[CA] Airmar Smart Sensor w/ Axiom 9

[CaptDaveHowe]

As noted in other posts, I have upgraded twin E80’s with autopilot with the Axiom 9 and the EV-150 Auto Pilot. Both the Axiom 9 and EV-150 are installed and working.

I still have one E80 working as a stand alone for radar. It is also connected to the Airmar Smart Sensor via a 5 pin connector. The Airmar Smart Sensor cable is routed from the transducer to behind the helm, where the blue, white, red and black wires are connected to a terminal board. The 5 pin connector is wired from the terminal board, connected to the E80.

Q1: Is it possible to connect the transducer (from the terminal board) to a SeaTalkNG backbone? If so, would this then network for use on the Axiom 9?

Q2: Currently the system only reads depth, without any fish finder details. What is needed to add fish finder capabilities?

Thanks, Dave

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Dave,

Q1: Is it possible to connect the transducer (from the terminal board) to a SeaTalkNG backbone?
A1. Airmar has produced Smart Sensors which have supported NMEA 0183 communications, NMEA 2000 communications, or both. Which of these does your sensor support. Should you not know, then it would be recommended that Gemeco, Inc. (Airmar’s US distributor (803 693 0777)) be contacted to seek this information. If so, then it would be recommended that the Airmar sensor be interfaced to a field installable DeviceNet Micro-C (M) plug. This plug may then be connected to an A06045 0.4m DeviceNet (F) to SeaTakng Spur Adapter to permit the sensor to be interfaced as a spur to a powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone.

Q2. If so, would this then network for use on the Axiom 9?
A2. Yes. This sensor would then support providing the MFD with numerical depth beneath the transducer.

Q3. Currently the system only reads depth, without any fish finder details. What is needed to add fish finder capabilities?
A3. SmartTransducers have no capability of supporting fishfinding applications. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing how fishfinder features may be added to an Axiom MFD.

[CaptDaveHowe]

Hello Chuck,
As noted before, my transducer cable consisting of 4 leads is terminated to a terminal board. What I have found by following the leads is two leads (black and red) are connected to the SeaTalk/Alarm Out cable of the E80. The other two leads (white and blue) are connected to the NMEA 0183 cable of the E80. There is power (12 V) registering from the black and red leads and the E80 must be on for the depth finder to operate. The leads from the GPS sensor are also connected to the black and red leads of the SeaTalk/Alarm Out cable.

I connected the white and blue leads from the same terminal as the NMEA 0183 and also added the the bare screen wire from the transducer cable to the iTC-5 converter. The status LED’s on the iTC-5 are solid for the network and the depth only section. I am now reading depth on the P70RS controller, as well as on the Axiom 9 MFD. However, the readings fluctuate (scrolling) from 15 to 50 feet, in 5 feet of water. There is no DSM in the mix, the transducer cable directly connected to the terminal.

As this set-up is unlike any that I have read in any manuals, I am sort of at a lose. Any idea what would cause the mis-readings? Do I need to add a DSM300? Do I need to switch transducers? Any assistance is appreciated!

Thanks, David

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

David,

It appears that the prior owner/installer has interfaced the Smart transducer (possibly one of Airmar's products) as a NMEA 0183 sensor. The Smart transducer appears to be powered by the MFD's SeaTalk/Alarm port ... this it ill advised, as the MFDs SeaTalk port was designed to supply only sufficient power to quickly interface the MFD to a GPS sensor in very small systems. The NMEA 0183 output of the Smart transducer is then supplying depth data to the MFD. I suspect that if you examined the NMEA 0183 buffer (received sentences only) via the MFD's Diagnostics feature, you will find that the reported fluctuations are present in the data being transmitted by the Smart transducer to the MFD. You may want to instead try powering the Smart transducer from a switched 12VDC power circuit to determine whether the problem persists.

Another possibility is that there are two depth sources within the system ... not supported by this generation of product. In such cases, one of the depth sources would need to be disconnected. You may test for a second source by simply unplugging the MFD's NMEA 0183 cable ... should the MFD continue to report a value for depth after a few minutes, then there is indeed a second source of depth data within the system.

Additionally, should I not have already stated it, the boat must be located in the water when evaluating performance of depth transducers. These transducers were designed to transmit/receive through water, not through air.

[CaptDaveHowe]

Hello Chuck,

Thanks for the reply. I have tried powering the transducer with it’s own 12 vDC supply, which resulted in no reading for depth on the P70RS display. I am considering replacing the transducer with a replacement designed to work with the Raymarine P70RS and Axiom MFD via SeaTalkNG and called Geneco for the Airmar model/part number. The Raymarine part number they gave is A22112, which is Airmar p/n 44-129-1-01. The Model is a DT800. I have in the boat now a DT800-B17, Airmar p/n 44-084-1-02.

Q1: Do you know if the A22112 (DT800) has been upgraded? (In other words, is the DT800 suggested by Airmar basically the same as the one I have now?)
Q2: Does the A22112 require connection to a iTC5?

Thanks,
David

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

David,

Q1: Do you know if the A22112 (DT800) has been upgraded? (In other words, is the DT800 suggested by Airmar basically the same as the one I have now?)
A2. Negative. The Raymarine A22112 DT800 is designed to simply be plugged into a spur socket within the system's powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. If seeking to set depth/temperature offsets,or depth/temp alarms, it will be necessary to add an i70S MFID to the system should it not already feature one. When used without an i70S MFD, the system will simply repeat the depth and temperature values transmitted by the DT800.

Q2: Does the A22112 require connection to a iTC5?
A2. Negative. See the response to Q1 regarding offsets.

[CaptDaveHowe]

Hello Chuck,

I have on order the A22112 transducer, as well as a i70S MFD to replace the transducer I have. I have seen some threads where the user used a connector box so as to splice the transducer cable from the new transducer to the existing cable cord of the old. Can the cable cord be cut and spliced in a connector box (and if so, what box)?

Thanks, Dave

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Dave,

The Raymarine A22112 DT800 is a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 smart transducer, the cable of which is terminated with a having a SeaTalkng spur plug. Raymarine only supports interfacing this transducer as a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 smart transducer, where it would simply be plugged into the spur socket of the system's powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone ... no modification of cables required or recommended.