IF-NMEA2K2 Wiring

[mpmarinema]

I'm installing a Navpilot 300 on board and have an existing PG-500 heading sensor. The heading sensor is NMEA 0183 and the Navpilot runs off NMEA 2000. I know I have to get a IF-NMEA2K2 to convert the old to the new and I'll be all set.

My question is: HOW DO I CONNECT THESE TWO?

Will regular butt splices work?
Do I need a terminal bar inside of a waterproof junction box?
Is there a simpler way to do it that I'm missing?

Also, can I take the existing NMEA 0183 cable and cut it open to create a pigtail or do I need to buy a new one specifically for this installation.

 

[Johnny Electron]

The PG500 power cable also has data wires. That should be accessible and I would use those NMEA 0183 wires to wire to the IF-NMEA2k2. I don't recommend butt splices. I would use a small junction box or terminal strip. If you wanted, they could be soldered together and taped.

 

[mpmarinema]

Ok so I used a terminal strip inside a junction box. My autopilot is reading that there is a NMEA2k2 for a heading source but it is not getting any heading data from the sensor. I tried re-calibrating and restarting the sensor. Double checked all connections to NMEA2000 and the terminal strip.

The only thing I can think of is that the NMEA2K2 pigtail wiring came pre-stripped. Should I have cut and re-stripped these?

Wiring was done as follows:
0183 Yellow -> 2K2 Pink
0183 Green -> 2K2 Pink/Black
0183 White -> 2K2 Blue/Yellow
0183 Black -> 2K2 Blue/Green

0183 Color Scheme =

Yellow - RD_H
Green - RD_C
White - TD_A
Black - TD_B

NMEA2K2 Color Scheme =

Pink - TD_A
Pink/Black - TD_B
Blue/Green - RD-C
Blue/Yellow - RD-H

These were found in each devices respective Installation Manuals.

 

[Johnny Electron]

I don't see any problem with your wiring. Are you using the 2k2 in normal or High Speed heading mode?

 

[mpmarinema]

Normal mode. Should I use it at high speed?

 

[Johnny Electron]

It should work for you either way as long as you match the baud rate. Normal mode uses 4800 baud and High speed mode uses 38400. You will need to check the baud rate the compass is setup for. You might also want to check the compass 0183 to something that can read it to verify you have good data coming out the cable. Beware of cables like the blue network cables that people try to use as NMEA cables where the color code is different.

It might also be the compass doesn't like you feeding NMEA into it (Because you wired it bidirectional). You might try a two wire connection where you are not sending a bunch of converted data to the compass.

 

[mpmarinema]

Looking at the PG500 manual it looks to be default to send magnetic data in AD10 format. I'll have to try changing that to True and see if that helps as well as check the baud rate

Thank you for all the help so far!

I'll be back on board Thursday and let you know how it goes.

 

[mpmarinema]

I switched the output to True. I made sure the baud rate was at 4800. I disconnected the data receive connections to the heading sensor. Still no heading data to the autopilot. I ran a diagnostic test on the PG500 and it seems to need an adjustment to correct for magnetic distortion. I'll need to take the boat out next chance I get to perform this but an I wrong in assuming the autopilot should still be getting heading data from the sensor?

Since I have the NMEA 0183 cable cut open and connected to the terminal strip I could not hook it up to the display unit and get a reading.

IF adjusting for magnetic distortion does not correct the issue I may try to reconnect the heading sensor the the display unit (RDP 149 - NAVnet vx2). Will the display unit transmit data through the NMEA converter to the autopilot and if so does this seem like a better option?

These are links to a couple pictures I took of the heading sensor NMEA connection. One of the pins looks a little charred. Not sure if this is causing and issue either.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-GCQX ... OgH9GdsE82
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-G1pT ... kYRY1P3cGI

 

[Johnny Electron]

Per the manual you need RMC or VTG wired into the compass to be able to have it convert heading into TRUE. Ultimately it is a "magnetic" fluxgate compass.

 

[mpmarinema]

Is there a software update for the IF-NMEA2k2 that I need?

I"ve rewired the IF-NMEA2k2 to the display and still have no data. No heading data, no GPS, no SOG and yet they all display on the display.

I made sure all the correct sentence outputs were on via the display. Disconnected the Data Receive connections from the terminal strip, restarted the autopilot multiple times, double checked all NMEA2000 connections and I even changed out the 0183 cable.

I'm getting nothing.

Next step will be to update software on NMEA2k2 and Navnetvx2 in hopes that does the job.

Any other suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Johnny Electron]

If I understand you correctly, you are converting the 0183 compass to NMEA 2000 for the NavPilot 300. You said something about the Vx2 (also 0183). How is this fitting in with your current wiring? Maybe there is something going wrong at that end of things. The IF-NMEA2k2 should accept the PG500 NMEA 0183 data if working regardless of software version in the converter. The most recent software updates on the IF-NMEA2k2 relate to using it for drive by wires systems. I think you would be wasting your time to change the software in the converter. The Vx2 software upgrade confuses me completely. The heading is coming from the PG500 NMEA port direct to the IF-NMEA2k2, correct?