> I forget the most important part: I need to know asap and for shure, > if the SR161 is compatible with the Raymarine C series.
> I read in the pre-release they talk about "compatible AIS reciever" but > do not specifies explicit what brands and models are the compatibles.
It might be that they mean NMEA compatible. The SR-16x are compatible, but NASA is not. The NASA receivers produce NMEA sentences that are up to 96 characters long while the NMEA spec only allows 82 characters (lazy programmers).
Finally, I will buy my AIS receiver. I liked the SR161 becuse the leds and the price, and more now, as it is more NMEA compatible than Nasa. I do not remember well, but I think I had read in one of these foruns, that the AIS receiver now sold by Nobeltec is the SR16X, wich seems compatible with many other softwares.
I have made an inquiry with Raymarine support, about the AIS receivers compatibility with the C series chartplotters, and if I get any response, I will update this here.
> Finally, I will buy my AIS receiver. I liked the SR161 becuse the leds > and the price, and more now, as it is more NMEA compatible than Nasa. > I do not remember well, but I think I had read in one of these foruns, > that the AIS receiver now sold by Nobeltec is the SR16X, wich seems > compatible with many other softwares.
> I have made an inquiry with Raymarine support, about the AIS receivers > compatibility with the C series chartplotters, and if I get any > response, I will update this here.
Talking about Raymarine, this C and E series software update will allow you to set the speed of the NMEA port to 38400, but it will still process all NMEA data coming in. The problem however, if you used this port for a heading sensor or other NMEA device, you have a problem. And the multiplexers I produced for Raymarine (E55059) cannot input a 38400 signal.
To overcome this problem, I am writing new firmware for the MiniPlex-41 to use it together with the C and E displays in order to input standard NMEA at 4800 and AIS at 38400.
This is a very important information, because I had just received one e-mail from Miltech saying that I pheraps would need the Raymarine Multiplexor, and you are saying now that this mux does not support 38,400? I do know that this Mux was made by you.
In reality, luckly, we (my friend) does not will need any mux, I hope, since it do not have any device in the NMEA IN of this C80. The compass gyro needed by Radar/Marpa is input from the autopilot S1G using the seatalk bus, I think, and the DSC radio from raymarine, has only NMEA IN, so NMEA IN port on the C80 is free (yet).
Actually Raymarine recommends using NMEA 1 out from the SxG pilot processor to the NMEA input of the C or E series plotters. This is said to improve the MARPA and radar/chart overlay, since the NMEA output is 10Hz. Off course the SeaTalk link is also needed, for using the pilot in waypoint mode etc.
> This is a very important information, because I had just received one > e-mail from Miltech saying that I pheraps would need the Raymarine > Multiplexor, and you are saying now that this mux does not support > 38,400? I do know that this Mux was made by you.
> In reality, luckly, we (my friend) does not will need any mux, I hope, > since it do not have any device in the NMEA IN of this C80. The compass > gyro needed by Radar/Marpa is input from the autopilot S1G using the > seatalk bus, I think, and the DSC radio from raymarine, has only NMEA > IN, so NMEA IN port on the C80 is free (yet).
In this case, my friend would need the Meindert's MiniPlex-41 with the new firmware anyway. I would like to be informed when available.
Regarding the AIS receivers supported on C80 series, I have just received the folowing answer from Raymarine:
"The EasyAIS receiver has the most flexibility that we have seen thus far, including a jumper permitting the receiver to output data at 4800 BAUD. This is an important consideration, particularly if the NMEA 0183 port is already receiving NMEA 0183 heading data."
This is related to our discussion here, because with EasyAIS , the old firmware of the MiniPlex-41 could work, since it can work at 4800, but we would need a multiplex (with the same cost) anyway. And by info we get here, the EasyAIS is more expensive than the SR161. This is correct? The alternative is unplug the NMEA IN from the S1G temporary, until we can get the multiplexor with the new firmware, correct? I think that my friend never had used the Marpa function wich is somewhat complicate, and seldom use the radar itself, due the high need from boats power. And I think that AIS is more easy and more fun, even if I know that not eveiry ship or boat uses it, and the fishersman's boats are a most probable encounter for us sailors.
> This is a very important information, because I had just received one > e-mail from Miltech saying that I pheraps would need the Raymarine > Multiplexor, and you are saying now that this mux does not support > 38,400? I do know that this Mux was made by you.
Indeed. This multiplexer is all 4800. Both inputs and output. A nifty priority scheme and a strict port-usage scheme prevents nasty bottlenecks.
> Actually Raymarine recommends using NMEA 1 out from the SxG pilot processor > to the NMEA input of the C or E series plotters. This is said to improve > the MARPA and radar/chart overlay, since the NMEA output is 10Hz. > Off course the SeaTalk link is also needed, for using the pilot in waypoint > mode etc.
That is interesting. That means for a proper Raymarine installation, you *need* the NMEA input :)
> In this case, my friend would need the Meindert's MiniPlex-41 with the > new firmware anyway. I would like to be informed when available.
Don't worry. I'll "ventilate" that event over here ;-)
> Regarding the AIS receivers supported on C80 series, I have just > received the folowing answer from Raymarine:
> "The EasyAIS receiver has the most flexibility that we have seen thus > far, including a jumper permitting the receiver to output data at 4800 > BAUD. This is an important consideration, particularly if the NMEA 0183 > port is already receiving NMEA 0183 heading data."
I wonder if 4800 baud gives you enough bandwidth to transfer all ships' information in a busy area.
In summary, my situation is: 1) I have one Raymarine Chart Plotter/Radar/Gps C80, wich receives Gyro data input from a raymarine S1G autopilot using the NMEA IN serial port; 2) I want to install a new AIS receiver SR161 wich sends output at 38400 pbs using NMEA 183 to the C80; 3) I need a NMEA Multiplexor that can receive NMEA from these two devices (Gyro and AIS) and pehraps more one (Radio DSC) with speeds from 4800, 9600, 38400; 4) The NMEA multiplexor should have one serial port to the ChartPloter, another serial port to a PC (as I want to use eventualy some other Ais Ready chart plotter software on the laptop) and another USB port (optional) to laptops that do not have serial port. 5) As I do not want to depend from the USB on a laptop to power the Multiplexor, it needs to have a normal 12 V power.
Considerations:
a) As I understand, the MiniPlex-Lite supports input at 38400, but depends on the PC/USB to power the unit; b) The MiniPlex-41 do not support NMEA input at 38400 and do not have USB c) The MiniPlex-41USB do not support NMEA input at 38400
Question:
What Multiplexor I need to buy in order to have this configuration Working?
I hadve received this update for my question from raymarine:
" You are correct in your understanding that Raymarine's NMEA0183 Multiplexer will not multiplex both 38400 and 4800 BAUD rates.
While Raymarine has not done any specific testing with a combined AIS/heading input at 38400 BAUD, the C-Series display should theoretically work as long as the MiniPlex-Lite can multiplex the 4800 BAUD data with the 38400 BAUD data."
> In summary, my situation is: > 1) I have one Raymarine Chart Plotter/Radar/Gps C80, wich receives > Gyro data input from a raymarine S1G autopilot using the NMEA IN serial > port; > 2) I want to install a new AIS receiver SR161 wich sends output at > 38400 pbs using NMEA 183 to the C80; > 3) I need a NMEA Multiplexor that can receive NMEA from these two > devices (Gyro and AIS) and pehraps more one (Radio DSC) with speeds > from 4800, 9600, 38400; > 4) The NMEA multiplexor should have one serial port to the ChartPloter, > another serial port to a PC (as I want to use eventualy some other Ais > Ready chart plotter software on the laptop) and another USB port > (optional) to laptops that do not have serial port. > 5) As I do not want to depend from the USB on a laptop to power the > Multiplexor, it needs to have a normal 12 V power.
> Considerations:
> a) As I understand, the MiniPlex-Lite supports input at 38400, but > depends on the PC/USB to power the unit; > b) The MiniPlex-41 do not support NMEA input at 38400 and do not have > USB > c) The MiniPlex-41USB do not support NMEA input at 38400
> Question:
> What Multiplexor I need to buy in order to have this configuration > Working? > Thanks
> Pascal
Oascal,
Maybe I missed it, if so please forgive me if I did.
But if you have the S1G as an autopilot it has 2 seatalk ports as well as the NMEA i/o port. The C80 can get the gyro data via seatalk and you can free up the NMEA port on the C80 for the AIS receiver. Also I believe the NMEA i/o on the S1G is bridged to the seatalk so anything in is repeated out the seatalk ports and visa versa. Hence you might be able to connect the AIS receiver to the S1G NMEA if it is more convenient.
As I earlier wrote, Raymarine C and E series prefer heading data via NMEA from the S1G's NMEA out 1 port as the NMEA data is updated 10 times a second, but if I remember correctly the heading on the SeaTalk bus is updated 2 times a second. This will of course affect the performance on the overlay if you have a fast boat and also the MARPA. If the overlay and MARPA is not a big concern SeaTalk heading is fine.
Regards, TomS
"John Proctor" <l...@nowhere.org> wrote in message
> Maybe I missed it, if so please forgive me if I did.
> But if you have the S1G as an autopilot it has 2 seatalk ports as well as > the NMEA i/o port. The C80 can get the gyro data via seatalk and you can > free up the NMEA port on the C80 for the AIS receiver. Also I believe the > NMEA i/o on the S1G is bridged to the seatalk so anything in is repeated > out the seatalk ports and visa versa. Hence you might be able to connect > the AIS receiver to the S1G NMEA if it is more convenient.
We have a Garmin 276C in the NMEA port of the S1G' Course Computer, and we do receive the wpts sent by 276C NMEA GPWPL/RTE in the C80 Chart/plotter, even if we do not care about this, because with the 276C it is much more easy to interface with computer software and make donload/upload of routes/wpt.
The 276C drives the Autopilot in track mode very well. We do not use the C80 for navigating, just as a simple plotter and seldon use it as a radar. This confirms too, that what you have said is true, that is, the transfer of information from NMEA to SeaTalk via Autopilot work. But just because the way we setup the thing now, we can not install the AIS in this NMEA port on SG1, wcih is already occupied by the garmin 276C gps. Pheraps, when Raymarine or Navionics release finally his Planning PC software for the Navionics Gold charts, my friend would assign the C80-Gps/ChartPlotter to do this duties.
You said: "This will of course affect the performance on the overlay if you have a fast boat and also the MARPA. If the overlay and MARPA is not a big concern SeaTalk heading is fine."
I agree 100% with you, and if I was the owner of my friend's boat, I would do this for shure, with no pheraps. His boat is a 36 ft sailboat, cruizer/racer loaded with tons of gadgets, including air-conditioning, freezer, DVD, plasma TV, generator, solar pannels etc, so the cruizing speed is not a worry, the S1G drive very well the boat 99% of time AND in track mode, with the Garmin 276C commanding the troup.
As I said before, we never used MARPA, and in the rare ocasions when we used the radar at all (here we do not have fog), was in coastal navigation, at nigth and with some rain, and we had setup only the standard radar alarm, and for little time, since the radar alarm from clouds very often wich is very anoyng thing.
We never used the Radar in split-screen nor in overlay mode with the chart/plotter, because the screen of C80 is not so big to this pay for, and we do not care anithing about the navigation function of the C80 chart/plotter due our preferential use of the Garmin 276C, as I explained in the preceding entry to John Proctor.
So, indeed, we can disconect the NMEA link from the S1G' Gyro to the C80 with no worry, and install the SR161 AIS receiver in this port, without need for multiplexes, and this is what I will sugest to my friend.
Thank You All
Pascal
P.S. Today, Raymarine released the new versions of the Manuals of the C-Series Displays and I have looked to the AIS setup and operations on the new firmware of the C80 and I found that it is very simple to use, no complications, very usefull. Download them at:
If I were a databox interface manufacturer, I'd want to make a box that these AIS receivers plugged into that converted the AIS statements to NMEA 0183 statements ANY chartplotter display could read, not just the top-of- the-line ones the chartplotter manufacturers, like Raymarine, are integrating with it.
Our $US3600 Raymarine RL70CRC Plus has ZERO AIS support from Raymarine, as you can see looking at ITS firmware update to 4.11. The company wants us to just dump this overpriced piece of marine craftsmanship for a new $4600 E display to get AIS support....and that ain't gonna happen.
The guy who puts AIS data on that chartplotter, and the other unsupported plotters from all the manufacturers with amnesia for older units, will sell many of them, I'm sure....(c;
> If I were a databox interface manufacturer, I'd want to make a box that > these AIS receivers plugged into that converted the AIS statements to NMEA > 0183 statements ANY chartplotter display could read, not just the top-of- > the-line ones the chartplotter manufacturers, like Raymarine, are > integrating with it.
AIS sentences ARE NMEA-0183 sentences. It's just that there is so much info in an AIS data packet, that it cannot be transferred in the normal way NMEA sentences are built up, instead the binary AIS data is converted in 6 bit units, represented by normal characters.
The closest "standard" NMEA sentences are the ones meant to transfer MARPA targets. So theoretically it sould be possible to convert an AIS target into a MARPA target, so any odd nav program/plotter can use it.
> If I were a databox interface manufacturer, I'd want to make a box that > these AIS receivers plugged into that converted the AIS statements to > NMEA 0183 statements ANY chartplotter display could read, not just the > top-of- > the-line ones the chartplotter manufacturers, like Raymarine, are > integrating with it.
> Our $US3600 Raymarine RL70CRC Plus has ZERO AIS support from Raymarine, > as you can see looking at ITS firmware update to 4.11. The company > wants us to just dump this overpriced piece of marine craftsmanship for > a new $4600 E display to get AIS support....and that ain't gonna happen.
> The guy who puts AIS data on that chartplotter, and the other > unsupported plotters from all the manufacturers with amnesia for older > units, will sell many of them, I'm sure....(c;
Larry,
The difference between the RLC series and the newer C & E series is day and night. Just look at the gyrations you need to do to update the older stuff.
The C & E series are true computer based systems with ease of upgrade and a plethora of interface options. As well the C & E series can be viewed in daylight conditions where the older RLC displays are just plain unuseable!
Once our customers see the C & E series as well as the newer Furuno displays there is no contecst!
> The difference between the RLC series and the newer C & E series is day > and night. Just look at the gyrations you need to do to update the > older stuff.
> The C & E series are true computer based systems with ease of upgrade > and a plethora of interface options.
Indeed. They even run Windows XP Embedded. I remember that on the previous London Boatshow, someone managed to get the infamous BSOD on one of the C or E units on display. The Ray guys were quite embarassed... :-)
> The closest "standard" NMEA sentences are the ones meant to transfer > MARPA targets. So theoretically it sould be possible to convert an AIS > target into a MARPA target, so any odd nav program/plotter can use it.
> Meindert
Well? What are you doing screwing around on usenet? Engineering it isn't going to happen talking to us....(c;
A little flip switch to decode AIS into MARPA on the NMEA multiplexer would be nice....
