NMEA Releases OneNet Standard---Goodbye 0183 and N2K

[dlochner]

NMEA has released the OneNet standard. This is an ethernet protocol that is essentially the same as the ethernet in your home and on wifi. The protocol opens the the door to standard networking systems and devices. Its about time NMEA.

National Marine Electronics Association - NMEA

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) is the unifying force behind the entire marine electronics industry, bringing together all aspects of the industry for the betterment of all in our business.

www.nmea.org

 

[Hunter216]

Seems like a good idea - perhaps long overdue.

Any concern of this leading to the use of NON-marine grade Ethernet hardware?

 

[Tally Ho]

My 30-year old 0183 depth sounder is feeling sad...

 

[dlochner]

Seems like a good idea - perhaps long overdue.

Any concern of this leading to the use of NON-marine grade Ethernet hardware?

I haven't heard anything, however, sailors being the spendthrifts they are it will happen and in some cases fail.

 

[HandsOnTech]

Any concern of this leading to the use of NON-marine grade Ethernet hardware?

My boat came with a Marantz home stereo system. It was working just fine when I replaced it with an iPod and car amplifier. I have used consumer grade electronics in environments that might have justified industrial grade. So you replace it with the latest every five years. It is your personal system, so spend as much as your budget and mindset dictates.

 

[Hunter216]

My boat came with a Marantz home stereo system. It was working just fine when I replaced it with an iPod and car amplifier. I have used consumer grade electronics in environments that might have justified industrial grade. So you replace it with the latest every five years. It is your personal system, so spend as much as your budget and mindset dictates.

Sure lots of consumer electronics on boats and at the speed that they evolve your 5 yr “lifespan” sounds about right

I think the NMEA 2K standard defined the cabling and possibly other components to conform to a “marine” grade so likely more water and corrosion resistant than a new high def TV

My comment was more about having your chart plotter or radar etc going down because someone used a cheap piece of Ethernet cable they scoffed from work

 

[Calif. Ted]

Well of course they have, I just connected all my 0183 and seatalk crap up to nmea 2000 to get it all on a new chartplotter. Been dreaming of NMEA2000 compatibility since, well 2000 and I'm obsolete again already !!!!!!

 

[jon hansen]

don't feel bad ted. i have always been obsolete. did not use 0183. did not use 2000. not buying in on the new toys. MBAs, working the masses to extract your cash. it's all slight of hand stuff.

now, at least one new sail every year, oh, i'm all in. LOL

 

[Joe]

The Radio Shack 4" box speakers, definitely not marine grade, that came with the boat when I acquired it 21 years ago show no signs of wear and sound great. Same goes for the 24" wall mounted T.V. from Costco. 10 years.... no problemo.

 

[Scott B]

Well of course they have, I just connected all my 0183 and seatalk crap up to nmea 2000 to get it all on a new chartplotter. Been dreaming of NMEA2000 compatibility since, well 2000 and I'm obsolete again already !!!!!!

Yea, I hear you. Just went through this last year. Bought a new chartplotter on "sale" and ended up spending 3 times what I saved on convertors to seatalk instruments and 0183 to the vhf.......

 

[DArcy]

MBAs, working the masses to extract your cash. it's all slight of hand stuff.

Going to Ethernet actually reduces the amount of cash they extract from us. No more NMEA to Ethernet converters, cheaper physical layer hardware in all the devices we buy. Sure there is the fact the standard is changing and some people will run out to buy the latest equipment but we will be able to keep using the old stuff for years still. People still use 0183 even though 2000 has been the standard for a long time.
This is a really good move for marine electronics consumers.

 

[shemandr]

The NEMA 2000 standard is, I assume, 20 years old. Spurred by some post I don't remember, I was thinking about that, and that there must be an update coming. If you consider what has happened in the technology world, which I don't understand that well, a new standard is overdue. After reading that statement from NEMA I understand less of it than I did before reading it. I get that OneNet will be compatible with non-marine networking (How did the Marine Manufacturers let that happen?) But how backwards compatible will the new standard be with NMEA 2000 and NEMA 0183? Or maybe better stated, do we all have to buy new stuff? 'cause I still have my lead line. Just saying. My "electronics" are primarily hand held and not networked.

 

[dlochner]

The NEMA 2000 standard is, I assume, 20 years old. Spurred by some post I don't remember, I was thinking about that, and that there must be an update coming. If you consider what has happened in the technology world, which I don't understand that well, a new standard is overdue. After reading that statement from NEMA I understand less of it than I did before reading it. I get that OneNet will be compatible with non-marine networking (How did the Marine Manufacturers let that happen?) But how backwards compatible will the new standard be with NMEA 2000 and NEMA 0183? Or maybe better stated, do we all have to buy new stuff? 'cause I still have my lead line. Just saying. My "electronics" are primarily hand held and not networked.

Actually, N2K is much older than 20 years, it was only 20 years ago that it became official. N2K is based on the CAN bus which is commonly used in automobiles and trucks.

Some companies were already using ethernet like Navico were already using ethernet for radar and the new CHIRP sonars because the amount of data that needed transmission exceeded the capabilities of N2K.

In the new standard the sentences or PGN, the actual data is the same as N2K, only the transmission will be by ethernet protocol. This is good and will help with integrating new and old equipment. The new standard is also compatible with wifi transmission. This is already in use, for instance when we use iPads to mirror the MFD.

Since much of the infrastructure is already in place, i.e., MFDs can broadcast wifi and have ethernet connections, I suspect implementation will move along quickly. The cost for NMEA members is also rather modest at $2000 initially and then an annual renewal fee.

Unless you're really Jonesing for a new MFD, you might want to wait a bit to see what comes out. Once the new models come out, expect the last generation of N2K MFDs to become deeply discounted as manufacturers and distributors try to clear out old inventory.

 

[Davidasailor26]

But how backwards compatible will the new standard be with NMEA 2000 and NEMA 0183? Or maybe better stated, do we all have to buy new stuff? 'cause I still have my lead line. Just saying. My "electronics" are primarily hand held and not networked.

The announcement seems to address gateway devices for interconnecting NMEA 2000 devices into a OneNet network. I expect those will work a lot like NMEA 0183/2000 adapters. Someone might build 0183/OneNet gateways too for integrating older devices.

I am curious how the authentication, encryption, and public key infrastructure they mentioned will work. One potential upside of using Ethernet and IP is that building devices and troubleshooting won’t need to deal with the complications of reading CanBus messages like in NMEA 2000. That could make network troubleshooting open to the huge field of standard IT and not a specialty process. But if, for example, you need to license the standard and get certified to get a public key that lets you on the network then it will block any kind of non-marine industry techs, and it will prevent any kind of hobbyist development of OneNet devices.

 

[Hunter216]

Some reference material.

Commonly manufactures start releasing product to meet a demand (higher bandwidth in this case) that exceeds the limit of the current standard. The standards body is then forced to try to catch up to the market reality

 

[Justin_NSA]

What does this do to the Raymarine SeaTalk 1 to SeaTalkng & NMEA 2000 conversion kit? Is this as far as I can upgrade my old system network?

 

[dlochner]

What does this do to the Raymarine SeaTalk 1 to SeaTalkng & NMEA 2000 conversion kit? Is this as far as I can upgrade my old system network?

The change is going to be how the data is transmitted, not the data itself. There will likely be a transition period where some devices can serve as translators and be on both a N2K and OneNet networks. Some devices are sort of there already. The Vesper 8000XB AIS can send and receive 0183 and N2K data and send it out over wifi. Eventually, though, the old networking systems will fade away because of their limitations and cost to support them.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Yea, I hear you. Just went through this last year. Bought a new chartplotter on "sale" and ended up spending 3 times what I saved on convertors to seatalk instruments and 0183 to the vhf.......

Same here, got a 7" Garmin for only $400, thought I'd just let it "stand alone". Ended up spending another $600 on Navpod and converters and cables and such.