Raymarine ST6001 AP fluxgate compass

[vechnyak]

Could someone help me understand if the 5 wire connection used between raymarine fluxgate compass and the SmartPilot unit uses RS232 or RS485 serial?

my heading is all over the place. I will try to reset AP settings but fear the fluxgate went bad. if thats the case I am looking at replacements but OEM is discontinued.

Thanks

Val

[Tehani]

The fluxgate handles analog signals, it does not communicate by RS232 or 422.

If the fluxgate is damaged, you can find nmea0183 compasses that you can connect to the NMEA0183 input on the smartpilot. You will need to completely disconnect the original fluxgate.

[vechnyak]

Thank you for your response. Could you please clarify. Are you saying that Raymarine autopilot can "see" and use the compass data on the NMEA0183 network??

If so, my plotter already has a compass built in and can share this info on the network! But I never knew it can be read by ST6001 autopilot

[Tehani]

Well, it is a bit difficult to explain if you are not familiar with communications between marine devices.
Using simple words:
Do not confuse Heading (HDG) with Course over ground (COG). The first is delivered by a compass, and the second by a Plotter or GPS.
Some Plotters and GPS have an internal compass, which they use to provide a more realistic COG when the speed of the boat is very low. But this is only for internal use of the Plotter, because that data is not usually sent to the other devices.
That is, there is a "phrase" to send the heading, and another to send the COG. They are different phrases.

Yes, your smartpilot is ready to receive heading "phrase" through its NMEA0183 input.

[Tehani]

These NMEA0183 compasses are commonly used for TV antennas and radar.
You can find them at various prices. Some are very expensive.
But currently, all incorporate a gyroscope that will significantly improve the response of your pilot.
If your pilot is an S2G, S3G, or more modern, it already has a built-in gyro. You should surely remove it.