SeaTalk <-> NMEA Bridge 1

Installation and Operation

Manual

Version : Bridge128SD
Software Version 3.12
February 2014

1
SeaTalk is Reg. Trademark of Raymarine Inc.
© 2013 All Rights Reserved Hw Version 128-1.0 / Sw Version 3.01 http://www.gadgetPool.de
© 2013 Alle Rechte vorbehalten Page 1 of 29 [email protected]
Credits / Warning / Disclaimer

The protocol converter is a

RESEARCH PROJECT

It is used for research on data communication, computer communication and data

conversion on computers used on board boats.

Hard- and Software are still under development and have NOT been fully tested.
Malfunctions of the protocol converter and of any connected device are possible at any
time.

The protocol converter could cause damage to connected devices.

Liability cannot be accepted for any damages, personal injuries or malfunctions caused
by the converter.

There are no SeaTalk technical specifications available from the manufacturer. We have
used the Technical Reference of the SeaTalk protocol, compiled by Thomas Knauf.
See http://www.thomas-knauf.de/seatalk.htm .Thank you to Thomas Knauf for his work.

Do not use as primary navigation device

This device should be used only as an aid to navigation and should never replace
common-sense and good seamanship . Always maintain a permanent watch so that you
can respond to any situations as they develop.

This device and the cables connected should be placed :

• At least 2 meters from any equipment transmitting radio signals.
(e.g. VHF, Antennas,.. )
• More than 2 meters from the path of a radar beam or SSB transmitting
equipment

Always check the installation and function of the SeaTalk NMEA bridge and of any
other navigation device on board before going to sea.

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Contents
CREDITS / WARNING / DISCLAIMER 2
OVERVIEW 4
CONNECTIONS 5
POWER SUPPLY 5
SEATALK CONNECTION 5
NMEA CONNECTION 6
RS232 CONNECTION 7
USB PC PORT 8
DISPLAY AND KEYS 9
DISPLAY 9
KEY FUNCTIONS : 10
INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING 11
MOUNTING 11
USB DRIVER INSTALLATION 12
USB COM PORT ASSIGNMENT 12
NMEA INPUT- AND OUTPUT PORT SELECTION 13
CONNECTION EXAMPLES 13
DATA FLOW 14
NMEA INPUT 15
NMEA OUTPUT 16
SEATALK INPUT 17
SEATALK OUTPUT 18
SAME TYPE OF DATA ON NMEA & SEATALK 18
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND CONFIGURATION 19
CONFIGURATION SCREEN 19
CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE 20
CONFIGURATION COMMANDS 21
CONFIGURATION PC SOFTWARE 22
CONFIGURATION ID'S 23
SPECIAL NMEA LIKE COMMANDS 26
THE $STALK SENTENCE 26
THE $SWVERSION COMMAND 26
SOFTWARE UPDATE 27
BOOTSTRAP LOADER METHOD 27
SEATALK & NMEA CONVERSION TABLE 28
TECHNICAL DATA 29
NEWS AND INFO ON THE WEB 29

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Overview
The converter interconnects two different data communication systems – SeaTalk 2 and
NMEA 0183.

 Information from the SeaTalk network is transformed into NMEA Data and sent to
the NMEA ports.
 Information from the NMEA ports is transformed into SeaTalk data and sent to the
SeaTalk bus.
 SeaTalk and NMEA data are shown on a LCD display.

This converter has detachable terminals for :

Power supply
SeaTalk port ( SeaTalk IN (galvanic isolated) and OUT (galvanic isolated))
NMEA port ( NMEA IN (galvanic isolated) and OUT )
RS232 port ( NMEA IN and OUT )
USB computer port ( NMEA IN and OUT )

Power SeaTalk RS232 NMEA USB

Power
12 Volt

2
SeaTalk is Reg. Trademark of Raymarine Inc.
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Connections
Power Supply
The bridge takes it’s power supply from +12V and GND.
12 Volt DC power supply (e.g. from battery) must be protected with a 1 amp circuit
breaker or fuse. The bridge consumes approx 60 mA in idle mode, 50 mA when backlight
is switched off and can consume temporarily up to 100 mA when sending data.

GND +12 Volt

SeaTalk connection

+12 Volt SeaTalk GND

Data
Red Yellow Silver
A 3-Pin terminal is used for the connection to the SeaTalk bus.
Please double check for correct connection. A wrong connection could damage the
converter or other devices on the SeaTalk Bus.

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
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NMEA Connection
The board has

1 * NMEA-IN3
1 * NMEA-OUT port.

The NMEA-IN port is used to receive data from standard NMEA devices like GPS etc.
This standard NMEA devices usually have terminals marked with NMEA OUT+, NMEA
OUT-. ( On some devices the ports are marked NMEA-OUT-A, NMEA-OUT-B )

NMEA-OUT - NMEA-OUT + NMEA-IN + NMEA-IN -

The NMEA-OUT port is used to send data to standard NMEA devices like GPS, VHF etc.
This standard NMEA devices usually have terminals marked with NMEA IN+, NMEA IN -
( On some devices the ports are marked NMEA-IN-A, NMEA-IN-B )

When connecting the NMEA devices, please double check wiring.

It is indeed possible to damage the device or devices attached if IN and OUT are
reversed.
Some devices have NMEA-OUT – or NMEA-IN – wired to GND internally. If, for example,
NMEA-IN+ should accidentally be connected to GND, the Bridge could be damaged.

3
IN-Port can be switched between NMEA-IN and RS232 RxD. See page 13 - NMEA Input- and Output Port selection
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RS232 Connection
The board has

1 * RS232 port for reading4 and writing NMEA data

The RS232 port is used to send and receive data to/from a standard NMEA device that
has an RS232 port instead of a NMEA port. Many GPS devices, i.e. hand-held GPS,
have RS232 ports instead of NMEA ports.

The RS232 port can also be used to connect the bridge to a computer that only has a
serial port but no USB port.

TxD RxD GND

4
IN-port can be switched between NMEA-IN and RS232 RxD. See page 13 - NMEA Input- and Output Port selection
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USB PC Port

The board has

1 * USB port for PC connection.

The USB Port speed is currently fixed to 4800 Baud.

The bridge has one USB port. It can be used to connect it to a computer or notebook.
After connection the bridge, a new serial port will be available on your computer
( See Page 12 – Com Port assignment )
With this serial port, the computer can act as a NMEA sender and as a NMEA receiver.
It can receive data from the devices attached to the bridge, and it can send data to this
devices.
In every navigation software, an option can be found to select the serial port to be used.

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Display and Keys

The SeaTalk NMEA bridge has a 4 * 20 character display and 7 push buttons.

Display
The display shows SeaTalk and NMEA data.
It has 6 pages, selectable by Key-1 to Key-4 and Key3-Pressed long, Key4-pressed long.

Page 1 – select by Key-1

Speed t. water over ground

Depth Temperature
Position Course true
Position Course magnetic

Page 2 - select by Key-2

Wind speed Wind direction

Course magnetic Course true
Trip mileage
Total mileage UTC Time

Page 3 - select by Key-3

Waypoint data

From WP Name To Wp Name

XTE Bearing to Wp
Distance Course
Speed t. water Speed o. ground

Page 4 - select by Key-4

Speed over ground

Page 5 - press Key-3 for 5

seconds Wind Data

True/App wind speed

True/App wind direction

Key-Up/Down selects
true/apparent wind data
Press any Key for more than 5
seconds to return to Page 1

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Page 6 – press Key-4 for 5

seconds

Autopilot data and control Picture

Key 1 +10 Degrees

Key 2 +1 Degrees
Kex 3 -10 Degrees
Kex 4 -1 Degrees
Key Up Auto
Key Down Standby
Key Enter Track

Press any Key for more than 5

seconds to return to Page 1

Key functions :

Key Function
Key 1 Select display page 1
Key 2 Select display page 2
Key 3 Select display page 3
Key 4 Select display page 4
Key 3 ( 5 seconds) Select wind data page
Key 4 ( 5 seconds) Select autopilot page
Key Down Select next display page
Key Up Select previous display page
Key Enter Display illumination on/off
Key Enter pressed Configuration menu
for 5 seconds
Key Down pressed NMEA & RS232 loopback test
for 5 seconds

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Installation and commissioning

Mounting

Before starting the installation, you should take some time to find the best
position for the instrument.
Of course it should be placed so that the display is easily readable and the push buttons
are easily accessible. It must be placed in a dry and ventilated place.
Make sure that there is enough space behind the instrument to accommodate the
instrument connectors and cables.

The instrument and its cables must be placed at least 1 meter (3 ft) from any equipment
transmitting or cables carrying radio signals. In case of SSB radio, the distance should be
at least 2 meters (6 ft).

• Apply the drill template (supplied at the rear of this

handbook).
• Drill out the four 3mm holes.
• Cut out the clearance hole.
• Remove the template.
• Remove the cover for the screws by gently sliding it
sidewards.
• Mount the instrument into the panel.
• Fix the instrument with 4 * 3mm screws.
• Put back on the cover on both sides.

3mm holes cover

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USB Driver installation

Depending on the operating system of the computer, it might be necessary to install a
driver software. The bridge is using a standard FTDI USB serial converter chip.
Drivers for this chip can be found on the CD and on the FTDI webpages.
(http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm)

Linux
A reasonable modern LINUX system does not need a special driver installation.
The FTDI chip will be recognized and the system will provide a new serial port.
Usually this is /dev/ttyUSB0. If there is already another USB-serial converter attached to
your system, the new port will be /dev/ttyUSB1 or /dev/ttyUSB2 etc. .

Windows
On a MS-Windows system, it might be necessary to install the driver software. If there is
already some other devices using FTDI chips, this driver will be available already.
Otherwise the driver has to be installed. You'll find the driver software on the CD in the
subdirectory /DRIVERS.
The bridge has a standard FTDI USB chip. There are drivers for every version of MS-
Windows available on the FTDI website.

USB Com Port assignment

MS-Windows assigns a COM port automatically.
In order to find out which port has been assigned, please check the MS-Windows device
manager.
In the device manager you'll find “Ports – COM & LPT “.
In this example, windows has put the SeaTalk NMEA bridge on COM4

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NMEA Input- and Output Port selection

All OUT-ports are always enabled :

The Out-ports - NMEA-OUT, RS232 TxD and USB - are always enabled.
The SeaTalk NMEA bridge always sends data to the NMEA-OUT port, the RS232 TxD pin
and to the USB port.

You can - for example - send data from the SeaTalk NMEA bridge to a Computer (USB)
and a GMDSS radio (NMEA-OUT) at the same time.

The IN-port is selectable :

The bridge can receive NMEA data from either NMEA-IN or from RS232 RxD pin.
It can not receive data from NMEA-IN and RS232 RxD at the same time.
The user has to select, which IN-port is used for receiving NMEA data.

Input port is selected in the configuration screen or with special command $SNBSE
See chapter “Special functions and configurations”
34 0 = Input is RS232 port
1 = Input is NMEA port

Connection examples
Hand-held GPS to bridge Bridge to PC

GPS SeaTalk NMEA

with Bridge
RS232 port RS232 port
Serial Data
out GND
TxD RxD GND

RxD TxD GND TxD RxD GND

Pin 3 Pin 2 Pin 5
SeaTalk NMEA
Bridge PC / NOTEBOOK
RS232 port Serial port

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Data Flow

SeaTalk
Device

Seatalk<-> NMEA SeaTalk

Bridge

NMEA OUT PORT NMEA IN PORT RS232

USB TxD RxD GND
OUT+ OUT- IN- IN+

IN+ IN- OUT- OUT+ USB Port RxD TxD GND

NMEA-DEVICE NMEA-DEVICE Computer RS232 Device

Receiver Transmitter ( PC, GPS ...)
i.e. GMDSS Radio i.e. GPS

 Received SeaTalk data are translated into NMEA and sent to NMEA-OUT port
and to the RS232 TxD pin and to the USB port.

 Received NMEA data from the NMEA-IN port are sent to NMEA-OUT and to the
RS232 TxD pin and USB port.
They are also translated into SeaTalk data and send to the SeaTalk port.

 Received NMEA data from the RS232 RxD pin are sent to NMEA-OUT and to the
RS232 TxD pin and USB port.
They are also translated into SeaTalk and send to the SeaTalk port.

 Received NMEA data from the USB Port are sent to NMEA-OUT port and to the
RS232 TxD pin.
They are also translated into SeaTalk and send to the SeaTalk port.

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NMEA Input
NMEA sentences can be received from the NMEA-IN or RS232 port and from the USB
port.
Processing of NMEA data starts, when a complete NMEA sentence has been received.

If the received sentence contains a checksum, this checksum is used to check for
communication errors. If the checksum does not match the sentence, the received NMEA
sentence is discarded.
If the sentence does not contain a checksum, the sentence is always regarded as valid.

After complete reception and checksum verification the sentence is sent to the
NMEA-OUT port, to the RS232 port and to the USB port.
(This function can be switched off by control setting – see page 23 Configuration ID #4)

If the received sentence is known to the system, the sentence information is extracted and
processed. Processed data are shown on the display and sent to the SeaTalk port.
At this time the following NMEA sentences can be received:

NMEA ID Description
$xxAPB Autopilot sentence "B"
$xxBWC Bearing and distance to waypoint
$xxDBT Depth below transducer
$xxDPT Depth below keel
$xxGLL Position
$xxGGA # of satellites
$xxHDM Heading magnetic
$xxHDG “ “
$xxMWV Wind angle wind speed ( true & app )
$xxMTW Water temperature
$xxRMC Speed over ground, course over ground,
Latitude, longitude, time, date
$xxRMB Route & waypoint Information
$xxVHW Speed through water
$xxVLW Total / Trip mileage
$xxVTG Velocity / Course made good
$xxVWR Relative wind speed and angle
$xxZDA Date & time

Special NMEA-like sentences

$STALK Special SeaTalk datagram
$SNBSE Board configuration
$SWVERSION Display board software version
$SWUPDATE Update board software

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NMEA Output
All valid NMEA sentences – whether
processed by the converter or not – are NMEA input SeaTalk input
USB +
forwarded to the NMEA-OUT port and to the (NMEA-IN or RS232 RxD)
USB Port. If the NMEA-OUT port is busy, the
sentence is temporarily stored in memory and
transmitted as soon as the NMEA-OUT port
becomes free. SeaTalk -> NMEA
translation

The converter also continuously checks for NMEA output

new incoming SeaTalk data. NMEA-OUT
RS232 TxD
Incoming SeaTalk data is converted to NMEA USB
Data and transferred to the NMEA-OUT and
the USB port.

The following NMEA sentences can be sent :

$IIDBT Depth below transducer

$IIDPT Optional $IIDPT can be sent instead of $IIDBT
$IIVHW Speed t. water
$IIMTW Water temperature
$IIVLW Total / Trip mileage
$IIMWV Wind angle & wind speed ( true and apparent )
$IIHDM Heading compass
$IIRMC Speed over ground, course over ground,
latitude, longitude, UTC time, date
$IIGLL Optional an additional $IIGLL sentence can be
sent for position information
$IIRSA Rudder angle

$STALK special SeaTalk datagram

$SNBSE special system configuration datagram

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SeaTalk Input

When a SeaTalk datagram was received, the system checks if this datagram is known
and should be processed. When the datagram is known, the datagram parameters are
extracted, stored and converted to an NMEA sentence.
Any unknown datagram is ignored.
( Exception: $STALK is sent even for unknown datagrams )

At this time the following SeaTalk datagrams can be received.

00 Depth
10 Wind angle SeaTalk Input
11 Wind speed
20 Speed through water
SeaTalk -> NMEA
21 Trip mileage translation
22 Total mileage
23 Water temperature
25 Total & trip mileage NMEA Output
26 Speed through water
27 Water temperature
30 Lamp intensity
50 Latitude
51 Longitude
52 Speed over ground
53 Course over ground
54 UTC time
56 Date
58 Latitude & Longitude
84 Compass heading
89 Compass ST40 heading
9C Compass heading & rudder position

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SeaTalk Output

The converter periodically checks if any new data has arrived from one of the NMEA- or
the USB port. Newly arrived data are converted to SeaTalk and written to the SeaTalk.
The bridge checks if the SeaTalk bus is free, or it is currently used by any other
instrument. If the bus is in use, the converter waits for a while, and tries again.

Collision detection
Every single bit sent out to the SeaTalk bus is read back again and checked for successful
transmission. If the transmission was corrupted, the transmission is stopped immediately.
When the bus becomes free, the transmission will be started again autocratically.

At this time the following SeaTalk data can be sent

00 Depth
10 Wind angle
11 Wind speed NMEA Input
20 Speed through water
25 Total & Trip mileage
NMEA -> SeaTalk
27 Water temperature translation
30 Lamp intensity
50 Latitude
51 Longitude SeaTalk Output
52 Speed over ground
53 Course over ground
54 Time
56 Date
57 Number of sats, DD horiz. dilution of position
85 Navigation to waypoint info
82 Target waypoint name
89 Compass ST40 heading
9E Waypoint definition
A2 Arrival info

Same type of Data on NMEA & SeaTalk

Information available from like instruments on both buses ( SeaTalk & NMEA ) are not
converted. As soon as information is not updated on one bus within 30 seconds,
conversion is stated again

Example:

We have a depth sounder on the SeaTalk bus and another depth sounder on the NMEA
bus. So, on both sides depth information is available.
In this case no depth information in transferred from one bus to the other.
If depth information is not updated within 30 sec. on one bus, sending to the other bus is
activated again.

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Special functions and configuration

Configuration screen

The SeaTalk NMEA converter can be configured to meet the users requirements.
– The configuration can be set in a special configuration screen.
– Configuration settings are stored in an internal eeprom.

→ To enter the configuration screen, press key ENTER for 5 seconds.

Settings are changed by using Key-1 to Key-4,Key-UP, Key-DOWN and Key-ENTER

Function ID Value

Select Function ID Change Value

Key-UP = previous ID Key-1 = value plus

Key-DOWN = next ID Key-2 = value minus
Key-3 = reset value to factory default

Key-4 = configuration is finished

Select ID you would like to change using Key-UP / Key-DOWN

Change value for this ID with Key-1 / Key-2
Finish configuration with Key-4

→ For a list of function ID's and values – see page 23.

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Configuration example

Example 1:

In this example we configure the bridge, so that the NMEA baudrate is changed to 38400
baud.

– Find function ID for baudrate in table on page 23.

– Function ID for baudrate is 1
– Find value for 38400 baud in table on page 23.
– Value for 38400 baud is 8

1 Set NMEA port baudrate

1 = 300 baud
2 = 600 baud
3 = 1200 baud
4 = 2400 baud
5 = 4800 baud ( Default )
6 = 9600 baud
7 = 19200 baud
8 = 38400 baud

– Enter Configuration menu by pressing Key-ENTER for 5 seconds.

– Press Key-DOWN. You will see ID: 1 = 5
– Press Key-1 until you see ID:1 = 8
– Press Key-4 to leave configuration menu.

After power off/on, the NMEA baudrate will be set to 38400.

Example 2 :

In this example we configure the bridge, so that it will read NMEA data from it's
RS232-RxD port instead of it's NMEA-IN port.

– Find function ID for NMEA-IN port in table on page 23.

– Function ID for baudrate is 34
– Find value for RS232 port in table on page 23.
– Value for RS232 port is 0

34 0 = Input is RS232 port

1 = Input is NMEA port

- Enter Configuration menu by pressing Key-ENTER for 5 seconds.

– Press Key-DOWN until you will see ID: 34 = 1
– Press Key-2 until you see ID: 34 = 0
– Press Key-4 to leave configuration menu.

After power off/on, the NMEA-IN port will be RS232 port.

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Configuration commands

The SeaTalk NMEA converter can be configured to meet the users requirements.

The configuration is made by sending a NMEA-like sentence. The settings are stored in
an EEProm.

The configuration sentence is :

$SNBSE,address,data<CR><LF>

( Optionally a checksum can be appended $SNBSE,address,data*XX<CR><LF>)

( SNBSE = SeaTalk NMEA Bridge Set Eeprom )
Configuration settings are read when the bridge gets switched on. So when you change
the configuration you need to switch it off/on to activate the changes.

How to set the configuration

Connect the bridge to a PC using the USB port.

Open a terminal program ( i.e. hyperterm ) and set it to 4800 baud, 8 bit, no parity, no
handshake.
Type “ $xxx “ and press ENTER
Bridge responds with “ $xxx “. When you receive the $xxx, connection to your bridge is
established and working properly. If $xxx does not appear after you pressed ENTER,
check connection, setting of com-port, baudrate etc.

Example :

In this example, we configure the bridge, so that every incoming SeaTalk sentence
will be sent to the PC as $STALK,xx,yy sentence.

In your terminal program enter

$SNBSE,0,1

The bridge will respond with

$SNBSE,0,1

Next time you switch the bridge on it will send every incoming SeaTalk sentence to
the PC as a $STALK,xx,yy,zz … sentence.

How to read current setting

In your terminal program, enter $SNBSE,Function-Id
The bridge will respond with $SNBSE,Function-Id,data

→ For a list of function ID's and values – see page 23.

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Configuration PC software
Configuration setting can also be made with a PC.
A configuration software can be downloaded from our webpages www.gadgetPool.de

This software is also useful for SeaTalk network monitoring.

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Configuration Id's
Function Value
ID
0 1 = Send out every incoming SeaTalk datagram as "$STALK....." to NMEA
0 = Do not generate $STALK,xx,yy sentence for each incoming SeaTalk
datagram If you don’t really need this function – better switch if OFF.
It causes additional load on the NMEA Bus.
1 Set NMEA port baudrate
1 = 300 baud
2= 600 baud
3= 1200 baud
4 = 2400 baud
5 = 4800 baud ( Default )
6 = 9600 baud
7 = 19200 baud
8 = 38400 baud
any other value defaults to 4800 baud
Baud rate is changed at next start of the converter
2+3 Prefix for generated NMEA sentence - Character 1+2
Every NMEA sentence generated from the system begins with this two
letters
Default = “II” ( Integrated Instrumentation )
WARNING: You have to enter the ASCII value of the character, not the
character itself.
Example : To set character 1 to “I” and character 2 to “A”
$SNBSE,2,73 ( Character “I” is a 73 in ASCII )
$SNBSE,3,65 ( Character “A” is a 65 in ASCII ) See ASCII table
4 1= Echo every incoming NMEA sentence to NMEA Out port
2= Echo every incoming NMEA sentence to USB port
3= Echo every incoming NMEA sentence to USB port and NMEA port
4 =Echo NMEA received from NMEA to USB / received from USB to NMEA
0 = Do not echo incoming NMEA sentences
5 N.A:
6 1 = Send $IIVHW sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIVHW sentence
7 1 = Send $IIHDM sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIHDM sentence
8 1 = Send $IIMWV sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIMWV sentence
9 1 = Send $IIDBT sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIDBT sentence
10 1 = Send $IIMTW sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIMTW sentence
11 1 = Send $IIVLW sentence when new data from SeaTalk arrives
0 = Do not send $IIVLW sentence
12 1 = LCD light on/off is sent to SeaTalk?
0 = Do not send light on/off to SeaTalk
13 1 = Send welcome message after power up
0 = Do not send welcome message

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14 0 = Speed over ground from NMEA input is sent to SeaTalk as speed over
Ground and as speed through water ( Needed for ST60 Wind instrument,
that does not recognize speed over ground )
1 = Normal operation. No special SOG => STW handling ) ( default )
( See Webpage www.gadgetPool.de for more on this special ST60 Wind
function.
15 0 = Every incoming SeaTalk datagram is sent to NMEA as "$STALK,xxx,yyy
– no matter if the system can interpret the SeaTalk data or not.
1 = Normal operation. Only SeaTalk sentences known to the system are
echoed as $STALK,xxx,yyy
Only valid if function id “0” is switched on.

16 0 = Don’t send any data to the SeaTalk port. SeaTalk port is READ-ONLY
1 = Send data to SeaTalk
17 0 = Display wind speed in knots. 1= Display wind speed in m/s
18 0 = Don’t send SOG to SeaTalk 1 = Send SOG to SeaTalk
19 0 = Don’t send position to SeaTalk 1= Send position to SeaTalk
20 0 = Display depth on SeaTalk instrument in feed,
1 = display in meters
21 1=set time only with NMEA ZDA sentence
0=set time also via RMC sentence ... (time of last position fix)
22 0=send only RMC sentence for position to NMEA
1=send GLL and RMC sentence for position to NMEA
23+24 23+24 Offset of depth transducer. In mm ( +- 1000th Meter )
If this value is set to -1, the bridge will send DBT NMEA sentence and no
offset will be used.
If this values is set to something between -32000 to 32000, the bridge will
produce DPT sentences including the offset.
25 Reserved ( used for SeaTalk-NMEA-Link )
26 1 = send NMEA RSA sentence for rudder angle data
0 = don’t send RSA sentence
27 0 = no bit set = Start display normal
1 = bit 1 set = Start after boot-up with display page 3
28 Not used
29 1 = send waypoint data to SeaTalk
0 = don't send waypoint data to SeaTalk
30 0 = Send NMEA Cog as COG and CMAG to SeaTalk.
1 = 1 = don't combine
31 Not used
32 Not used
33 Calculate TRUE Wind data and send as $IIMWV Sentence
0 = No True wind calculation
1 = True wind calculation from water speed
2 = True wind calculation from SOG
34 0 = Input is RS232 port
1 = Input is NMEA port
35 0 = Display SOG as BigDigits in km/h on display page 4
1 = Display SOG as BigDigits in knots on display page 4

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
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36 Set USB port baudrate
1 = 300 baud
2= 600 baud
3= 1200 baud
4 = 2400 baud
5 = 4800 baud ( Default )
6 = 9600 baud
7 = 19200 baud
8 = 38400 baud
any other value defaults to 4800 baud
Baud rate is changed at next start of the converter
37 1= Do UART Test on boot-up
0= No UART Test on boot-up
38 1= Send NMEA sentences created from SeaTalk data to NMEA-OUT port
0= No NMEA sentences created from SeaTalk data are sent to NMEA-OUT.

Some NMEA devices can not work with sentences like depth,position, etc.
They only understand proprietary configuration sentences.
With this function you can switch off sending normal NMEA data to that
device.
NMEA data created from SeaTalk data will only be sent to USB port.

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
Bridge

Special NMEA like commands

The $STALK sentence

The converter can process a special NMEA-like sentence.

With this special sentence any SeaTalk command can be sent to SeaTalk.

$STALK,cc,p1,p2..,pn*xx

cc = SeaTalk command
p1 = Parameter 1
p2 = Parameter 2
..
*xx = NMEA checksum ( optional ) .

Example :

Switch on display illumination on all devices on the SeaTalk network.

Enter $STALK,30,00,0C

Switch off display illumination on all devices on the SeaTalk network.

Enter $STALK,30,00,00

This special sentence will be sent to the NMEA bus for every received SeaTalk datagram
– regardless as to whether it was recognized and processed or not.
( This function can be switch off by control setting – see below )

The $SWVERSION command

$SWVERSION<ENTER>

Display software version.

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
Bridge

Software update
The board software can be updated by using the built in Bootstrap-Loader function.

If you find anything missing in the software, if you should find any software errors or if you
have new ideas – just sent a mail to [email protected]

New / revised software can be sent by E-Mail and the SeaTalk NMEA bridge owner can
update the controller software him/herself.

Bootstrap method advantages :

No hardware programmer needed.
Just a USB connection to PC and a PC software is needed.
Fuses and bootstrap software can not be erased accidentally.

Latest software versions can be found at http://www.gadgetPool.de

Bootstrap Loader Method

Connect the SeaTalk NMEA bridge to your PC ( using USB Port )

Open a terminal program ( i.e. hypertern ) and set it to 4800 baud, 8 bit, no parity, no
handshake.
Type “ $xxx “ and press ENTER
Bridge responds with “ $xxx “. When you receive the $xxx, connection to your bridge is
established and working propperly. If $xxx does not appear after you pressed ENTER,
check connection, setting of com-port, baudrate etc.

Enter $SWUPDATE

The bridge will respond with

Software Update Function will start in 40 sec.
...

Close the terminal program.

Start the supplied bootstrap software (Megaload ) on the PC.
Open the image file you would like to program into the bridge.
Select your serial port in bootstrap software
Select 9600 baud
After the 40 sec timeout, the bootstrap software finds the SeaTalk NMEA bridge and
flashes the new software.

The default timeout of 40 seconds can be adjusted.

Just enter $SWUPDATE,xxx , where xxx is the timeout in seconds.

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
Bridge

SeaTalk & NMEA conversion Table

Function SeaTalk ID NMEA Stalk -> NMEA NMEA->Stalk

Depth 0 DBT X X
X
Speed t. water 20 VHW X
(See SNBSE,14)

Speed t. water 26 VHW X

Trip mileage 21 VLW X
Total mileage 22 VLW X
Water temperature 23 MTW X
Water temperature 27 MTW X X
Total / Trip mileage 25 VLW X X
Wind angle 10 MWV X X
Wind speed 11 MWV X X
HDM
Compass 84 X
(VHW)
Compass ST40 89 HDM X X
Speed over ground 52 RMC X X
Course over ground 53 RMC X X
Lamp intensity 30 X Push button
Latitude 51 RMC X X
Latitude 51 GLL X
Longitude 50 RMC X X
Longitude 50 GLL X
UTC time 54 RMC X X
UTC time 54 ZDA X
# of sats 57 GGA X
Date 56 RMC X X
Date 56 ZDA X
Special NMEA->ST any $STALK X X
Special config. - $SNBSE

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 SeaTalk <-> NMEA
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Technical data
Instrument
Width : 141.5 mm
Height : 75.0 mm
Depth : 37.5 mm
Weight : 165.0 grams

Clearance hole
Width : 104 mm
Height : 66 mm

Minimum cable clearance behind panel : 40 mm

Supply voltage : 8 to 30 Volt DC

Current consumption : 60 mA idle, 50 mA backlighting off, 100 mA peak (12 Volt)

News and Info on the web

If you have any question or suggestions – there is a SeaTalk NMEA bridge user forum on
our web page. http://www.gadgetPool.de

The software will be improved constantly. Please check http://www.gadgetpool.de for the
latest software version.

SeaTalk NMEA Bridge 128SD Sw Version 3.12 Page 29 of 29