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Dustymc · 28-10-2011, 14:26

Add me to the "hooked a couple wires up and magic happened" camp. Got it, love it, works perfectly.

barnakiel · 28-10-2011, 17:10

And I will know tomorrow or during the weekend.

b.

Svsilvergirl · 28-10-2011, 17:33

Gx2150 and garmin 740s with the 18hd radar. Love it. Al including the radar installed on a Saturday afternoon and it all works flawlessly together. Called standard horizon a couple days before I was gonna install , and the tech drew me a schematic and emailed it to me. +1 for the support.

barnakiel · 29-10-2011, 15:21

Connected SH GX2100 wires with Garmin handheld and PC via RS232/USB.

SH works fine. Garmin works fine. PC plotter works fine. AIS ships show up on SH screenie and on PC fine. Can send WPTs to GPS from PC. Cannot receive GPS into PC (using single dongle, as explained below).

I had to use a USB GPS puck to PC as wiring the Garmin GPS to PC would require using two RS/USB dongles (one would be for AIS signal, the other for GPS signal).

Wire connections as per SH / Garmin / RS specs, no tricks, no pulling-up.

Note with the newer GX2150 you may be able to use only one GPS to feed the SH and the PC (via one USB for both AIS and GPS data).

Cheers,
b.

SVNeko · 10-01-2012, 18:06

I am late to the party, but Barnakiel, can you explain why you can't use 2 serial to USB adapters on the same PC? I see adapters that feed up to 4 serial ports into one USB outlet. But there is probably something I am missing here.

colemj · 10-01-2012, 18:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVNeko

I am late to the party, but Barnakiel, can you explain why you can't use 2 serial to USB adapters on the same PC? I see adapters that feed up to 4 serial ports into one USB outlet. But there is probably something I am missing here.

There is no problem - we have three serial devices (AIS, nav data from the N2K network and Pactor modem) feeding into a 4-1 usb hub with a single usb cable hooked to the computer. All come up as separate com ports with their respective communication speeds and protocols and all work well together (and at the same time).

Mark

Jon Hacking · 10-01-2012, 19:13

Yes, no problem using multiple Serial/USB adapters, or (better) using a single multiport Serial/USB adapter. However, remember that RS232 Serial is a +/-9v protocol, while NMEA is a 0-5v protocol. The better Serial/USB adapters will handle this OK, but cheap, poor quality ones will not. We've used a KeySpan 4-port adapter for 5 years with nary a hiccup, but my biggest headache helping friends with installations is trying to get a poor quality adapter to read NMEA data.

barnakiel · 11-01-2012, 05:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I had to use a USB GPS puck to PC as wiring the Garmin GPS to PC would require using two RS/USB dongles (one would be for AIS signal, the other for GPS signal).

As already explained by my lawyers ... ;-)

In our specific case: two DONGLES (would be required) because the SH unit does not multiplex/forward the GPS data. Hence, we had to feed a separate GPS data to the PC. We decided to use a USB puck for this rather than wire our onboard GPS via a dongle.

As long as data comes into separate COMs you are limited only by your plotting software as to how many instruments are accepted.

PLS note more than one data type is acceptable via same COM provided it goes via a multiplexer first. Otherwise "one talker only". NMEA limitations.

Cheers,
b.

SVNeko · 11-01-2012, 10:39

Thanks for the responses, guys. Big help. However, this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnakiel

PLS note more than one data type is acceptable via same COM provided it goes via a multiplexer first. Otherwise "one talker only". NMEA limitations.

seems to conflict with the statements by the two earlier posters. Can I put both GPS and AIS data into the same serial port or not?

Also, can I split the GPS signal to send it to the radio and the PC at the same time?

barnakiel · 11-01-2012, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVNeko

(...)

(1) However, this: (...) seems to conflict with the statements by the two earlier posters.

(...)

(2) Can I put both GPS and AIS data into the same serial port or not?

(...)

(3) Also, can I split the GPS signal to send it to the radio and the PC at the same time?

(1) They use SEPARATE COMs for each instrument. No conflict.

(2) Much as Colemj did it with his USB cable I have never seen this trick done when using the older RS-232/DE9 cabling. Maybe DB or DC size can handle this (???). But if you have the DE9 connector in mind then my uneducated guess is "NO", unless the GPS/AIS data streams are multiplexed prior to reaching the connector. Otherwise the two things may be talking simultaneously and some data will be lost. Remember: one talker only. (GPS and AIS on the same line = two talkers).

(3) I split GPS signal before when wiring our friends GPS with his AIS and VHF. Since there is only one talker (the GPS unit) there are no issues. However, since it is an electrical signal it can only be split limited a (limited) number of times and I know that some devices send stronger signal than others. So probably the way to learn if yours can be split is by making a little experiment.

Cheers,
b.

colemj · 11-01-2012, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Thanks for the responses, guys. Big help. However, this: seems to conflict with the statements by the two earlier posters. Can I put both GPS and AIS data into the same serial port or not?

Also, can I split the GPS signal to send it to the radio and the PC at the same time?

Maybe our reference point for serial port is different - I thought you were talking about a single input to your computer and not the other end.

You cannot put GPS and AIS on the same output serial port unless your GPS has a 38400 baud output. You can make separate DB9 connectors for them, hook them to separate serial-usb converters, hook the two converters to a usb hub and bring a separate usb cable to your computer.

You can split the GPS signal to the radio and computer - just bring the signal leads to a terminal strip and hook the corresponding leads to serial lines going to each device.

Mark

SVNeko · 11-01-2012, 12:53

You're right, Mark. I bolloxed up the question. I meant can I put both inputs into the same USB port on the PC.

MarkSF · 11-01-2012, 13:08

For anyone considering the 2100 and 2150 I thought this info might be interesting :

Welcome to StandardHorizon.com

Scroll down and read the doc on the differences between the two. It explains clearly how the extra ability on the 2150 to change the baud rate is essential if you want GPS data on the radio and AIS data on the GPS, at the same time.

This info made me fork out the extra for the 2150.