Raymarine E SERIES Installation Instructions Manual

Also see for A series: Installation and operation instructions Installation and operation instructions Installation and operation instructions Installation instructions

Contents

Raymarine E SERIES Installation Instructions Manual Manual pdf 27 page image

a whole network of marine electronics from anymanufacturer to communicate on a common bus viastandardized message types and formats.SeaTalkSeaTalk is a protocol which enables compatibleinstruments to connect to each other and share data.The SeaTalk cable system is used to connectcompatible instruments and equipment. The cablecarries power and data and enables connectionwithout the need for a central processor.Additional instruments and functions can be added toa SeaTalk system, simply by plugging them into thenetwork. SeaTalk equipment can also communicatewith other non-SeaTalk equipment via the NMEA0183 standard, provided a suitable interface is used.NMEA 0183The NMEA 0183 Data Interface Standard wasdeveloped by the National Marine ElectronicsAssociation of America. It is an internationalstandard to enable equipment from many differentmanufacturers to be connected together and shareinformation.The NMEA 0183 standard carries similar informationto SeaTalk. However it has the important differencethat one cable will only carry information in onedirection. For this reason NMEA 0183 is generallyused to connect a data receiver and a transmittertogether, e.g. a compass sensor transmittingheading to a radar display. This information ispassed in ‘sentences’, each of which has a threeletter sentence identifier. It is therefore importantwhen checking compatibility between items that thesame sentence identifiers are used some examplesof which are:• VTG - carries Course and Speed Over Grounddata.• GLL - carries latitude and longitude.• DBT - carries water depth.• MWV - carries relative wind angle and wind speeddata.NMEA Baud ratesThe NMEA 0183 standard operates at a numberof different speeds, depending upon the particularrequirement or equipment capabilities. Typicalexamples are:• 4800 baud rate. Used for general purposecommunications, including FastHeading data.• 38400 baud rate. Used for AIS and other highspeed applications.3.7 Data masterAny system containing more than one networkedmultifunction display must have a designated datamaster.The data master is the display which serves as aprimary source of data for all displays, it also handlesall external sources of information. For examplethe displays may require heading information fromthe autopilot and GPS systems, usually receivedthrough a SeaTalkng or NMEA connection. The datamaster is the display to which the SeaTalk, NMEAand any other data connections are made, it thenbridges the data to the SeaTalkhs network and anycompatible repeat displays. Information shared bythe data master includes:• Cartography• Routes and waypoints• Radar• Sonar• Data received from the autopilot, instruments, theengine and other external sources.Your system may be wired for redundancy with dataconnections made to repeat displays. However theseconnections will only become active in the event of afault and/or reassignment of the data master.In an autopilot system which does not contain adedicated pilot control head the Data master alsoacts as the control for the autopilot.Planning the installation 27