Engine pressure and temps onto NMEA2000 please

[richardm47]

I have an oldish boat with a newish Beta 60 engine. The engine panel only has one gauge - the rev counter. There are lights for low oil pressure and excess water temp. And I've got an NMEA2000 network for wind and autopilot, all Garmin.

I'd like to monitor the engine pressures and temps more closely. But I don't want any more gauges or displays, they're starting to spoil the look of my oldish boat. I'd display the engine info on my Garmin GMI-20 displays. Or preferably on my iPad, already used in the wheelhouse as a Navionics plotter.

I've found that Actisense have a product called EMU-1 http://www.actisense.com/products/nmea-2000/emu-1/emu-1.html that connects to engine sensors and would put data out on my network. Costs about £350. Sailing Today has it in their November issue. Any one used an EMU-1? Is it any good?

Beta say the sensors on their engines are not compatible with the EMU-1, so that's one problem. Has anyone solved this issue? Should I just replace all the engine sensors with compatible ones?

 

[RichardS]

Do Beta say whether the sensors on their engine are actually variable sensors which relay continuous readings or trigger sensors which just indicate when a threshold has been exceeded. If the latter, you will have to replace them anyway.

Richard

 

[Mrnotming]

Dmk box does this type of stuff.
Www.dmkyacht.com

 

[ianj99]

I too want to send my engine sensor data via N2k to my Lowrance HDS9 Gen3 mfd but the cost of an EMU1 is too high and it only works with Vdo or Faria sensors, whereas my Chinese MP446 engine has chinese sensors.

I can convert the rpm, oil pressure and water temp signals to Nmea0183 without too much trouble but then have the problem of a low cost way of converting to N2k because the Lowrance acquires engine data only over N2k. (although I am waiting for them to confirm this)

Actisense's 0183 to N2k interface does not translate the RPM and XDR sentences to N2k pgns and the US company Noland's EMU unit is also unaffordable.

Its a job for an Arduino with can shield but beyond me. (too old!)

 

[richardm47]

Do Beta say whether the sensors on their engine are actually variable sensors which relay continuous readings or trigger sensors which just indicate when a threshold has been exceeded. If the latter, you will have to replace them anyway.

Beta sensors on my engine are trigger sensors, not variable ones. I've talked to Beta now, who say that the trigger sensors should stay in place, with variable sensors added. Apparently you can do this with sensor 'branches' or T-pieces, which allow more than one sensor in one location.

 

[richardm47]

Thanks for your comments.

I'll have to make sure the new variable sensors are EMU-1 compatible. And I'm going to see if Vesper will add NMEA2000 engine sentences to what their XB8000 AIS unit sends out over wi-fi. That'd get the engine stuff onto my iPad.

I'll pursue this project more over the winter. But if it ain't finished by next May, I'm going sailing anyway!

 

[RichardS]

Beta sensors on my engine are trigger sensors, not variable ones. I've talked to Beta now, who say that the trigger sensors should stay in place, with variable sensors added. Apparently you can do this with sensor 'branches' or T-pieces, which allow more than one sensor in one location.

I did something similar with a car oil pressure sensor and a T-piece many years ago. It worked fine with the two sensors.

Thanks for your comments.

I'll have to make sure the new variable sensors are EMU-1 compatible. And I'm going to see if Vesper will add NMEA2000 engine sentences to what their XB8000 AIS unit sends out over wi-fi. That'd get the engine stuff onto my iPad.

I'll pursue this project more over the winter. But if it ain't finished by next May, I'm going sailing anyway!

The latest firmware for the XB8000 transmits NMEA2000 PGNs 130310 - 16 which are "environmental" and "temperature". I don't know whether these are related to engine monitoring as I don't use NMEA2000.

Richard

 

[earlybird]

Beta sensors on my engine are trigger sensors, not variable ones. I've talked to Beta now, who say that the trigger sensors should stay in place, with variable sensors added. Apparently you can do this with sensor 'branches' or T-pieces, which allow more than one sensor in one location.

That's OK for adding a pressure sensor, but I can't see teed-in temperature sensors working very well. They need to protrude into the jacket I'd have thought.
Beta did fit dual temperature switch/senders, there's one referenced in my engine manual circuit diagrams, maybe now superceded.
On my newish B25, there's a 3/8" bsp blanking plug in the thermostat housing which could be used for a sender.

 

[richardm47]

The latest firmware for the XB8000 transmits NMEA2000 PGNs 130310 - 16 which are "environmental" and "temperature". I don't know whether these are related to engine monitoring as I don't use NMEA2000.

The Vesper XB8000 would need to transmit the PGNs that the Actisense EMU-1 outputs, which i guess are numbers 127488 and 127489. I'll need to confirm those numbers with Actisense, then ask Vesper if/when they will get those PGNs to be on their wifi output.