Furuno NavNet TZtouchXL TZTBBX Black Box Chartplotter

The TZTBBX is the black-box variant of Furuno's NavNet TZtouchXL multifunction display platform. Where the standard TZtouchXL units come as integrated display-plus-processor packages in 13, 16, and 24-inch bezeled chassis, the TZTBBX is the processor only. You bring your own monitor and connect it through HDMI for the display, you bring your own touchscreen or hard controls for the input, and you mount the black-box processor hidden inside the helm console where it stays out of the way. For yacht refits, custom commercial builds, and any install where the captain wants to dictate the helm look rather than accepting Furuno's bezel design, the black-box is the right configuration.

The TZtouchXL platform underneath is the current Furuno NavNet generation, sitting above the older TZtouch3 in feature set and software capability. The headline upgrade is TZ MAPS with BathyVision, which Furuno calls the most advanced electronic charting platform in the marine industry. TZ MAPS pulls from a worldwide database of high-resolution chart data and renders the picture with editable color palettes, custom depth shading, satellite photo overlays, and bathymetric data layered together. You purchase chart areas directly from the MFD when you need them. The same chart purchase unlocks the area in the free TZ iBoat app on your phone or tablet, which means you can plan routes at home and sync them to the TZtouchXL when you board.

AI Routing is the second major TZ MAPS feature. With chart data loaded for the area you're navigating, AI Routing computes safe routes accounting for your boat's draft, the charted depths, and known navigational obstacles. The routing engine is meaningfully better than older Furuno automatic routing, which is the practical reason many operators upgrade specifically for this feature. Custom user objects (annotations, hazard markers, fishing waypoints) can be created and shared with other registered TZ MAPS users through TimeZero's moderated network, which builds a crowdsourced layer on top of the official charts.

The user interface is touchscreen-driven with edge-swipe access to menus and layers, designed to feel like operating a phone or tablet. Swipe up from the bottom for the layer menu (toggle satellite overlay, bathymetric data, custom objects, AIS targets). Swipe from the side for the main menu. Tap once for an item. Tap and hold for context options. Furuno specifically positions this as the simplest UI in the MFD market, and operators coming from older Furuno generations or from competitor platforms typically report short learning curves. For black-box installs where you're driving the TZtouchXL through a third-party touchscreen monitor, the same gestures work as long as the monitor passes multi-touch input through HDMI back to the processor correctly.

Network integration is what makes the black-box work as the helm brain. NavNet Ethernet ports support full Furuno network expansion: magnetron or solid-state Doppler radar pedestals, high-power CHIRP fish-finder modules, deep-water multibeam sonar units, autopilot processors, AIS receivers, and additional networked TZtouchXL displays for multi-station boats. NMEA 2000 handles standard instrument data. The TZTBBX accepts up to two video inputs for camera feeds (engine room, dock cam, livewell) and one video output for monitor mirroring. For larger yacht installs with multiple TZtouchXL black boxes networked together, the same instrument and sonar feeds appear on every connected display, which is how most professional yacht installs are configured. We can spec the full system with you before you order, including monitor sizing, sonar module pairing, and the right radar option for your boat. The TZTBBX is a serious helm investment and not the right pick for boats that don't have an existing custom helm design in mind.

One thing worth knowing about the black-box trade-off versus the bezeled TZtouchXL units. The black-box gives you total control over the helm aesthetic and the monitor specification, but it also means more integration work during the install. You're sourcing a monitor that's bright enough to read in direct sun, you're sourcing touchscreen passthrough that works correctly with the TZtouchXL gestures, and you're hiding the processor in a location that has adequate ventilation and cable access. For boats where the existing helm already has a built-in monitor that you want to keep using, or where the dash design predates Furuno's bezel options, the black-box is the right answer. For new helm designs where you don't have aesthetic constraints, the bezeled TZtouchXL units are typically simpler to install and deliver the same software experience without the integration complexity.