Speaking Their Languages

Navigational electronics have become more reliable, but also increasingly intertwined and complex. When failures occur, they tend to come in two varieties: data suddenly disappears from one or more devices, or the whole system goes dark. If you cruise long enough, you will likely run into one of those scenarios. Let’s look at how different systems communicate and the troubleshooting possibilities to get your electronics back up and running.

Looking For Clues

Not too long ago, marine electronics consisted of single-function units that displayed narrowly defined information: radar on one display, location information on another, depth on another, and so forth. Some manufacturers started making it possible for data to be shared between units, say with main helm instruments and repeater units on the flybridge.

Then, manufacturers realized that combining information among different types of units could be useful: autopilots could steer to a waypoint established on a GPS; sending