[DG] [DG] Rudder sensor with ACU-300

[[email protected]]

Dear all

I have read in ACU-300 manual that the rudder sensor connection is recommended, but not mandatory.
In appendix B of the manual I have read also that the message number 127245 "Rudder Angle" is both transmitted and received.
This means that I can leave the rudder sensor connected to the iTC-5, so I can read the rudder angle even when the ACU-300 is in sleep mode, and the ACU-300 can have the info of rudder angle from iTC-5 via STng when it's working.

Could you please confirm my assumption?

Best regards
Maurizio

[Derek - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hi Maurizio,

The ACU 300 MUST have a rudder reference unit connected, otherwise it will have no direct connection to the rudder position and autopilot control will be unavailable.

You may have read that the Rudder reference unit is not essential (but recommended) for the ACU100 or ACU200?

Our advice is to always connect the rudder reference unit to the ACU300 as a preference, the autopilot will always work better with it direct connected.

regards
Derek

[[email protected]]

Hi Derek

I'm confused because at page 20 of "Evolution EV-1 and ACU Installation instructions 87180-4-EN" in "Example: Evolution minimum system
ACU-200, ACU-300, ACU-400" there is no rudder sensor connected.

After at page 33 I read "The connection of a rudder reference unit is highly recommended" and it seems that this applies to all ACU models.

Finally, in the box "Note:", I read about the possibility of multiple sources, which would be excluded when the sensor is connected directly to the ACU, this would seem to imply that if the sensor is not connected directly, the ACU accepts the rudder reference via STNG.

Could you please clarify better?

regads
Maurizio

[Derek - Raymarine - Moderator]

Dear Maurizio,

You have found a mistake in this manual on page 20! This has not been reported before, the ACU -300 should not be listed in the left hand column, I have forwarded this to our technical Publications team for correction.

An ACU300 installation must ALWAYS have a rudder reference unit fitted.

The rudder reference unit MUST always be connected to the ACU.
Thanks
Derek