Wiring for Twin engine C10 network

[tjgator]

Just got twin 2016 140s and am installing C10 gauges. I have both gauges installed and working. I have them wired independent of each other, that is 2 networks. I want to know if I can wire them both on the same network, and if so what would be the advantage? I also have a single fuel tank level gauge connected to the network of one engine. I am guessing that I would just connect the tees together in the middle somewhere. How about the power wire, would I connect both or just 1? Any special considerations for the fuel settings?
Thanks for any input here in advance.

[Moonlighter]

It is most unusual to create 2 separate networks like you have, and in my opinion, quite unnecessary. There are no advantages at all that I can see.

The advantage of having one network is that you save costs in network parts, both displays can share data from other sources such as GPS and fuel level sensors comnected to the network, you get combined fuel economy and use, and either display can show data from either engine.

It is simply "how things are meant to be".

You have to try to get your head around the fact that the C10's are simply displays that will show almost any data from any source that is available on the network. You will typically configure one of them to show data from the port engine, and the other to show data from the starboard engine.

In the initial setup phase you have to use one of the C20's to tell the system that the network has 2 engines with 2 fuel tanks (or whatever fuel tank arrangement you have), the fuel tank capacities, name each engine as port and starboard.

The C10 displays are not phyiscally connected to any one engine, they are connected to the network, and then must be configured (set up) to show the data from whichever engine you choose. This is done in data sources. The manual tells you how it is done.

Re the fuel tank level sensor, once you combine the networks, fuel data can be shared and displayed one one or both C10 displays.

To connect the two networks, you will remove the terminating resistors on two of the end T pieces so that you can connect them together. You MUST remove one of the power supplies, the combined network must only have one power supply!!!

Suggest you have a read of my article in the sticky thread on this forum, it will help you understand how it all works. It does involve a shift in mindset from the way old the system of analogue gauges works to how a network works.

[tjgator]

Just what I wanted to hear!

Moonlighter, You told me exactly what I was thinking, thanks for the info. I did read the sticky but still had a few questions. You answered most very well already. Thanks. I wasn't sure about the power supply, and my understanding of this system has been enlightened.
About the fuel gauge, do I set both gauges to the same settings, or just use a single gauge for all the fuel settings? There is only 1 tank feeding both engines. I guess the fuel usage will still be the same because the sender tell how much total fuel has been used and is not based on engine data?
Thanks again,
Tom

[Moonlighter]

Hi Tom

No problems. Happy to help.

Re fuel tanks - i am assuming that you have a sensor attached to the fuel sender on the tank, and this connects to the network? Its usually called a "Fluid level sensor" or a EP65r. Same thing, different name. If you look in the network device list on the C10 it will show up as one of these.

If that is correct, then you will actually have 2 sources of data for fuel :

One is the fuel level as measured by that EP sensor and reported to the network.

The second is a calculated fuel level. The system calculates fuel used from the data supplied from the engines. Very accurate!

So when you redo the setup once the networks are combined, you will set the system up to be:

2 engines/1 tank, and then you will set the tank capacity.

So, as the engines run and use fuel, it will subtract the fuel used from the tank capacity to show fuel remaining, and this can probably be displayed on the C10 as a bar graph, a dial, or a number. And it can show the number as fuel used or fuel remaining, or it can show both numbers. You decide!

So you will have to distinguish between the 2 sources when you are setting up your displays - usually this is done by selecting the bar graph or dial on a page, then selecting its data source.

In simple terms, you are specifying where that particular item on the display shall look to get the info it is going to display. So for example if you decide that you want the fuel level info from the tank's sender unit to be displayed on a dial type display, you would set up or select a standard page with such a dial, then select the Fluid level sensor as the data source it is to use. Bingo!

It is pretty logical once you understand how it works.

I would suggest that you set up one C10 to show fuel level from the EP65 sensor, and the other to show fuel level as calculated by the system. That way you get the best of both worlds.

Just remember: you have to reset the system every time you fill up or add fuel so that it knows how much fuel is in the tank, otherwise the system wont know to adjust the updated fuel remaining value. If you dont do this you will get low fuel alarms going off because the system will calculate that the tank is empty when really, it isnt.

Unfortunately the fluid level sensor doesnt send a signal to the network to reset it to full automatically - mainly because those fluid level sensors are pretty inaccurate because fuel sloshes around in the tank.

Any further questions or issues as you go, let us know.