NavPilot 611 and IF-NMEA2K2 via NN3D

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The NMEA0183 data 2 port TD has failed after several years. So I purchased the IF-NMEA2K2 and Furuno connection box to talk to the Navpilot 611. The MFD12 NMEA2000 port is configured and NN3D is getting HDG data and sending a number of PGN's to the Pilot. (RMC, MTW, VHW, VTG, ZDA, GGA, HDG, and APB appears when I sent nav/goto data, I can view the input sentances using the APilot display). The NMEA 2000 is the only active port on the system (apart from the HUB with DFF1, AI-50, Radome, the main MFD12 has GP320b connected to DATA1, DATA2, port 3 is used for CH-270, HF and VHF, but I've disconnected DATA2, and disabled these ports for this testing. Only DATA1 is enabled with HDG as the input.)
The Navpilot611 and PG500 are on the same TD output as original 0183 from the NN3d and are the only items connected to the IF-NMEA2K2 0183 output.
The IF-NMEA2K2 is new, purchased May 2017. The heading input from PG500 is working to the MFD12's, and position data from the MFD12 to the Pilot is working. It would appear that its all ok, but I cant get the NAV to work on the pilot. If I use goto in NN3D, there is no data appearing at the pilot, (except the APB string appears along with the others).
If I compare an old picture of the input sentences I had when the pilot worked with 0183, it would seem the input sentences missing are BOD, GLL, XTE. The others are all the same as before.
I changed the Pilot NMEA0183 version to 3.0 which matches the IF-NMEA2K2 output.
I have tried a select number of NMEA output PGN's and all of them.
Is the IF-NMEA2K2 compatible with NavPilot611?
 
Tonyp
You provided a lot of information but it isn't entirely clear how you have this wired. If you have a drawing or sketch that you can share that might help me understand what is happening for you.

Yes, the NavPilot 611 is compatible with the IF-NMEA2k2. NMEA 0183 at 4800 baud has a bandwidth limit of about 7 NMEA sentences. If you turn on more, you risk the data being cut off. You seem to be missing a very important NMEA sentence; RMB that carries your "Destination". I would recommend that you start by only feeding the interface the following sentences. APB, GGA,RMB, RMC, VHW, MTW.
 
Thanks, I have attached the system configuration diagram, hope it helps. Today I reconfigured the output PGNs for the MFD12 NMEA2000 port so it only has selected GNSS position data and Navigation data, rest are off. The 2nd MFD12 has nothing selected. After a restart, I looked at the NMEA2000 port monitor and observed following:
-The IFNMEA2k is transmitting PGN 127250 Vessel Heading and 127258 Magnetic Variation.
-The MFD12 transmitted PGNs are 129029 GNSS Pos data, 129284 Nav Data, 130821 NavSource Speed (greyed out though, not sure what that means).
The Pilot input sentence displays a number of sentences but there is no RMB among them.
(looking at old photo of the navpilot, these are the original input sentences when pilot worked with NAV; APB, BOD, GLL, HDG, GAA, RMC, XTE. RMB was not included nor was RMB selected at the MFD12 NMEA0183port2.)
Let me know if you need any more info.
 

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Good afternoon TonyP,

Thank you for your detailed write up and drawing. When you changed from 0183 to N2K did you reset the Nav. Data Source in the Nav. Options Menu. If you have not done so the pilot could still be looking for NMEA0183 Port 1 or Port 2. I would check to see what source it is looking at.
 
C-Bass' thoughts are in sync with mine. The install of the drawing looks fine. The GNSS position data and Navigation data should be good as PGN outputs but you might also want to add Cross Track. Once you check/set your sensor sources and the Nav source settings in the pilot, it should work.
 
I will check this, but I'm sure the wiring is connected to the in/out port1 on pilot and I have selected port 1 as the nav source. (I didn't change any of that from when it was operating). However, I can see that the output sentence setting for V3.0 is not the same as the user manual. Could the issue be associated with the output sentence selection, as I didn't think this goes anywhere?
I will put the output sentences to the same as the user manual and try it over the weekend.
Can you confirm that the Nav source will still be NMEA0183 from Port 1 or 2 and that I'm not missing something else?
Thanks for your help.
 
For the pilot the 0183 should be wired into TB6 (Pin 3 + and Pin 4 -) for NMEA 0183 port 1 input. Then the Nav source should be select to Port 1.
 
I've done some further testing. The NMEA is an input signal to the pilot, so I think it should be on TB7, pins 3 and 4 which is port 1, (its original state since new, 6+ years). (according to my manual, TB6 is an output port, and port 2). Nav source is selected to port 1. If I change it to Port 2, the input sentences from MFD12 stop and only the HDG sentence from the PG500 remains. When port 1 is selected the active input sentences at the pilot are GGA, HDG, RMC and ZDA.
At the MFD12, I added the XTE PGN to the NMEA2k output and VHW was added to the Pilots input sentence list. When we activate the GOTO on MFD12, the APB sentence is active too. If we the press NAV on the pilot, there is no waypoint number and if we continue and accept, "NAV Data Error" appears.
We used the 2nd MFD12's NMEA port monitor and looked at the PGN details of the NAV data, we can see the waypoint name and other parameters are updating when we move the GOTO point around. However, the name and data is not getting tot he pilot.
To confirm the pilot is working, I disconnected the IF-NMEA2K, hooked up the MFD8 from the back deck, wired the port 2 NMEA0183 output into the existing wiring connections (where IFNMEA2K was connected), set the sentences up and the NAV functions correctly.
We then reinstalled the IFNMEA2K and tried placing the IF-NMEA2k into Zues/4800 mode by cutting the purple and orange wires. Cycled power to the system and RMB was added to the pilot input sentences. NAV would still not work and in this mode APB is not an active sentence.
I can only think that there is some translation between the IFNMEA2K and Pilot-611 that its not happy about.
here is a link to my dropbox folder with ZIP file with a wordpad/pictures file and photo of the pilot wiring. Its too big to upload to your site.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bm6249dzgdmw ... KBjKa?dl=0
Just got more data using port monitor of the NMEA0183 bus while the GOTO NAV is active. Added pictures to same dropbox and folder "Port monitor of NMEA0183 sentences to pilot when goto NAV is active"
 
Is there anything more that Furuno can assist with on this matter, Im running V2.12 NN3D
 
Good morning Tony,

This is a difficult case, thank you again for your detailed report. Can you please let us know what software version the NavPilot 611 is running for both the controller and the processor (FAP5002).
 
As C-bass states; you should check the software in the pilot. You are correct about the NMEA port; I was looking at the diagram for the NavPilot 700 series by mistake. There are a few items you should note. First off, you can never monitor the PGN data from another NN3D on the same network. By design, you should never have two MFDs connected to the same NMEA 2000 backbone. I should have caught that from your drawing but the TZT and TZT2 would connect this way and it has been a long time since my mind has been in the NN3D mode. You must decide which MFD you want on the NMEA 2000 bus, but you CAN NOT have both MFDs on the same bus. Then you would conduct the PGN setup on the device you have connected to the bus. To have both on the bus as you do now, creates a big data loop and most likely is a great deal of your problem. Give that at try and see what you get.
 
Nav Pilot versions are
Processor 6454002-04.08
controller 6454005-01.01
I installed ACTIsense NGW-1 converter and all worked straight away.
 
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