Smart Cruising Assist

Real-time engine monitoring for Mitsubishi marine engines

Smart Cruising Assist (SCA) pairs a wheelhouse monitor with an engine room sensor unit to give live engine data, fuel-efficient operation tracking and automatic maintenance alerts — NK type approved, and built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for its own marine engines. See the full brochure (PDF) for the complete spec.

Diagram: six operational outcomes radiating from SCA monitoring -- cruising at best efficient speed, best engine output, visible fuel consumption, fuel efficient operation, operation control and management, and maintenance interval notice

SCA isn't just a gauge cluster -- it's built around comparing what the engine is actually doing against what it should be doing, and surfacing the difference before it costs fuel or causes a breakdown.

Cruising at best efficient speed
Operation at best engine output
Visible fuel consumption status
Fuel efficient operation
Operation control and management
Notice for maintenance interval

What SCA does

10.1" wheelhouse monitor
Wide touch-screen display with LED dimmer backlight, clearer graphics than the previous generation.
NK type approved
Passed Class NK's environmental and functional requirements for marine electronic equipment.
Easy installation
Improved wiring arrangement, a purpose-made mounting bracket and a fouling prevention cover included as standard.
Automatic operation logging
Records engine operation to internal memory and gives automatic notice of upcoming maintenance and parts replacement.
Fuel consumption without a flow meter
Estimates fuel consumption from engine data, so efficient-operation tracking doesn't need an expensive flow meter fitted.
Real-time position and speed
Built-in GPS gives vessel speed, cruising distance and estimated arrival time alongside the engine data.

Six screens, one monitor

The wheelhouse monitor cycles through six purpose-built views, from a simple gauge-style meter screen to trend logging and maintenance tracking -- screenshots below are MHI's own, from the SCA brochure.

Meter screen: Engine revolution, intake air pressure, cooling water temperature, lube oil pressure, exhaust temperature, eco score, fuel consumption.
Multi screen: Engine revolution, output, vessel speed, instantaneous and average fuel consumption, cruising distance, time.
Eco screen: Eco score history, high-load operating hours, cruising hours, average fuel consumption and load factor, eco ranking.
Graph screen: Revolution vs. output, output vs. fuel consumption, vessel speed vs. fuel efficiency, with a fuel consumption record.
Trend screen: Engine revolution, output, intake air pressure, exhaust and cooling water temperature, lube oil pressure -- logged by hour, day, month and year.
Maintenance screen: Maintenance items, upcoming-interval announcements, and a maintenance record you can enter directly.

SCA.net · SCA.920 · SCA.panel

Three optional ways to extend a standard SCA installation, each subject to local telecommunications approval where relevant — ask OPS which applies for your vessel and region.

Diagram: SCA data flowing from the vessel, via 3G antenna and a data server, to a user's laptop and a dealer's phone

3G communicationSCA.net

SCA data monitored anywhere over the internet, through a 3G communication tool. A separate contract and subscription fee applies, and the module is subject to frequency approval by the authority in each country.

Diagram: three vessels in a fleet sharing SCA data over 920MHz to an onboard tablet or PC

Close-area / fleetSCA.920

Direct communication with a tablet or PC over the 920MHz band, sharing data across up to 15 units in a fleet within about 4km. Also subject to local frequency approval.

Line drawing of the SCA monitor (300 x 200mm) and wheelhouse alert panel (300 x 130mm) with dimensions

Wheelhouse gauge panelSCA.panel

The SCA monitor doubles as the engine's gauge panel, removing the need for a separate analogue panel. If the monitor itself is ever down, a wheelhouse alert panel still shows the fundamentals -- engine revolution and key alerts.

Main components

The SCA wheelhouse monitor, front view — Wheelhouse monitor

The SCA engine room sensor unit, shown from three angles — Engine room sensor unit

Wheelhouse monitor: 10.1" touch screen, DC24V ±20%, max. 2A, resin housing, 300 × 200 × 70mm, 3.0kg
Engine room sensor unit: DC24V ±20%, max. 1A, sheet-metal housing, IP44, 270 × 182.5 × 110mm, 3.0kg
Internal data storage: 128GB
Sensor harness: 5m per signal sensor
Communication & power cable: 30m

Connections & mounting

Bottom face connectors: Power connector, power switch, USB ×2, RS-485 communication cable, SD card slot, GPS antenna connector
Back face mounting: VESA 75mm screw pattern

The SCA monitor's bottom face, showing power, USB, RS-485 and SD card connectors — Bottom face connectors

The SCA monitor's back face, showing its VESA 75mm mounting screw pattern — Back face (VESA 75mm mount)

Standard accessories

GPS antenna with 10m cable, a standard SCA accessory — GPS antennaCable length 10m.

SCA fouling prevention cover — Fouling prevention coverProtects the wheelhouse monitor when not in use.

SCA installation bracket — Installation bracketPurpose-made mounting bracket, included as standard.

Specification as published in MHI's SCA brochure. Figures are indicative and subject to change without notice — confirm the current spec with OPS before ordering.

Fitting SCA to your engine?

Tell us the engine model and we'll confirm compatibility, options and lead time.

Download brochure (PDF)Enquire about SCA