Evolution Autopilot

[Ian_Rob]

I am planning to upgrade my autopilot to an EV1/ACU 200. The ACU will be located in the same position as the current S2 Smartpilot.

A P70S will replace the ST6002 at the helm but will I have to buy and run a new Seatalk NG cable all the way back to the ACU 200 or is there anyway I can use the existing cable that connects the existing ST6002 to the Smartpilot?

Thank you .

 

[Boathook]

Could cut a spur cable in half and connect existing cable to it if existing cable has enough cores. Will need to do the same to connect to the ACU200.

How to connect the cables could be another thread but a search will or should bring these up.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I can't say for sure, but this is from (pretty much) page 1 of the P70S manual:

From this I would surmise that the connection to the old SmartPilot is ye olde SeaTalk1 and that SeaTalkNG will be needed to connect the P70S to the Evo.

I mean, you could read the manuals more and I'd guess they'd tell you. Sorry I can't be bothered to do so myself, but that's my guess.

Probably you will need a complete SeaTalkNG mini network - you need to follow the backbone topology, with 12v supply, T's and a terminator at each end.

I think the Evo's heading / till sensor needs to be connected by SeaTalkNG anyway, so that would be the fore end of your SeaTalkNG backbone (or you could have it as a really long "drop cable").

You need to understand the backbone topology - failing to do so tends to be a source of beginner mistakes. People tend to connect them together any which way, as if the T's were carrying water, and then wonder why it doesn't work. Devices are always connected via a drop cable to the middle leg of a T - the arms of the T form part of the backbone.

 

[laika]

A P70S will replace the ST6002 at the helm but will I have to buy and run a new Seatalk NG cable all the way back to the ACU 200 or is there anyway I can use the existing cable that connects the existing ST6002 to the Smartpilot?

Yes new cable but it's not as onerous a task as you may think. Depending on where everything is relative to each other it could be as simple as a 5 way block with terminators in each end socket and spur cables to the p70, the ev and the course computer although if the rest of your instruments are also seatalk it might make sense to do what I did and add in a seatakng to seatalk adaptor and link everything together so you can sail to wind angle for example.

I think the Evo's heading / till sensor needs to be connected by SeaTalkNG

heading sensor yes but the if by till sensor you mean rudder sensor (apologies if I misunderstood) this is not apparently different from the autohelm ones of 35 years ago and connects directly to the course computer (not via seatalk ng)

 

[KompetentKrew]

heading sensor yes but the if by till sensor you mean rudder sensor (apologies if I misunderstood)

Sorry. I meant heading / tilt.

The rudder angle sensor appears to be simply a potentiometer, presumably with some waterproofing.

 

[Ian_Rob]

All very useful stuff- thank you. It would be easier if I was down on the boat and able to see what is what but from the manuals and from an old photo I have of the wiring of my S2, it seems rather simpler than I was imagining. I was hoping to buy the necessary additional cables in advance but I will wait until I can see what routes are going to feasible and the lengths that will be needed.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I just remembered I saved a copy of this:

NMEA 2000 always has this "backbone" configuration - you can't just connect two NMEA 2000 devices using a single cable.

This is a minimum NMEA 2000 network for connecting 2 devices:

One way to look at SeaTalkNG is that it's just NMEA 2000 with a different shape of connector, but this isn't the whole story. Raymarine introduced this new connector to bridge compatibility between all their existing SeaTalk1 products and the new NMEA 2000 ones they were introducing - consequently SeaTalkNG also has an extra wire that can be used to carry old SeaTalk1. If you see two older products that are connected directly together with no backbone then that means they're using SeaTalk1, even if the cable is the same - if your device only supports SeaTalkNG then it needs the NMEA 2000 backbone.

I think hopefully that should make sense now?

 

[PaulRainbow]

I am planning to upgrade my autopilot to an EV1/ACU 200. The ACU will be located in the same position as the current S2 Smartpilot.

A P70S will replace the ST6002 at the helm but will I have to buy and run a new Seatalk NG cable all the way back to the ACU 200 or is there anyway I can use the existing cable that connects the existing ST6002 to the Smartpilot?

Thank you .

How far is the cable run ?

 

[Ian_Rob]

How far is the cable run ?

I need to look at what will be the best route Paul but my guess is that it will be circa 7m. I am not down again until the bank holiday weekend. I think the existing cables to the binnacle were pulled through as bare cables so getting the the Seatalk NG drop cable through with its end connector, may be a problem. I have a spare Scanstrut deck seal that I can use where it has to go through the GRP bulkhead so that should be OK but routing the end connector via the tubular rail that supports the NavPod may prove easy, difficult or impossible…….

 

[PaulRainbow]

I need to look at what will be the best route Paul but my guess is that it will be circa 7m. I am not down again until the bank holiday weekend. I think the existing cables to the binnacle were pulled through as bare cables so getting the the Seatalk NG drop cable through with its end connector, may be a problem. I have a spare Scanstrut deck seal that I can use where it has to go through the GRP bulkhead so that should be OK but routing the end connector via the tubular rail that supports the NavPod may prove easy, difficult or impossible…….

The maximum permissible length of a spur cable is 5m, so you will need to use a backbone cable. Fit a T connector to the end of the backbone, inside the Navpod and terminate it, then use a short spur cable to the P70.

The ST6002 connects to the ACU by Seatalk, which only uses 3 wires, so the cable might not have enough cores. If that's the case. buy a suitable STNG backbone cable, cut it at a convenient point and use the existing cable to pull a cut end through the pedestal guard and splice the ends together. I would use a new cable in any case.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Thanks Paul. Really useful as always.

 

[laika]

The maximum permissible length of a spur cable is 5m, so you will need to use a backbone cable.

Might this depend on placement? ie, 7m head to course computer might also be a 5m spur and a 3m spur off a 5 way block somewhere in the middle with the ev sensor connected by another spur. If the network were to be extended later it might (again, depending on layout) be easier to pop a terminator off the 5-way and replace it with backbone than run the backbone back from the head unit.

I believe the acu 200 can provide power and if you only have autopilot stuff connected you won't be so worried about a failure of the acu taking down the whole network: you can add in separate power if/when you extend

 

[PaulRainbow]

Might this depend on placement? ie, 7m head to course computer might also be a 5m spur and a 3m spur off a 5 way block somewhere in the middle with the ev sensor connected by another spur. If the network were to be extended later it might (again, depending on layout) be easier to pop a terminator off the 5-way and replace it with backbone than run the backbone back from the head unit.

Yes, there are several different ways to do it, depending on circumstances. But, you still cannot use a spur cable longer then 5m.