CONTINUOUSWAVE

The NAVICO brands Lowrance and Simrad have both announced that certain models of their touch-screen multi-function displays will soon receive a software upgrade which will add functionality for use with BRUNSWICK Mercury-brand outboard engines via the just-announced Simrad product called the "MERCURY VESSELVIEW LINK" interface module. The need for the special software and special interface module occurs because Mercury engines use a private and proprietary data communication protocol, Smartcraft, while all other outboard engine makers use the standard NMEA-2000 protocol for engine data. The new "Mercury VesselVew Link" interface module will create a NMEA-2000 interface. The new features being announced by Navico will enhance the ability of their multi-function displays to operate with Smartcraft engines via the Simrad "Mercury VesselView Link" interface module.

Although a connection of the Lowrance HDS Gen3 and HDS Gen2 Touch series and the Simrad GO (including GO XSE), NSS evo2, and NSO evo2 series to the Mercury Smartcraft engines has been possible for a long time with a Mercury-brand Smartcraft gateway device, the new features to be added by the new software and new Navico interface module appear to be the ability of the Lowrance and Simrad multi-function displays to control engine mode of operation such as Smart Tow, Troll Control, and Cruise Control modes. The Navico devices will also be able to display engine warnings and engine alerts from the Mercury Smartcraft engines, such as descriptive fault text and maintenance reminders.

In a related announcement, Brunswick's Mercury Marine have announced new 5-inch and 7-inch VesselVew gauges, designated as the VesselView 502 and VesselView 702. These new products are described as being complementary to the Navico multi-function displays.

To take advantage of the coming software update to the Navico devices, a boater with a Mercury Smartcraft engine will have to purchase, install, and configure the new Simrad or Lowrance VesselView Link interface module into their boat's Smartcraft network, then connect their boat's NMEA-2000 network to the VesselView Link interface module, and then update the software for their specific model of Lowrance and SImrad multi-function touch screen display.

Boaters will have to wait until sometime after June 2016 to be able to purchase the new hardware and install the new software to create this new functionality between Mercury engines and Lowrance or Simrad multi-function displays.

The Simrad product is called the "Mercury VesselView Link" interface module. Its housing is embossed with the Mercury Marine logotype and its part number 8M0109594. The logo and the part number both are common elements of Mercury-branded products, and this creates a bit of confusion in my mind about who is actually making this product. Its features are described as:

--interface displays Mercury Smartcraft engine information on Simrad GO, NSS evo2 or NSO evo2 display including RPM, Speed, Fuel Tanks, Battery Voltage and Trim Tab data;

--provides quick access to Mercury Smart Modes such as Eco, Smart Tow, Troll Control and Cruise Control;

--a Quick Access control bar provides an integrated view of engine data without dedicating an entire page to Smartcraft engine data;

--can view fault warnings and maintenance reminders on compatible Simrad display;

--fully integrate the VesselView® Link view with radar, chart plotter or radar split-screen functionality, and easily adjust panel sizes, as needed;

--is a convenient size for beneath-the-helm installation to help preserve dash space;

--works with up to four Mercury engines

--requires Simrad GO, NSS evo2, NSO evo2 software update and VesselView® Link installation, both scheduled for June 2016 delivery.



The related Brunswick new products, the Mercury VesselView502 (sometimes called VesselView 502) and VesselView702 (sometimes called VesselView 702) appear to be based on Simrad products. The 502 looks like it is a variant of the Simrad GO5xse. These Mercury-branded prouducts also will have GNSS receivers, chart plotter functions, and SONAR functions; they're not just dedicated engine information displays. The 702 appears to be based on the Simrad NSS7m evo2

A youTube presentation gives a look at these devices in operation. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6afVNk3Ns

Another marine electronics website gives a thorough review. See

http://www.marine-review.com/2016/02/fe ... view-link/

I fired up a Lowrance HDS 7 Gen3, logged onto my network, new software popped up, and went through the procedure to download and install. When I brought up the demo-simulaton mode to try the new SONAR features, the Mercury engine icon loaded. And now it looks like I am stuck with an icon for a feature I will never use.

Lowrance has caught up with Simrad and now has a website page about this Mercury Vessel View interface module with Lowrance branding applied. See

http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/ ... -Link.aspx

Curiously, their webpage includes a hypertext link to a Mercury dealer locator website using the linked text that says "Available through these Mercury Dealers." Again, this makes me wonder if this product is just a Mercury Marine product from Brunswick, not something from Navico, and is just being re-branded by Lowrance and Simrad.

To add to my post above, I can turn off the merc icon if I go to settings, advanced, user features

Here is another recorded presentation about the Mercury Vessel View interface module:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhamHErf5kk

[Originally posted as a new topic--jimh]

Mercury Marine, according to a Panbo.com article, has announced a new gateway device to connect their SmartCraft systems to Navico's Simrad/Lowrance MFDs without the need to use the Mercury VesselView devices.

JEFECINCO--I merged your new topic with this old one, since it is the same topic. It is great that another website is now covering this topic and links to some of the same information that has already been given, but we have been aware of this and discussing it for two months. I don't think PANBO has a scoop on this information.

Wow, talk about embarrassing, I don't know how I missed that posting earlier. As my post adds nothing to the discussion please feel free to delete it.

[Hey--no problemo. Ben has more big color pictures in his article.--jimh]

Perhaps of interest, the new gateway will be functional with all SmartCraft versions circa 2007 and later. Versions as early as 2004 will also function with the new gateway but some data may not display.

I think I'm now in the market for a seven inch Navico MFD compatible with the new gateway if it does not have to be the higher end models.

From what I can tell from the literature, the salient feature of this new gateway device is that it translates data in both directions. Other devices available previously allowed the Smartcraft data to be translated to NMEA data and displayed on a NMEA-2000 multi-function display. This new product also allows a NMEA-2000 display, specifically the ones made by NAVICO with the proper firmware updates, to send data back to the Smartcraft network, where the the data will be received by the Smartcraft engine. This allows the NAVICO displays to be able to control certain engine functions. As I mentioned in the initial article in this discussion, the NAVICO displays will be able to control, via the gateway, certain functions in certain engine modes of operation such as Smart Tow, Troll Control, and Cruise Control modes. However, none of that will happen until NAVICO releases the new firmware for their multi-function displays, and it is my understanding the firmware update which was announced for "June 2016" has not yet been released.

On August 10, 2016, Lowrance finally released a software upgrade patch designated V6.0 that provides their HDS Gen2 Touch and HDS Gen3 displays with the necessary firmware to be able to integrate the Smartcraft data from a Mercury engine into the HDS display.
Lowrance says:

Mercury VesselView Link

View all of your Mercury Smartcraft® engine data in one place ─on your Lowrance® multifunction display. The Mercury® VesselView® Link interface module integrates SmartCraft® engine data with HDS Gen3 displays─providing quick access to RPM, speed, fuel remaining, battery voltage, trim tab data and Mercury Smart Modes, like Eco, Smart Tow®, Troll Control and Cruise Control. VesselView® Link puts all the data you want, where you want it─at your fingertips.

There are separate patch updaters for the Gen2 Touch and Gen3 displays:

http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software- ... S-Gen3-40/

http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software- ... pgrade-60/