The ever increasing functionality of multi-function displays – once little more than chart plotters that could display radar screens – encompasses everything from hi-fi to engine instrumentation, and now, switching.
FLIR has developed Raymarine YachtSense, “an advanced digital control system affording total command and complete awareness of a vessel’s electrical systems”.
What that means in English is that now your Raymarine Axiom MFD can control digital switching, so anything that can be turned on and off or adjusted can be controlled directly via the touch screen.
In itself this isn’t new, but there are a couple of key features of this system that are particularly beneficial.
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Scalability means that you can add individual purpose-built IPX6 waterproof digital control modules between the power supply and the master controller ‘in the field’ without special tools to interface with specific types of onboard devices and systems, both monitoring and controlling – from lighting, pumps, windlass, swim platforms and entertainment systems to climate control, generators and other on-vessel mechanical systems.
So whatever you add to your boat, if it’s powered and controllable, you should be able to link it in to the system and run it from 12V or 24V ships systems.
The other huge benefit of Yachtsense is three layers of redundancy to the system, which is very reassuring. In the event of network disruption, the system can be preset to automatically switch to ‘limp-home’ mode in which essential services such as navigation and lighting defaults are powered on.
There’s also a separate keypad and LCD display allowing individual access to the MFD display. And the third layer is simply that, if all else fails and there is a complete internal electronic failure, any circuits can be forced on or off by mechanically moving fuses into their bypass position, ensuring that you can get power to vital electronic services, come what may.
