Interfacing Mercruiser, Volvo, and Crusader EFI equipped engines Raymarine MFDs

Raymarine's a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFDs and i70 MFIDs, as well as Raymarine's retired A/C/E-Series Classic MFDs, C/E-Series Widescreen MFDs, and G-Series GPM400, operating with the latest software updates support displaying engine data when interfaced to an engine system via a NMEA 2000 engine gateway. The engine data items which may be displayed by these Raymarine MFDs will vary based upon the model of MFD to which the engine gateway interfaced. The engine data items which may be displayed by these Raymarine MFDs will additionally vary based on the engine make/model and the make/model of NMEA 2000 engine gateway installed.

This FAQ specifically addresses interfacing Engine Control Module (ECM/ECU) equipped Mercruiser, Volvo, and Crusader EFI engines to these MFDs. The NMEA 2000 engine gateway discussed within this FAQ is Fox Marine's MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway.

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To determine whether your Mercruiser, Volvo, and Crusader EFI engine is compatible with a Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway, it is recommended that you view the Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway FAQs. It may be necessary to examine the decal affixed to the backside of the engine's ECM to determine which Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway is applicable for your engine system.

The primary function of a NMEA 2000 engine gateway is to pass engine data to the marine electronics network via a SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 backbone while controlling the flow of data between the engine system and the SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 backbone. A second function of a NMEA 2000 engine gateway is to isolate engine system power from SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 backbone power. To interface the Data Master MFD or MFID to a Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway, a powered and properly terminated NMEA 2000 backbone must be constructed, having sufficient spur sockets to accommodate power insertion and each SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 device will be interfaced to the NMEA 2000 backbone. The NMEA 2000 backbone may be constructed from Raymarine SeaTalkng and/or third party NMEA 2000 networking components as shown below.

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When using Raymarine SeaTalkng components to construct powered and properly terminated NMEA 200 backbone, a sufficient number of SeaTalkng T-Pieces (SeaTalkng 5-way connectors may be substituted where SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 devices are closely located to one another) must be installed to create a sufficient number of spur sockets for a power insertion and for each NMEA 2000 device (i.e. engines, sensors, data master MFD, etc.) which will be interfaced to the SeaTalkng backbone. A diagram of a large SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 network may be found here. A simple SeaTalkng backbone may be constructed from the following components to interface a single engine gateway to a MFD or MFID:

- A06064 SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector
- A06031 SeaTalkng Termination Plugs x 2 ... to be installed within the two blue backbone sockets of the SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector
- A06049 SeaTalkng Power Cable ... to be connected to switched 12VDC power circuit and to a spur socket of the SeaTalkng 5-way Connector (SeaTalkng backbone)
- A06045 0.4m or A05075 1m SeaTalkng to DeviceNet (F) Spur Cable to interface the Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway to a spur socket of the SeaTalkng 5-way Connector (SeaTalkng backbone)
- for a Data Master a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD, i70 MFID, Data Master C/E-Series Widescreen MFD, Data Master GPM400, or A-Series Classic MFD: a SeaTalkng Spur Cable of appropriate length to interface the SeaTalkng spur port of the MFD, i70 MFID, or GPM400 to a spur socket of the SeaTalkng 5-way Connector (SeaTalkng backbone)
- for a Data Master E-Series Classic MFD: an A06061 E-Series Classic to SeaTalkng Spur Cable to interface the MFD's SeaTalk2/NMEA 2000 port to a spur socket of the SeaTalkng 5-way Connector (SeaTalkng backbone)
- for a C-Series Classic MFD: an A06048 SeaTalk2 to SeaTalkng Spur Cable to interface the MFD's SeaTalk2 port to a spur socket of the SeaTalkng 5-way Connector (SeaTalkng backbone)

Additional SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 devices may be added to the backbone described above by simply daisy-chaining additional SeaTalkng 5-Way Connectors or SeaTalkng T-Pieces to the SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector using appropriate lengths of SeaTalkng Backbone Cable. As SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 spurs are limited to 5m maximum length, should the cable routing distance between the MFD and NMEA 2000 engine system's backbone exceed 10m, then the 5-Way Connector listed above may be replaced with A06028 SeaTalkng T-Pieces which have been joined to one another using appropriate lengths of SeaTalkng Backbone Cable. More information concerning SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000 networking may be found here.

One Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway will be required for each engine which will be interfaced to the NMEA 2000 backbone. Up to two Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateways may be installed within a single NMEA 2000 backbone. The Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway(s) will be interfaced to the engine's diagnostic socket per the instructions found here. Finally, the dip switches of the Fox Marine MEFI NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway will be configured per the information found here.

The following summarizes the installation of a Fox Marine MEFI-3 to a 2001 Mercruiser 5.7L EFI engine:

The Fox Marine MEFI-3 NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway was mounted in a location affording it from heat and moisture. The gateway's mounting location was also located in close proximity to a SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector having an unoccupied spur socket. The Fox Marine MEFI-3 NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway was then interfaced to the SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector using an A06045 0.4m SeaTalkng Spur to DeviceNet (F) Cable. In my case, the dip switches were delivered from the manufacturer for a single engine (instance 0), Master application, with alarms configured ON and simulator configured OFF. As such, no changes to the positions of the dip switches were required for my boat's application.

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Wire loom was installed on the MEFI-3’s engine interface cable for added protection. The cable was then routed to and plugged into the to the engine’s diagnostic plug. The engine’s diagnostic plug cover was disconnected from the ECM’s mounting bracket. The bracket mounting clip was then removed from the diagnostic plug's cover, and the clip was then installed on the MEFI-3’s plug, permitting the plug to then be clipped to the ECM’s mounting bracket. Zip ties were then applied to MEFI-3’s cable to provide strain relief to the cable.

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Configuration of the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFDs is quite simple:
1) Configure the MFD’s Num. of Engines configuration setting (HOME->CUSTOMIZE->BOAT DETAILS->NUM. OF ENGINES) … in this case the setting was configured to 1
2) Configure the MFD’s Total Fuel Capacity configuration setting (HOME->CUSTOMIZE->BOAT DETAILS->TOTAL FUEL CAPACITY) … in this case the setting was configured to 60Gal
3) Configure the MFD’s Fuel Manager feature to use Fuel Flow Rate for fuel calculations (HOME->SET-UP->FUEL MANAGER->SET-UP->FUEL CALCULATION->FUEL FLOW RATE)
4) Configure the MFD’s Fuel Manager to ON (HOME->SET-UP->FUEL MANAGER->FUEL MANAGER->TURN ON)
5) Configure the MFD’s Fuel Manager with a full tank (HOME->SET-UP->FUEL MANAGER->ALL TANKS FULL) ... in this case the vessel's tank was topped off prior to winter layup.

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6) Display the MFD’s Data application's Engine data panels and Fuel Data panel (HOME->DATA)

Installation of the Fox Marine MEFI-3 NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway could hardly have been easier on my vessel, as the NMEA 2000 backbone (SeaTalkng) had been previously installed. The Fox Marine MEFI-3 NMEA 2000 Engine Gateway supported the engine data items which had been specified within the gateway's documentation. Most importantly, it supplied fuel consumption rate data to the NMEA 2000 network, permitting the Fuel Manager features of the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFDs to be utilized. The following are some screen images taken from the system's Engine and Custom data panels while testing the gateway (Note: these screen snapshots were taken while the vessel was on the hard operating its engine. These photos will be replaced after with updated screen snapshots after the vessel has been launched for the season):

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