E-TEC Engine Instance Setting

Information about Evinrude I-Command, ICON Pro, and ICON Touch Color Displays
jimh
Posts: 11673
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

E-TEC Engine Instance Setting

Postby jimh » Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:13 am

With NMEA-2000 networking, it is possible for multiple instances of the same device to appear on the network, and to be uniquely identified by their INSTANCE parameter. In general, the default setting of the INSTANCE value on a NMEA-2000 device will be INSTANCE 00. The value of INSTANCE is sent as an eight-bit unsigned binary number, so the inference is the maximum value is 28 or 255.

For single engine installation, the E-TEC EMM should be set to INSTANCE 00. This is the standard setting for an E-TEC engine as delivered from the factory: EMM INSTANCE 00.

To change the E-TEC EMM INSTANCE, there are two methods. The most common method is to use EV-DIAGNOSTICS software, connect to the EMM, and change the EMM INSTANCE setting. In certain configurations of legacy E-TEC engines which have been fitted with the legacy ICON EST controls, the EMM INSTANCE setting is over-ridden by a hardware setting in the ESM module, and this setting is configured by insertion of a special ID plug into a socket on the ESM module. But other than that case, engine EMM is set by software.

To set the EMM by software, the EV-DIAGNOSTICS software must be used. In general, EV-DIAGNOSTICS software is available to all dealers. In addition to the software, you must have an appropriate terminal to execute the software (and typically any WindowsOS computer will do this), have an RS-232 serial port (and typically this is done with a USB-to-RS232 serial port adaptor), and have a specialized RS-232 to EMM Diagnostic Port cable. Further, in addition to all the hardware necessary, some skill in using the software will be needed.

The normal and expected configuration of engine instance for a single engine is INSTANCE 00. For multiple engine configurations, the engine INSTANCE setting begins at INSTANCE 00 for the port engine, and increases by one for each additional engine in the direction toward starboard. To be explicit:

Config.   Instance
1-ENGINE: Center = 00
2-ENGINE: Port = 00; Starboard = 01
3-ENGINE: Port = 00; Center = 01; Starboard = 02
4-ENGINE: Port = 00; Port-center = 01; Starboard-center = 02; Starboard = 03
5-ENGINE: Port = 00; Port-center = 01; Center = 02;
Starboard-center = 03; Starboard = 04


Engines intended to be used in multiple-engine rigging will need to have their EMM INSTANCE settings changed from the default INSTANCE 00 setting. If on a NMEA-2000 network more than one E-TEC engine has the same INSTANCE setting in its EMM, there will be unusual behavior of network devices that are trying to read data from the engines.