Since the integration of Mastervolt into the Marine division of Actuant Electrical the engineers at Mastervolt headquarters in Amsterdam and the BEP engineering team in New Zealand have been collaborating to bring the two companies networked technologies into one system.
C-Zone MasterBus Bridge
Both companies have extensive CAN based networked systems made up of Digital Switching, Systems Monitoring and Power Conversion devices. “Bringing the CZone and MasterBus systems together has been a relatively easy task”, says Jarrod Sagar, Global Product manager for Digital Switching at BEP, “as both companies had the same original philosophy for these systems, which was to bring all the points of control and monitoring of the on board systems onto one intuitive display, a central point and seamless automation simplifies boat use for the user.”
The engineering teams have developed ‘CZone MasterBus Bridge’ as the link between the MasterBus and CZone systems. The Bridge is a simple plug-in unit that reads both protocols and allows units from each manufacturer, and others such as Simrad that use BEP’s NMEA2000, to become fully compatible. This means that components such as pumps, alarms, battery chargers and monitors can be controlled from a single touch screen.
“The popular MasterShunt battery monitor and ChargeMaster battery charger can now be connected to a BEP marine network, which is based on NMEA2000,” explained Marc Persoon, Mastervolt’s marketing manager. “As a result, the monitoring and control of the battery charger can now be done via the CZone display or other compatible display such as the multi-function marine navigation screens from Simrad and B&G. The CZone MasterBus Bridge has been developed to connect two great systems together, and bring you the best of both worlds.”
As with all Mastervolt products, the Bridge is made from robust, corrosion resistant materials. The compact unit has strategically-placed screw holes allowing it to be attached to any convenient surface. Two simple 5-pin universal sockets facilitate the quick and simple connection of the two network cables, and an LED indicator shows the network status.
“By connecting the Bridge into an existing system, it will allow a yacht owner to expand a yacht’s systems without having to stick with just one manufacturer,” Persoon stated. “This is just one example of the benefits of becoming part of an organization such as Actuant, where the pooling of expertise reaps huge benefits for the customer. Furthermore, the Bridge gives our OEMS a complete simple package: a networked system made up of the worlds best power conversion and digital switching products.”
“The inclusion of the Mastervolt product range and the integration highlights the BEP marine division strategy to be become a leading global supplier of integrated electrical system solutions and electrical components,” says BEP’s Jarrod Sagar.
The CZone MasterBus Bridge will be on display at IBEX and METS, and is due for release in the first quarter of 2012. The bridge will include all the necessary connector cables and have a 2-year warranty.
