I am installing a NAVMAN 5600 which provides a NMEA output to an autopilot as well as a NMEA 2 input wire. My Raymarine Autohelm ST4000 two NMEA connections. One labeled 'Data in - ve' and the other 'Data in + ve'. Which wire, if both are used, to connect to what is far from intuitive. Anyone attached non-Raymarine GPS to the ST4000 with the resulting connection knowledge?
GPS to ST4000 interface
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Easy
Connect your Navman NMEA Out (+) to the Autohelm NMEA In (+). Connect the NMEA Out (-) on the GPS to the electrical (-) of the autopilot, (NOT the NMEA (-)). Configure your GPS to talk NMEA 183. Set a course on your GPS, Sail that course. Hit (Track) on the Autopilot. Watch out for other boats. Good luck Steve Alchemist #909 p.s. The Raynav ST-4000 manual tells you all of this. You may need to cousult the Navman manual for the colors of the wires. It will be fun finding the right size terminals to connect the two.
Connect your Navman NMEA Out (+) to the Autohelm NMEA In (+). Connect the NMEA Out (-) on the GPS to the electrical (-) of the autopilot, (NOT the NMEA (-)). Configure your GPS to talk NMEA 183. Set a course on your GPS, Sail that course. Hit (Track) on the Autopilot. Watch out for other boats. Good luck Steve Alchemist #909 p.s. The Raynav ST-4000 manual tells you all of this. You may need to cousult the Navman manual for the colors of the wires. It will be fun finding the right size terminals to connect the two.
Check this link..
I'm not sure Alchemist is correct unless his instructions are Navman specific. This link to Raymarine explains a typical gps to ST4000 connection.
I'm not sure Alchemist is correct unless his instructions are Navman specific. This link to Raymarine explains a typical gps to ST4000 connection.
slightly confused
Monty is right, Alchemist got confused on one wire. I think he meant to say hook the NMEA- on the autopilot to the electrical supply ground (black) of the gps. There is no NMEA- on most gps units. The reason the autopilot labels them this way is that if the data line ground to the DC bus ground is done at the autopilot, it generally doesn't work or works sporatically probably do to a corrupted data circuit. Don't feel bad about any confusion... most of us needed help with it or stumbled onto what got it working.
Monty is right, Alchemist got confused on one wire. I think he meant to say hook the NMEA- on the autopilot to the electrical supply ground (black) of the gps. There is no NMEA- on most gps units. The reason the autopilot labels them this way is that if the data line ground to the DC bus ground is done at the autopilot, it generally doesn't work or works sporatically probably do to a corrupted data circuit. Don't feel bad about any confusion... most of us needed help with it or stumbled onto what got it working.
Thanks for the replies
I articulated the pin names in both devices as they appear in their respective users manuals. Since the NAVMAN does not have a dedicated NMEA Data ground wire, I will simply ground the 'Data in - ve' connection on the ST4000 ensuring continutity with the NAVMAN ground.
I articulated the pin names in both devices as they appear in their respective users manuals. Since the NAVMAN does not have a dedicated NMEA Data ground wire, I will simply ground the 'Data in - ve' connection on the ST4000 ensuring continutity with the NAVMAN ground.
whoa....
You must take the ST4000 NMEA - (minus) wire to ground at the gps ground wire. It will likely not work if its taken to ground at the autopilot. This may seem unreasonable... and I'm not saying it will never work... but emphatically say that it hasn't worked for many.
You must take the ST4000 NMEA - (minus) wire to ground at the gps ground wire. It will likely not work if its taken to ground at the autopilot. This may seem unreasonable... and I'm not saying it will never work... but emphatically say that it hasn't worked for many.
It appears NMEA lacks connectivity
standards. I appreciate the prompt input from my sailing colleagues. Seems that when connecting the GPS to the ST4000, data flows in only one direction and the other pins (both sides) are tied to ground to arrest any influence as all grounds on my vessel are common. While this makes autopilot sense (as the GPS is not interested in anything the autopilot has to offer) I was expecting the other instruments on the NMEA bus, such as depth, to send data to the NAVMAN so that depth might be displayed on the NAVMAN at the helm. Sigh.
standards. I appreciate the prompt input from my sailing colleagues. Seems that when connecting the GPS to the ST4000, data flows in only one direction and the other pins (both sides) are tied to ground to arrest any influence as all grounds on my vessel are common. While this makes autopilot sense (as the GPS is not interested in anything the autopilot has to offer) I was expecting the other instruments on the NMEA bus, such as depth, to send data to the NAVMAN so that depth might be displayed on the NAVMAN at the helm. Sigh.
A
Allen
NMEA allows for only 1 talker
Kailani, As you've already found out, NMEA by itself only allows for one "talker" on a system with 1 or more "listeners". Most NMEA systems will have the GPS as the talker (providing data) with perhaps an autopilot, DSC VHF Radio and perhaps a repeater as listeners (gathering data). NMEA by itself isn't designed to provide 2 way communication between multiple instruments, but rather 1 way communication from 1 instrument. NMEA can be converted to a multi-talker system with a newtorking upgrade and some additional hardware. I don't think it's that expensive (read: less than $300). It's this limitation in NMEA that makes Raymarine's Sea Talk network so attractive. With Sea Talk you can have many instruments speaking with each other as you've described. Check out this NMEA splitter. This will give you what you want: http://cgi.mesuk.force9.co.uk/userpics/1110834411navtalk%20brochure%201.pdf Good Luck! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
Kailani, As you've already found out, NMEA by itself only allows for one "talker" on a system with 1 or more "listeners". Most NMEA systems will have the GPS as the talker (providing data) with perhaps an autopilot, DSC VHF Radio and perhaps a repeater as listeners (gathering data). NMEA by itself isn't designed to provide 2 way communication between multiple instruments, but rather 1 way communication from 1 instrument. NMEA can be converted to a multi-talker system with a newtorking upgrade and some additional hardware. I don't think it's that expensive (read: less than $300). It's this limitation in NMEA that makes Raymarine's Sea Talk network so attractive. With Sea Talk you can have many instruments speaking with each other as you've described. Check out this NMEA splitter. This will give you what you want: http://cgi.mesuk.force9.co.uk/userpics/1110834411navtalk%20brochure%201.pdf Good Luck! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
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