The yellow and brown NMEA OUT wires of the C/E-series plotter can stay disconnected and
instead, 38400 bps computer output can be converted to 4800 bps., e.g. to control the auto pilot
in track mode. If the multiplexer is to be connected via USB, the blue wire under the green mux
connector has to be inserted in the terminal marked “Yellow – C-series NMEA Out +”. If the
computer is connected via RS232, the TxD wire from the computer (pin 3) has to be inserted in
this terminal.
Baudrate Conversion options
Instead of only converting the baudrate of data received back from the chart plotter or computer
from 38400 to 4800 bps (default), it is also possible to convert the multiplexer’s own combined
NMEA output data stream from 38400 to 4800 baud. This situation may occur if the multiplexer is
required to feed standard NMEA listeners at 4800 bps when the computer is switched off.
If the complete data-stream including AIS data would be converted from 38400 to 4800 bps, not
enough bandwidth would be available to transmit all data during periods of increased AIS traffic.
For this reason, AIS data occurring in the speed conversion input data stream is always
automatically filtered out.
Baudrate conversion options can be selected from the multiplexer’s setup menu.
Option 5 (baudrate conversion option 1)
This is the default. Only data received on the baudrate conversion input port is converted
to 4800 bps.
Option 6 (baudrate conversion option 2)
Only data received from the baudrate conversion input port is converted to 4800 bps, the
same as for option 5 (baudrate conversion option 1). However, if no data is received for
10 seconds, the multiplexer transmits the combined data stream at 4800 bps instead,
with AIS data automatically filtered out. This option is very useful in the following
situation: If an auto pilot is connected to the 4800bps mux output it receives data from the
computer when navigation software is running on the computer. If the computer is
switched off, instrument and GPS data from the combined data stream is sent to the auto
pilot instead. This ensures that the auto pilot receives speed (SOG), course (COG) and
wind-data, also with the computer switched off.
Option 7 (baudrate conversion option 3)
1. The return data entered via the baudrate conversion input port
plus
data from the
combined output data stream but AIS data filtered out is
always
tranmitted at 4800
bps.
2. In addition, NMEA data received via the baudrate conversion input port is also
included in the combined output data stream.
For options 6 and 7, a channel block mask can be specified. This allows exclusion of input
channels 1 and/or 2 and/or 3 from the baudrate conversion output data stream. Also, for option 7,
baudrate conversion input data can be blocked from inclusion in the combined data stream.
Channel block mask values:
0
-
No channels are blocked. Options 6 and 7 work as described above.
1
-
NMEA Input channel 1 is blocked.
2
-
NMEA Input channel 2 is blocked.
3
-
NMEA Input channel 1 and 2 are blocked.
4
-
NMEA Input channel 3 is blocked.
5
-
NMEA Input channels 1 and 3 are blocked.
6
-
NMEA Input channels 2 and 3 are blocked.
7
-
NMEA Input channels 1, 2 and 3 are blocked.
8
-
Baudrate conversion input data is blocked from combined data stream.
9
-
8 and 1 above
