Actisense NGT-1 NMEA 2000 to PC Gateway User Guide
- June 6, 2024
- Actisense
Table of Contents
Actisense NGT-1 NMEA 2000 to PC Gateway
Overview
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 available on the Actisense website.
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 NGT-1 makes it possible to send and receive NMEA 2000® data
safely between a PC and an NMEA 2000® network. This creates the possibility of
feature rich software applications replacing or complementing dedicated
hardware such as a Multifunction Display (MFD) or Chart Plotter.
The freely available diagnostic software (NMEA Reader) from Actisense uses the
NGT-1 to display all devices active on the network and all of the data
messages flowing between them. The powerful set of tools that NMEA Reader
offers the user can instil a better understanding of the network and help
diagnose potential network issues.
Powering the NGT-1
ISO Variants:
All ISO variants of the NGT-1 receive their power supply when connected to a
correctly powered NMEA 2000 backbone. The backbone must also be correctly
terminated using NMEA 2000 approved, 120 Ohm termination resistors. 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 NGT-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 NGT-1 or from the NGT-1 ‘downloads’ web page.
Connecting to an NMEA 2000 Network
The illustration below provides an example of the minimum requirements for an NMEA 2000 network. The horizontal cable joining the T-pieces 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 NGT-1):
Connecting 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 NGT-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.
Connecting to a PC/laptop
The diagram below illustrates how to connect the loose wires from any ISO variant NGT-1 to a serial cable (DB9F). If the PC/laptop does not have a serial port, a USB-serial converter will also be needed.
Configuring the NGT-1
The Application that is being used with the NGT-1 is responsible for
configuring the NGT-1 for each session when it opens up the COM port to the
NGT-1. The end user should not need to configure anything, and any manual
configuration could be lost.
If the “Tx PGN Enable List” inside the NGT-1 is manually changed those changes
may well be overwritten when starting up the software and it configures the
NGT-1 to what it knows it needs. Furthermore, if the software in use isn’t
actually sending the manually enabled PGNs to the NGT-1, nothing will appear
on the network. If software has been designed to transmit a PGN it should set
up the NGT-1’s “Tx PGN Enable List” accordingly to allow those PGNs to be
transmitted on the NMEA 2000 network.
LED Behaviour
There are 2 LEDs inside the NGT-1, one on the PC/laptop side, one on the NMEA
2000 network side. On start up, these LEDs will flash alternately and very
quickly for 2 seconds.
The primary function of the NGT-1 LEDs is to indicate reception of NMEA 2000
PGN data and the reception of PC/Serial data. If no data is present, 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 or a lack of data
available to the NGT-1.
If any irregular behaviour is observed, please consult the NGT-1 User Manual
(available on the CD provided or NGT-1 ‘downloads’ web page) or visit the
Actisense Support Centre which can be accessed using the main menu on the
Actisense website.
References
- Actisense | Marine Network Technology & Vessel Monitoring
- Support | Actisense Product Support | Making You Voyage Safer
- Actisense | Marine Network Technology & Vessel Monitoring
- TCPDF