Purpose of a transducer with ID and Garmin Marine Devices

Transducer ID is a new technology which has been added to some transducers. A small chip has been placed inside the transducer that identifies the make, model, serial number, and the date of manufacture of the transducer. This can be read by some of Garmin's sounders to allow for automatic optimization of tuning and power adjustments. Only the GSD 22 and chartplotters compatible with a 1kw transducer will be able to read the information from the ID chip.

The ID chip allows the sounder module to regulate the amount of voltage being applied to the transducer. The ID chip is mainly used in the 1kw or 2kw transducers. When the sounder sees the ID chip of a 1kw or 2kw transducer, it will automatically adjust its power output to match the 1kw or 2kw instead of the default 500w of power.

If a 1kw or 2kw transducer is being used with a device or sounder box that is not compatible with the ID or a 1kw or 2kw transducer, the sounder device will only output 500w and the transducer will not be used to its fullest.