QUARK-ELEC QK-A034-B Bi-Directional WiFi to NMEA 2000 Gateway Multiplexer Instruction Manual

QUARK-ELEC QK-A034-B Bi-Directional WiFi to NMEA 2000 Gateway Multiplexer Instruction Manual

Features

• Bi-directional WiFi.
• Bi-directional NMEA 2000.
• Bi-directional NMEA 0183.
• Bi-directional USB.
• Combines input data from three NMEA 0183 input devices, and one Sea Talk input
• Galvanic ally isolated NMEA 0183 and Sea Talk ports (also called opt-isolation, Galvanic isolation prevents unwanted currents between devices, preventing equipment damage and interference with radio signals).
• SeaTalk1 Converter (Converts commonly used Sea Talk¹ data types to NMEA 0183 sentences).
• NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 converter (converts common NMEA 0183 sentences to PGNs).
• NMEA 2000 to NMEA 0183 converter (converts common NMEA 2000 PGNs into NMEA 0183 sentences).
• WiFi: Ad-hoc mode allows up to 4 connections to the internal WiFi module simultaneously.
• WiFi: Station mode allows for the connection of the A034-B to your router/ access point for greater number of wireless users and WiFi range.
• WiFi: Standby option (disable WiFi).
• WiFi and USB input and output of combined data in NMEA 0183 sentence format.
• WiFi and USB additionally output of NMEA 2000 network PGNs (in both 0183 sentences and PCDIN format).
• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux.
• Compatible with Android and iOS via WiFi.
• Filtering allows for overflow reduction and additional configuration.
• Routing reduces the risk of data over-flow.

Introduction

The QK-A034-B is a sophisticated bi-directional NMEA 2000, WiFi, USB and NMEA 0183 multiplexer, with a huge amount of flexibility for your growing system.

It is the perfect solution for merging wired NMEA2000 and NMEA 0183 equipment to each other and to to USB laptops and tablet WiFi APPs to form a linked-up system.

The A034-B multiplexer has three NMEA 0183 inputs (listener-ports), one Sea Talk¹ input, a bidirectional NMEA 2000 output port, NMEA 0183 output, bi- directional WiFi and bi directional USB port.

INPUTS (listener ports)

| OUTPUTS (talker ports)
---|---
NMEA 2000|

NMEA 2000

WiFi

| WiFi
USB|

USB

3 x NMEA 0183

| NMEA 0183
1 x SeaTalk1|

All NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, USB and WiFi devices can communicate with each other.

In addition to bi-directional NMEA 2000, WiFi, USB and NMEA 0183, the A034-B provides a connection to Ray marine Leafstalk input devices to all connected output devices (NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, WiFi and USB devices). Specifically, the internal Sea Talk¹ converter allows the A034-B to listen on the Sea Talk1 bus and convert Sea Talk¹ data to NMEA 0183, which are in turn converted to NMEA 2000 PNGs.

The A034-B can be used out of the box for standard functionality or configured for additional sophistication. Through advanced filtering and routing options, the A034-Ballows controlled filtering of data input, blocking of unwanted data and routing for data management and overflow reduction.

Default Standard Functionality: The multiplexer converts and combines data received on all inputs and listeners ports and sends this data to NMEA 2000 output port, NMEA 0183, USB output and WiFi interface.

• Bi-directional WiFi: With 2-way WiFi connectivity, the A034-B allows for wireless connection to autopilots and other NMEA devices if desired. Data from instruments is available wireless though WiFi connections, giving complete freedom to navigate, monitor and control from anywhere on board. Up to 4 connections from iPads, iPhone, Android phones and tablets or other WiFi enabled devices can connect directly to the A034-B with no need for a WiFi access point. (Thought it can also be connected to an access point/router if desires (see WiFi section)
• Bi-directional USB: The USB port also supports bi-directional communications. It allows computer-based, navigation applications to send sentences through the multiplexer to control an autopilot and other devices. The USB port is also used for configuration of specific WiFi and NMEA ports settings.

Additional Configurable Functionality (through Windows software via USB):

• Additional WiFi options including connection to an access point to share marine data across your entire WiFi network or disabling WiFi output if desired.
• Filtering options: Each input also has a flexible filter that can be configured to pass or block specific sentences. This frees up bandwidth, significantly reducing the possibility of data overflow and resulting loss of data.
• Routing options: the powerful routing feature allows the NMEA, SeaTalk and WiFi input data to be routed from any input to specific outputs.

Mounting

The A034-B was designed for the small-commercial, leisure and fishing boat and vessel monitoring markets. Although the A034-B case is water resistant, the terminals are open and seawater can cause a short circuit.

The A034-B comes with an extruded aluminium enclosure with external dimensions of 114.5 x 110 x 32 mm.

The A034-B should be mounted in a dry place such as behind the instrument panel on a flat surface. Ensure there is enough space around the multiplexer to connect the wiring.

Figure 1 Dimensions

Connections

Figure 2: Typical system connection

The A034-B multiplexer has the following options for connection to inputs, outputs and host devices.

• NMEA 2000 connection for power, data input and output
• 3x NMEA 0183 inputs
• 1x NMEA 0183 output
• 1x SeaTalk1 input
• USB connection for data input and output
• WiFi antenna for data input and output

Figure 1: Side view drawing

Power OFF all the devices before connecting!

Status LEDs
A034-B features ten LEDs which indicate Sea Talk¹ in, NMEA IN, IN2, IN3, NMEA2000 Output, NMEA 0183 output, Overflow, USB, WIFI and Power status respectively.

The status LEDs on the panel show port activity and system status.

• SeaTalk¹ and NMEA IN1/2/3: LEDs will flash for each valid message received.
• N2K: LED will flash for each valid NMEA 2000 PGN sent out on NMEA 2000 port.
• OUT (NMEA 0183 output): LED will flash for each valid message send out.
• Overflow: LED will flash if the NMEA 0183 output experiences data overflow due to an excessive queue, above the buffer allowance (data lost)
• USB: LED will flash for each valid NMEA message sent to USB output.
• WiFi: LED will flash for each valid NMEA message sent to WiFi output.
• PWR (Power): LED light is constantly lit in red when the device is powered.

Figure 2: LED indications

NMEA 0183 Inputs
A034-B has three NMEA inputs called IN1,IN2 and IN3. Each input should be connected to one device only.

Every NMEA 0183 input and output is galvanic ally isolated (also called opt- isolation) as specified by the NMEA standard. A galvanic ally isolated input prevents unwanted currents flowing between the instruments and the multiplexer, protecting devices from equipment damage and reducing interference with radio signals.

Each input has an internal filter which can be configured to pass or block specific sentences from the input devices (See the Configuration section). The A034-B combines these filtered NMEA 0183 inputs with the NMEA sentences converted from the Sea Talk¹ and other inputs into one NMEA0183 serial data stream.

NMEA baud rates are set to the following default settings:

• NMEA IN 1: 4800 bps
• NMEA IN 2: 4800 bps
• NMEA IN 3: 38400bps

These can be adjusted as required, using the Configuration software (see the Configuration section).

Regarding connection to external NMEA devices: Although the NMEA 0183 standard specifies signal names, voltage levels and connection methods clearly; in reality, this standard has been interpreted with variation between manufacturers. To ensure the A034-B is not damaged please double-check the specifications of all devices before connecting them.

Please note:
The A034-B NMEA 0183 connectors use the RS422 (differential) protocol.
Connect the + and – terminals of the NMEA input on the A034-B, to the + and – terminals of the output on the instrument (e.g., wind / depth / heading sensor). These instrument terminals may also be labelled A/B, Data+/Data-, RX+/RX-, In+/In–.

If your connecting device uses the older RS232 (single-ended) protocol, you can still connect to the A034-B; you may simply need a QK-AS03 Protocol Bridge for your connection (https://www.quarkelec.com/product/qk-as03-nmea-protocol- bridge/).

NMEA 0183 wiring – RS422 or RS232?

A034-B uses the NMEA 0183-RS422 protocol (differential signal), however some chart plotters or devices may use the older NMEA 0183-RS232 protocol (single- ended signal).

Check which protocol your connecting NMEA devices (e.g. Chart plotter) use. If you are unsure whether your connecting NMEA 0183 device uses NMEA 0183 RS422 or RS232, the input/output connections on the device will give you some indication. Unfortunately, manufacturers who use  the folder RS232 protocol are not consistent in their product labeling. The following table may help you identify which protocol your product uses, however always check the manual to be certain. If your connecting device uses the older RS232 protocol, use a QK- AS03 Protocol Bridge. The QK-AS03 connects and converts RS422 to the older RS232 and vice versa, through a simple connection, no configuration needed.

Occasionally older NMEA 0183 RS232 devices are labelled like RS422 (TX+ and TX- / RX+ and RX-) so check the product manuals.

Sea Talk¹ Input
The built-in Sea Talk¹
to NMEA converter translates Sea Talk data into NMEA sentences. The Sea Talk port has 3-Pin terminals for connection to the SeaTalk bus. Ensure the connection is correct before powering up. An inaccurate connection could damage the A034-B and other devices on the Sea Talk Bus.

The Sea Talk converter converts the Sea Talk messages in the conversion table below. When a Sea Talk message is received, A034-B checks if the message is supported. When the message is recognized as being supported, the message is extracted, stored and converted to an NMEA sentence. Any unsupported datagrams are ignored. These converted NMEA messages are filtered and then combined with NMEA data received on the other inputs.

This function allows the NMEA multiplexer to listen on the Sea Talk bus. Only one Sea Talk input is needed as the Sea Talk bus is a single-cable system that connects all instruments. The A034-B Sea Talk to NMEA converter works in one direction only. NMEA sentences are not converted to Sea Talk.

Supported SeaTalk 1 Datagrams

SeaTalk 1| NMEA| Description
00| DBT| Depth below transducer
10| MWV| Wind angle, (10 and 11 combined)
11| MWV| Wind speed, (10 and 11 combined)
20| VHW| Speed through water, includes heading when present
21| VLW| Trip mileage (21 and 22 combined)
22| VLW| Total mileage (21 and 22 combined)
23| MTW| Water temperature
25| VLW| Total and Trip mileage
26| VHW| Speed through water, includes heading when present
27| MTW| Water temperature
50| —| GPS latitude, value stored
51| —| GPS longitude, value stored
52| —| GPS speed over ground, value stored
53| RMC| Course over ground. RMC sentence is generated from stored values from other GPS related data grams.
54| —| GPS time, value stored
56| —| GPS date, value stored
58| —| GPS lat/long, values stored
89| HDG| Magnetic heading, including variation (99)
99| —| Magnetic variation, value stored

AS the table shows, not all data grams result in an NMEA 0183 sentence. Some data grams are only used to retrieve data, which is combined with other data grams to create one NMEA 0183 sentence.

NMEA 2000 Port
The A034-B converter provides a NMEA 2000 network connection. The A034-B combines all the NMEA 0183 data inputs and then converts them to be NMEA 2000 PGNs and vice-versa. With A034-B, WiFi data, USB data and NMEA 0183 input and SeaTalk¹ input data can be available on new NMEA 2000 capable instruments, such as NMEA 2000 chart plotters.

The A034-B requires power from a NMEA 2000 backbone.
NMEA 2000 network must at least consist of, a powered backbone with two terminators (termination resistors), to which the multiplexer and any other NMEA 2000 devices must be connected.

Each NMEA 2000 device connects to the backbone. It is not possible to simply connect two NMEA 2000 devices directly together.

The A034-B is supplied with a spurred five-core screened cable for the NMEA 2000 connection, fitted with a male micro-fit connector. Simply connect the cable to the network backbone.

Conversion Lists
The conversion tables on the following pages list the supported NMEA 2000 PGN’s (parameter group numbers) and NMEA 0183 sentences. It is important to check the tables to confirm that the A034-B will convert the sentences/PGNs required.

Through USB and WiFi the A034-B will output in NMEA 0183 format, including all NMEA 0183 messages received and NMEA 0183 messages converted from the NMEA 2000 network. WiFi/USB inputs are NMEA 0183 messages and are converted to NMEA 2000 for the NMEA 2000 bus.

The following is a typical PCDIN message format outputted through WiFi and USB. The chart software will convert this into more meaningful information.

• Received message: $PCDIN, 01F119, 00000000, 16,0064050800FFFF0C*5B

Header

| PGN| Time Stamp| Source ID| Data| Termination| Check Sum
---|---|---|---|---|---|---
$PCDIN| 01F119| 00000000| 16| 0064050800FFFF0C| *|

5B

NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 conversions
The following NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 conversions are currently supported.

NMEA 2000 to NMEA 0183 conversions
The following NMEA 2000 to NMEA 0183 conversions are currently supported.

NMEA 2000 PGN| HEX code| Function| Converted to NMEA 0183Sentences
---|---|---|---
126992| 1F010| System Time| ZDA
127237| 1F105| Heading/Track Control| HSC
127245| 1F10D| Rudder| RSA
127250| 1F112| Vessel Heading| HDG, VHW,THS
127251| 1F113| Rate of Turn| ROT
127258| 1F11A| Magnetic Variation| HDG
128259| 1F503| Speed, Water referenced| VHW
128267| 1F50B| Water Depth| DBT, DPT
128275| 1F513| Distance Log| VLW
129025| 1F801| Position, Rapid Update| GLL
129026| 1F802| COG & SOG, Rapid Update| VTG
129029| 1F805| GNSS Position Data| GGA, GLL, GSA, RMC, ZDA
129033| 1F809| Time & Date| ZDA
129044| 1F814| Datum| DTM
129283| 1F903| Cross Track Error| APB, RMB, XTE
129284| 1F904| Navigation Data| AAM, APB, RMB
129291| 1F90B| Set & Drift, Rapid Update| VDR
129539| 1FA03| GNSS DOPs| GSA
129540| 1FA04| GNSS Sats in View| GSV
129795| 1FB03| AIS Addressed Binary Message| ABM
129801| 1FB09| AIS Addressed Safety Related Message| VDM, VDO (AIS VHF Data- link message 12)
129808| | DSC Call Information| DSC, DSE
130306| 1FD02| Wind Data| MWV
130310| 1FD06| Environmental Parameters| MDA, MTW
130311| 1FD07| Environmental Parameters| MDA
130312| 1FD08| Temperature| MDA, MTW
130577| 1FE11| Direction Data| THS, VDR
129038| 1F80E| AIS Message 1,2,3| VDM/VDO
129793| 1FB01| AIS Message 4| VDM/VDO
129794| 1FB02| AIS Message 5| VDM/VDO
129798| 1FB06| AIS Message 9| VDM/VDO
129039| 1F80F| AIS Message 18| VDM/VDO
129040| 1F810| AIS Message 19| VDM/VDO
129809| 1FB11| AIS Message 24 (Part A)| VDM/VDO
129810| 1FB12| AIS Message 24 (Part B)| VDM/VDO

WiFi Output
The A034-B allows users to send and view data through WiFi on a PC, tablet, smartphone or other WiFi enabled device. Users can access marine network data including vessel course, speed, position, wind speed, direction, water depth, AIS etc which can be viewed via the chosen chart software. The IEEE 802.11b/g wireless standard has two basic modes of operation; Ad-hoc mode (peer to peer) and station mode (also called infrastructure mode).The A034-B supports 3 modes.

• In Ad-hoc mode (default) , wireless devices connect directly (peer to peer) without a router or access point. For example, your Smartphone can connect directly to the A034-B to receive marine data. The A034-B is set to Ad-hoc mode as a default setting, but can be easily setup to station mode or standby mode through the configuration tool. (See Configuration section)

  ---

  Ad-hoc Mode

• In Station mode, wireless devices communicate through an access point (AP) such as a router that serves as a bridge to other networks (such as the Internet or LAN). This allows your router to handle the data and traffic from your device. This data can then be picked up through your router anywhere on your local area network. Increasing the WiFi range. Similar to plugging the device directly into the router, but using wireless technology. In this way, the mobile devices receive both your marine data and other AP connections such as Internet.
  **
  Station mode
  **

• WiFi can also be disabled in Standby   mode. This reduces power consumption and may be required when connecting 2 WiFi transmitting devices.

  ---

  Standby (disable) option

WiFi Ad-hoc mode connection
From a Phone, Tablet or PC: Once the A034-B has powered up, scan for a WiFi network with an SSID
of ‘QK-A034-B xxxx’ or similar.

Connect to ‘QK-A034-B xxxx’ with the default password: ‘88888888’

In the chart software (or chart plotter), Set the protocol to ‘TCP’, IP address to ‘192.168.1.100’ and the port number to ‘2000’.

With the above settings, a wireless connection is established and the user will receive the data through the chart software.
Note: In Ad-hoc mode, the IP address should not be changed.
The SSID and password can be changed. The password must be 8 to 12 characters long.

The wireless connection and data flow can be checked with TCP/IP port monitoring software as shown.
(Image: TCP/IP Net Assistant shown as example).

For Station mode WiFi or to disable the WiFi function, see the Configuration section.

USB Output
The A034-B is supplied with a type B USB connector and USB cable. The USB cable can be linked directly to a USB port on the PC.
The USB connector provides data input and output as standard (multiplexed information from all input instruments will be sent to this connection). The USB port is also used to configure the multiplexer and to update its firmware.

Will a driver be needed to connect via USB?
To enable the USB data connection of A034-B to other devices, related hardware drivers may be needed dependent on your system requirements.

Mac:
No driver required. For Mac OS X, the A034-B will be recognized and shown as a USB modem. The ID can be checked with the following steps:

1. Plug the A03 into a USB port and launch Terminal.app.
2. Type: less /dev/sub
3. The Mac system will return a list of USB devices. A034-B will display as – “/dev/tty.usbmodemXYZ” where XYZ is a number. Nothing further needs to be done if it is listed.

Linux:
No driver required. When plugged into the computer, A034-B will show up as a USB CDC device on /dev/ttyACM0.

Windows 7,8,10:
The drivers usually install automatically if your device is running an original Windows 10 version. A new COM port will automatically show up in the device manager once powered and connected via USB.

The A034-B registers itself to the computer as a virtual serial com port.

If the driver does not install automatically, it can be found on the included CD and downloaded from /www.quark-elec.com.

Checking the USB connection (Windows)
After the driver is installed (if needed), run the Device Manager and check the COM number (this is the number associated with the USB port you are using. The port number is the number that Windows assigns as an input device. These can be generated randomly by your computer). Your chart software may require your COM number in order to access the data.

The port number for the A034-B can be found in Windows ‘Control Panel->System->Device Manager’ under ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’. Find the A034-B in the list for the USB variant. To change this number, double click the A034-B and select the ‘Port Settings’ tab. Click the ‘Advanced’ button and change the port number to the one required.

Checking the USB data flow:
If desired, the USB data can always be checked with the configuration tool. To do this, run the configuration tool, connect to A034-B and then click ‘Open Port’, the input data will be shown on the display field.

(See Configuration section).

NMEA 0183 output
NMEA 0183 output allows the data inputted, including data transmitted on the NMEA 2000 backbone to be converted into NMEA 0183 format (See list of converted messages above). Data then can be fed to NMEA 0183 interface devices via this port. A034-B monitors NMEA 2000 backbone PGN messages.

Any NMEA 2000 PGNs not required, should be added to the A034-B ‘Black list’ (See Configuration section) to be filtered out of the data flow. The remaining PGN’s will be converted and then fed into a dedicated buffer, sending to NMEA 0183 output.
As NMEA 2000 runs at 250kbps, while the standard NMEA 0183 port runs at 4.8kbps or 38.4bps. Data overflow cannot be avoided. The only recommendation for solving overflow issues is to prohibit unnecessary messages by filtering (Configuring the Backlist in the Configuration tool) and increasing the baud rate when possible.

Configuration (via USB)

The A034-B Configuration tool software can be found on the free CD provided with your product or at https://www.quark-elec.com/downloads/configuration- tools/.

The A034-B Windows configuration tool can be used to setup the port routing, sentence filtering, NMEA baud rates, and WiFi settings for the A034-B. It can also be used to monitor and send NMEA sentences through the USB port. The configuration tool must be used on a windows PC (or a Mac using Boot Camp or other Windows simulating software) while the A034-B is connected via USB cable. The software cannot access the A034-B via WiFi.

The Configuration tool will not function while another program is using the A034-B. Please close down all applications using the A034-B when using the configuration tool.

Figure 3: Configuration tool connection

Once open, click ‘Connect’.

When A034-B is connected to a computer (Windows system) and powered up, ‘A034 connected’ will be shown at the center of the bottom and the software version shows at the bottom right. Press ‘Config’ once you have set the Baud rates for the inputs to save them to the A034-B.

Then press the ‘Disconnect’ button to safely remove the device from the PC.

Reboot the A034-B to activate the new settings

Configuring Baud Rates
NMEA 0183 input baud rates can be setup from drop down menu.
The A034-B can work with standard NMEA 0183 devices (4800bps), the high-speed NMEA 0183 devices (38400bps) and 9600bps can also be chosen.

Default NMEA baud rates are set to the following default settings:

• Seatalk: 4800bps
• NMEA IN 1: 4800bps
• NMEA IN 2: 4800bps
• NMEA IN 3: 38400bps

These can be adjusted as required.

WiFi – Station mode
WiFi is set to Ad-hoc mode by default. Station mode however, allows your router/access point to handle the data from your device. This data can then be picked up through your router anywhere on your local area network (Similar to plugging the device directly into the router, but using wireless technology). This allows your mobile device to still receive Internet while viewing your marine data.

To begin setup station mode the A034-B should be connected via USB to a computer running Windows (Mac users can use Boot Camp).

1. Connect the A034-B to computer via Micro USB B connection.

2. Run the Configuration software (having closed any other programs that would access the A034-B ).

3. Click ‘Connect’ and check connection to the A034-B at the bottom of Configuration tool.

4. Change working mode to ‘Station mode’.

5. Enter your router’s SSID.

6. Enter the password for your network.

7. Enter the IP address assigned to the A034-B, this normally start with 192.168. The third group of digits depends on your router’s configuration (commonly 1 or 0). The fourth group must be a unique number between 0 and 255). This number must not be used by any other equipment connected to your router.

8. Enter your router’s IP address in the Gateway section. This can usually be found under the router. Leave the other settings as they are.

9. Click ‘Config’ in the bottom right hand corner and wait 60 seconds. After 60 seconds Click ‘Disconnect’.

10. Re power the A034-B and it will now attempt to connect to the router.

In your chart software, set the protocol as ‘TCP’, insert the IP address you assigned the A034-B and enter the Port number as ‘2000’.

You should now see your marine data in your chart software. If not, check your router’s IP address list and confirm the IP address that your router has assigned the A034-B. Occasionally, a router assigns a different IP address to a device than the one you chose to assign it during Configuration. If this is the case, copy the IP address from the router into your chart software.
If the IP address in the router’s IP address list matched the one inputted into the chart software, everything will work in station mode.

If you are not able to view your data in station mode, the likely cause is either the data has been input incorrectly, or the IP address is different in your chart software to that of your router.

WiFi – Standby/Disable
The WiFi module can be disabled by selecting ‘standby’ in the WiFi menu.

Filtering

The A034-B features filtering of NMEA 0183 sentences. Each input has a flexible filter that can be configured to pass or block specific sentences from entering the multiplexer. NMEA sentences can be passed or blocked, specified by input. This frees up bandwidth, significantly reducing the possibility of data overflow and resulting loss of data.

Blacklisted input data is filtered out and ignored by the A034-B multiplexer while the remaining desired data is then transmitted to the outputs. As default, all filter lists are empty so all messages are passed through the filters. Filters can be set through the Configuration software.

Figure 5: Input Filters Example

Filtering allows the A034-B to reduce the processing data load by disabling these unneeded input sentences. GPS receivers for example often transmit an abundance of sentences every second and can fill much of the available bandwidth of an NMEA 0183 port at 4800bps. By filtering out any unnecessary data the bandwidth is saved for other more crucial device data.

Most chart plotters also have their own sentence filter, however many PC/mobile phone-based applications do not. So, using the black list to filter unnecessary sentences can be helpful.

Filtering also removes potential conflict if two similar NMEA devices provide the same sentence type. Users may choose to enable this data on one input only (filtering), and to transmit to the outputs.

Configuring filters
Each input port’s black list can block up to 8 types of sentences. To filter out an unwanted message types from a specific input, enter the details in the corresponding ‘Black List’ in the Configuration software.
Simply, remove the ‘$’ or ‘!’ from the 5-digit NMEA talker and sentence identifier and insert separated by commas. For example to block ‘!AIVDM’ and ‘$GPAAM’ enter ‘AIVDM,GPAAM’. If blacklisting Sea Talk data, use the corresponding NMEA message header. (See Sea Talk section for a full list of converted messages).

Routing data away from chosen outputs
As a default, all inputs’ data (excluding any filtered data) is routed to all outputs (NMEAx2, WiFi and USB). Data can be routed to limit the data flow to only certain output/s.
Simply un-tick the corresponding boxes in the Configuration software.

NMEA 0183 output baud rate

NMEA 0183 output (only available on A034-B) baud rates can be set up from dropdown menu. The NMEA 0183 output supports both high-speed NMEA 0183 devices (38.4kbps), or slower NMEA 0183 devices (4.8kbps).

WiFi/USB output messages format

NMEA 2000 bus data can be sent out via WiFi and USB. Operator can setup the output format through the configuration tool. It can be PCDIN (Raw NMEA 2000 data in NMEA 0183 format), NMEA 0183(converted PGNs) or standby mode (disable the output from NMEA 2000 bus).

Once settings are complete the user must click ‘Config’ and then click ‘Disconnect’. Please reboot unit by un-plugging the unit from the power source. The unit is now ready for use.

USB – Monitoring NMEA messages
Connect A034-B and then click ‘Open port’, all the sentences will be displayed in the application. A .txt file will be created automatically in the same folder and all the data will be saved in this text file.

Figure 6: Monitor via USB

Upgrading firmware

The current firmware version can be verified through the configuration tool (When connected, the firmware version will show in the bottom of the Configuration software window).

To upgrade the firmware,

1. Power up your A034-B and then connect it to a Windows computer via USB.
2. Run the Configuration software.
3. Ensure the configuration tool is connected to the A034-B, and then click Ctrl+F7.
4. A new Window will pop up with a drive named ‘STM32’ or similar. Copy the firmware into this drive and wait around 10 seconds to make sure the full file has been copied.
5. Close the window and the Configuration software.
6. Reboot the A034-B, and then the new firmware will be active.

Specification

Limited Warranty and Notices

Quark-elec warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and manufacture for one year from the date of purchase. Quark-elec will, at its sole discretion, repair or replace any components that fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts and labor. The customer is, however, responsible for any transportation costs incurred in returning the unit to Quark-Elec. This warranty does not cover failures due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs. A returns number must be given before any unit is sent back for repair.

The above does not affect the statutory rights of the consumer.

Disclaimer

This product is designed to aid navigation and should be used to augment normal navigational procedures and practices. It is the user’s responsibility to use this product prudently. Neither Quark-elec, nor their distributors or dealers accept responsibility or liability either to the products user or their estate for any accident, loss, injury or damage whatsoever arising out of the use or of liability to use this product.

Quark- products may be upgraded from time to time and future versions may therefore not correspond exactly with this manual. The manufacturer of this product disclaims any liability for consequences arising from omissions or inaccuracies in this manual and any other documentation provided with this product.

Document History

sentences; Support 127237、129795、129801、129808、130577 PGNs.

Customer Support

Quark-elec(UK)
Unit 7, the Quadrant, Newark close
Royston, UK, SG8 5HL
info@quark-elec.com

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