The Big Switch

Uh-oh…better fasten your seatbelts, folks. We’re all on an electronic train ride, hurtling along through time and space at the speed of light. Up ahead there’s a tunnel, but unlike the highway warning signs that say, “Prepare to remove sunglasses,” this one reads, “Prepare to remove gauges and dashboard switches.” Then BOOM! We’re plunged into the darkness of the tunnel and the ride starts getting verrrryyy buuuummpy.

Or does it? While this scenario might seem like a ride on Space Mountain, it is actually pretty close to where we are in terms of the development of the gauge- and switch-free helm. The engineers on this train are an engine- and an engine-control manufacturer, and if their vision of the future is correct, we’ll all be entering a new era of electronic control from which there may be no return. The question is, are we ready to give up the security of rocker switches and analog-dial gauges in exchange for a central monitoring station that can display any kind of data and handle just about anything that can be switched on and off? Before we can answer that question, let’s take a look at what the manufacturers have in mind.

Teleflex TIS MagicBus: New from Teleflex is TIS which stands for “Teleflex Intelligent System”, and it’s a new way to build a digital backbone network into any boat. At the heart of the system is an electronic control box with an “open architecture”, which means virtually any electronic unit—from engines to electronic chart displays—can be connected to the network. The system meets the new NMEA 2000 standards for connector and data-transfer protocols, so adding new components to the onboard network is being billed as a simple “plug-and-play” exercise.

At the Miami Boat Show I had a chance to test the system first-hand aboard a 26-foot Ranger fishboat with twin Mercury EFI outboards. The first thing I noticed was the typical engine controls were replaced by electronic controls at the dash—imagine that on a 26-footer! The controls were easy to operate but they do take some getting used to since most of us are accustomed to jamming outboard controls into gear. In this case, electro-mechanical actuators do that for you, and there was no gear-grind at all. Though the actuators are big (they filled an entire fishbox) and I did have a tendency to over-push the controls (especially in reverse), you can adjust the levers’ resistance to get just the feel you want.

Thanks to the electronic controls, previously unheard-of outboard-engine control features are now available including engine synchronization, automatic neutral-throttle warm-up, and four idle speeds for trolling. Next, since the engines were electronically fuel injected and connected to the system, I could retrieve a wealth of engine data including true tach speed, oil and water temperatures and pressures, battery levels, and even fuel-consumption rates on Teleflex’s i5000 LCD display. This is not just a stand-alone display, but rather a complete multifunction unit with a 12-channel GPS receiver, 200-kHz fishfinder, and electronic chart (using C-MAP’s NT cartography) already built in.

By using the i5000’s generic control keys and five “soft” keys to access data, I found it was a fairly simple matter to switch the display from engine data to navigation and fishfinder data. So with the i5000, there is no need to mount separate display heads for fishfinding, charting, and engine-monitoring functions since a single display can show all of that information as you toggle through the various display screens. Personally, I still want to see analog dials of my engine’s performance, and that is possible too. But you can immediately see the advantages—particularly for the smaller boats—where console space is limited yet boat owners still need a lot of information.

As far as the switches for running lights, bilge pumps, and other on/off items are concerned, hard rocker switches are replaced in the TIS by a generic LCD panel with five soft keys that let you handle all of the switching duties on a single panel. True, you will need to scroll through menus to get to the item you want, but it definitely frees up a lot of room on the dash for other things. Teleflex also says the TIS will take a lot of weight and construction time out of the boat-building process, since the network architecture will allow heavy, old-fashioned wiring harnesses to go the way of the lapstrake runabout.

Mercury SmartCraft: Mercury Marine is working on its own version of integrated information technology with the SmartCraft system. In this case, 8.1-liter big-block MerCruiser sterndrives and all Optimax outboards in model year 2001 will be SmartCraft-ready, which means their electronic outputs can be displayed via an LCD control head called “System View,” as well as via analog-looking gauges which are driven by digital input. According to Mercury’s Integrated Electronics Director Phil Gaynor, the SmartCraft system will add a digital backbone to the boat, and can handle many engine- and trim controls automatically. “When you’re coming off plane for example,” says Gaynor, “the SmartCraft system will sense that and automatically trim your drives or outboard down, and your trim tabs up. We’re also working on a pitch and yaw sensor that will help match the engine’s rpm with desired speed.”

A depthfinder will also be part of the system, so the SmartCraft might automatically raise your drives if you’re coming into very shallow water. All together, the system can monitor 22 different vessel systems such as fuel and oil levels, fuel flow, rudder angle, fluid temperatures, and even water, fuel, and holding tank levels. Plus, by using the system’s electronic engine controls, you will enjoy features like TrollControl and Engine Guardian, which Mercury says is a “proactive OptiMax engine monitoring…and warning system designed to automatically inform and engage before an engine-damaging situation occurs.” Gaynor says Mercury, “Doesn’t expect SystemView to replace gauges at the helm,” but you can rely solely on the SystemView screen if you choose to. If you’d rather just stick with gauges and skip the LCD monitoring screen, that’s an option too, but Gaynor says you would still need to install the black-box control components of SystemView since it’s not just a passive LCD screen, but an integral part of the overall control of the boat.

While Mercury did not specifically address any plans to eliminate rocker switches as part of the SmartCraft system, with today’s digital technology anything is possible. I, for one, am not going to miss the days where myself and my PMY-editorial colleagues had to take a gasoline- or diesel-fuel bath everytime we tested a boat, since with these systems the fuel-flow rates will be available on an LCD screen at the push of the button. So what’s the benefit to you? Better fuel economy, automatic engine/trim control, new features from electronic engine controls, and probably a lot more room at the dash. So get ready…as early as the latter part of this year a boat dealer near you might be asking you to make the Big Switch.