Actisense NGW-1 NMEA Conversion Gateway User Guide
- June 6, 2024
- Actisense
Table of Contents
- Actisense NGW-1 NMEA Conversion Gateway
- Trademarks and Registered Trademarks
- Product Registration
- Introduction & Features
- Powering the NGW-1
- Connnecting to an NMEA 2000 Network
- Connnecting to a SeaTalkNG Network
- Changing Firmware
- Connnecting to a PC/laptop
- References
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
Actisense NGW-1 NMEA Conversion Gateway
Important Notices
The device to which this manual relates complies with the Electromagnetic
Compatibility requirements according to EN60945. The unit should always be
used in conjunction with appropriately approved, shielded cable and connectors
as per NMEA 0400 to ensure compliance. A declaration of conformity is
available for download at www.actisense.com.
If the device to which this manual relates is to be installed within five
metres of a compass, please refer to the ‘Compass Safe Distance’ section in
the ‘Technical Specifications’ table.
Trademarks and Registered Trademarks
Actisense® and the Actisense logo are registered trademarks of Active Research
Limited (Ltd). All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
The NMEA® name and NMEA logo are copyright held by the NMEA. All uses in this
manual are by permission and no claim on the right to the NMEA name or logo
are made in this manual.
Fair Use Statement
The contents of this manual may not be transferred or copied without the
express written permission of Active Research Ltd.
Copyright © 2017 Active Research Ltd. All rights reserved.
Product Registration
Please register your product via the online form at
http://actisense.com/support/prodreg.html.
Your product package includes a unit serial number. The serial number is six
digits long and can be found below the barcode on the label. Your registration
will assist Actisense Support to link your product to your details,
simplifying any future assistance you may require.
Product Disposal
Please dispose of this product in accordance with the WEEE Directive. The
product should be taken to a registered establishment for the disposal of
electronic equipment.
Technical Accuracy
To the best of our knowledge the information contained in this document was
correct at the time it was produced. Active Research Ltd cannot accept
liability for any inaccuracies or omissions.
The products described in this manual and the specifications thereof may be
changed without prior notice. Active Research Ltd cannot accept any liability
for differences between the product and this document. To check for updated
information and specifications please check actisense.com.
Active Research Ltd will not be liable for infringement of copyright,
industrial property rights, or other rights of a third party caused by the use
of information or drawings described in this manual.
Product Guarantee
This product comes with a three year ‘return to base’ guarantee. If you
suspect that the unit is faulty please refer to the Troubleshooting Section of
the User Manual before contacting support.
It is a requirement of the guarantee that all installations of electronic
equipment follow the NMEA 0400 specification. Any connection to a battery or
power supply must meet the mandatory essential safety requirements that may be
imposed by local regulatory agencies. Actisense products are intended for use
in a marine environment, primarily for below deck use. If a product is to be
used in a more severe environment, such use may be considered misuse under the
Active Research Ltd guarantee.
Introduction & Features
The Actisense NGW-1 is an intelligent Gateway that converts NMEA 0183 data to
NMEA 2000 (and vice versa), allowing you to share information between devices
from the two standards. This creates the possibility of upgrading some of the
vessel’s electronics to NMEA 2000 and keeping the remaining NMEA 0183 devices.
This can help spread the cost of transitioning to NMEA 2000, reducing the
initial upgrade cost to accommodate a new NMEA 2000 device.
The ISO variant connects easily to NMEA 0183 devices with a dedicated pair of
data wires for transmit and receive, allowing the NGW-1 to share data bi-
directionally if required. As with all the latest Actisense products, OPTO-
Isolation is included on the input and ground breaking ISO-DriveTM technology
on the output to keep your devices safe from hazardous ground loops.
A USB option is available for installations operating with PC software that
requires NMEA 0183 data.
Powering the NGW-1
ISO Variants:
All ISO variants of the NGW-1 receive their power supply when connected to a
correctly powered NMEA 2000 backbone. The backbone must also be correctly
terminated to allow connected devices to communicate. Refer to the “Connecting
to an NMEA 2000 Network” section for more information.
USB Variants:
All USB variants will be powered by the PC/laptop USB connection once the USB
drivers have been successfully installed. Depending on the settings of the
PC/laptop that the NGW-1 is connected to, the latest Actisense USB drivers
will install automatically from Windows update. If this does not happen, the
same USB driver files are available on the CD that is included in the box with
the NGW-1 or from the NGW-1 ‘downloads’ web page.
Connnecting to an NMEA 2000 Network
The illustration below provides an example of the minimum requirements for an
NMEA 2000 network. The horizontal cable illustrating the backbone is not
always needed in reality as a backbone can be formed by simply connecting
T-pieces directly to each other. The cable connecting a device to a T-piece
must not exceed 6 metres as defined in the NMEA 2000 specification:
NMEA 2000 Pin Out
The diagram below illustrates the standard wiring colours used by all NMEA
2000 devices (like the NGW-1):
| Wire Colour | NMEA 2000 | PCB Label |
|---|---|---|
| Shield/Screen | Shield | SHIELD |
| Blue | Net Low | NET LO |
| White | Net High | NET HI |
| Black | Net Common | NET COM |
| Red | Net Supply | NET SUP |
Connnecting to a SeaTalkNG Network
Raymarines SeaTalkNG network uses exactly the same data as a standard NMEA 2000 network. The only difference is the physical network connections. To connect any standard NMEA 2000 device (like the NGW-1) to an STNG network, simply use an NMEA 2000 to STNG adapter cable (product code: STNG-A06045) between the device and the STNG network.
Connnecting to NMEA 0183 Devices
The diagrams below illustrate how to connect the loose wires from any ISO
variant NGW-1 to the TX/RX terminals of any NMEA 0183 Talker/Listener.
| Wire Colour | Label | Connnects To |
|---|---|---|
| Black | IN B / – | Talker OUT B / – / GND |
| Red | IN A / + | Talker OUT A / + / Data |
| Blue | OUT B / – | Listener OUT B / – / GND |
| White | OUT A / + | Listener OUT A / + / Data |
| Shield / Screen | ISO GND | Not Connected |
Changing Firmware
From NGW-1 firmware v2.500 and above, switching between ‘AIS conversions’
firmware and ‘Standard conversions’ firmware is not required, instead
Actisense Toolkit allows for quick NGW-1 configuration changes to be performed
using the “Start with…” configuration option to choose the base conversions
(‘Standard’, ‘AIS/Full’ etc.) and then change as required.
NGW-1 firmware v2.210 and below, both the ‘Standard conversions’ firmware and
‘AIS conversions’ firmware can be installed into any hardware variant (ISO,
USB, STNG) using the corresponding ActiPatch. The firmware has all possible
conversions enabled by default, ready to go and NMEA Reader can be used to
disable any of those conversions that are not required.
If there is a requirement to change between the ‘Standard conversions’ and
‘AIS conversions’ firmware, download the ActiPatch that matches the NGW-1
hardware variant (ISO, USB, STNG) from the NGW-1 Download page and use it to
update the firmware. The NGW-1 must also be powered.
Connnecting to a PC/laptop
The diagrams below illustrate how to connect the loose wires from any ISO variant NGW-1 to a serial cable (DB9F). If the PC/laptop does not have a serial port, a USB-serial converter will also be needed.
LED Behaviour
There are 2 LEDs inside the NGW-1, one on the NMEA 0183 side, one on the NMEA
2000 side. On start up, these LEDs will flash alternately and very quickly for
2 seconds.
The primary function of the NGW-1 NMEA 0183 LED is to indicate reception of a
valid NMEA 0183 sentence. The NMEA 2000 LEDs main function is to indicate
reception of a PGN on the NGW-1 conversion list. It is normal for the NMEA
0183 LED to flash faster than the NMEA 2000 LED due to the smaller bandwidth
available to NMEA 0183.
If no data is present on either input, both LEDs will flash once every 10 secs
(for firmware v2.210) or 5 secs (for firmware v2.500+). This could be a result
of incorrect wiring, mismatched baud rates or no data available.
If any irregular behaviour is observed, please consult the NGW-1 User Manual
(available on the CD provided or via the NGW-1 ‘downloads’ web page) or the
video in the Actisense Support Centre which can be accessed via the main menu
from the Actisense website.
References
- Actisense | Marine Network Technology & Vessel Monitoring
- Support | Actisense Product Support | Making You Voyage Safer
- Manual-Hub.com - Free PDF manuals!
- Actisense | Marine Network Technology & Vessel Monitoring
- TCPDF
- Manual-Hub.com – Free PDF manuals!