[CA] Axiom CP370 and Chirp transducer

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Bob,

Unlike the a9x and a12x MFDs, the Axiom MFDs feature only one Ethernet Network communications interface per MFD. Raymarine offers the HS5 RayNet Network Switch to support systems having a greater number of devices requiring Ethernet network communications than the Ethernet Network sockets of the system's MFDs. As the number of devices having an Ethernet communications interface within your current system (2 MFDs, CP370, RD424HD, RMK-9, and Fusion 750) required more Ethernet Network socket than had been provided by the a12x MFDs, a HS5 RayNet Network Switch would already be installed onboard your vessel. In this way, replacing the a12x MFDs with a pair of Axiom MFDs should be a relatively simple task with respect to the system's Ethernet network.

Regarding the Fusion 750 stereo head unit. With MFD's running LightHouse II software, it would have been possible to interface the Fusion 750 stereo head unit via either the aforementioned Ethernet Network or via a NMEA 2000 network. In contrast, MFDs running LightHouse 3 software must be interfaced to compatible stereo entertainment systems via a NMEA 2000 network. Depending upon how your Fusion stereo head unit is presently interfaced to the system, this may require a minor modification to how the Fusion stereo head unit has been interfaced to the system, or no changes at all.

Whereas you already have owned MFDs having touchscreen-only interfaces which have been supplemented with a RMK-9, and you currently own a CP370, I see no need to consider a system consisting of an Axiom MFD and an Axiom Pro MFD.

The system which you are considering (to include the CP370) should be quite satisfactory for the maximum depth specified. For that matter, the system would support 1kW 50kHz / 200kHz sonar operation in much greater depths.