NMEA 2000

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Toubab

So I just need to get something like this: Amazon.com: Your Cable Store 6 Foot DB9 9 Pin Serial Port Cable Female / Female RS232: Computers & Accessories then cut and splice following the instructions that come with the NGW-1, right?

Maybe.....

Does the computer that you want to connect to have a serial port (9-way D-type like those cables - don't confuse it with a VGA socket which is about the same size)?

Or does it only have USB ports?

If only USB you'll need a USB/Serial converter too, one that is supported by your OS.


Chris

[Toubab]

Yea I'm planning on getting one of these: Products - T1 Fanless Eco PC - Aleutia with 1 RS232 port. I could get another one but I don't think there's much else that I'll want/need another serial port for and if something does come up later than I can use a USB converter.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Toubab

Yea I'm planning on getting one of these: Products - T1 Fanless Eco PC - Aleutia with 1 RS232 port. I could get another one but I don't think there's much else that I'll want/need another serial port for and if something does come up later than I can use a USB converter.

Yes then you just need a cable. You can do it your way which will work well enough, or buy a connectors, and cable and make one up yourself. But if you don't solder then do it as you suggest.

Chris

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Toubab

So I just need to get something like this: Amazon.com: Your Cable Store 6 Foot DB9 9 Pin Serial Port Cable Female / Female RS232: Computers & Accessories then cut and splice following the instructions that come with the NGW-1, right?

The terminal block DB9 connectors make the connections easier: Amazon.com: DB9 Male to Terminal Block Adapter: Electronics

Mark

[Toubab]

Originally Posted by Littlechay

Yes then you just need a cable. You can do it your way which will work well enough, or buy a connectors, and cable and make one up yourself. But if you don't solder then do it as you suggest.

Chris

I can solder but I'm not sure what you mean. Could you show me the connectors you're talking about? And then do I just use some regular wire to connect, or is there a special cable I need?

Originally Posted by colemj

The terminal block DB9 connectors make the connections easier: Amazon.com: DB9 Male to Terminal Block Adapter: Electronics

Mark

Yea that does look pretty easy. Are there any disadvantages to going this route?

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Toubab

I can solder but I'm not sure what you mean. Could you show me the connectors you're talking about? And then do I just use some regular wire to connect, or is there a special cable I need?



Yea that does look pretty easy. Are there any disadvantages to going this route?

If it was me I would use something like this, if you want the best longevity choose a gold plated one (not joking and not super expensive) just search for DB9 solder, you'll need the shells to go with them.

As for cable you should really use a multi-strand tinned (rather than plain copper) wire but, and this is why I suggest solder over terminal block, you can get away with standard wire if it's well protected.

A terminal block will work just fine too, but perhaps for not as long. Pack it with Vaseline before you tighten up the terminals for a bit more damp proofing (that's my fall back when I can't get the stuff to do it the way I would like to).

Your idea of buying a cable with molded on plugs is a good one as you get a well protected strong connection without having to make it yourself.

Most of us who have been messing around for a few decades have boxes of obsolete stuff and that's where I source DB9 connecters for projects like this.. who do you know who might have a box of old computer stuff in the corner of the garage?

[muttnik]

Just because no Linux drivers are supplied for the maretron and actisense devices doesn't mean they won't work. They might use a supported usb chipset and "just work" although you wouldn't be able to use any supplied configuration programs. If no-one on here has a linux system they can plug those devices in to check if they work, try emailing maretron and actisense and asking the question.

If you go instead for the bare wires option, consider getting an rs422 to usb converter instead of the more common rs232 to usb adapters. These are a few bucks more but they often come supplied with terminal blocks.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Toubab

Yea that does look pretty easy. Are there any disadvantages to going this route?

I use them in several devices/places and have not found a disadvantage. I would suppose if the cable is being plugged/unplugged often and regularly, you would want a soldered and strain supported connection.

As for the comment about wiring by Littlechay, that is a moot point since the wires are connected to the Actisense device - so you use what you get.

If you will be remotely mounting the Actisense far away from the computer, then just grab an old DB9 serial cable out of someone's junk drawer, cut off one end and use a terminal block to connect the Actisense wires to the DB9 wires.

If you can't find someone with a cable junk drawer (do those people even exist?), then go to a local computer store (not chain store) and ask there. I doubt they would charge you anything to take it off their hands.

Mark

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by colemj

As for the comment about wiring by Littlechay, that is a moot point since the wires are connected to the Actisense device - so you use what you get.

Not so; they have terminal blocks for attaching your own cable.

[colemj]

Yes, you are correct. I forgot about that.

Mark

[Toubab]

Originally Posted by colemj

If you will be remotely mounting the Actisense far away from the computer, then just grab an old DB9 serial cable out of someone's junk drawer, cut off one end and use a terminal block to connect the Actisense wires to the DB9 wires.
Mark

I didn't even think about that, thanks! The Actisense will actually be right by the computer but I've got a butt-load of old cables like that so I'll just cut one of those up so I don't have to spend any more money.

[bcn]

Looks that in mid term the NMEA2000 integration will getting easier:

N2K via Ethernet -

info and discussion at:
Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub: NMEA OneNet 2013, already ahead of the curve?

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by bcn

Looks that in mid term the NMEA2000 integration will getting easier:

N2K via Ethernet -

info and discussion at:
Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub: NMEA OneNet 2013, already ahead of the curve?

The software will have to developed to support it though and OCPN doesn't support N2K PGNs at the moment however they are delivered. I guess somebody is tinkering somewhere.

Given the speed that NMEA moves at I would say long term. It is nearly 2014 and we are talking about fully integrating a standard from 2000 and still using one from 1983 (I think that's what the 83 means)!

Chris

[twistedtree]

Keep in mind that in anything other than the simplest N2K network, these N2K to 01830 converters are problematic, and it takes a lot more than just a driver to pass data to really support N2K in OCPM or any other device. The crux of the issue is around instancing when you have multiple devices of the same type.

The beauty of N2K (or one of them) is that you can have multiple GPSs, Nav sources, etc on the same network, and via configuration decide which device gets used by who, reconfigure in the event of a failure, and often times configure for automatic fail-over. With 0183 these things require rewiring.

But N2K devices need to support these configuration operations to be fully functional. For example, if you have two GPSs on your N2K network, and use an N2K to 0183 converter to get that data to OCPM, somehow you need to be able to tell the converter which GPS to use. I suspect most converters lock onto the first GPS they hear and stick with it, ignoring the other. Hopefully they will automatically pickup the second GPS if the first one goes silent, but who knows.

In a fully functional N2K system, you should be able to select the primary GPS, and ideally designate a secondary, tertiary, etc. Then you can be sure that your high-precision sat compass/GPS is used, not the cheapo backup. And you can be sure the Sat compass is used for heading info, not the less precise rate compass.

When OCPM adds N2K support, hopefully all this will be taken into account. Again, it doesn't matter if you only have one of each device type, but I'd argue that two GPSs is pretty commonplace, and more serious cruising boats will often have redundancy in all vital nav components. For eample, most Nordhavns 47' and up have fully redundant auto pilots (two rudder feedback units, two compasses, two AP computers, multiple control heads, etc). Most will have a Sat compass (3rd heading source) which is also a GPS, a backup GPS, AIS which has yet another GPS source, etc. It's not for everyone by any means, but for OCPM to be viable on such boats it will need to handle all this when it adds N2K.

[bcn]

Chris,

in this case I would be a slightly more optimistic. They head for 2014, we shall see...
NMEA does not have to aggree about new standards - N2K gets wrapped into IP - , Ethernet is not new neither.
OK, they have to define the gateways/firewalls etc. forth and back.

And with respect to the PGNs, there is CAN-boat:
https://github.com/canboat/canboat/wiki

It just needs a developer and some coding to get it into OpenCPN.

Hubert