Connecting ST4000 (black), ST60 to E15023 SmartController

[patrickkidd]

I have a ST4000 autopilot (original black, not the grey ST4000+) and a Raymarine ST60 (grey housing) speed and depth instrument which are not currently connected via SeaTalk. I bought a Raymarine E15023 wireless SmartController, mostly to be able to remote control the autopilot, but it also can display speed and depth.

However, the ST4000 has two tab connectors for seatalk and not the three-conductor plastic SeaTalk plug that came with the SmartController. I imagine the ST60 has the same three-conductor plastic SeaTalk plug since it's a similar generation as the SmartController.

Does anyone know how to connect the smart controller to the ST4000 via SeaTalk, and similarly how to connect the ST60 to the ST4000 via SeaTalk? Can I just cut the plastic plug and crimp two of the three wires or so I need some $5000 adaptor for it?


Thanks!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Patrick,

ST4000/ST5000/ST50 products are differentiated from the ST4000+/ST5000+/ST50+ products which followed by changes to the SeaTalk communications protocol. The SmartController has been designed and tested for use with the ST4000+/ST5000+ autopilots and ST50+ instruments, it has not been designed for use with the older ST4000/ST5000 autopilots and ST50 instruments. Accordingly, interfacing the SmartController and other products not designed and tested for use with the ST4000 would be considered as unsupported and communications performance between the products would be unpredictable.

That said, should you desire to try interfacing the ST4000, you will find the ST4000/ST5000 autopilots feature two complete sets of SeaTalk terminals (power (red), data (yellow), and ground (silver)). Should one desire that the autopilot supply power to the SeaTalk bus, then one complete set of three SeaTalk pins of the ST4000/5000 would be utilized to interface the autopilot to the unpowered SeaTalk bus to which the other SeaTalk devices (i.e. SmartController Base Station and ST60 Instrument(s)) will be connected.

Note: SeaTalk instruments, autopilot components, GPS sensors, and chartplotters featuring a 1st generation SeaTalk interface which do not additionally feature a SeaTalkng interface (ex. ST40/60 Instrument Displays, ST6001, S2G, Wireless AP Controller, Raystar 125 GPS Sensor, etc.) should be interfaced to one another, in any order, using standard SeaTalk Cables. SeaTalk Cables can be joined using D244 SeaTalk Junction Blocks, splices, marine grade terminal strips, or R55006 SeaTalk Auxiliary Junction Boxes. SeaTalk Cable is available in 15", 1m, 3m, 5m, and 9m lengths. This method of interfacing is referred to as a SeaTalk bus.