Introducing a SeaTalk-ng MFD to an older 150/400 autopilot

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

John,

General comments:

Should you require the assistance of a Raymarine product installer, the locator may be accessed here.

Should a SeaTalk cable be attached to each of course computer's two SeaTalk ports, then your system features two SeaTalk busses. As the red lead of each of these SeaTalk cables within your system has been connected to the red terminal of a SeaTalk port, then it would appear that the autopilot course computer is supplying power to both SeaTalk busses. As specified within the FAQ referenced within my initial response, SeaTalk instruments, autopilot components, GPS sensors, and chartplotters featuring a 1st generation SeaTalk interface which do not additionally feature a SeaTalkng interface (ex. ST40/60 Instrument Displays, ST6001, S2G, Wireless AP Controller, Raystar 125 GPS Sensor, etc.) should be interfaced to one another, in any order, using standard SeaTalk Cables. SeaTalk Cables can be joined using D244 SeaTalk Junction Blocks, splices, marine grade terminal strips, or R55006 SeaTalk Auxiliary Junction Boxes. SeaTalk Cable is available in 15", 1m, 3m, 5m, and 9m lengths. This method of interfacing is referred to as a SeaTalk bus.

Each SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter will support a SeaTalk bus of up to five SeaTalk devices. Should your present system feature more than five SeaTalk devices (ex. ST60 Wind, ST60 Depth, ST60 Speed, ST6001 AP Control Head, hsb2 Pathfinder Series Display, etc.), then the system will need to be divided into smaller busses including no more than five SeaTalk devices within each bus. Each bus will in turn be connected to the yellow SeaTalk port of a SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter. The SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converters may be interfaced to one another via appropriate length of SeaTalkng Backbone Cable. The SeaTalk bus will need to be branched or extended and connected to the yellow (SeaTalk) port of an E22158 SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Kit which has been upgraded with v2.01 or later SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter software.

Q1) Should both the red wires to the two Seatalk busses at the course computer be disconnected?
A1) See the general comment above ... disconnecting the red leads of the SeaTalk cables from the SeaTalk red terminals will effectively disconnect the two SeaTalk busses from their source of power. In this case, only one SeaTalk cable should be connected to the autopilot course computer's SeaTalk port. Depending upon the number of SeaTalk devices which are presently connected to each SeaTalk bus, the other SeaTalk cable will either need to be connected to its own SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter or to the SeaTalk bus associated with the other SeaTalk Cable which is connected to the autopilot course computer. In short, your first step should be to 1) determine the total number of SeaTalk devices within your system, and then 2) determine which devices are in each bus. Regarding the latter item, for devices which are designed to be powered by a SeaTalk bus (ex. ST60 Instruments, ST6001 AP Control Head, LifeTag, etc.), should disconnecting the SeaTalk cable's red lead from course computer's SeaTalk bus cause the device to loose power, then it can be assumed that the devices which lost power have been interfaced via the same bus SeaTalk bus. For devices which are not designed to be powered by a SeaTalk bus (ex. hsb/hsb2/SL Pathfinder Series Displays, MFD, etc.), it is recommended that these devices be configured to display the Heading (not COG) data item ... this data item is transmitted by the autopilot course computer. Should disconnecting the SeaTalk cable's yellow lead from the yellow terminal of the autopilot course computer's SeaTalk port cause the device to cease populating the Heading data item (this may take up to a minute), then it can be assumed that the device which had been displaying heading was connected to that SeaTalk bus.

Q2) I have tried to remove the red wires from the plastic connection on the course computer and cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to remove the wire!!?(see attached photo).
A2) The communications and transducer terminals of the pictured autopilot course computer feature spring loaded jaws which may be opened by placing the blade of a small flat bladed screw drive into the recess locate at the end of the terminal's nylon lever arm. Carefully pressing downward will cause the lever arm to open the terminal's spring loaded jaws.