[CA] [CA11] Reconnecting X10 Autopilot

[Eniramyar]

I purchased a boat with the following Raymarine equipment:

Autopilot:
X10 Smartpilot
Fluxgate compass
Type 1 pump
RF base
S100 Remote

Also,
Raydata display at lower helm
ST60 Multi at upper helm

The MFD, GPS, radar and sonar are new Garmin units. The previous owner tells me he disconnected the Autopilot when he install the Garmin MFD. He says it was functional when disconnected but honestly didn't seem to know too much about it. I would like to get it going again, preferably interfaced to the Garmin MFD for course tracking, but I'll be happy with simple heading tracking.

Questions:
1. Is the S100 adequate as a standalone Autopilot controller, or am I missing a necessary hardwired controller?
2. I believe the Raydata and ST60 are only data display units and don't offer any autopilot control functions - is this correct?
2. Can I connect the Seatalk backbone to the Garmin NMEA 2000 backbone and have the autopilot track a course on the MFD?

I've downloaded and read all the appropriate Raymarine manuals but the above is not clear to me. Thanks in advance!!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Eniramyar,

General comment: It is not necessary to interface a complete Raymarine autopilot system to any other device to permit the autopilot to steer to a heading (Auto mode).

Q1. Is the S100 adequate as a standalone Autopilot controller, or am I missing a necessary hardwired controller?
A1. The autopilot system must additionally include a compatible autopilot control head. Should the current equipment list not include one, then it would be recommended that a p70S or p70RS Autopilot Control Head be purchased and interfaced to the system. To view more information concerning the use of these autopilot control heads with a SPX autopilot course computer, please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. In the case of the proposed system, it would be recommended that the S100 base station alone be interfaced to the autopilot course computer's SeaTalk port.

Q2. I believe the Raydata and ST60 are only data display units and don't offer any autopilot control functions - is this correct?
A2. Correct. To interface these devices to a NMEA 2000 backbone, it would be recommended that an E22158 SeaTalk1 & SeaTalkng Converter Kit be installed within the system's powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. The unpowered RayData and ST60 instruments would in turn be interfaced to the SeaTalk (yellow) socket of the SeaTalk1 & SeaTalkng Converter. The aforementioned backbone may be joined to a backbone which has been constructed from third party networking products in the manner specified within the FAQ found here.

Q3. Can I connect the Seatalk backbone to the Garmin NMEA 2000 backbone and have the autopilot track a course on the MFD?
A3. It would be recommended that the backbone comprising the autopilot components be isolated from the third party backbone. A NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 data bridging device (ex. Actisense NGW-1, etc.) would then be installed between the NMEA 0183 input and output ports of the autopilot course computer and a spur socket within the third party backbone.

[Eniramyar]

Chuck;

Thank you for the detailed reply answering my questions. To follow up on a couple things -
1. The second link in Q2 pointing to the third party networking FAQ directs me to a Raymarine dealer locator page instead of a FAQ.
2. I am a bit confused by the response to Q3, are you suggesting instead of using the NMEA2000 interface on the X10, that I should use the NMEA 0183 interface? I'd like to understand why? Wouldn't the NMEA 2000 interface provide more capability?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Eniramyar,

Q1. The second link in Q2 pointing to the third party networking FAQ directs me to a Raymarine dealer locator page instead of a FAQ.
A1. Please click on the corrected link within my prior response

Q2a. I am a bit confused by the response to Q3, are you suggesting instead of using the NMEA2000 interface on the X10, that I should use the NMEA 0183 interface?
A2a. Yes. Unlike Axiom MFDs and from the standpoint of CANbus communications, the SPX autopilots were designed to support SeaTalkng rather than NMEA 2000 communications. Unlike Raymarine's Evolution autopilots, the SPX autpilots are not NMEA 2000 certified. The method described within my initial response concerning how Garmin products having a NMEA 2000 communications interface should in turn be interfaced to SPX autopilots is time proven.

Q2b. Wouldn't the NMEA 2000 interface provide more capability?
A2b. Negative.