SMG4 with 2016 DF175

[Thefish561]

So I have a 2016 DF175 single station spc with the original C10 mounted in the t top box. Boat is a half tower bay boat. No gauge on helm as the c10 was interfaced thru the nmea network. Well I have received the new SMG4 gauge with harness and such. However since my gauge mounting location is basically where a second station would be is there anyway to make this work out correctly. I was thinking about leaving the engine interface cable installed and then just power the smg4 from the 8 pin in the back and let the info come from the nmea network. Is this possible, I have heard the the new SMG4 does all the translations that the interface cable did but Im kinda going backwards. Just wanted the new gauge basically. Any help is much appreciated.

[Moonlighter]

You cannot run SMG4 and an interface cable at the same time. The 2 systems are completely different.

And the SMG has to be connected to the harness where the interface is connected. No other option. So you cant have interface connected at same time as SMG4.

I am really not sure what you are trying to achieve.... but ...... assuming .....

If you want both SMG and C-10 to work, you would be able to install the SMG4 correctly to the engine harness instead of the interface. Remove the interface cable completely, eg disconnect it both from the harness and from the network T and take it out of the boat.

Then connect the SMG4 to the exiting NMEA2000 network with a drop cable, you can connect it to the T where the interface was connected. You will see that SMG4 has a nmea2000 plug on the back. SMG4 will then output engine data to the network and will also receive data from the network eg speed from GPS and depth from sonar.

I am 98% sure that the C-10 will then display the data it gets from the SMG via the network. Remember, C-10 is really just a customised Simrad IS-35 display. Its just a display that can show engine data from the network, it doesnt care where the network gets the data from.

Done this way, the SMG4 is the primary source of engine data and the C10 just becomes a secondary “display” that shows data received from the network. In that regard its the same as any other display eg you could have a Simrad NSS display connected the same way, and it will show engine data sent by the SMG to the network. You wont get 100% of the same data as the C-10 because the fuel data (eg fuel remaining) was actually coming from the interface, but you will get all the engine data from the SMG4. I dont know if it will still start up with the S and I dont know if it will show engine fault codes and service reminders.... if you go this way you can tell us.

Hope this helps.

I would add ...l I dont think it can be done the other way around eg where C-10/interface are the primary devices and SMG4 is secondary. Because SMG4 is more like an old school gauge in that it is actually connected to the engine, and its not a “NMEA2000 display” like that C-10 is. So i doubt that it could work that way. And even if it could, you would lose the SMG4 troll mode functionality and possibly other stuff. I just think it would be incompatible and wouldnt work and you might even damage it connecting it up that way.

[Thefish561]

first off thanks for the assistance as always, you are very much appreciated. Maybe I can explain a little better. My boat is a half tower boat with second station helm box , I had the C10 mounted on the "face" of the box so it was basically at eye level when driving from the lower helm. I have never had a gauges on the lower helm. But what I am figuring is that without buying another smg4 and just going to have to put it in the lower helm. I was just hoping that there was someway to figure it out. I am pretty good with schematics and electrical so of course i am trying to reinvent the wheel.

[Moonlighter]

first off thanks for the assistance as always, you are very much appreciated. Maybe I can explain a little better. My boat is a half tower boat with second station helm box , I had the C10 mounted on the "face" of the box so it was basically at eye level when driving from the lower helm. I have never had a gauges on the lower helm. But what I am figuring is that without buying another smg4 and just going to have to put it in the lower helm. I was just hoping that there was someway to figure it out. I am pretty good with schematics and electrical so of course i am trying to reinvent the wheel.

Well hopefully, my earlier reply explained why you cannot have SMG4 connected at the same time as the interface cable, and provided you with a possible solution to enable you to continue to use the C-10 to display engine data. Good luck and let us know how you proceed.