Electric boat builder Magonis develops its own electronic control unit

Barcelona is a smart city and Magonis, the Spanish boat builder of pure electric boats, is thriving to add to the list of new innovations. Magonis is developing its own electronic control unit (also known as the ECU) to merge all the boat’s data (e.g. the Magonis Wave e-550, the yard's first model that was an immediate success from its launch) offering the user smoother and personalized navigation.

The ECU is basically the brain of the boat. It reads all the data, understands, and interprets it. The battery, motor and charger are all connected to the ECU via a CAN bus/data protocol to transmit data. This data is then communicated to the main network via satellite and is conveniently accessible in the Magonis app – the finishing touch to a smart boat.

"Following Magonis DNA, we have prototyped, designed and produced our own hardware and software which allows us to manage the entire powertrain," explains technical director Miquel Antonio Bonet. "By having the bus information 100% controlled, the technical team can create fully-customized solutions for our fleet."

A smart boat to fully enjoy cruising at sea
Through the Magonis app, the user can view all the boat’s data, find out the range through a responsive interface, track speed and power and see how much battery is left.

However, the app not only displays all the boat’s data, but also guides the user through a safe and relaxed experience.

The app goes as far as being able to make decisions for the user’s safety: for example, if the app notices that you are running low on range, it will limit the speed by default. If it notices that the boat is moving away from its mooring, it sends a notification - the Magonis anti-theft solution.

The app is practically always at the user’s side, ensuring comfortable navigation and allowing the user to focus on what really matters: enjoying time at sea.

The future is now
In addition, thanks to the ECU’s connection to the satellite, maintenance can be managed remotely. In the event of an emergency, the user can get in touch with Magonis straight away, and in some cases, the problem can even be fixed remotely by our customer service team onshore. It’s that easy.

However, Magonis is not stopping here. “We have already developed new and exciting improvements”, reveals CEO François Jozic. “Our safety feature, for example, will ensure that you always have enough battery power to return home. The Internet of Things (IoT) is an important part of our innovations. Thanks to the IoT, we can connect the boat to its environment in a smarter way. In the coming months, we will include a temperature sensor, accident detection and automatic docking features to further enhance the experience”.

“We are collecting data in real time and more than 130 data points are accessible through our Magonis app.” adds technical director Miquel Antonio Bonnet. “This allows us to bring Magonis to the next level”.