[CA] [CA11] ST2000+ remote control by ST 6002 Smart Pilot controller?

[dave.squared@hotmail.com]

Hi Chuck,
I have now purchased an ST6002 Pilot Controller to add to my system to control the ST2000 tilller pilot. The screen on the ST2000 is small and not conveniently located, so the ST6002 makes the autopilot more convenient to operate.

As you advised in the thread “[CA11] ST60+, seatalk1, seatalk NG, ray55e, A70D and ST2000+”:
- I will connect the ST2000 NMEA IN terminals to the NMEA OUT connection on the A70D MFD. This arrangement prevents the ST2000 sending heading data to my seatalk system to prevent duplication heading data. Heading is already on the system, sourced from a third party flux gate compass.
- The Seatalk connection from the ST2000+ will be connected to the ST6002 pilot controller.

1. Studying the manuals, I can see that the ST2000 will receive:
- navigation data using the APB,RMB,BWR and BWC NMEA sentence outputs from the A70D
- speed through the water via the VHW sentence from the A70D.
However the ST2000 only seems to recognize VWR to receive Apparent Wind Angle data. It does not appear that the A70D outputs the VWR sentence.

Q1. Can the ST2000+ receive wind speed and angle data from the A70D via NMEA (to enable wind angle steering)?

2. I am considering connecting the ST6002 NMEA IN port to the NMEA Output of my ST60 Graphic display. See rough sketch attached. The idea of this is to:
- provide a source of wind data for the ST2000
- allow the ST6002 to be useful as a display (e.g. for Heading, COG, SOG, Wind, Depth) when the autopilot is not connected to the system (for example, when racing).

Q2A: Will the ST2000 be able to receive wind data via the ST6002 from the Graphic Display (using NMEA sentence MNV from the Graphic to the ST6002 then via Seatalk from the ST6002 to the ST2000)?

Q2B. Can you confirm that the ST2000 will not receive heading data:
- from the ST60+ Graphic via the ST6002?
- from the A70D via NMEA?

3. I have not been able to discover what NMEA sentences are recognized by the ST6002 NMEA input. Nor can I find detail of what seatalk1 data is shared between the ST2000 and the ST6002.
I am concerned that there may be duplicate sources of some data from the ST60+ Graphic and the A70D to the ST6002 and/or the ST2000.

Specificallly:
Q3A: Will the ST6002 receive NMEA Heading data from the ST 60 Graphic and transmit it on to the ST2000 via Seatalk 1?
Q3B: If the ST2000 does receive a heading input from the ST6002 will ST6002 and/orST2000 be able to choose between the internal and external sources of heading data and steer to one of them?
Q3C: If the ST2000 receives wind data from the A70D via NMEA, will it clash with wind data received from the ST60 Graphic via NMEA to the ST6002 then via seatalk to the ST2000?
Q3D: Do you see any other data duplication or loop issues with the proposed configuration?

Regards
Dave