85' Power Boat - need to integrate digital power & steering controls

[jack daniels esq]

Hi Guys & Gulls
Been all over the planet looking for joystick type, digital engine & steering controls that I can integrate
into the core of this system, as I believe there are huge areas of common interest & functionality.
The major problem with conventional big boat systems is obviously running all the SS steering cable and hydraulic lines all over the boat. Imagine just one lousy leak or break?
To this end, the solutions, as I see them, are to either run electrical data via wire or RF
I would even consider both - as fallback in the event of the RF being knocked out or vice-versa.
Are there any such interfaces that play decently with your MCE?
I have looked at your system and believe it to be about the best around - it should run perfectly as the
boat will be live 24/7 and we need a monster AV/TV + ISP + VOIP + SAT + GSM + Security + Yadda anywho.
Any and all suggestions will be most appreciated.
Best Regards>Jack

[hari]

I've seen very good steering solutions around Raytheon/Autohelm SeaTalk(TM). In theory, with a SeaTalk computer interface and a DCE device one could control his boat with special orbiter screens and get all the sensor data like GPS, knots and stuff out of SeaTalk.

br, hari

[hari]

there seem to be quite some interfaces available like this one: http://www.yachtbits.com/raymarine/seatalk_nmea_pc_rs232_interface_e85001.php

This guy decoded the protocol: http://www.thomasknauf.de/seatalk.htm

br, Hari

[jack daniels esq]

Hari - great advice - seems I was a little ahead of the curve, as I really needed to design a complete hydraulic steering system, then integrate same into the onboard electronics, and didnt believe this to be the Forum.
How wrong I was, as your Ray/yadda led me to others, where I was indeed able to breadboard most of the components into a fairly decent steering system - which for the most part will really be a highly evolved autopilot.
Most people dont realize that one can quite safely 'drive' an automobile using cruise-control alone.
Again - many thanks
BR>Jack