do live in Austria and bought our boat and the Axiom in Germany. So I try to get a black-box data logger from raymarine support there. But unfortunateley my season is over this year. Winter is coming...Boat is already in winter storage. I will try to find a solution next season.

ThanX again for the support- this is great :-)
Stefan

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hi Stefan,

I am sure that the support guys at Raymarine Germany will be able to help, but let me know if there's anything else I can do.

Tom