SeaTalk connecting C80 & new ev100 autopilot

Maine Sail · Jul 28, 2015

H3newdog said:
Hi everyone, very new owner of a H34 hull #68 learning a lot. The boat came with a Raymarine C80 chart plotter I am installing an EV-100 autopilot that has the new SeaTalk -ng connections.

If I understand everything I read online the two different systems can operate together by splicing the lines. Before I fry anything by connecting the them together I thought I'd ask here.
Thanks
Dennis

You'll need the Raymarine SeaTalk to SeaTalkng converter kit # E22158..

Bob S · Jul 28, 2015

Try visiting the Raymarine Tech Forum.
http://raymarine.ning.com/
There is a lot of info there when it comes to installs and issues. I used the converter kit Maine Sail recommended.

Maine Sail · Jul 28, 2015

H3newdog said:
Thanks Maine Sail, I've seen that before and it looks like it just has the different connectors on the same cable. As all the cables have already been spliced to get them up to the NavPods on the helm I was planing to forgo the kit.

By the way I just saved your article on battery bank vs. banks.

You still need the converter to get SeaTalk 1 to talk to (convert the language/data) Seatalk ng . There is a chip/processor in the converter box and no way to physically "splice" Seatalk 1 to Seatalk ng because they are talking entirely different languages. Think of a Seatalk 1 to Seatalk ng converter as an interpreter for when you speak to a person speaking Chinese when you don't understand Chinese. No translator (converter bus), no comprende...

Bill Roosa · Jul 28, 2015

Pretty sure that ng and ST1 are the same language but they don't operate on the same physical protocol (0-12 volts vs 0-5 volts)
Soooo
yes you can splice them if you understand how to use a resistor to drop the voltage.......need to know the amps.....and no warranty.....
The Ray cable is all you need as they know the resistor size and just install it in the cable. You can confirm by looking at the manuals on seatalk. the pictures clearly show ST1 cabling into a STng with no extra boxes.

Maine Sail · Jul 28, 2015

Bill Roosa said:
Pretty sure that ng and ST1 are the same language but they don't operate on the same physical protocol (0-12 volts vs 0-5 volts)
Soooo
yes you can splice them if you understand how to use a resistor to drop the voltage.......need to know the amps.....and no warranty.....
The Ray cable is all you need as they know the resistor size and just install it in the cable. You can confirm by looking at the manuals on seatalk. the pictures clearly show ST1 cabling into a STng with no extra boxes.

The E22158 is actually a rather sophisticated piece of gear not just a splice with a resistor. It runs software and has had at least 5 or 6 software updates that I am aware of. It converts Seatalk 1 to Seatalk ng which is really NMEA 2K. For that conversion, ng to N2K, there is a simple cable but not for ST1 to STNG. There is a LOT that goes on in that little converter and no a cable with resistor won't work...

joker460 · Jul 28, 2015

Seatalk is ray's propriety version of nmea 0183 at a speed of 4.8kbaud.

Seatalk-ng is ray's propriety version of nmea 2000 at a speed up to 56kbaud. Also based on the CAN Buss. This was actually used by PLC based systems (DeviceNet) long before Ray used it as a protocol

The 2 can't be combined without the interface which matches up each of the protocols.

Meriachee · Jul 28, 2015

The words are different, the protocols are different, and the length of sentence is different. A whole bag full of resistors is $8.00 delivered from DigiKey, but not a single one of them will do the conversion.
The itc-5 also allows interfacing of older sensors, so there is some, although small, ancillary value in it.
You can (almost) directly plug in a CANbus device. That much is pretty cool.

Blitz · Jul 28, 2015

Maine Sail said:
The E22158 is actually a rather sophisticated piece of gear not just a splice with a resistor. It runs software and has had at least 5 or 6 software updates that I am aware of. It converts Seatalk 1 to Seatalk ng which is really NMEA 2K. For that conversion, ng to N2K, there is a simple cable but not for ST1 to STNG. There is a LOT that goes on in that little converter and no a cable with resistor won't work...

Exactly, be sure to do the software updates or to this converter and all instruments on the Ray marine system before thinking it's not working. The ray marine technical forums are good if you get stuck along the way.

Solstice · Jul 29, 2015

As Maine and others have noted, the converter is equipped with firmware and is required. A couple of things to add. Since you have an older CP, make sure the converter is equipped with the latest firmware update before installing. The newest CPs finally allow an upgrade via a download, but with older with older
Plotters you actually have to send the converter to Ray to do the upgrade. As an example of this, I upgraded a 3 year old Chartplotter this spring and my AP would not calibrate nor could I go to a WP or follow a route without upgrading the converter and the AP control head. Fortunately I could do the upgrade via micro SD cards.
In your case it will be much less painful to install a converter that is up to date....

Maine Sail · Jul 30, 2015

H3newdog said:
Solstice, I had tried to update using compact flash card as per instructions but the website no longer supports the C80. How do you upgrade converter as the picture of the kit shows nothing that even looks like it has electronics.

If you don't have a newer plotter you ship it back to Raymarine in Nashua, NH... If you purchase it through a high volume dealer such as Defender the software should be pretty current. There was an update IIRC that dealt with the Raystar 125 GPS antenna which with an antique plotter like the C-80 you are likely using..

Solstice · Jul 30, 2015

H3newdog said:
Solstice, I had tried to update using compact flash card as per instructions but the website no longer supports the C80. How do you upgrade converter as the picture of the kit shows nothing that even looks like it has electronics.

As Mainesail says, you ship it to NH. There is a newer update for support of the newer APs. You can find the latest rev on the RM tech site and the box the converter comes in will have the rev version on it. You can ask whoever you buy it from to check the revision for you before they ship to save you a step...

Maine Sail · Jul 30, 2015

Solstice said:
As Mainesail says, you ship it to NH. There is a newer update for support of the newer APs. You can find the latest rev on the RM tech site and the box the converter comes in will have the rev version on it. You can ask whoever you buy it from to check the revision for you before they ship to save you a step...

Last update was V1.21 in March of 2013... Everything out there, theoretically, should be V1.21 and it will say it on the bag next to the bar code...