Autopilot Communication Issues

[Apollo Marine Solutions]

Hello,
I have a customer who had his wind and depth instruments overhauled a few months ago. He replaced his old Sea Talk 1 system with I60 and I50 instruments and associated transducers. We have installed a sea talk to sea talk ng converter and cannot get the system to function properly. I have attached a file with the layout of our system. When the autopilot is connected to the sea talk converter, we are getting a sea talk failure on the ST6002 and St 70 units. I have talked with support over the phone four or five times have been told that we had a bad converter, that one of our cables may be bad, it is different every time I call. I have a brand new converter and new cables between all of the units. The version of the converter appears to be version 1.21 as printed on the packaging. There is no Raymarine MFD used with the system so I don't believe there is a way for us to update the software. The customer has a Garmin 5212 unit that is not connected with the system.

When we disconnect the ST6002 and S3G computer from the system the autopilot functions but obviously is not getting necessary information from the wind instruments. I do not have an external source of power connected to the system as it is being powered by the sea talk 1 system. Hopefully you can guide us as to where our system is flawed.

Kyle
Apollo Marine Solutions

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Kyle,

The diagram which you have supplied does not show that termination has been installed within the SeaTalkng Converter's backbone sockets. Additionally, it is considered a best practice to power a SeaTalk bus from the SeaTalkng backbone via a SeaTalkng Converter(s) rather than to backfeed power from the SeaTalk bus into the SeaTalkng backbone. Accordingly, the following actions would be recommended:
- verify that the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter has been updated with v1.21 or later SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter software, and if not, update the device's software accordingly ... the Converter's software version may be verified by connecting an i70, p70/p70R, or a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD temporarily to the backbone and using the product's diagnostic features
- verify that the ST70 Autopilot Control Head and S70 MFID have been updated with latest available Raymarine product software updates, and if not, update the devices' software accordingly ... this is very important for ST70 products
- disconnect the red lead of the SeaTalk cable which is connected to red SeaTalk terminal of the S3G Autopilot Course Computer
- install one Termination Plug into one of the blue backbone sockets of the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter
- connect the remaining SeaTalkng Termination Plug to a SeaTalkng T-Piece or SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector
- connect the SeaTalkng T-Piece or SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector to the remaining blue backbone socket of the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter via an appropriate length of SeaTalkng Backbone Cable
- connect the SeaTalkng Power Cable to a switched 12VDC power circuit and to the spur socket of the SeaTalkng T-Piece or SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector which has been added to the system.

With respect to the performance of the system when the ST6002 AP Control Head is removed from the system: should you have interfaced the equipment as specified above, performed the software updates as specified above, and the problem persists, then it would appear that there is a problem with the ST6002 AP Control Head, necessitating that it be removed from the system or replaced. As Raymarine can no longer supply parts and service for ST6002 AP Control Head, a p70/p70R Autopilot Control Head may be used as a replacement.

- Products having a SeaTalkng communications interface may be updated using any of the following MFDs:
----- a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD
----- C/E-Series Widescreen MFD
----- A/E-Series Classic MFD