Brunswick Corporation

Kent A Prochazka

Jason S Arbuckle

Thomas S Kirchhoff

A marine propulsion system includes a first controller area network (CAN) bus communicatively connecting two or more devices to facilitate communication of CAN messages therebetween. The system further includes a helm controller (HCM) associated with the propulsion device and having an HCM CAN transceiver to facilitate receipt and transmission of CAN messages by the HCM on the first CAN bus. The HCM is configured to receive a silence CAN message via the first CAN bus and then determine whether the silence CAN message is directed to itself. If so, then the HCM will cease transmitting any CAN message on the first CAN bus and/or cease CAN-related diagnostics in response to the silence CAN message so as to reduce traffic on the CAN bus.

Marine propulsion control system and method with configuration functionality via CAN bus

A controller associated with a propulsion device in a marine propulsion system is configured to send and receive controller area network (CAN) messages on a CAN bus and has computer-executable instructions stored thereon executed by a processor of the controller to perform a method. The method includes receiving a configuration instruction CAN message containing a new configuration value, determining that the configuration instruction CAN message is directed to itself, and then receiving a reboot CAN message. Upon determining that the reboot CAN messages directed to itself, the controller writes the new configuration value to memory and then controls a power relay to power off the controller, ignoring a key switch value associated with the propulsion device being on. The controller then responds to the key switch value to power the controller back on, and then loads the new configuration value into the working memory of the controller.

A controller associated with a propulsion device in a marine propulsion system stores computer-executable instructions to perform a method of automatically configuring at least one other controller associated with the propulsion device. The method includes storing a controller CAN address that identifies a propulsion device position of the propulsion device in the marine propulsion system, and then receiving an identification CAN message communicating an initial CAN address from the other controller via a dedicated CAN bus, wherein the initial CAN address contains initial propulsion device position information. The initial CAN address is compared to the controller CAN address to determine whether the initial propulsion device position information correctly identifies the propulsion device position and, if it does not, the controller sends a change CAN message via the dedicated CAN bus to change the initial CAN address of the other controller to a correct CAN address identifying the propulsion device position.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Kent A Prochazka