Norman_E
Well-Known Member
My boat has VDO Siemens instruments which use a proprietary bus called the Logic Bus, which is CAN based, and all instruments have NMEA 0183 outputs or inputs, or both. I doubt that the CAN bus based Logic bus will interface with NMEA 2000 even though the latter is also CAN based as far as I can tell.
As some of the LCD screens are blacking out, and I have just lost one of the two big multifunction displays due to LCD failure I am thinking that I will install an NMEA 2000 system to run alongside the VDO instuments, and gradually replace them. My plan is to use an Actisense NMEA 0183 multiplexer and NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 interface to get some of the information from the currently installed instruments to a B&G Triton display as a first stage. I will install NMEA 2000 transducers at a later stage as I replace more of the VDO instruments. My question is how do I tell which existing transducers and other input devices like the Autopilot and its associated fluxgate compass are outputting NMEA 0183 sentences or some proprietary code?
My other concern is whether existing NMEA 0183 outputs can be left connected as they are and connected to the multiplexer, if so is that done by connection in parallel or in series?
B&G currently have a Triton Log/depth and wind starter pack on offer. Has anyone here bought one yet. If so exactly what does it contain, in particular are all the required cables and connectors included?
As some of the LCD screens are blacking out, and I have just lost one of the two big multifunction displays due to LCD failure I am thinking that I will install an NMEA 2000 system to run alongside the VDO instuments, and gradually replace them. My plan is to use an Actisense NMEA 0183 multiplexer and NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 interface to get some of the information from the currently installed instruments to a B&G Triton display as a first stage. I will install NMEA 2000 transducers at a later stage as I replace more of the VDO instruments. My question is how do I tell which existing transducers and other input devices like the Autopilot and its associated fluxgate compass are outputting NMEA 0183 sentences or some proprietary code?
My other concern is whether existing NMEA 0183 outputs can be left connected as they are and connected to the multiplexer, if so is that done by connection in parallel or in series?
B&G currently have a Triton Log/depth and wind starter pack on offer. Has anyone here bought one yet. If so exactly what does it contain, in particular are all the required cables and connectors included?