Initial Quick Start

The set is fully tested and plug and play supplied.

We advise to initially only place the ControlHead, then make the necessary connections with the screw connectors.

The power cable is also connected to the MotorController, to which you can connect the 12 Volt. + on Brown and – on Blue.

This way you experience that the entire system works and you can finally install the set and hide the cables.

First test:

When you supply power to the system, you will initially see LEDs lit in the MotorController.

It takes a while for the display to come to life, the screen turns on and off but the system is not active until the backlight of the display is on.

Operation ControlHead:

With the arrow keys you slide the bar in and out, if you keep an arrow key pressed it starts slowly and then slides in or out faster and faster.

With the M key you enter the menu, with the arrow keys you scroll through the menu, with M the function is selected and/or confirmed, with A you go back to the start screen.

ControlHead Orientation:

The system needs to be aligned, click on M choose Calibrate (with m) choose Level, you will see a progress bar after a few seconds the system is aligned.

Select A to return to the home screen.

We assume that the Controlhead is placed in the direction of sailing, if there is a deviation or if you have placed it on the side wall, for example, this can be adjusted via the web interface (see below) under the calibration tab.

The compass still has to settle (deviation), which is fully automatic while sailing, so just leave the autopilot on.

My experience is that after leaving the harbor the autopilot already responds usefully.

Read Compass calibration for proper calibration!

Usage:

Place the tiller drive in the socket, extend the drive approximately to the expected rudder position, press A, move the rudder towards the drive so that you can place the drive on the pin of the rudder.

Because the rudder moves, the autopilot will react immediately, bringing both together so that you can click the drive on it.

In Autopilot mode the green LED is displayed, the upper course is where the boat is heading, the lower course is the direction you have set.

If you use the arrow keys in Auto, then with a single press the course changes by 1 degree, if you keep the key pressed, it will do 5 degrees first and then 10 to max 100 degrees.

Mode:

By pressing M you can select mode in the menu, by default the Autopilot is set to Compass (The square around C on the home screen) if GPS and wind data is also available you can choose from G for GPS, W for wind and TW for True wind in combination with GPS.

On the home screen, there is a square around the letter you selected.

Web Interface:

The Autopilot creates an access point, search for available networks with your smartphone tablet or PC and choose Pypilot.

No password is required (= can be set in the web browser under the Configuration/Configure wifi tab)

Launch a browser such as Chrome or Safari and go to the webpage 192.168.14.1

You can now control the autopilot via the web browser and there are many setup and calibration options, I wouldn't change anything you are not sure about.

OpenCPN / OpenPlotter / Signalk:

With the Pypilot plug-in in the navigation program OpenCPN you have a lot options.

Install the latest version.

I don't know if it works with the latest version of Openplotter because there may be version differences (maybe that Pypilot still needs to be updated within Openplotter)

Create the connection below in OpenCPN, then all data will be sent to and from the autopilot:

Connecting instruments:

You can also connect instruments via the USB to the Controlhead.

For example, you can directly connect a USB GPS mouse for cruising on a ground course.

Place the USB plug, the baud rate is automatically recognized and the instrument displayed, this data is also sent to OpenCPN via WiFi.

If you wish to connect NMEA 0183 instruments (multiplexer or wind), you can do so via this cable, for example: https://pcnautic.nl/nl/boatcontroller/isolated-nmea0183-input-to-usb-detail

You can also send a route or waypoint from your plotter to the autopilot.

Installation:

Drive position: The default position of the drive is on the starboard side, if you have placed the drive on the port side you need to set the servo.mounted_left to true in the web interface under the Configuration tab.

I think most of it is self-explanatory.

ControlHead seems clear to me.

MotorController connections:

The green screw connectors are plugs!

Just grab the green plug and pull it out, the wires do have some slack.

When the plugs are out, you can unscrew the glands and push the cable in above where the plugs were so that you have room to loosen the screws and tighten them again later.

Remove the cables and then you can fix all the fronts and feed the cables through.