Simrad TP32 Tillerpilot steer-to-wind. Anyone got it working?

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ottow

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Looking for anyone who actually has managed to get this working using NMEA0183 wind data (NOT Seatalk)

My T32 came with the boat, and is of unknown age but in pretty good shape bot externally and internally.
I want to use the steer-to-wind function, as this will keep the boat more steady in gusty conditions.
However, this does not work. When I follow the instructions outlined in the manual (press and hold < and > keys simultaneously until a double beep is heard), the unit beeps twice but the LEDs that are supposed to start blinking to indicate steer-to-wind mode is active never do.
Same issue if I try to make it steer to a waypoint.

I've made sure the NMEA0183 wind data is available on the correct pins in the plug by connecting a laptop and inspecting the data flow while sailing.
I've also simulated the necessary data using my laptop at home and a NMEA simulator (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nmea-simulator/dfhcgoinjchfcfnnkecjpjcnknlipcll?hl=en), but that makes no difference.
I have even patched myself into the control board (http://guldburken.gote.org/maxi999/2019-02-10 15.11.55.jpg) in order to eliminate any cabling issues, but it made no difference at all.

As far as I am able to establish, my AP is either deaf, or there is some trick to this which is not in the manual.

If anyone has managed to get this working I'd be very happy to learn how it was done.

/Otto
 
Mine will steer to a waypoint, a route, or to wind. I have not actually tested it to see how well it steers to wind, as the masthead unit was only recently fitted, but the lights come on as they should do and it tures the wheel in response to wind shifts.

All of my electronics are on a NMEA 2000 network, but the AP is connected to the Garmin plotter via NMEA 0183, the plotter must be receiving wind data via N2K and passing it to the AP via 0183.

The standard WP32 cable contains a green wire (NMEA -) and a white one (NMEA +). These need to be connected to the relevant wires on the talker. Make sure you have the correct baud rate set on the talker.
 
Thanks Paul,

Green and white wires are correctly connected. I even tested swapping polarity in case something was wired backwards but it makes no difference.
Baud rate is 4800 on the talker.
The below is an extract of what I see when I connect my laptop to the AP connector at the helm (pins 7&8)
$IIVHW,,,224,M,00.0,N,,*60
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,043,L,06.7,N,,,,*79
$IIDPT,002.4,+0.6,*47
$IIHDG,223,,,03,E*12
$IIMTW,+19.0,C*30
$IIMWV,317,R,06.7,N,A*17
$IIMWV,316,T,06.6,N,A*11
$IIVHW,,,223,M,00.0,N,,*67
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,044,L,06.6,N,,,,*7F
$IIDPT,002.4,+0.6,*47
$IIHDG,223,,,03,E*12
$IIMTW,+19.0,C*30
$IIMWV,316,R,06.6,N,A*17
$IIMWV,317,T,06.7,N,A*11
$IIVHW,,,223,M,00.0,N,,*67
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,042,L,06.2,N,,,,*7D
$IIDPT,002.4,+0.6,*47
$IIHDG,223,,,03,E*12
$IIMTW,+19.0,C*30
$IIMWV,318,R,06.2,N,A*1D
$IIMWV,316,T,06.6,N,A*11
$IIVHW,,,223,M,00.0,N,,*67
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,046,L,06.3,N,,,,*78
$IIDPT,002.4,+0.6,*47
$IIHDG,223,,,03,E*12
$IIMTW,+19.0,C*30
$IIMWV,314,R,06.3,N,A*10
$IIMWV,318,T,06.2,N,A*1B
$IIVHW,,,223,M,00.0,N,,*67
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,045,L,06.1,N,,,,*79
$IIDPT,002.4,+0.6,*47
$IIHDG,223,,,03,E*12
$IIMTW,+19.0,C*30
$IIMWV,315,R,06.1,N,A*13
$IIMWV,314,T,06.3,N,A*16
$IIVHW,,,223,M,00.0,N,,*67
$IIVLW,02637,N,000.0,N*53
$IIVWR,047,L,05.9,N,,,,*70
 
4800 is correct.

I see you're getting the sentences for wind, but there a some missing for nav mode. The following should be received by the WP32


APA Cross Track Error, bearing to / arrival at waypoint
APB Cross Track Error, bearing to / arrival at waypoint
RMA Speed & course over ground & magnetic variation
RMB Cross Track Error, bearing to / arrival at waypoint (T)
RMC Speed & course over ground & magnetic variation
BWR Bearing to / arrival at waypoint (rhumb line)
BWC Bearing to / arrival at waypoint (great circle)
VHW Boat Speed
XTE Cross Track Error

VWR Apparent Wind Speed & Angle
MWV Apparent Wind Speed & Angle

If you receive all of that at the green/white wires it should work. If it doesn't, you may have a fault with the AP.
 
When I logged that dataset I did not have a waypoint set, so that's why there is only wind data.
Using the simulator I linked above, I tested with waypoint data included but as mentioned it made no difference.

Thanks anyway for the assistance, Simrad support has been spectacularly unhelpful with this, the person who eventually answered my e-mail basically quoted the manual and freely admitted not being an expert on APs. :-(
I suppose I'll have to live with this thing only working in compass mode, and try to source a broken AP I can rebuild with pypilot eventually.
 
I figured I'd post an update on this in case anyone comes looking for a solution to any similar issue:

After finding some references on a Norwegian boating forum indicating that some Simrad Tiller Pilots had the colors reversed on the NMEA cabling coming out of the bulkhead socket, I tried reversing the wiring, and lo and behold it worked!
According to the TP32 manual, blue is supposed to be "NMEA Out Common/-" and red is supposed to be "NMEA Out Data/+".
I had Common connected to the GND on my wind instrument, and Data connected to RX out.
Reversing the above solved my issue.

So it seems at least some TP models have their cabling reversed.
 
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