[CA] [CA11] Axiom 12 not recognizing other MFD as data master

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We have an issue with our Axiom 12/Lighthouse 3 MFD (model #E70368/serial #0670403). Just prior to the Annapolis commissioning our new boat in November 2017, the Axiom 12 was purchased and professionally installed at the aft end of the cockpit table – and, through a HS5 Seatalk Network Switch, iTC-5 converter and AIS 100 Splitter, linked into the existing/original system of an eS75 7” MFD; a P-70 Control Head; two i70 instruments and AIS 650. The eS75 MFD served as Data Master using Navionics cards, sharing chart info with the Axiom 12.
Everyone got along fine for six months, with the Axiom 12 replicating chart details from the eS75. But this month the Axiom 12 seems to have rebelled. Now it displays only rough shapes of islands and other geographic features and shows no depth, contours, bearings, or other navigation visuals. After nearly every power-down, we also must manually enter the on-board Raymarine data sources for the Axiom to show the basics of current depth, wind speed and direction, etc. in a data-only display. That would seem to indicate that the Seatalk network and connections are working to at least some extent. However it seems that the Axiom needs to be “told” to accept information from the eS75 as Data Master as before, but I have not discovered how to do so through component manuals, research online, and reading forum entries to date.
With the Axiom 12’s larger size and central position between helm stations, we want to restore its full chart features. Our sailboat now is based in the Caribbean (Grenada), where technical electronics expertise is hard to find and schedule. So we hope to receive guidance through this forum that will help.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum shclawson,

In order to share high resources requiring very high bandwidth data (cartography radar, fishfinder, IP video, etc.) the MFDs must be interfaced via Ethernet communications. If operating with the latest available LightHouse 3 software (v3.5.40 at the time of this response), then the reported symptom may be indicative of a problem with the system's Ethernet networking components and/or the Etherne communications circuitry of one or both of the MFDs. It is recommended that you verify that each of the MFD's has been updated with the LightHouse 3 v3.5.40 or later software update and if not, that the software within the MFD's be updated accordingly. Within a system of Axiom/Axiom Pro/Axiom XL MFDs and eS-Series MFDs, it would be recommended that one of the Axiom/Axiom Pro/Axiom XL MFDs be interfaced to the system's powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone and that this Axiom/Axiom Pro/Axiom XL MFD be designated as the system's Data Master MFD due to its significantly great processing power and memory.

Should you have addressed the items specified above and should the problem then persist, then it would be recommended that a Factory Reset be performed on each MFD, that the MFD's then be reconfigured (again with the Axiom 12 MFD designated at the system's Data Master MFD), and that the Data Sources feature be executed on the Data Master MFD to manually specify which GPS, Datum, Data Time, and any other data source for which two or more data sources are available for the respective type of data be configured. This action need only ever be performed on the system's Data Master MFD, which will be switched ON whenever the MFDs will be used. Please additionally note that one should not attempt to interact with the system until all MFD's within the system have completed startup initialization.

Should the problem then continue to persist, then it would be recommended that the system be switched OFF, that the eS75 MFD be temporarily unplugged from the backbone, that the system be switched ON again, and that it be verified that the eS75 is able to receive data from the system. If not, then troubleshooting / testing of the system's Ethernet network should ensue.