Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting A Manual for Boatowners and Marine Technicians

onboard networks 197

cover

removed

power

distribution

conductor

power

distribution

conductor

data

transfer

cable

local

distribution

point

A distributed power system from Capi2 (www.capi2.com). The large-gauge red and black cables are the

power distribution conductors, and the smaller center wire is the data transfer cable. The box the cables are

running through is the local distribution point for a given piece of equipment. Any additional cabling would

be tapped from this box to the specific device.

battery

cabin light cabin light

macerator

bow thruster

AM/FM radio

control panel with

solid-state switching

+ overcurrent

protection

data cable

DC –

DC +

A simplified view of a three-wire (positive, negative, and data) power distribution installation. It’s important to note that not all of the
available distributed power systems emerging as of this writing are actually three-wire systems. In fact, an NMEA 2000 system, which
distributes both data and low-level power, uses five wires in its standard cabling. Some SmartCraft cabling can incorporate as many
as eight conductors in its harness assemblies.