[TG] Volvo Penta DPI drive & autopilot

[Kimbrey]

I'm thinking of having a new sportfish boat built....Farallon. It will come with a single Volvo Penta D6 DPI sterndrive. The DPI drive as I understand it has electric steering.
I'm getting really confused trying to figure needs for an autopilot.

I talked with a Volvo rep today with him telling me if I went with another electronics manufacture other than Volvo's Glass Cockpit System (Garmin) I wouldn't be able to have an autopilot with the DPI stern drive. I kind of want to have the Axiom Pro units.

I see Raymarine, Furuno and Simrad all seem to be able to have their pilots work with Volvo via a gateway but I'm not sure if this is old tech for an earlier version of the stern drives...DPH. I think all of them have the EVC module (electronic vessel control).

Can someone help me figure what I need to be able to use Raymarine instead of the Volvo/Garmin stuff?

Thanks....

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Kimbrey,

Volvo are understandably keen on discouraging people from using any electronics other than their own, but our EV2 drive-by-wire autopilot can steer a wide range of IPS and Aquamatic drive-by-wire sterndrive systems. Single-sterndrive systems are supported, with Volvo EVC revisions C and later including current EVC-2.

You need a 'gateway' to translate between the Raymarine system and the Volvo system: this can be Raymarine's ECI-100 or dual Volvo gateways, one for pilot control and one for engine data (the ECI-100 performs both functions.) The Raymarine system will function the same whether you use 1x ECI-100 or 2x Volvo gateways, but:

• Volvo do not test and approve the ECI-100, so you may prefer to use the Volvo equivalents.
• You should not mix Volvo and Raymarine gateways in the same system: choose either/or.
• If you go the Volvo gateways, you need both for full functionality.
• The ECI-100 does not pass any data (except pilot steering commands) back to the EVC system, so you may need a GPS on the Volvo side for fuel calculations on their engine displays or, again, use Volvo gateways.
  

There are also a few things to be aware of in a system such as this:

• You should still have a 4" or 7" Volvo display at the helm for proprietary (e.g. transmission) alarms which are not translated across to the Raymarine system
• In a system with a Volvo joystick, Joystick Driving will not function, as this is a Volvo pilot function. Joystick Docking will work.
• The pilot controls on the joystick and Volvo display will not operate as these are dedicated to the Volvo pilot.
• Volvo functions including Dynamic Positioning, Water Sport Control, alarms, control and the onboard Maintenance Assistant will work through a Volvo 7" display
  

On http://www.raymarine.eu/view/index-id=8883.html you can see how the pilot connects to the Volvo network via an ECI-100, or in the [url=https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/m91tjmlomvfbn69trxkxep546hlakkr4/folder/1803919143EV-2 pilot handbook[/url] you can see how to connect via the Volvo pilot gateway (the connections are different depending on which gateway you use.)

I've not been on a sterndrive-powered Volvo/EV2 vessel, but I have sea-trialled IPS/EV2 systems and the course-keeping is beautiful.

Regards,
Tom

[Kimbrey]

(01-02-20 12:16 AM)Tom - Raymarine - Moderator Wrote:  Hello Kimbrey,

Volvo are understandably keen on discouraging people from using any electronics other than their own, but our EV2 drive-by-wire autopilot can steer a wide range of IPS and Aquamatic drive-by-wire sterndrive systems. Single-sterndrive systems are supported, with Volvo EVC revisions C and later including current EVC-2.

You need a 'gateway' to translate between the Raymarine system and the Volvo system: this can be Raymarine's ECI-100 or dual Volvo gateways, one for pilot control and one for engine data (the ECI-100 performs both functions.) The Raymarine system will function the same whether you use 1x ECI-100 or 2x Volvo gateways, but:

• Volvo do not test and approve the ECI-100, so you may prefer to use the Volvo equivalents.
• You should not mix Volvo and Raymarine gateways in the same system: choose either/or.
• If you go the Volvo gateways, you need both for full functionality.
• The ECI-100 does not pass any data (except pilot steering commands) back to the EVC system, so you may need a GPS on the Volvo side for fuel calculations on their engine displays or, again, use Volvo gateways.
  

There are also a few things to be aware of in a system such as this:

• You should still have a 4" or 7" Volvo display at the helm for proprietary (e.g. transmission) alarms which are not translated across to the Raymarine system
• In a system with a Volvo joystick, Joystick Driving will not function, as this is a Volvo pilot function. Joystick Docking will work.
• The pilot controls on the joystick and Volvo display will not operate as these are dedicated to the Volvo pilot.
• Volvo functions including Dynamic Positioning, Water Sport Control, alarms, control and the onboard Maintenance Assistant will work through a Volvo 7" display
  

On http://www.raymarine.eu/view/index-id=8883.html you can see how the pilot connects to the Volvo network via an ECI-100, or in the [url=https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/m91tjmlomvfbn69trxkxep546hlakkr4/folder/1803919143EV-2 pilot handbook[/url] you can see how to connect via the Volvo pilot gateway (the connections are different depending on which gateway you use.)

I've not been on a sterndrive-powered Volvo/EV2 vessel, but I have sea-trialled IPS/EV2 systems and the course-keeping is beautiful.

Regards,
Tom

Thanks Tom,
A lot to digest here....this is great info. Just sent the payment a couple days before Christmas to start the build so they haven't started laying glass in the mold for the hull yet, I have some time to think on it. We'll go with a single Volvo D6-340 with a DPI drive but haven't yet placed an order for the engine package because of me wanting Raymarine over Garmin.
Thanks,
Kim