RL70C not communicating with RC631

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

dkritter,

Q1: The E125 has the Cmap does the C95 also need to be the Cmap config?
A1: When interfaced to one another via Ethernet, the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFDs will share virtually all of the system's data with one another, including cartography from any chart cards within the readers. Accordingly, a chart card need be present within one of the MFDs within the system. It is also possible to additionally insert a Navionics and/or LightHouse chart card into the readers to of the MFDs to simultaneously support Chart application use with C-Map, Navionics, and LightHouse cartography.

Q2: I think I need a Raynet cable to go between the two, would that be a raynet to raynet cable? Is this just data or data and power?
A2: You would indeed need an appropriate length of RayNet (F) to RayNet (F) Cable to interface the Network sockets of these MFDs to one another or to a HS5 RayNet Network Switch.

Q3: Since this is a repeater do i need to also supply power to this unit or will the raynet cable do that? If i need power what do i do with the NMEA 0183 leads from this unit?
A3: Raymarine's MFDs are not designed to be powered from an Ethernet network. With the exception of the gS-Series MFDs, Raymarine MFDs are not designed supply power to an Ethernet Network. Additionally, Raymarine's MFDs are not designed to be powered by or supply power to a SeaTalkng backbone. The MFDs must be powered via the Power/NMEA 0183/Video Input Cables packaged with the MFDs. Please click here to view a FAQ providing further information on this subject.

Regarding your diagram, per the referenced FAQ, the SeaTalk busses must be disconnected from its present source(s) of power, as the busses will now be powered by the SeaTalkng backbone via the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converters.

Q4: Since i will still have ST1 instruments but I don't think i need to cable this to the C95, does the raynet take care of that? Do I need to connect this to the new STng?

A4: The SeaTalk devices may be interfaced to the new products via a SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject.

[dkritter]

OK I now have everything installed per the attached diagram.

I do have the ST1 #1 buss only powered by the #1 ST1-STNG Converter, there is no power going to the #1 buss from any other source. The #1 buss supports (5) ST1 devices and seems to be working fine

The second ST1-STNG converter is only powered by the backbone. I have the ST1 going to the 400G course computer and from the 400G the ST1 goes to the ST6001 control head. Both these connections have the yellow, red and silver attached. This ST1-STNG converter supports (2) ST1 devices. Not sure this is the proper way to connect, please confirm?

Lastly I have the NMEA0183 out on the 400G running to the NMEA0183 in on the E125, is this also correct? If so what is this connection actually providing to the system? Is this the fast heading?

thank you

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

dkritter,

Q1. The second ST1-STNG converter is only powered by the backbone. I have the ST1 going to the 400G course computer and from the 400G the ST1 goes to the ST6001 control head. Both these connections have the yellow, red and silver attached. This ST1-STNG converter supports (2) ST1 devices. Not sure this is the proper way to connect, please confirm?
A1. The red lead of the SeaTalk cable which is connecting the 400G autopilot course computer to the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter must not be connected to the red SeaTalk terminal of the course computer.

Q2. Lastly I have the NMEA0183 out on the 400G running to the NMEA0183 in on the E125, is this also correct? If so what is this connection actually providing to the system? Is this the fast heading?
A2. When interfaced via SeaTalk alone to the system, the autopilot will supply the system with 1Hz (slow) heading updates. When the autopilot course computer's NMEA 0183 OUT1 port is interfaced to one of the MFD's NMEA 0183 input ports, then the autopilot will be able to supply the system with 10Hz (fast) heading updates, permitting the performance of MARPA and other heading dependent features to be maximized.

[dkritter]

Thanks Chuck,

One last item, i did remove the red lead from the ST1-STNG converter from the 400G but at the same time I removed the red lead from the 400G to the ST6001. When I did this I did not get anything at the ST6001. So should I just remove the red lead from the ST1-STNG and leave the red lead attached from the 400G to the ST6001+?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

dkritter,

Only the red lead of the SeaTalk cable connecting the autopilot course computer to the SeaTalk bus should be disconnected. Disconnecting the red lead of the SeaTalk cable which is interfacing the autopilot control head to the autopilot course computer will prohibit the autopilot control head from receiving power.

[dkritter]

Chuck, I did as you said and disconnected the red lead from the st1-stng converter to the autopilot but left the yellow and silver connected. I also left the yellow,silver and red connected from the 400g to the st6001 control head. However when doing so, I lost all power to the control head.

Only when I put the red lead from the st1-stng converter back onto the 400G did it power the ST6001 control head.

With that configuration, i could get the mfd to turn the autopilot on and off but i had a seatalk fail showing at the control head so had no way of adjusting the parameters of the autopilot.

Is the 400G actually supplying power to the buss or is it just passing it through?

Where should i go from here?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Q. I did as you said and disconnected the red lead from the st1-stng converter to the autopilot but left the yellow and silver connected. I also left the yellow,silver and red connected from the 400g to the st6001 control head. However when doing so, I lost all power to the control head.

Only when I put the red lead from the st1-stng converter back onto the 400G did it power the ST6001 control head.


With that configuration, i could get the mfd to turn the autopilot on and off but i had a seatalk fail showing at the control head so had no way of adjusting the parameters of the autopilot.

Is the 400G actually supplying power to the buss or is it just passing it through?

Where should i go from here?

A. The SeaTalk ports of the 400G autopilot course computers are designed to supply power to a SeaTalk bus. As such, a meter would measure +12VDC across its the red and silver SeaTalk terminals of both of its SeaTalk port. As indicated previously, the SeaTalk bus must be disconnected from its power source (this minimally be be the red terminals of the 400G autopilot course computer's SeaTalk ports. SeaTalk autopilot control heads are designed to be powered by the SeaTalk bus. As such, all three leads of SeaTalk cables to connected to the autopilot control head must be connected to the corresponding leads of the SeaTalk bus. When using a SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter (s) the SeaTalk bus(ses) will instead be powered by the SeaTalkng backbone via the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converters. The power insertion point within the SeaTalkng backbone will be located at the approximate midpoint of the backbone's LEN load. Insufficient power dellivered to the SeaTalk bus(s) or a device having failed SeaTalk communications circuitry will cause the autopilot control head to report SeaTalk failure. If wired as has been indicated within this response, then it is recommended that the voltage to the autopilot control head be measured to verify 12VDC across its red and shield pins. Should this voltage not be observed, then you should verify that the vessel's batteries have been fully charged and that afterwards while still connected to shore power that the system be tested again.

Should the problem persist, then an updated system diagram should be attached to your response.

[dkritter]

OK I did figure out the power problem I had a blown fuse in the 400 G. So now when i disconnect the red lead from the ST1-STNG converter to the 400 G I still get power to the ST6001 control head.

Now my question is, the control head comes on alright and when I push the autopilot control on the mfd the autopilot engages. However, I don't seem to be able to control the autopilot with the ST6001 control head. Pushing the +10 or -10 does nothing. Am i assuming correctly that the ST6001 should be fully functional and be able to control the autopilot same as when I had my pathfinder MFD's

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

The autopilot control head should indeed function as it had in the past ... in this case use of the autopilot control head's dodge buttons would have been expected to have caused the autopilot to drop from Track to Auto mode. It generally is recommended that the ST6001 not be powered by the autopilot course computer's SeaTalk port. Instead, it is recommended that the ST6001 be interfaced to a SeaTalk bus which is being powered only by the ST-STng Converter and which in turn has been interfaced to the yellow and silver terminals of one of the autopilot course computer's SeaTalk terminals. Should the problem persist and the ST-STng Converter presently have v2.01 software installed within it, then it is recommended that the ST-STng Converter's software be downgraded to v1.21 to correct the problem.

[dkritter]

Thanks, so from what i read, I am going to take the ST1 cable from the converter and which currently runs to the 400G, and instead run it to a buss bar which will in this case be my #2 ST1 buss.

From #2 ST1 Buss, i am going to run the sliver, red and yellow to the ST6001control head. Also from #2 ST1Buss, I am going to run just the silver and yellow to the 400G course computer.

Lastly i recently upgrades the ST1-STNG converters to something higher than 1.21. Do you have something that tells me how to dial back the upgrades? Or is it a simple matter of downloading the V1.21 on the chip and booting the MFD just like if i was upgrading?