GX2150 wiring to USB-RS 232 breakout cable

[hcolvin1]

This post details wiring required when hooking up a Standard Horizon GX2150 VHF to a PC running OpenCPN with a USB RS 232 FTDI breakout cable. The cable was from Milltech Marine.

The GX2150 has color coded wires that must be correctly hooked up correctly for full functionally of the GX2150 and to view AIS targets with OpenCPN.


GX2150 wire.............................................. .USB/ RS 232 cable wire

Gray (+Output, NMEA AIS & DSC).................> Yellow RXD
Brown (-Output, NMEA AIS & DSC).................>Black (Ground)
Blue (+Input, NMEA GPS) <......................... Orange TXD
Green (- Input, NMEA GPS) <........................ Black (Ground)

Reference: Milltech, Standard-Horizon, FTDI technical support and tech manuals.

Note: DSC and AIS NMEA sentences are transmitted on the same wire. There are also wires that carry only AIS sentences that are not required for this application.
















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[houlejm]

I would leave the brown wire (NMEA out -) unconnected as it is not at ground level.

See the note in the GX2150 manual page 20.

[s/v Jedi]

This all sounds so obsolete... just plug in the N2K connector and it's done. I hereby vow to only buy N2K compatible gear from now on, none of that 0183 sorrow for me anymore.

[colemj]

Well, for an AIS receiver radio, your only choice for N2K is one model from Simrad. Except that they do not have the N2K part working yet after a year. And your Furuno chartplotter will not accept AIS over N2K when they do get it working.

Other than that, it is a good idea. I'm kind of pissed about still having one NMEA0183 device on board myself, but even if I changed the AIS to N2K, I still need to feed the Furuno with 0183 through a converter

I'm curious to know how you are getting around the AIS N2K with your Furuno.

Mark

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by colemj

Well, for an AIS receiver radio, your only choice for N2K is one model from Simrad. Except that they do not have the N2K part working yet after a year. And your Furuno chartplotter will not accept AIS over N2K when they do get it working. Other than that, it is a good idea. I'm kind of pissed about still having one NMEA0183 device on board myself, but even if I changed the AIS to N2K, I still need to feed the Furuno with 0183 through a converter I'm curious to know how you are getting around the AIS N2K with your Furuno. Mark

I believe Garmin has a VHF that does AIS with N2K?

[colemj]

I see that now. I installed one on a boat a couple years ago and thought it only had 0183 (I was struggling getting that to communicate with Seatalk, a 0183 GPS and no multiplexer).

So now there are two choices - one that doesn't work yet, and another which I don't know if it works or not.

Doesn't matter - Furuno has stated explicitly that they have no plans to support AIS over N2K on their current products.

Mark

[hcolvin1]

I am not an expert at RS232 data transmission, so I generally follow simple instructions which I did in wiring up my GX2150 to my computer. So the first instructions I was provided did indicate I should leave the NMEA output (-)(brown wire) open not connected. This did not work I and others on this forum spent days chasing around with issues about COM3, COM13 baud settings, OpenCPN toggles etc. See previous post threads last week.

Then I was told by Milltech support that in some early models of the GX2150 the NEMA input (-) did served as a common ground. But this has been changed so with my radio one must connect one of the NEMA Outputs (-) to ground for data transmission to occur on the NEMA Outputs (+).

[muttnik]

Small point and forgive me if I've misunderstood something here but...why not use the rs422 version of this product instead? Milltech seem to sell both at the same price:
USB Breakout Cable
It strikes me that that's what you want rather than the rs232 version
Edit: Actually it seems the rs422 version is £15 more

[CarCode]

hcolvin1 is correct.
NMEA0183 uses the standard RS422, that is 2 wire with (+) and (-).
Computers uses however RS232 and to connect NMEA0183 to a computer or via a RS232/USB convertor you need NMEA0183 (+) to RX (or TX if serial out) and NMEA0183 (-) to serial ground. Despite NMEA0183 is RS422 this works in most cases, otherwise a little adaption circuit is needed because Low and High have different levels between RS422 and RS232. Some marine devices does have such a circuit.

Gerhard

[HotRod]

Originally Posted by colemj

Well, for an AIS receiver radio, your only choice for N2K is one model from Simrad. Except that they do not have the N2K part working yet after a year. And your Furuno chartplotter will not accept AIS over N2K when they do get it working.

Other than that, it is a good idea. I'm kind of pissed about still having one NMEA0183 device on board myself, but even if I changed the AIS to N2K, I still need to feed the Furuno with 0183 through a converter

I'm curious to know how you are getting around the AIS N2K with your Furuno.

Mark

Simrad's AIS (AI50, NAIS300 and NAIS400) with N2K works fine, and has been since initial start of sale.
If your Furuno plotter does not accept AIS on N2K, there is nothing you can do until Furuno release a firmware that solves that.
So until then your stuck with a N2K - NMEA0183 converter like Actisence NGW-1-AIS.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by HotRod

Simrad's AIS (AI50, NAIS300 and NAIS400) with N2K works fine, and has been since initial start of sale. If your Furuno plotter does not accept AIS on N2K, there is nothing you can do until Furuno release a firmware that solves that. So until then your stuck with a N2K - NMEA0183 converter like Actisence NGW-1-AIS.

The NAIS400 is okay but the other two do not have the class-B static data messages.

With my post I meant the new VHF with AIS receiver. It looks good, also with a very nice wireless remote, but I read reviews that don't like it.

Yes, the Navnet3D plotters need a converter slapped on plus the additional N2K connection, to support AIS over N2K. I am not sure if their new Touch displays need it too though...