NMEA 2000 has now become the de-facto standard throughout the marine electronics industry for interconnection of devices. It uses a simple backbone (sometimes called “trunk”) structure with requires terminators at the ends of the cabling and then each device can be spurred off using a drop cable. The bus also requires power. Waterproof connectors are used throughout for maximum reliability and it makes for an easy plug ‘n play installation. Its sometimes called a CanBus
A Digital Yacht AIS is often the first item to be added to a system which normally starts with a plotter or multi function plotter/radar display (MFD). Most display manufacturers don’t include cabling for a network so you’ll need to build a simple network even for just 1 extra device – don’t be tempted to just plug the nmea 2000 connections together – that definately will NOT work!
Digital Yacht have now introduced a NMEA 2000 cabling starter kit which allows for up to 3 devices to interconnect – say AIS, plotter and autopilot and comes complete with terminators and a power cable. Its also easily expandable for more devices.
It uses the high quality, nickel plated metal style connectors rather than the cheaper plastic type which can prove unreliable. The backbone is formed from a unique 6 way extension block with ports at each end that accommodate the terminators. This allows for a really neat and compact installation – ideal for behind the helm. It’s suitable for DIY installers as well as boat builders who want an easy and value priced solution for integrating and installing modern boat electronics.
The connection system will work with all leading brands and can be expanded using standard components as required. You can download the installation guide from HERE which also serves as a handy NMEA 2000 reference.
Find out more on our website HERE