Q1: can Lowrance chartplotters with NMEA 2000 data ihave the ability to add fuel, the ability to display average and instantaneous fuel flow rate, and display or reset the cumulative functions (trip and season fuel consumed, season hours, etc.)
BACKSTORY
I have a 2007 E-TEC 200 that has the ICON tachometer installed. The instrument works well but especially in bright sunlight, it is difficult for me to find a combination of brightness and contrast that allows easy visualization of the gauge. That might be more as a result of the number of birthdays my eyes have had as opposed to a problem with the gauge.
Sharing FUEL MANAGER Data
Re: Sharing FUEL MANAGER Data
On my boat I have both a Lowrance chart plotter (HDS-8) and an ICON Pro RPM gauge. I am very familiar with the topic of fuel management, usually provided by a function I call the FUEL MANAGER.
I will explain how fuel management works with a Lowrance chart plotter and with an ICON Pro RPM gauge.
Typically the Lowrance chart plotters do not provide a FUEL MANAGER function in the chart plotter itself. Lowrance chose an unusual method of design, where they put the FUEL MANAGER function into an accessory device. This device has been called by several names, but the most recent name for it is FUEL MANAGER MODULE. The fuel manager module is connected to the NMEA-2000 network. The fuel manger module is configured by a Lowrance chart plotter. The fuel manager module gets its data about boat speed from the NMEA-2000 network, typically from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, which often is located in a chart plotter. The fuel manger module gets is data about rate of fuel consumption from the NMEA-2000 network, typically from a propulsion engine that has NMEA-2000 capabilities, such as most modern outboard engines, including the E-TEC outboard engine (which was among the first, if not the first, engine to have that capability).
The typical chart plotter what is provided with boat speed and rate of fuel flow can compute the INSTANTANEOUS fuel economy in MPG. This is not a function reserved only for the fuel data manager.
The functions that reside in the fuel data manager module are the integration over time of the rate of fuel flow into a volume of fuel consumed in that time period. The fuel data manager has been configured with the VOLUME of the fuel tank capacity, and at some point the amont of fuel in the fuel tank, so the fuel data manager always know the value of FUEL REMAINING in the fuel tank. The value of fuel remaining and the value of tank capacity are then used to compute a FUEL TANK LEVEL.
The fuel data manager can also track the amount of FUEL USED according to three accumulators, usually called SEASON, TRIP 1, and TRIP 2.
The fuel data manager can also permit the operator to inform the fuel data manager of any instance in which additional fuel is added to the fuel tank. The FUEL ADDED amount is then added to the FUEL REMAINING value at that time, resulting in a new FUEL TANK LEVEL.
The fuel data manager module stores the data about FUEL REMAINING at this moment in the fuel tank, (the three values for) FUEL USED, the fuel TANK CAPACITY. The Lowrance chart plotter uses these values to show you various data about the fuel and its management.
The fuel manager module is made by Lowrance, and the communication protocol used with it is NMEA-2000, but the parameter group used in proprietary to Lowrance (and its sister brands SIMRAD and B&G). That means the data in the fuel manager module cannot be accessed by the Evinrude ICON Pro RPM gauge.
By the way, the separation of the FUEL MANAGER function into its own module goes back to the very first era of NMEA-2000 display devices, the LMF-200 and LMF-400 display. One possible reason for the separation of the fuel manager function from the actual display device may have been the concept that there could be several LMF-400 or LMF-200 displays in use, and any of them could be configured to show the fuel data that was stored in the FUEL DATA MANAGER module, as the user desired.
The Evinrude ICON RPM gauge implements its own fuel manager function. It is a self-contained function, and does not rely on the Lowrance FUEL MANAGER MODULE to operate.
Regarding the difficulty in using the ICON Pro RPM gauge to enter data like FUEL ADDED when in direct sunlight, I agree with you.
I will explain how fuel management works with a Lowrance chart plotter and with an ICON Pro RPM gauge.
The short answer is YES, but you have to add a second device on the network, the FUEL DATA MANAGER module. The longer answer follows:warsno wrote:Q1: can Lowrance chartplotters with NMEA 2000 data have the ability to add fuel, the ability to display average and instantaneous fuel flow rate, and display or reset the cumulative functions (trip and season fuel consumed, season hours, etc.)
Typically the Lowrance chart plotters do not provide a FUEL MANAGER function in the chart plotter itself. Lowrance chose an unusual method of design, where they put the FUEL MANAGER function into an accessory device. This device has been called by several names, but the most recent name for it is FUEL MANAGER MODULE. The fuel manager module is connected to the NMEA-2000 network. The fuel manger module is configured by a Lowrance chart plotter. The fuel manager module gets its data about boat speed from the NMEA-2000 network, typically from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, which often is located in a chart plotter. The fuel manger module gets is data about rate of fuel consumption from the NMEA-2000 network, typically from a propulsion engine that has NMEA-2000 capabilities, such as most modern outboard engines, including the E-TEC outboard engine (which was among the first, if not the first, engine to have that capability).
The typical chart plotter what is provided with boat speed and rate of fuel flow can compute the INSTANTANEOUS fuel economy in MPG. This is not a function reserved only for the fuel data manager.
The functions that reside in the fuel data manager module are the integration over time of the rate of fuel flow into a volume of fuel consumed in that time period. The fuel data manager has been configured with the VOLUME of the fuel tank capacity, and at some point the amont of fuel in the fuel tank, so the fuel data manager always know the value of FUEL REMAINING in the fuel tank. The value of fuel remaining and the value of tank capacity are then used to compute a FUEL TANK LEVEL.
The fuel data manager can also track the amount of FUEL USED according to three accumulators, usually called SEASON, TRIP 1, and TRIP 2.
The fuel data manager can also permit the operator to inform the fuel data manager of any instance in which additional fuel is added to the fuel tank. The FUEL ADDED amount is then added to the FUEL REMAINING value at that time, resulting in a new FUEL TANK LEVEL.
The fuel data manager module stores the data about FUEL REMAINING at this moment in the fuel tank, (the three values for) FUEL USED, the fuel TANK CAPACITY. The Lowrance chart plotter uses these values to show you various data about the fuel and its management.
The fuel manager module is made by Lowrance, and the communication protocol used with it is NMEA-2000, but the parameter group used in proprietary to Lowrance (and its sister brands SIMRAD and B&G). That means the data in the fuel manager module cannot be accessed by the Evinrude ICON Pro RPM gauge.
By the way, the separation of the FUEL MANAGER function into its own module goes back to the very first era of NMEA-2000 display devices, the LMF-200 and LMF-400 display. One possible reason for the separation of the fuel manager function from the actual display device may have been the concept that there could be several LMF-400 or LMF-200 displays in use, and any of them could be configured to show the fuel data that was stored in the FUEL DATA MANAGER module, as the user desired.
The Evinrude ICON RPM gauge implements its own fuel manager function. It is a self-contained function, and does not rely on the Lowrance FUEL MANAGER MODULE to operate.
Regarding the difficulty in using the ICON Pro RPM gauge to enter data like FUEL ADDED when in direct sunlight, I agree with you.