You will soon hear about Signal K, a marine data communication standard, developed in open source, which aims to replace the standard NMEA (0183 up to 2000) technically overwhelmed by the exponential development of connected objects. Designers intend to make an open and free protocol developers and industrial customers, allowing to get over the constraints linked to the NMEA : cost of licenses, flow limits, limit the number and type of devices, failure to adapt to complex environments, wireless communications, therefore incompatible with the Internet of Things and the Internet itself.
Label : NMEA
Miniplex-2wi and Configuration Utility for Mac OS X [Update-2]
Company ShipModul website has directed a version Mac OS X, the configuration utility MPX-Config configuration utility for the multiplexer Miniplex-2Wi (¹). It is now available in Downloads section of their website. This utility allows to make the multiplexer settings without going through Windows.
[Update 2/11/2014] MPX-Config V.3.70.0 is compatible with OS 10.10 « Yosemite ». It manages the firmware 3.30 and sup. of the Miniplex-2Wi. You will need to connect your Miniplex to a Mac (as Windows PC) with the USB cable, After having first downloaded and installed this latest version, as the last driver USB supplied on the web site of ShipModul (²). You must be connected to the Internet, is WiFi, in 3G / 4G, sharing if necessary cellular connection.
Combine instruments NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183
In a previous entry I talked about NGW-1 by Actisense company (¹), an NMEA 0183 gateway converter to NMEA 2000 bidirectional.
Since then, This gateway has been available in several versions. Each of which can connect to the NMEA 2000 a range of specific instruments, and so combine their data with other NMEA 2000 instruments already present on the network. This can be particularly useful, in an installation mixing both protocols, to facilitate data transfers in iNavX. Read more …
iNAVConnect links iPhone or iPad to Raymarine chartplotters
Company Digital Yacht continues to offer new products for yachting (¹). One, iNAVConnect, allows to connect by WiFi iPad or iPhone, featured iNavX, Navionics Marine, or any other compatible application, to Raymarine MFDs C and E series. This allows transfer waypoints and routes from Raymarine systems to applications on iPhone or iPad, and vice versa.
It's a start, Digital Yacht hope other manufacturers implement these transfer functions in the future. Read more …
NMEA 2000, a network standard for the future
NMEA 2000® (¹) is a standard for electronic communication network specifically designed for pleasure boats, according to an industry standard published by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA). It aims to meet many needs, arising from the considerable increase of electronic devices onboard, the widespread use of computers and MFDs (²) with control and navigation application more sophisticated. It also aims to interconnect equipment provided by various manufacturers and brands, allowing boat builders and end users great freedom in their choice of navigational instruments. Read more …
Miniplex-2Wi, the new WiFi multiplexer for iPad and iPhone
Company ShipModul website just presented on its website its new WiFi multiplexer, Miniplex-2Wi. This device comes in direct competition of’Brookhouse iMux, on which I wrote several posts on this blog, but penalized since early 2011 by delivery prohibitive for France.
The Miniples-2Wi only regards boats owners with NMEA 0183 and/or RAYMARINE SeaTalk instruments. For boats with NMEA 2000, network, refer to the excellent SeaSmart WiFi recently presented on this blog.
Seasmart WiFi connects the NMEA 2000 on your iPhone
The SeaSmart WiFi, presented by iTabNav.fr at the Nautic in Paris last week, allows a WiFi connection to iPad , iPhone or any other computer via WiFi to a NMEA 2000.
Designed by Chetco Digital Instruments, Brookings, Oregon (USA), SeaSmart is a wireless transmitter NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 compatible consists of an USB/serial gateway, WiFi transmitter 802.11 b/g and an embedded CGI/AJAX web server. Compatible with web browsers on most smartphones, like iPhone, iPad or Android, SeaSmart.Net translates NMEA 2000 (PGNs) messages through an open protocol in HTML pages updated in real time and sent streaming to web server. The transfer is bi-directional. In addition, NMEA 0183 connector allows to interface instruments that use this protocol, as an AIS, their data being multiplexed and added to the flow of data powered by SeaSmart.net. Read more …
Connect Miniplex-2USB with GPSNavX/MacENC
Multiplexer Miniplex-2 USB (¹) by ShipModul company can connect all the instruments on board directly to a USB connector on your Mac. GPSNavX and MacENC software can receive and display NMEA instruments, and if necessary forward to an autopilot, a VHF DSC, chartplotter, a Radar or any other repeater.
A utility "Miniplex2" to configure the input channels and output device, choose from several operating modes, and offers advanced options for complex installation.
For a conventional implementation is quite simple, and Miniplex2 Help in French is integrated into software for detailed explanations of the various options available. Follow the guide… Read more …
Wiring NMEA 0183, not so easy !
In the very next post, I will explain in detail the implementation of a multiplexer (¹) Miniplex-2USB ShipModul's website. But before removing the electrical panel and pull out the tool box, it is better to understand the subtleties of a connection which, at first, seems very simple, and yet ... can quickly become a real headache. Read more …
Receive NMEA 2000 data with iNavX
It is now possible to connect a N2K system (¹) to iNavX, on iPhone or iPad.
Indeed, Actisense company, well known for its NMEA interfaces (multiplexers and gateways), designed the NGW-1 ISO, an NMEA 2000 gateway converter to NMEA 0183 and vice versa. Connected to a Miniplex-2Wi de ShipModul ou un WLN10 device, the converted data will be sent via WiFi to iNavX. Read more …