Install User Manual
Contents
1. D Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A NDC 4 A USB NDC 4 A ASW NDC 4 A AIS Install User Manual Issue 1 06 Multiple talker interface for use with the NMEA 0183 standard Serial data networking of marine electronic devices instruments RS232 amp USB 1 1 amp 2 0 PC interfaces to the NMEA 0183 standard Actisense ISO Drive technology for a fully isolated serial data system Intelligent NMEA filtering on all inputs allows smart removal of NMEA data Reconfigurable to work as an NDC 4 ASW Autoswitch to allow the automatic switching between upto 4 NMEA inputs Contents Important Notices Notices Foreword Introduction General features 4 5 Opto isolated input ports 2 ISO Drive output ports A PC RS232 or USB bi directional port Software updates Connecting devices together The basics The NMEA signals The different NMEA standards Connections Connecting to NMEA devices OPTO Inputs ISO Drive Outputs Other Connections Connecting to a Personal Computer Connecting to the battery supply USB Driver Installation Step by step guide USB Configuration Step by step guide Actisense PC Software suites To install Actisense PC software To uninstall Actisense PC software Using Actisense PC software suites NDC Control Centre NDC ActiPatch Configuration of AIS Setting up the Hardware for AIS The NDC 4 ASW Autoswitch Setting the NDC 4 as an Autoswitch Troubleshooti2. IN input connect the NMEA Tx or Out output from the single ended driver to the OPTO IN A input of the NDC Connect the ground line of the single ended output device to the OPTO IN B input of the NDC This provides the data signal return current path If the NMEA B input is left floating then data corruption errors may occur Please refer to the Output Connections section for example of these connection methods Page 6 NMEA Data Multip Connections ACTIVE RESEARCH LTD 2007 www actisense com lexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB 66666 zZ lt M gt gt Sasi n 0 gt Ww Z Mmi a 0 A 7 i 6 vi 0 TD oO SS on oD 5 Es 2 2 NY WII ENS X1 0051 XH LLY S i D BO 1 8 8 W 8 o w EE a 2 o GREEN NORMAL IDLE OTHER SEE MANUAL STATUS 6 Q 5 Tm uml LL Aaa ea ea a B A B A B A B A OPTO OPTO OPTO OPTO IN AINS Ne ACTISENSE NDC 4 A 007 5 ep CO Figure 1 All external connections The NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 has screw terminal Phoenix type external connections for Five Opto isolated inputs All inputs are of the differential opto isolated typ
3. and contact the hardware vendor for software that has passed Windows Logo testing Continue Anyway STOP Installation 2009 Active Research Limited 5 The USB Serial Converter driver is now installed click Finish to complete the wizard and wait for the Found New Hardware Wizard to appear again Found New Hardware Wizard Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard The wizard has finished installing the software for Actisense NOC USB Serial Converter Click Finish to close the wizard This second wizard will guide you through the USB Serial Port driver installation 6 Follow steps 1 to 5 above for the USB Serial Port driver installation and click Finish to complete Your new hardware is installed and ready to use will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen when the installation is complete See the USB Driver Configuration section for details on how to find out which COM port number has been allocated to your Actisense device as well as how to change to a different COM port and configure the Baud rate i Found New Hardware x Your new hardware is installed and ready to use Page 11 Actisense USB Configuration To communicate with the NDC 4 the COM port number that Windows has allocated to the USB port needs to be determined The following guide will walk the user through this standard operation The Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 is
4. completely USB port independent it can be easily unplugged from one USB port and connected to another available USB port on the same PC without the COM Port number changing This is very useful when the NDC 4 is working in unison with a software program that is set up to use a particular COM port as the user does not need to reselect a different COM port everytime the PC reboots or the cable is swapped between two USB ports Step by step guide 1 Make sure the Actisense NDC 4 is powered up indicated by a green LED and connected to an available USB port on the PC From the Windows Control Panel open the System Properties window and click on the Hardware tab System Properties Remote Advanced System Restore Automatic U pdates General Computer Name Hardware Device Manager The Device Manager lists all the hardware devices installed on your computer Use the Device Manager to change the properties of any device Drivers Oriver Signing lets you make sure that installed drivers are compatible with Windows Windows Update lets pou set up how Windows connects to Windows Update for drivers Hardware Profiles Hardware profil s provide way for you to set up and store different hardware configurations Hardware Profiles ol Cancel 2 Click on Device Manager and expand the Ports COM amp LPT list by clicking on the sign next to it You will find the A
5. of the software has already been installed uninstall the previous version and delete the A LabWindows CVI Run Time Engine Directory program directory before installing the new version 5 CAWINDOWS Sepstem32 CVIRTE Refer to the To uninstall Actisense PC software section for full details 3 If the program is contained within a zip file extract the three files lt Product Name gt 001 lt Product Name gt 002 and setup exe that are contained Figure 4 Install options within the zip file using any available unzip program DEMO Sie Clery Actisense NDC Control Centre Installation 4 Double click on the setup exe program file and follow Actsense NDC Control Centre installation successfull the on screen instructions of the standard Windows install program The install location can be change at this point however the default location is normally acceptable refer to figure 4 and 5 a Figure 5 Installation complete Once the install operation is complete the temporary files and or directory can be deleted Keep the original zip file safe MES vorites Tools Help a 5 To start run the program use the Windows Start menu and navigate to the installed program s directory Bi Search y Folders Gi G 5 af x There will be a program icon double click on it refer to figure 6 and 7 ibs and Settings 4ll Users Stark Menu Programs4ctisense NOC Co
6. on the Actisense website for detailed information on how to use the NDC Control Centre in full Page 15 Actisense The NDC 4 ASW Autoswitch The Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer Combiner Autoswitch NDC 4 has been designed with the ability to operate as a Multiplexer Combiner OR an Autoswitch For systems that have multiple NMEA devices of an identical type e g two GPS s or two depth sounders automatic selection of the highest priority device is normally a vital requirement However the NMEA 0183 standard has no method of automatically switching between different devices so this requirement is usually fulfilled with a manual changeover switch not a very good solution but the only one available until now If the NMEA data from two or more devices are simply combined together the NMEA listener s will not be able to differentiate between the various sources and will get very confused often jumping between them If this creates a jumping position fix vessel safety is seriously affected The NDC 4 Autoswitch mode is the perfect solution to this problem automatically selecting a single device from the multiple same data type devices available Autoswitch mode will automatically select the highest priority device from up to 4 connected input devices with NMEA port 1 as the highest priority through to NMEA port 4 as the lowest This creates a system capable of automatically selecting the next priority d
7. 232 compatible Port 0 OPTO IN 0 and ISO OUT 0 and the USB interface ensures that any device or PC that has an RS232 or USB port receives all the input NMEA data and can add its own NMEA data to the combined output This allows for the possibility of a virtual cockpit of instruments displaying all available data in any manner the user requires available from a number of manufacturers These connections also allow the unit to be updated via the free flash upgrade software that will be made available on the Actisense website when the NDC 4 firmware has been enhanced When the USB cable is plugged in and powered up it disables the OPTO IN 0 on the NDC For example this is very useful when a PC is supplying data and you want an NMEA device to supply the same data when the PC is powered down Note that standard NDC 4 units can be upgraded to USB by purchasing a USB upgrade kit Technical features High speed 32 bit ARM processor capable of 40 million instructions per second Flash ROM technology that supports automatic programming for quick and easy updates 100 000 erase cycles and a 10 year Data Retention provides carefree user configuration On chip memory store allows buffering of short term NMEA data allowing the unit to smooth short term peaks in the NMEA data flow 2009 Active Research Limited The NMEA 0183 inputs are floating receivers opto isolated to 2500 volts protecting your system even during th
8. bly strong offering a wide temperature range and superior protection to the electronics inside Robust Nylon grommets are certified to IP68 submersible Note that to achieve this level of water integrity all grommets must be occupied by round section cables Large range of possible cable diameters of between 4 5 mm and 10 mm single or multi pair wire types can be easily accepted Software updates The NDC 4 s built in firmware is held in flash memory allowing quick and easy upgrades using a simple Microsoft Windows 98 SE ME NT 2000 XP user interface program ActiPatch running on a connected PC It is our policy to provide these updates free on our website www actisense com This upgrade can be performed with the unit completely in situ via a PC connected to the Port 0 OPTO IN 0 and ISO OUT 0 or the USB port Page 5 Actisense Connecting devices together The basics NMEA data is transmitted from an information source such as GPS depth sounder gyro compass etc These data sending devices are called Talkers Equipment receiving this information such as a chart plotter radar or NMEA display is called a Listener Unfortunately only one Talker can be connected on to a single NMEA 0183 system at any one time Two or more Talkers are simply not possible because they are not synchronised to each other and will attempt to talk at the same time over each other resulting in corruption of
9. connection ID s as the Actisense NDC so connection is a simple matter of matching the ID s refer to figure 2 Device 2 uses the RS485 convention connection ID s Simply connect A to A and B to B refer to figure 2 NMEA Talker device 3 This device does not conform completely to the NMEA 0183 standard However by connecting to A and its G Ground to the NDC B the NDC should receive the NMEA data correctly 2009 Active Research Limited ISO Drive Outputs The ISO Drive outputs are capable of driving up to 10 NMEA 0183 fully compliant listening devices or a mixture of NMEA 0183 devices and a Personal Computer PC communication port However if you wish to maintain isolation between all devices then only one listening device should be connected to an ISO Drive output NMEA Listener device s B and C These devices conform in full to the NMEA 0183 standard and their connection ID s match that of the NDC Personal Computer Whilst the OPTO IN 0 and ISO Drive 0 provide a bi directional RS 232 compatible port for connection to a PC the ISO Drive 1 output is also capable of being read by a PC s RS232 port Simply connect A to Rx and B to G Ground on a standard D type probably male connector NMEA Listener device A This device does not conform in full to the NMEA 0183 standard However by connecting A to and B to G Ground
10. ctisense NDC USB Serial Port in the list followed by the allocated COM port number 2009 Active Research Limited Device Manager Help EN amp Keyboards IY Mice and other pointing devices x Modems a Monitors E8 Network adapters E 1394 Net Adapter 2 E TnbelfP PRO Wireless 220086 Network Connection Eg Realtek 811515951110 Family Gigabit Ethernet NIC PCMCIA adapters af Ports COM amp LPT F Actisense NOC USE Serial Port COM Communications Pork COML F ECP Printer Port LPT1 File Action View Let Lll 3 Double click on the port icon for the Actisense NDC USB Serial Port and the port properties window will appear Click on the Port Settings tab Select a Baud rate of 38400 for the Bits per second option This is the fixed Baud rate for the Actisense NDC 4 device Leave the other settings as they are Pk Actisense NDC USB Serial Port COM4 Properties General Port Settings Driver Details Bits per second Est Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 7 Flow control Hone Restore Defaults 4 Click on the Advanced button and choose a different COM Port number if required to make it compatible with the software requiring the NDC 4 NMEA data Advanced Settings for COM4 Use FIFO buffers requires 16550 compatible UART Select lower settings to correct connection problems Select hig
11. ctisense PC software the uninstall completion box will appear refer to figure 9 3 In addition the program directory can also be deleted to completely remove the program In this way all the program files will be uninstalled in a clean and complete manner If however you are going to install a new version after this uninstall you can keep the program directory and the configuration file stored within it In this way all the user settings you had for the previous version will be immediately available with the new version Using Actisense PC software suites Uninstalling Actisense NDC Control Centre Do vou want to remove Actsense HDC Control Centre 7 Figure 8 Uninstall confirmation Uninstalling Actisense MDC Control Centre Actisense NDC Control Centre uninstalled successfully Figure 9 Uninstall complete The complete explanation of how to use the Actisense NMEA Data Combiner NDC software suites is contained within the full user manual available from the Actisense website and the Actisense CD NDC Control Centre The Actisense NDC Control Centre enables the user to modify all available configuration options e NMEA sentence filter settings e Input priorities e Input output Baud rates e Various other options In addition the Control Centre also allows the user to Monitor all NMEA 0183 data going through the NDC hardware This is an invaluable tool in determining whether an NMEA 0183 syst
12. e and use the unique Actisense low current drain circuitry 2mA 2 0v to conform in full with the NMEA 0183 marine electronic device network communication standard and are flexible enough to interface to most fully and partially compliant devices Two ISO Drive outputs The ISO Drive outputs comprise of two connections A and B and conform in full to the NMEA 0183 standard RS232 compatible input output option The ISO OUT 0 and OPTO IN O connections can be used as a bi directional RS232 compatible port and is designed for direct connection to a Personal Computer PC or other marine device capable of interfacing to a standard RS232 port When a USB cable is powered and plugged into the NDC 4 this port switches to output only i e the RS232 input OPTO IN 0 no longer operates 2009 Active Research Limited 4 AUSB input output NDC 4 USB Only The standard USB 1 1 port is designed for direct connection to a PC s USB port Once the USB cable is powered and plugged into the NDC 4 Port 0 switches to an output only mode this allows the USB port to take over bi directional control of the NDC 4 USB 2 0 is backwardly compatible with USB 1 1 To complete the NMEA 0183 standard all device interconnection NMEA cables used should meet the two conductor shielded twisted pair configuration specification The shield connection of these wires should be connected at the instrument end only to 5 Battery sup
13. e most extreme fault conditions This differential input is fully compliant with the NMEA 0183 standard specification and is also compatible with RS232 signal levels Typical operating voltage is 2 0v to 15 0v The unit can withstand 35v continuously and 40v transients The Opto isolator can thus protect any upstream equipment chart plotter laptop PC radar etc from up to 2500v of common mode voltage difference ISO Drive output technology creates a driver unique to Actisense that is isolated to 1500 volts ISO Drive allows a completely floating output to be created making a safe connection to a PC an easy task The output automatically changes between differential and single ended drive depending upon the type of instrument it is connected to The ISO Drive output is fully compliant with the NMEA 0183 standard specification and is also compatible with RS422 amp RS232 signal levels Wide battery input voltage range to offer maximum compatibility the NMEA 0183 NDC 4 can operate from a battery supply anywhere between 8 and 35 volts USB powered option is available when the battery source is not present When the main battery is present the USB power drain is minimal A diagnostic LED indicates the operation mode of the NDC 4 if any faults have been detected or the peak load currently on any one of the NMEA inputs Very tough Polycarbonate case is certified to IP66 splash proof Being Polycarbonate it is also incredi
14. em is working correctly and if any NMEA data is being lost due to an overload condition on an input and or output Retrieve all hardware information firmware version 2009 Active Research Limited NDC ActiPatch The Actisense ActiPatch enables the user to flash update upgrade their NDC 4 hardware This new firmware could enable new features modify existing ones or remove bugs that have been found since the product was manufactured The update process is a simple one button operation that only takes a couple of minutes to perform It is worthwhile to keep your NDC s firmware up to date by monitoring the Actisense website or alternatively by signing up to the Actiscope newsletter Actiscope will keep you up to date on any new firmware versions available for all Actisense products only sent out once every 2 4 months on average Page 14 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB Configuration of AIS www ac t a Baud 38400 Chart Sp semen Bud otter A 00 Baud TT Set lt ae ssa Sie S SD 1nd 0S YANIGINOD V ACTIVE Deus LTD 2007 ISense com oi oO ime SO de ao ae 2 e GREEN NORMAL IDLE OTHER SEE MANUAL TSS S aaa Ba NMEA er 14800 Baud Talker 4 oi ae pens Eee Spee T EE 11 8055 B NMEA mr Talker 1 rit Figure 10 AIS C
15. ery supply without damage A maximum current of 50mA will flow due to polyfuse auto resetting fuse technology being used in each output 2009 Active Research Limited Page 18 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB Note 2009 Active Research Limited Page 19 Actisense Order codes NDC 4 Standard NDC 4 5 isolated inputs 2 ISO Drive outputs NDC 4 USB USB capable NDC 4 4 isolated inputs 2 ISO Drive outputs amp USB port NDC 4 AlS Standard NDC 4 preconfigured for AIS use Input 2 set to 38400 Baud and Input 2 s NMEA Filter list set to block AIS data going out standard Baud rate Output 1 NDC 4 ASW Standard NDC 4 preconfigured for Autoswitch use Operating mode set to Autoswitch instead of standard Combiner mode Company Information Active Research Limited 5 Wessex Trade Centre ET Actisense Poole Dorset UK BH12 3PF Telephone 01202 746682 International 44 1202 746682 Fax 01202 746683 International 44 1202 746683 Actisense on the Web For advice support and product details E mail support actisense com Website www actisense com Actisense is a registered trademark of Active Research Limited 2009 Active Research Limited Page 20
16. evice if the higher priority device fails for one of three reasons 1 Acomplete failure to send any NMEA data 2 An invalid NMEA sentence checksum 3 If the validity flag s contained within the received NMEA sentence indicate that this data is not valid and should only be used with caution With the addition of two fully Baud rate configurable outputs protected by ISO Drive technology that can also incorporate NMEA filtering to remove any unwanted sentences before the switching process the Actisense NDC 4 Autoswitch mode is the most flexible available Having the ability to filter out NMEA data before the autoswitch process can be particularly useful to avoid unwanted sentences from causing the Autoswitch to change input channels due to invalid data leaving only the required sentences to switch on lf ordered as an Autoswitch the NDC 4 will be pre configured as an NDC 4 ASW and be ready to work out of the box Alternatively any NDC 4 can be configured using the NDC Control Centre to operate in Autoswitch mode 2009 Active Research Limited Setting the NDC 4 as an Autoswitch The NDC 4 can easily be changed between being a NMEA Data Multiplexer Combiner and an NMEA Autoswitch using NDC Control Centre Change To Change To Autoswitch Combiner Port Config Port Config Get from Hardware Get from Hardware Send to Hardware Send to Hardware In the Port Config
17. her settings for faster performance Receive Buffer Low 1 J High 14 14 J High 16 18 Transmit Buffer Low 1 COM Port Number COM4 The other settings are already optimised for the Actisense NDC 4 and should be left in the default values Click on OK button to save the new settings Page 12 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB Actisense PC Software suites The Actisense NMEA Data Combiner hardware can be configured monitored and tested using its own dedicated Control Centre software suite The Actisense NDC can be updated upgraded using the latest Flash Centre software suite This section provides a complete users guide to installing and uninstalling these two software suites These programs are currently only available for Windows platforms 98 SE ME NT 2000 XP however it has been proven possible to use the NDC Control Centre ActiPatch on a Mac running Windows emulation software To install Actisense PC software Replace the generic lt Product Name gt text below with the name of the actual software you are installing NDC Actisense NDC Control Centre Installation Control Centre or ActiPatch ee e in which to install Actisense 1 Download the latest version of the software from Mer ENTER SOC the Actisense website or locate the files on the S Actisense CD included with the NDC 4 p Actisense NDC Control Centre Directory 2 Ifa previous version
18. le only one transmitting device These two elementary problems can be solved simply and easily with the Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer s very flexible design approach Alternately if the vessel has two or more identical NMEA devices e g 0255 or depth sounders the system solution could be to use the Actisense NDC 4 as an NMEA Autoswitch to select the highest priority source Full information on the complete Actisense product range can be found on the Actisense website Page 4 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB General features 4 5 Opto isolated input ports Each Opto isolated input port has a priority level This is fixed to the logical order that matches the port numbers i e port 1 has the highest priority and port 4 has the lowest If the USB cable is not plugged in or not powered and OPTO IN 0 is not used to connect to a PC OPTO IN 0 can be used as a fifth fully compliant NMEA 0183 data input 2 ISO Drive output ports These outputs combine the input data into standard NMEA outputs If the combined Baud rate of all NMEA inputs exceed the output Baud rate it is possible that the combined data could exceed the data carrying capacity of the NMEA output channel The multiplexer contains special software to ensure that when the output channel is overloaded new data of the same type as older data still in the buffer will overwrite the older sentence A PC RS232 or USB bi directional port The RS
19. mal operation modes Red No flashing Red No flashing Amber No flashing Green No flashing Green Flashing 1 10 per second Amber Flashing Once every 4 seconds Start up mode No error Flash updating mode No error Initialise and self test mode No error Normal and no data mode No error Normal and data Rx mode No error Error conditions Error trap mode EEPROM memory error The sequence below indicates a successful power up of the NDC 4 and the commencement of data combining No response required A normal operation mode that should last for no more than 1 5 seconds Any longer indicates an error with the main program No response required LED will stay red for the duration of the flash update operation using Flash Centre Once operation complete NDC hardware will be automatically reset No response required A normal operation mode that follows after the Start up mode and should last for approximately 1 second No response required A normal operation mode that follows the Initialise and self test mode Indicates that no error was detected during the self test operation Also indicates that no data is currently being received by the NDC 4 hardware No response required A normal operation mode that indicates that data is currently being received on at least one channel by the NDC 4 hardware Flash rate proportional to Rx rate If the error persists the NDC 4 unit should be re
20. ng guide Diagnostic LED Specifications Company Information voo N OO GO anoanoai A A A A NO N h BA BR BR w OO Qi 0 O O Ny OO Actisense Important Notices Actisense andtheActisense logo are registered trademarks of Active Research Limited All rights are reserved The contents of this manual may not be transferred or copied without the expressed written permission of Active Research Limited All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners The Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer Combiner Autoswitch NDC 4 is intended for use in a marine environment primarily for below deck use If the unit is to be used in a more severe environment such use may be considered misuse under the seller s warranty The Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 has been certified to comply with the European directive for Electro Magnetic Compatibility EN60945 and is appropriately CE marked Operation of the unit should be in conjunction with appropriate CE approved shielded connectors and cabling used in accordance with the CE directive EN60945 Any EMC related issues should be reported to Active Research immediately to allow the company to rectify or resolve EMC related problems in accordance with its obligations under EN60945 If the unit is connected such
21. ntial method used by NMEA 0183 v2 0 devices The data format is largely the same between both systems with v2 0 adding some extra sentence strings and removing older redundant sentence strings from the specification The situation is further complicated as many manufacturers still use the old single ended method of connection because it is cheaper to implement So how can an older type NMEA device be connected to a newer type device Care is needed it is possible to damage or overload the output of a newer differential device if it is incorrectly connected to an older device This is because the older devices used ground as the return whereas the newer devices actually drive the NMEA B line between 5v and Ov Thus connecting this output to ground will result in high currents being drawn by the driver instrument resulting in potential overheating and damage to the driver circuits However the new Actisense ISO Drive technology allows the user not to worry about this potentially damaging incompatibility Instead an ISO Drive output can be connected to an old type single ended system by connecting the NMEA A output from the ISO Drive to the single ended NMEA Rx or In input of the device Connect the NMEA B output of the ISO Drive to the ground of the single ended device This provides the required data signal return current path To connect an old type single ended device to an OPTO
22. ntrol Centre w Uninstall Actisense NOC Control Centre AL Shortcut NDC Actisense NOC Control Centre Shortcut EJ 1 KB rol Useful Tip If you access the program Centre regularly you can copy and paste the program icon from the Windows Start Figure 6 amp 7 Start menu short cuts menu on to the desktop or the Quick Launch short cut bar to create a easy to 43 Windows Messenger access short cut All Programs 5 Actisense NDC Control Centre Me Th Actisense NDC Control Centre He Uninstall Actisense NDC Control Centre A Log OFF Shut Gown 2009 Active Research Limited Page 13 Actisense To uninstall Actisense PC software Replace the generic lt Product Name gt text below with the name of the actual software you are installing NDC Control Centre or ActiPatch 1 Ifatany time you wish to remove the installed Actisense program simply use the standard Windows Start gt All Programs Actisense lt Product Name gt Uninstall Actisense lt Product Name gt menu option to perform this operation refer to figure 7 2 Alternatively there is a very convenient uninstall icon included in the program s folder see figure 6 3 Once the uninstall operation has been requested the confirmation box figure 8 will be displayed Answer Yes and the uninstall operation will be performed automatically After successfully uninstalling the A
23. onfiguration with Baud Rate Setting up the Hardware for AIS NDC Control Centre supplied on the CD or available for download from Actisense website allows a quick set up for AIS using the configuration file included ac Actisense NDC Control Centr Options Comms Window Help Load Configuration File Save Configuration File Exit From the menu select File Load Configuration File and select NDC 4 config for AlS ini file from the install directory This will set input port 2 to the AIS required Baud rate of 38400 and configure OPTO IN 2 s Inclusion List to filter out all AIS data from being sent to ISO OUT 1 which is typically kept at 4800 Baud The use of AIS at Baud rates lower than 38400 cannot be recommended as this could cause random AIS target data to be lost in areas of high target density 2009 Active Research Limited To enable these settings on the NDC 4 click on the Send to Hardware button on both the Port Config and Inclusion List tabs Send to Hardware The AIS device should then be connected to the NDC 4 s OPTO IN 2 as shown in Figure 21 with any other talkers connected as required The device for receiving the AIS data chart plotter or PC should be connected to ISO OUT 0 or the USB port The remaining ports can be re configured by the user as needed using NDC Control Centre Refer to the NDC 4 Full User Manual available on the CD or
24. ply input Standard battery power connections Note 1 prevent ground loops 2 Refer to the Specifications section for the full details on input output specifications Page 7 Actisense Connecting to NMEA devices Personal Rx Computer G NMEA Listener A G o NMEA Listener B NMEA A Listener C B ACTIVE RESEARCH LTD 2007 www actisense com Ge EF GREEN NORMAL IDLE OTHER SEE MANUAL Egs Re NMEA CEE rer ESS NMEA es Se Talker 3 ES a B NMEA ns Talker 2 ee me eA Talker 1 al HE o Figure 2 NMEA 0183 connections OPTO Inputs The differential opto isolated inputs are designed to handle a variety of NMEA 0183 device output specifications Please determine from device manufacturer s information if the device s required to be connected to the Actisense NDC 4 conforms in full to the NMEA 0183 network communication standard If it does not the flexible Actisense NDC 4 inputs should still be capable of interfacing with the device though this is not guaranteed The diagram above shows a typical installation with both fully compliant NMEA devices with differential inputs outputs and non differential output devices NMEA Talker devices 1 2 and 4 These devices conform in full to the NMEA 0183 standard Devices 1 and 4 share the same
25. rectory on the Actisense CD Found New Hardware Wizard Please choose your search and installation options Use the check boses below to limit or expand the default search which includes local paths and removable media The best driver found will be installed Search for the best driver in these locations Search removable media floppy CD ROM Include this location in the search E USB Drivers Ww Don t search will choose the driver to install Choose this option to select the device driver from a list Windows does not guarantee that the driver you choose will be the best match for your hardware ee 4 The Actisense NDC USB Serial Converter driver is not Microsoft Windows certified but it has been tried and tested for stable and reliable operation with the Actisense NDC 4 Click Continue Anyway to carry on with the installation Found New Hardware Wizard Please wait while the wizard installs the software Actisense NOC USE Serial Converter Hardware Installation The software you are installing for this hardware Actisense NOC USB Seral Converter haz not passed Windows Logo testing to very its compatibility with Windows sP Tell me why this testing is important Continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabilize the correct operation of your system either immediately or in the future Microsoft strongly recommends that you stop this installation now
26. s a typical user may need to know Please read all sections before installing and using the Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer product and any related software programs Introduction The Actisense NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 product developed out of the requirement to solve two fundamental problems with the existing marine industry NMEA 0183 communications standard In theory the NMEA 0183 standard allows any suitably designed marine electronic device to share its gathered information with any other device on a vessel Unfortunately there is one very large drawback with this standard only one device on a connected network can actually send data a single talker with multiple devices determined by the current limit of the sending unit listening to that data multiple listeners If the vessel owner has an instrument that ideally requires the data output of two or more devices for example a chart plotter then the owner has no alternative but to settle on connecting only the most important device that which supplies the most used information normally that is the GPS unit All other devices cannot be used What happens if the owner prefers the vessels gyro compass heading output to that of the GPS or requires that the current depth be displayed on the plotted chart to help avoid the possible case of running the vessel aground on a shifting sand bank The NMEA 0183 standard cannot supply an answer to those questions as it can hand
27. that compliance failure occurs beyond the company s control the company shall not be held responsible for compliance failure until suitable EMC guidelines for connection are seen to have been taken Notices When using this document keep the following in mind The products described in this manual and the specifications thereof may be changed without prior notice To obtain up to date information and or specifications contact Active Research Limited or visit the Actisense website www actisense com Active Research Limited will not be liable for infringement of copyright industrial property right or other rights of a third party caused by the use of information or drawings described in this manual Active Research Limited will not be held responsible for any damage to the user that may result from accidents or any other reasons during operation of the user s unit according to this document The NDC 4 does not validate the NMEA data it receives in any way Neither the NMEA sentence checksum nor the data contained within the NMEA sentence is validated Therefore the electronic device s supplying the NDC 4 with NMEA data retain s the sole responsibility for the NMEA data s validity 2009 Active Research Limited Foreword Actisense recognises that instructions are often skipped so we have aimed to write this document in an informative yet direct manner that will aid the user We have tried to cover all the point
28. the device should be able to receive the NMEA data correctly though this is not guaranteed Note 1 Wire colours are for guidance only Page 8 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB Other Connections m O ACTIVE RESEARCH LTD 70 www actisense c CT TT ET TT CL RL GREEN NORMAL IDLE OTHER SEE MANUAL Figure 3 RS232 USB and Battery connections Connecting to a Personal Computer The USB port can be used to connect a PC to the NMEA 0183 system The NDC 4 should be used with the 2 metre USB cable supplied as standard If a longer cable length is required a standard USB 1 1 2 0 extension cable should be used in conjunction with the existing USB cable This extension cable would have female A and male A connectors Alternatively Port 0 OPTO IN 0 and ISO OUT 0 can be used to connect a PC into the NMEA 0183 system by using a serial port cable conforming to the following specification 1 AD type female socket connector for the PC end of the cable 2 Aminimum of 3 cores are required in a shielded cable Higher quality cable will yield higher performance 2009 Active Research Limited SNR Most typical cables have two twisted pairs inside In this case use one pair for the TX line and one for the RX line Use the spare wire in each pair as ground and connect the cable shield to ground only at the comp
29. the NMEA data and potentially in disaster if valuable data such as navigation information is lost or corrupted so that it is incorrect and or misleading Actisense produces a full range of products to solve all NMEA interfacing requirements Please visit the Actisense website for full details on these and other Actisense interfacing Depth sounding and Sonar products The NMEA signals The NMEA 0183 system v2 0 and later uses a differential signalling scheme whereby two wires are used to transmit the NMEA data These connections will be labelled as either NMEA A and B or NMEA and respectively depending on the instrument and manufacturer When connecting between different manufacturers there can be some confusion but it is simple and easy to remember NMEA A connects to NMEA and NMEA B connects to NMEA 2009 Active Research Limited The different NMEA standards The NMEA 0183 specification has slowly evolved over the years SO connecting one device to another is not always a straightforward matter The earlier versions of NMEA 0183 before v2 0 as detailed above used slightly different connection methods and signal levels the instruments had just one NMEA data line Tx or Out and used the ground as the other line similar to the way a computer serial port works This connection method is referred to as single ended instead of the differe
30. turned to Actisense refer to the Company Information section Please contact Actisense before returning the unit in order to obtain a Returns form Any returns sent without a Returns form will incur a delay in being processed An error with the EEPROM memory has been detected during the self test mode Reset the NDC 4 hardware Table 1 Diagnostic LED colours 2009 Active Research Limited Page 17 Actisense Specifications The NDC 4 ISO Drive output is a very flexible output that is RS485 RS232 RS422 and NMEA 0183 compatible Peaneer Jorion n Mex Unt Supply Supply voltage External power supply 8 35 Supply current from external source Supply voltage 12v see note 1 Supply voltage 24v Supply voltage USB powered Supply current from USB see note 1 Supply voltage 5v 75 0 5 2 0 40 A A V m m V 75 m meine EN 2225 Input voltage between V CS e 0 condition Min 2 0v input level oran eNe y Gavanicisoaton Beweenmpt amp ouput 2500 v oveen O y Output voltage between ISO Out A and Logical 1 V ISO Out B under no load Logical 0 Table 2 NDC 4 specifications All specifications are taken with reference to an ambient temperature T of 25 C Note 1 Current consumption measured under no load conditions 2 Short circuit may be applied indefinitely The ISO Drive output may be short circuited directly to a 30 volt batt
31. ure tab click on the button labelled Change To Autoswitch to change the NDC 4 s operation mode to Autoswitch Fay NDC 4 Change To From Autoswitch This will change the combiner operating mode Please confirm this is ok A warning message will be displayed requesting that the user confirm the request to change to Autoswitch mode Selecting Yes will automatically send the new configuration to the unit and the NDC 4 will now Autoswitch its inputs instead of Combining them To revert back to Combiner mode click on the same button now labelled Change To Combiner Again the user must confirm the operating mode change is required and the NDC 4 will now Combine its inputs instead of Autoswitching them Page 16 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB Troubleshooting guide This guide will concentrate on all relevant troubleshooting issues above simple cable connection faults Therefore the cables between the NDC 4 hardware and any other devices should be checked as a matter of course before continuing with this guide Diagnostic LED The NDC 4 hardware supports a tri colour diagnostic LED that indicates the current operating mode of the hardware or if an error has been detected during the self test initiation process Table 1 details what each LED colour represents and if any user interaction is required LED Colour m Flash Count Mode Error condition Required user response ee Nor
32. uter end Please note that both the Rx and Tx grounds on the NDC 4 must be connected to the PC s ground as shown in figure 3 above 3 The TX of the NDC 4 should be connected to the RX of the computer standard D type pin 2 and the NDC 4 RX should be connected to the TX of the computer pin 3 The GND of the NDC 4 should be connected to the PC s serial port ground pin 5 Connecting to the battery supply The Actisense NDC 4 can be powered either by the USB connection or through an external power source If both power sources are available the current drawn from the USB supply will be reduced to a trickle If the external power source is removed the USB power will seamlessly take over without loss of data lf the NDC 4 is powered from an external power source like a battery it should be wired to the vessel s battery supply in the most direct manner possible to minimize interference from other electronic devices The cable used should be of sufficient gauge to handle the power requirements of the Actisense NDC 4 refer to the Specifications sections Note 1 Wire colours are for guidance only Page 9 Actisense USB Driver Installation NDC 4 A USB Only Note standard NDC 4 units can be upgraded to USB by purchasing a USB upgrade kit The Actisense NDC 4 makes use of a virtual serial port driver know as the Virtual COM Port Driver to interface between the USB port on the PC and the Actisense product This dri
33. ver allows software running on a PC to communicate with the Actisense NDC 4 as if it was connected to a standard serial port on the PC when in fact all communication is done over the USB connection The required driver installation comes in two seperate packages The first driver is a called the Serial Converter which converts the USB data packets to a serial data stream The second driver called the Actisense NDC USB Serial Port makes the USB connection appear as a COM port in the Windows Device Manager The NDC 4 with USB connection has been extensively tested with both Windows XP and Windows 98 SE For the experienced Windows XP user who is used to installing drivers this section will be very familiar To all other Windows users the required steps are detailed below to help with installation The steps for Windows 98 SE are very similar to those of Windows XP and so are not detailed here The Actisense CD also contains the USB drivers for Windows 2000 These drivers have not been tested by Actisense but should operate in the same manner as the Windows 98 SE and XP drivers The required Linux drivers are already included in the Linux kernels from v2 4 20 and onwards However Actisense has not been able to test the compatibility of the NDC 4 with USB and this driver For MAC OS 8 9 and X please contact Actisense for details refer to the Contact Information section 2009 Active Research Limited Step b
34. y step guide 1 Connect the Actisense NDC 4 to an available USB port on the PC The standard Windows Found New Hardware Wizard window will then appear Select the No not this time option to allow driver installation from the Actisense CD which was supplied with your Actisense product Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard Windows will search for current and updated software by looking on your computer on the hardware installation CD or on the Windows Update Web site with your permission Read our privacy policy Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software Yes this time only Yes now and every time connect a device Ce No not this time Click Next to continue 2 Insert the Actisense CD choose the Install from a list or specific location option and click Next Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps you install software for NOC 4 4 USB fe If pour hardware came with an installation CD lt or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do Install the software automatically Recommended Ce Install from a list or specific location Advanced Click Next to continue Page 10 NMEA Data Multiplexer NDC 4 A amp NDC 4 A USB 3 Make sure the Include this location in the search option is ticked and use the Browse button to locate the USB Drivers di
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search