Help connecting Raymarine e7 to Robertson/Simrad autopilot

[Cardo]

Hello!

So I'm installing the new electronics into the old girl. She has an old but hardy Robertson/Simrad autopilot that can input/output NMEA-0183 data.

I've installed a new Raymarine e7 as part of the new kit. I've connected the nmea in/out to the corresponding nmea out/in on the autopilot.

However, the e7 doesn't seem to recognise it has an autopilot connected to it. The e7 is definitely receiving data from the autopilot as it picks up the heading data from the fluxgate compass. I haven't been able to confirm whether the e7 -> autopilot connection is working yet however I will test this tomorrow by wiring up the wind vane to the e7 and seeing if the autopilot picks up the wind info.

I guess the real question is: Should the e7 recognise it has an autopilot connected via nmea or are the autopilot functions on the chartplotter reserved for Raymarine brand autopilots? If it should work, then any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

The autopilot manual definitely seems to think it should be able to receive instructions from a chartplotter connected via nmea. The autopilot is a AP22 unit with a something 3000 box.

 

[Cardo]

Not a single thought?? Oh dear!

As an addendum, I read the autopilot manual again and found some settings where I can tell it what's connected to the nmea-in, including a chartplotter. I'll be doing that today and see if it helps at all (Though it may already be set up that way, to be honest).

I guess the one thing that would be most useful to know is, can a Raymarine chartplotter recognise an autopilot connected via nmea-0183?

A further question - So far I've only connected the Tx+ and - and Rx + and - wires. I note there's also a black "ground" cable (I believe) however I'm not using this. Should I?

 

[pvb]

I guess the real question is: Should the e7 recognise it has an autopilot connected via nmea or are the autopilot functions on the chartplotter reserved for Raymarine brand autopilots? If it should work, then any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

It should recognise any properly connected autopilot. Is the "Pilot Controls" option available in the System Settings menu? Which autopilot icon is showing in the databar?

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

I know nothing of the E7 - but I "thought" on earlier models at least that the plotter talked to the autopilot via SeaTalk (so it could enable / disable pilot etc).

This might well mean that there were options that were only enabled if it detected a Raymarine autopilot ? I don't think there are any NMEA sentences for that type of control - or indeed any control - isn't it all just data ?

Thats certainly how it works on my C80 / S1 - not that I've ever felt the need to control autopilot from plotter ...

 

[Cardo]

I know nothing of the E7 - but I "thought" on earlier models at least that the plotter talked to the autopilot via SeaTalk (so it could enable / disable pilot etc).

This might well mean that there were options that were only enabled if it detected a Raymarine autopilot ? I don't think there are any NMEA sentences for that type of control - or indeed any control - isn't it all just data ?

Thats certainly how it works on my C80 / S1 - not that I've ever felt the need to control autopilot from plotter ...

I think you're right. There doesn't appear to be a way to directly control the autopilot, so the "pilot" controls within the e7 are redundant. However, I think I've got it working as best as it will. The e7 is sending waypoint, gps, wind, etc. data to the autopilot via nmea. When following a route the e7 sends the waypoint data to the autopilot. The autopilot then asks me to confirm whether I wish to follow the route given by the chartplotter and it follows that. I think that's probably good enough!

 

[Jimll]

I have also just installed a e7. I believe that the e7 will only recognise a autopilot if it is connected via seatalking so I would guess it would have to be a raymarine autopilot.
I have a spx5 autopilot but have connected it via nmea because I didn't want the extra expense of the sea talking network at the moment. All the data gets sent ok to and from the autopilot. From the head unit on the autopilot I can make it steer a course that I have set in the e7. It just means that I do not have direct control of the autopilot from the e7. As they are within a metre of each other I can live without this feature.