Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the Autopilot
System
NOTICE
If you are installing a NMEA 2000 power cable, you must
connect it to the boat ignition switch or through another in-line
switch. NMEA 2000 devices will drain your battery if the NMEA
2000 power cable is connected to the battery directly.
1
Connect the three T-connectors
À
together side-by-side.
2
Connect the included NMEA 2000 power cable
Á
to a 9 to
12 Vdc power source
Â
through a switch
Ã
.
Connect the power cable to the ignition switch of the boat if
possible, or route it through an inline switch (not included).
NOTE:
The braided drain wire (bare) on the NMEA 2000
power cable must be connected to the same ground as the
black wire on the NMEA 2000 power cable.
3
Connect the NMEA 2000 power cable to one of the T-
connectors.
4
Connect one of the included NMEA 2000 drop cables
Ä
to
one of the T-connectors and to the helm control
Å
.
5
Connect the other included NMEA 2000 drop cable to the
other T-connector and to the CCU
Æ
.
6
Connect the male and female terminators
Ç
to each end of
the combined T-connectors.
Connecting the Autopilot Components to an Existing NMEA
2000 Network
1
Determine where to connect the helm control
À
and the CCU
Á
to your existing NMEA 2000 backbone
Â
.
2
In the location where you want to connect the helm control,
disconnect one side of a NMEA 2000 T-connector
Ã
from the
network.
3
If necessary, connect a NMEA 2000 backbone extension
cable (not included) to the side of the disconnected T-
connector to extend the NMEA 2000 network backbone.
4
Add an included T
‑
connector for the helm control to the
NMEA 2000 backbone by connecting it to the side of the
disconnected T
‑
connector or backbone extension cable.
5
Route the included drop cable
Ä
to the helm control and to
the bottom of the T-connector added in step 4.
If the included drop cable is not long enough, you can use a
drop cable up to 6 m (20 ft.) long (not included).
6
Connect the drop cable to the helm control and the T-
connector.
7
Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the CCU.
Connecting Optional Devices to the Autopilot System
You can use advanced features of the autopilot system by
connecting optional NMEA 2000-compatible devices, such as a
wind sensor, a water-speed sensor, or a GPS device to the
NMEA 2000 network.
You can connect optional devices that are not NMEA 2000
compatible to the helm control through NMEA 0183 (
0183 Connection Considerations
).
1
Add an additional T-connector (not included) to the NMEA
2000 network.
2
Connect the device to the T-connector by following the
instructions provided with the device.
Configuring the Autopilot
The autopilot must be configured and tuned to your boat
dynamics. The Dockside Wizard and the Sea Trial Wizard on
the helm control are used to configure the autopilot. These
wizards walk you through the necessary configuration steps.
The Dockside Wizard
NOTICE
If you perform the Dockside Wizardwhile your boat is out of the
water, provide rudder-movement clearance to avoid damage to
the rudder or other objects.
You can complete the Dockside Wizard while the boat is in or
out of the water.
If the boat is in the water, it must be stationary while you
complete the wizard.
Performing the Dockside Wizard
NOTICE
If you have a boat with a power assist steering system, turn on
the power assist before performing the Dockside Wizard to
avoid damaging the steering system.
1
Turn on the autopilot.
The first time you turn on the autopilot, you are prompted to
complete a short setup sequence.
2
If the Dockside Wizard does not start automatically after the
setup sequence, select
Menu
>
Setup
>
Dealer Autopilot
Configuration
>
Wizards
>
Dockside Wizard
.
3
Select the vessel type.
4
Select the drive unit class (
Selecting the Drive Unit Class
).
5
If you have a drive unit not sold by Garmin, select the drive-
unit voltage and the drive-unit-clutch voltage (
Drive-Unit Voltage and Drive-Unit-Clutch Voltage
).
6
If you have a solenoid drive unit, select the solenoid voltage
and the solenoid bypass-valve voltage (
Solenoid Voltage and Solenoid Bypass-Valve Voltage
).
7
If necessary, enable the Shadow Drive (
).
7
