ST 6000 interfacing.

[steverow]

Hi,
I have an ST6000 autopilot which is perhaps from the late 80's and consists of 3 square instruments in black with red push buttons...an autopilot and helm indicator, a fluxgate compass/heading indicator and a speed and depth unit. All works well on it's own.
I would like to interface this to the rest of my system which all talks happily together using NMEA, comprising PC chart plotter on Laptop, a Garmin 235 gps/plotter sounder and Raymarine SL72 radar.
Now... does anybody know whether it would be possible to use the SL72 to convert the NMEA from the PC chart plotter to Seatalk using it's inbuilt bridge... would it output the correct tokens...and are the correct leads available to do this, or would it also be possible to use one of these NMEA to seatalk converters to talk direct from the PC to the ST6000??? anybody ever done this at all??

Finally, does anybody have a manual for the ST6000 Autohelm from this vintage that I can buy or copy???

Cheers

Steve.



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[pandroid]

If it really is the ST6000, then the manual is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/Default.asp?site=1&Section=3&Page=657&Parent=166>here</A>. There is also a manual for a 6000 which pre-dates it.

I cant guarantee the systems can do what you want but its possible. I do something similar with a ST6000+ and RLC70CRC and it works (but these are later devices). If you are planning to simply repeat the GPS signal onto the Seatalk bus then it'll probably work, if you want to control the Autopilot from the PC, then its unlikely. The SL72 manual (on a related web page) lists the sentences it deals with.

There are a few gotchas. Some of the old Raymarine systems use NMEA 1.5, and some ignore certain fields in the messages.



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[Moose]

What is your Course computer?

<hr width=100% size=1>My Moose is having a rest, he has done enough walking for the year.

 

[stuartw]

Steve,
Have a look at my posting on 06/10/03, entitled 'Old Autohelm 6000- rejuvenated with GPS steering' , which is about my efforts to integrate the Autohelm 6000 with GPS. It may be of some interest. If so PM me & I can give you more info.
Stuart

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[stuartw]

Sorry, my old post was on the MBC forum

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[steverow]

Many thanks guys...Much useful information here..and a lot to take in.
I've now got the manual downloaded thanks to Ivan pointing me in the right direction.
It DOES have an NMEA input, contrary to previous info Ive been given, I had assumed it was seatalk only, thus the need to convert through the radar...
which looking at it now anyway, doesnt have the right sentences on it's bridged seatalk output.
Looking at the NMEA spec from the manual of the ST6000, it does appear to be able to respond to 0183, not only XTE but Distance and bearing to waypoint and waypoint number also, but which revision of 0183 has yet to be determined..manual doesnt say.

Hopefully I can just take a separate Autopilot output from the laptop plotter
and feed it into the ST6000....and hope for the best....you never know it "might" work......
Stuart, brilliant idea using an emulator to sort out the sentence response...I'd have never thought of that...full marks for perseverance....
I'll be in touch shortly via PM to discuss some of the issues you have raised, although you are absolutely right, there seems litlle point in replacing it as I'll only be getting much the same again at huge expense.
Anyway I'll find out at the weekend when we go down to Swansea if its do-able
Out of the water at the mo...easier to see the rudders move...
I'll let you know how it goes.
Many thanks all.

Steve.


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