nmea2000, nmea0183, ST and WIFI for openCPN?

[blubaju]

Hello,
just had a discussion with one of my suppliers and he informed me about a soon to be released new hardware multiplexer.

New and this is why I post this here and hope for a developers reply if and how this could be used in openCPN, NMEA2000-PNGs can be directly read, written and used by openCPN
Here the copy and paste (not my text):

I (Meindert Sprang) am almost finished with the new MiniPlex-3Wi-N2K which has 4 NMEA 0183 inputs, 2 NMEA 0183 outputs, SeaTalk in and out(!) and NMEA 2000 (both ways). And USB of course. I hope we can start selling these beginning of February.
The MiniPlex-3 series with NMEA 2000 will convert NMEA 2000 into NMEA 0183 and vice versa. It will also have an option to convert raw NMEA 2000 frames into a $MXPGN sentence to allow reading PGN's that cannot be converted into NMEA 0183 like switch and lamp info. This sentence can also be used to generate any arbitrary PGN on NMEA 2000. I have attached a PDF describing this sentence. Maybe you can present this to the OpenCPN community...
The NMEA organisation is currently looking into this sentence too.
Meindert Sprang
ShipModul Marine Electronics (this new model under development is not listed yet)

Regards,
Heinrich

[bdbcat]

Heinrich...

Thanks for the info.

I see no reason why this device could not be directly supported by OpenCPN. Of course, the new $MXPGN sentence will not be recognised by the OCPN base, nor any existing PlugIns. But a PlugIn could be built to intercept these sentences and do whatever might be wanted. That PlugIn may also interface by the USB port for direct control of the device as well.

The conversion of more "normal" PGNs into NMEA0183 messages would be transparent to OCPN, and would work automatically.

So, a good product idea here, and I hope to see it shipping soon.

Thanks again
Dave

[Sailorman Ed]

Heinrich...the new Miniplex 2Wi looks great but I only need to get from Seatalk1 to a Vesper XB8000 ( NMEA0183 ) , do not really need the WIFI and some of the other options. Is there a lower cost option to accomplish this?
Ed

[blubaju]

Hello Ed,
I had a look at your AIS, it has all connections but Seatalk1. Now the question is, what Raymarine stuff do you want to connect? The older MFD (like my E120) are NMEA0183/38000bd connected, the newer with STng, Raymarines version of NMEA2000 wich is directly compatible (by a an adaptercable or splice one yourself, it is no problem, just do not mix spurs and backbones). I have weather sensor with mast rotating sensor from LCJ capteurs: capteurs de vent, girouettes, anémomètres à ultrasons (NMEA2000), Airmars PB200 (weather sensing does not work, reduced to GPS sensor, output NMEA2000 AND NMEA0183), Actisense EMU-1 (2xengine data bought mainly for the alarm, cheaper than Yanmars, NMEA2000), Actisense NGT NMEA2000/USB bridge, Ray AIS500 (NMEA2000 and NMEA0183/38400bd), 2x Ray ST70 (STng), Ray E120 (NMEA2000 nonAIS-data + NMEA0183/38400bd AIS + ST1 for Autopilot), RAY ST7000 Autopilot (ST1 and NMEA0183/openCPN-controlled), RAY MOB-alarm ST1, Shipmodul multiplexer (NMEA0183/4800 + M;EA/38400 + ST1 via Bluetooth to PC), Standard Horizin VHF and ICOM M802 SSB have NMEA0183 connections too but use different sentences!. Ok., how complicated do you want it? ;-)