Electronic control system for marine vessels

A control system for a marine vessel having an engine and a transmission associated with the engine, the control system comprising:

• a first control station comprising a first control arm having an operating range and first arm position means coupled to the first control arm for providing a first electrical signal that represents a position of the first control arm within its operating range;
• a second control station comprising a plurality of command input devices, a second control arm having an operating range, and second arm position means coupled to the second control arm for providing a second electrical signal that represents a position of the second control arm within its operating range;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising:
• signal input means, electrically coupled to the first arm position means and the second arm position means, for receiving the first and second electrical signals,
• command input means, electrically coupled to the command input devices, for receiving a sequence of input command signals from the second control station, and
• control means for comparing the sequence of input command signals to a predefined input command sequence to identify one of the first and second control station as a master station, and,
• means for controlling a throttle of the engine and shift position of the transmission based on the electrical signals received from the master station.

A control system for a marine vessel having an engine, the control system comprising:

• a control arm having an operating range;
• arm position means coupled to the control arm for providing an electrical signal that represents a position of the control arm within its operating range;
• a memory that contains first and second throttle range values, each said throttle range value corresponding to the operating range of the control arm;
• first input means, coupled to the memory, for receiving at least one of the first and second throttle range values;
• second input means for receiving a current throttle range indicator that identifies one of the first and second throttle range values as a current throttle range value;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) that is electrically coupled to the arm position means comprising:
• input means for receiving the electrical signal from the arm position means, and
• control means for controlling a throttle of the engine based on the electrical signal and the current throttle range value.

A control system for a marine vessel having an engine, the control system comprising:

• a control arm having an operating range;
• arm position means coupled to the control arm for providing an electrical signal that represents a position of the control arm within its operating range;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) that is electrically coupled to the arm position means comprising:
• input means for receiving the electrical signal from the arm position means;
• an ECU memory having a table stored therein, the table comprising data representing a predefined amount of power required to move a throttle actuator for a throttle of the engine at a predefined rate;
• and
• control means for controlling the throttle actuator based on the electrical signal and the predefined amount of power, wherein the ECU is adapted to monitor an actual amount of power required move the actuator at the predefined rate, and to update the data to account for differences between the actual amount of power and the predefined amount of power.

A control system for a marine vessel having an engine, the control system comprising:

• a control arm having an operating range;
• arm position means coupled to the control arm for providing an electrical signal that represents a position of the control arm within its operating range;
• and
• an electronic control unit that is electrically coupled to the arm position means comprising:
• input means for receiving the electrical signal from the arm position means;
• and
• means for controlling a throttle and a transmission of the engine based on the electrical signal, for causing an actuator of the transmission to place the transmission in neutral when power is applied to the control system, and for causing the transmission to remain in neutral until the control arm is moved to a neutral position.