NMEA 2000 A Digital Interface for the 21st Century

Lee A. Luft, Larry Anderson, and Frank Cassidy

Abstract:	Ships and boats are outfitted with suites of electronics including everything from desktop and laptop computers, and GPS to depth sounders and nautical chart data on diskettes. This paper describes the new standardized data protocol and interface that permits inexpensive communications among these devices. The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) has introduced a new standard (NMEA 2000) for data communications among shipboard electronic devices. A single network cable replaces a myriad of cables used by today’s methods of interconnection. The NMEA 2000 network can accommodate navigation equipment, power generation, engines and machinery, piloting and steering systems, fire alarm, and controls. Data, commands, and status all share the same cable at speeds 26 times greater then the NMEA 0183 serial interface. NMEA 2000 is self-configuring, no setup is required, and no master controller is needed. Equipment may be added or removed without shutting down the network. This paper provides an in-depth description of NMEA 2000, including its capabilities, application within and beyond the marine industry, and national and international acceptance.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2002 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 28 - 30, 2002 The Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	796 - 807
Cite this article:	Luft, Lee A., Anderson, Larry, Cassidy, Frank, "NMEA 2000 A Digital Interface for the 21st Century," Proceedings of the 2002 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 2002, pp. 796-807.
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