Using the latest Navionics chart cards with an A/C/E-Series Classic MFD

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Using the latest Navionics chart cards with an A/C/E-Series Classic MFD

Please click here to view a FAQ posted by Navionics addressing this subject.

Additionally, when using currently available Navionics cartography, it it is strongly recommended that that the MFD be updated with the latest available Raymarine product software updates. More information concerning updating the MFD's software may be found here. A/C/E-Series Classic MFDs were designed and tested for use with Navionics Gold, Platinum (not Platinum Plus), and HotMaps chart cards. These retired MFDs were not tested with Navionics chart cards containing more than 2GB of nautical charts (not to be confused with 3D chart, sonar charts, aerial overlay charts, etc.). While the A/C/E-Series Classic MFDs may support reading cartography from Navionics Gold, NAV+, and Platinum Plus chart cards having memory capacities as large as 16GB, it is our experience that chart cards containing more than 2GB of nautical charts stored on the chart card may increase screen redraw times, and/or cause the MFD to reboot, and/or not be able to be viewed by the MFD. Prior to purchasing a new chart chard for an A/C/E-Series Classic MFD, it is recommended that Navionics be contacted to verify that the specific chart card being considered has been tested with your model of A/C/E-Series Classic MFD. As the 16GB NAV+ chart cards are pre-populated by Navionics with more than 5GB of nautical charts, some customers have reported successful use of such NAV+ chart cards following deletion of the chart card's nautical charts followed by population of the NAV+ chart card with less than 2GB of nautical charts using the Navionics Chart Installer application. Such re-population is not possible with Navionics HotMaps, Gold, and Platinum Plus Chart cards. It should also be noted that I have an as delivered 16GB pre-populated CF/NAV+NI NAV+ chart card populated with more than 5GB of nautical charts. This chart card functions properly in both my A70D, C70, and E80 MFDs. As such, it is possible that some report of newly purchased Navionics chart cards not working with an A/C/E-Series Classic MFD may simply be rooted in an incompatible CF memory card.

Should a MFD have been updated with the latest available Raymarine product software updates and not be able to view cartography from a chart card, then it is recommended that the MFD's memory card reader be tested by one of the following means:
- archive the MFD's waypoints, routes, or tracks to a compatible CF memory card. Should the MFD be successful in doing so, then it will report success. Should the MFD not be successful in doing so, then its memory card reader would be deemed to have suffered a failure. Raymarine's Product Repair Center can no longer provide service for failed CF memory cards within C/E-Series Classic MFDs, necessitating replacement of the MFD.
- an older chart card which had previously functioned with the MFD.

A corrupted chartcat.xml file may also prevent Navionics cartography from being used by an A/C/E-Series Classic MFD, GPM400, or C/E-Series Widescreen MFD. These MFDs each create a file named chartcat.xml and store this file in the root level directory of the chart card. This file is used to speed access to data stored on the chart card. Should the chartcat.xml file have become corrupted, then it will not be possible to view cartography from the chart card. However, it is often possible to restore the chart card to an operational state by using a PC to delete the chartcat.xml file from the CF memory card.

IMPORTANT - DO NOT CUT/DELETE ANY FILES OR FOLDERS OTHER THAN CHARTCAT.XML FROM A NAVIONICS CHART CARD. DELETION OF NAVIONICS DATA FROM THIS CHART CARD MAY ADVERSELY IMPACT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CHART CARD AND WILL VOID ANY WARRANTIES FROM NAVIONICS.

When the Navionics chart card is next used with the MFD, it will be determined that the chart card does not contain a chartcat.xml file and a new chartcat.xml file will be created and saved to card.

Should a MFD have been updated with the latest software, and its memory card reader be determined to be operational, and deletion of the chart card's chartcat.xml file not then permit cartography from the chart card to be displayed, then the chart card should be sent to Navionics for replacement with one which has itself been tested and proven to function with your model of MFD.

RAYFAQ#