Wiring Twin Navpilot 711C for redundancy

[MV Mobius]

We are having a custom 78-foot aluminum expedition power vessel built for us at Naval Yachts in Turkey. My husband and I are trying to do most of the Furuno install ourselves so that we know the equipment intimately and can attempt repairs in the remote places we intend to cruise.

Ours is a single engine, single rudder set up with dual steering gear designed by Kobelt - twin pumps, cylinders, etc. We've also bought two Navpilot 711C units. We would like to alternate using them to make sure they average the same number of hours over the years.

Ideally, we would like to be able to use both FAP 7011C control units no matter which processor box we are using, as one will be at the main helm and the other on the flybridge. Is there a way to do this?

If not, we can always control the autopilot with TimeZero at both helms, but I thought I would ask.

Christine
http://mobius.world

 

[kicker]

Since each display is going to be ran off of it's own processor, it will not communicate unless they are connected to the same processor or daisy chained off of each other. But if they are connected to the same processor or daisy chained, when one turns on, they both will turn on.

So no, that plan will not work.

 

[MV Mobius]

So I've been looking more closely at the Furuno 711C operator's manual, and I see now that the processor box can be connected to two control units via port TB8 using pins 1-7 for one cable and 8-14 for the other.

The control units also have two connection ports on the back.

This suggests that I can connect each control head to both processor boxes (no daisy chain), by buying two more of the 15m cable assemblies that ship with the units.

Obviously, I will make sure that the processor boxes receive mutually exclusive power.

Can you confirm that this setup will work?

Christine
http://mobius.world

 

[Johnny Electron]

The NP711C can run up to six control heads (three on each connection channel). When running two control heads, you can either daisy chain them on the main channel, or turn on the second channel and wire them both direct to the processor independently. Note that both control heads should have the required bus termination at the back, if you run them on separate channels/buses.