NorthStar 6000I - REV A FOR VERSION 4.00 Specification sheet

SmartCraft
for the
Northstar 6000i
Operation and Installation Manual
for software version 4.00 and greater
SmartCraft is a registered trade-
mark of BNT Mototron
Northstar is a brand name of
Brunswick New Technologies
Marine Electronics (BNTME) GMSMCRFT Revision A 19JUN05

Warning:
Engine data and faults displayed by this device are for
the convenience of the user. Always consult your
dealer for definitive and accurate engine fault
diagnosis.

Contents
SmartCraft introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Displaying SmartCraft data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
The primary screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Vessels with multiple 6000i control heads. . . . . . . . . .4
Configuring the screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Other SmartCraft options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Additional Info bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
SmartCraft alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
SmartCraft installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting the Gateway to the engine. . . . . . . . . . . .11
Connecting the gateway to the Northstar 6000i. . . .11
Configuring the 6000i for SmartCraft . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Uninstalling SmartCraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Setup and Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Tanks setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Vessel setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Save/Load SmartCraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 1 –
SmartCraft introduction
The SmartCraft system provides a wealth of real-time informa-
tion about the physical systems on your vessel, including
engines, tanks and trim settings. When properly installed and
calibrated, SmartCraft displays and manages data such as engine
RPM, oil pressure, and many other items.
Most readings are shown as traditional analog gauges that are
easy to read and interpret. Others, such as gear position, are
shown as pictorial representations.
Displaying SmartCraft data
Once SmartCraft is properly configured by your dealer, just press
the STAR key to display a full screen of data. Most data is
displayed as traditional analog gauges, in some cases with a small
digital readout at the bottom of the each gauge. Data can be
displayed in metric or English units, as determined by the
Distance/Speed units selection on the Display Options screen.
Three SmartCraft screens can be selected by pressing the menu
keys.
• Engine Screen — the primary display, showing the data you
need for normal use
• Docking Screen — displays information for docking and
maneuvering
• Tanks Screen — displays gauges indicating the levels of fuel,
water and waste tanks (if sensors are installed).
Select the desired screen by pressing the appropriate menu key
on the SmartCraft screen. The menu key for the selected screen

– 2 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
is displayed in red; others are blue. Other STAR key functions are
still available from additional presses of the STAR key.
If an engine is shut off, or if SmartCraft data is missing for any
other reason, the gauge needles disappear, digital readouts
display no data, and an alarm is raised.
The primary screens
Engine screen
See “Configuring the screens” on page 5 for choosing which
gauges are displayed on the engine screen.
Analog gauges
Most data is displayed on an analog gauges using a traditional
needle and a small digital readout at the bottom of the gauge.
The gauge is labelled with the data type, and the units of
measure are shown on the gauge.
Sync gauge
On a dual-engine system, the engine sync needle indicates the
RPM difference between the two engines. Adjust engine speed
until the needle is centered.
Trim gauge and popup
The trim gauge indicates the angle of the engine/propellor. Trim
may be displayed on the screen, or can be configured to appear
as a popup gauge whenever it changes by a designated amount.
The gauge dial displays the operating range of the trim setting as
readings from 0 to 10, covering 2/3 of the dial. The remaining

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 3 –
third of the dial indicates the trailer positions of the trim (read-
ings from 10 to 25).
Gear position
The gear position indicator shows whether the transmission is in
gear or in neutral, and, for some systems, whether in forward or
reverse gear.
Trim popup gauge
Gear position

– 4 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
Docking screen
See “Configuring the screens” on page 5 for choosing which
gauges are displayed on the docking screen.
The docking screen is designed to show information needed for
docking and other close maneuvering. Depending on the installa-
tion and engine type, the docking screen can display RPM, gear
position, steering angle, depth, SOG, pitot speed, paddle wheel
speed, and a video window.
Tanks screen
See “Configuring the screens” on page 5 for choosing which
gauges are displayed on the tanks screen.
The tanks screen shows the fluid level of fuel, oil, water, and/or
waste tanks. Level may be shown in gallons, liters, or percentage,
depending on the configuration (only percentage readings are
available if a tank has not been calibrated).
Tanks levels should be calibrated during system installation, as
described later.
Vessels with multiple 6000i control heads
If your 6000i system has more than one control head installed,
you should be aware of the following:
The SmartCraft system is interfaced to one particular 6000i in
your network. That 6000i must be turned on to broadcast the
data to the other control heads. If it’s not on, a message will be
displayed on other heads when you try to display the unavail-
able SmartCraft data. Just turn the interfaced head on, and data
will soon be available.

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 5 –
Configuring the screens
The SmartCraft system automatically configures itself appropri-
ately for the types of engines on your vessel. You can change the
content of each gauge or remove gauges from the screens, to
meet your needs.
Configuring the gauge data for a SmartCraft screen:
1. Display the screen to be configured by pressing STAR followed by
the menu key for the desired screen.
2. Press Config .
One gauge on the screen blinks to show that it is selected for configura-
tion.
3. Press the cursor pad to highlight the gauge you want to change
and press Gauge setup .
A list of available data for that gauge is displayed.
Configuring the screen

– 6 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
4. Press the cursor pad up or down to select the desired data for that
gauge. To remove a gauge from the screen, select “ – None – ”
from the list.
5. Press ENTER .
Continue for each gauge you want to change.
If you are configuring a gauge for data that applies to two engines, con-
figure it for one side and the same gauge data will be shown on the
opposite side of the screen.
6. When finished, press Return .
To set the color of the background:
1. Display any SmartCraft screen as described above.
2. Press Background repeatedly until the desired color is displayed.
Selecting day mode or night mode:
1. Display any SmartCraft screen as described above.
2. Press Config .
3. Press Day mode or Night mode , as appropriate.
Other SmartCraft options
Other, less used, SmartCraft options are accessed by pressing the
STAR key several times to display the Setup / Options screen.
You can read more details about these functions in the Setup
and Calibration section of this manual. A summary is given
below.
On this screen, press SmartCraft options... to display the Smart-
Craft options screen. With this screen, you can turn the main
SmartCraft display on or off and access engine faults and Smart-
Craft setup functions. The following menu keys are displayed:

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 7 –
• SmartCraft screen On/Off — turn the SmartCraft display on or off
•
Engine — set number of engines, and display engine faults
•
Tanks setup — configure tanks
•
Vessel setup —calibrate the steering angle, trim and speed sensors
•
Save/Load —save or restore a SmartCraft configuration
•
Return — go back to the previous page
SmartCraft screen
Press to turn the main SmartCraft screen on or off.
If turned on, the SmartCraft screen is displayed as the first
press of the STAR key on this control head.
Tanks setup
With this screen, you can specify the function of system tanks,
set their capacities, and calibrate the sensors. See “Tanks setup”
on page 14.
Engine
This screen shows options for entering the number of engines on
the vessel, and displaying any active engine faults and the fault
history.
The Active Faults screen displays any faults that are currently
present. If there are more than 11 faults, press the cursor pad to
scroll the list to see more.
The criticality of each fault is displayed at the left, as Critical
(red), Severe (orange), Warn (yellow), Caution (black), and Info
(blue).

– 8 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
To display the details of any fault, select it with the cursor pad
and press Details .
The Fault History screen is similar, except that it displays past
faults along with the times of occurrence of each fault.
Save/Load
See the Setup and Calibration section of this manual.
Additional Info bars
When the SmartCraft system is installed, two additional info bars
can be displayed on the Chart screen.
One info bar displays Engine RPM, Depth (if available) and COG.
The second info bar displays Sea Pump Pressure, Oil Pressure (or
Oil Level for outboard engines), Voltage and Fuel Flow.
SmartCraft alarms
SmartCraft alarms are sounded regardless of whether or not the
SmartCraft screen is enabled for display. A gauge that is
reporting an alarm condition will display with a red bezel. In
addition, a standard 6000i alarm will be displayed and sounded.
The fourth menu key on primary SmartCraft screens displays
current SmartCraft alarms.
On the 6000i’s alarms screen, the Active faults... menu key
displays any available details for SmartCraft alarms. This key is
only displayed if there are active faults.

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 9 –
Alarms
Alarm Meaning
NO ENGINE DATA No SmartCraft data is being received at
this control head.
ENGINE DATA
STALE
Some or all components of the engine
data from the Gateway are not being
received by the head connected to the
Gateway.
2 UNITS CONNECT
TO ENGINE
More than one networked unit has its RS-
232 port set to SMARTCRAFT.
Tank alarms Check levels for fuel, water or waste tanks
Engine faults Details are described on Faults screen.
(Categorized as Warning, Severe, Critical,
or Guardian.)

– 10 – GMSMCRFT Rev A

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 11 –
SmartCraft installation
The SmartCraft system is normally installed and calibrated by
your dealer.
The Northstar SmartCraft gateway connects one or two Smart-
Craft-capable engines to a Northstar 6000i navigator. The single
gateway is for single engines; the dual gateway is for twin
engines. The Gateway must be revision 1.2.3 or higher.
Connecting the Gateway to the engine
Connect cables from the engines and sensors to any ports on the
junction box. Connect the Gateway to any available port on the
junction box.
Connecting the gateway to the Northstar 6000i
Use a Northstar part no. WA215SRB, Rev C or WA215SRC, Rev A
cable to connect between the Gateway and the 6000i ’s NMEA
port. This cable also interfaces the 6000i to other equipment on
6000i
WA215SRB Rev C or
WA215SRC Rev A
Gateway
Junction
Box
SmartCraft connections

– 12 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
the vessel. (The SRB cable can connect to a Northstar 4kW radar,
and the SRC cable can connect to a Northstar 2kW radar.)
Connect the Gateway to the RS-232 port of the 6000i . In a
networked installation with multiple control heads, you can
connect the Gateway to either the master or a slave unit. (If
connected to a slave unit, that unit must be turned on for other
networked units to receive SmartCraft data).
Configuring the 6000i for SmartCraft
Configure the interfaced unit’s RS-232 port for SmartCraft as
follows:
1. Press the STAR key several times to display the Options/Setup
screen.
2. Press Port setup options...
3. Press Edit and change the RS-232 Port Setup to SMART-
CRAFT.
4. Press ENTER.
5. Start up at least one engine, so that it will transmit SmartCraft data
and enable display of SmartCraft data on all networked 6000i’s.
6. Follow the instructions in the Setup and Calibration section of this
manual, starting on page 13.
Uninstalling SmartCraft
If you should need to remove the SmartCraft displays from a
6000i installation, just change the RS-232 port of the interfaced
unit to something other than SMARTCRAFT.
If that unit is no longer available, set the RS-232 port of any other net-
worked 6000i to SMARTCRAFT, and then return it to its original setting.

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 13 –
Setup and Calibration
After SmartCraft data has been received at least once, the Smart-
Craft setup options are accessed by pressing the STAR key
several times to display the Setup / Options screen.
On this screen, press SmartCraft options...
The following menu keys are displayed:
•Engine — displays engine faults and allows the user to designate the
number of engines on the vessel.
•Tanks setup — allows changing tanks configuration
•Vessel setup — allows setting up steering angle, trim, speed sen-
sors, etc.
•Save/Load SmartCraft - saves or loads the entire SmartCraft con-
figuration to a Compact Flash card
• Return — go back to the previous page
Engine
Pressing Engine displays a screen with the following options:
Number of engines
If not correct, press 1 or 2 to change it.
Active faults
Press Active faults to display a list of any active faults, in order of
criticality. Press the cursor pad up or down to select a fault, and
press Details to display more information about the selected
fault.

– 14 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
Fault history
Press Fault history to display a list of up to 20 most recent faults,
in order of their occurrence (most recent at the top of the list).
Press the cursor pad up or down to select a fault, and press
Details to display more information about the selected fault,
including engine run times of reach occurrence.
Engine run times for up to the last five last occurrences of each
fault are shown.
Tanks setup
The tank setup screen shows a list of all tanks monitored by the
SmartCraft system.
To configure the tanks display, enter the tank type, then the
capacity and any alarm condition as follows:
Tank type
When the type field is selected, the following menu keys are
displayed:
•Next — cycles through tank types: N/A, Fuel, Water and Waste
•Previous — cycles through tank types in the opposite direction
•Turn Alarm on/off — turns the fluid level alarm on or off
•Calibrate — begins the tank calibration procedure, as described
below (this key is shown only after the capacity has been entered)
With the cursor pad, move the cursor to each field and set its
value. For text fields, press Next or Previous to step through the
choices. For numeric fields, press Increase or Decrease to step
through the values one at a time, or press Edit to use the
numeric keypad (type the digits and press ENTER).

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 15 –
Tank alarms
An alarm can be raised for each tank if the tank level goes above
or below a specified level. Turn the alarm on or off by pressing
the Turn Alarm on/off menu key.
When the alarm is turned on, you can set the level at which the
alarm is sounded. For fuel and water tanks, the alarm sounds
when the level stays consistently below the specified limit. For
the waste tank, the alarm sounds when the level consistently
exceeds the specified amount.
Calibrating the tanks
Since tanks often have irregular shapes, it is strongly recom-
mended that each tank sensor be calibrated using the following
procedure.
Start with a completely empty tank, and add 25% of the capacity
at a time. Wait 30 seconds for the level reading to stabilize, and
then press Next after each step. The screen displays how much
fluid is required at each step.
1. Select a tank on the Tank setup screen and press Calibrate Tank
to begin the process. On-screen instructions give detailed
information.
2. Empty the tank, and press Next.
3. Add the number of gallons (or liters) shown to fill the tank to 25%
capacity, and press Next.
4. Add the number of gallons shown (or fill to the total number of gal-
lons shown) to fill the tank to 50% capacity, and press Next.
5. Repeat for 75% and 100%.
6. The system displays a calibration graph so you can verify that the
calibration curve is reasonable. An experienced installer may be

– 16 – GMSMCRFT Rev A
able to recognize whether or not the curve shape is correct for any
particular tank type.The curve must always increase as it moves to
the right. It should look something like one of the following:
7. If the curve looks reasonable, press Done. The system asks if you
want to save the changes. Press ENTER to accept the new cali-
bration, or CLEAR to abandon the change.
If a stuck float or invalid calibration curve is detected by the software,
you may be asked to repeat the calibration.
The tank setup screen will now display “Calibrated - Yes” for that
tank. When calibrated, the main display screens will display the
contents in gallons (or liters). If uncalibrated, the contents level
will be shown as a percentage.
Vessel setup
The Vessel setup screen allows configuration of items that relate
to the vessel itself. The following menu keys are displayed:
•Steering angle — rudder angle calibration
•Trim — trim calibration
•Speed sensors — speed calibration

GMSMCRFT Rev A – 17 –
Setup steering angle sensor
This screen guides the installation and calibration of a steering
angle sensor. Three items may be displayed on the screen (the
second and third items are displayed only if the first is set to
Yes ):
• whether or not the sensor is installed ( Yes or No )
• the sensor polarity ( Normal or Inverted )
• the sensor’s range (
35° , 45° or 60° )
Use the cursor pad to select an item above, then press Edit to
allow changes to the item. Use the cursor pad to select the new
value, and press ENTER to save the new value.
To calibrate the sensor, press Calibrate, center the rudder or
wheel, and press ENTER.
Setup trim
This screen guides the installation and calibration of the vessel‘s
engine trim. Three items may be displayed on the screen (the
second and third items are displayed only if the first is set to
Yes ):
• whether or not a trim sensor is installed
• whether or not a popup gauge should be displayed for 10 sec-
onds whenever the trim changes
• the popup filter setting, designating how much trim change is
needed to cause the popup display
The gauge dial displays the operating range of the trim setting as
readings from 0 to 10, covering 2/3 of the dial. The remaining
third of the dial indicates the trailer positions of the trim (read-
ings from 10 to 25).