Ian Malcolm wrote in
:

It would be worth checking out something like a microcontroller
development kit that can easily bridge from the 9 bit protocol to PC USB
as the number of laptops with a true hardware serial port is rapidly
declining. http://www.chipcatalog.com/Cypress/CY7C64613.htm looks
interesting (8051 + USB, program loadable via USB from PC) and there are
others. Seatalk/NMEA 0183 programmable hub with USB monitoring, anyone?



Aboard the boat, I have installed a Webfoot...
http://www.stayonline.com/serial_to_ethernet/3311.asp
It interfaces the NMEA multiplexer's (not Mindert's unfortunately) serial
port to my beloved Ethernet LAN, and is plugged into one port of a Netgear
Wireless Router's 4-port hub. Seatalk to NMEA conversion is done by the
RL-70CRC Color radar/chartplotter display unit. Simply turn on all the
statements to the NMEA output you want converted from any Seatalk
instrument, at least any we have aboard...Raymarine GPS receiver, Raymarine
Gyro/compass sensor, the display's chart plotter outputs...

Webfoot came with a virtual serial port software that lets the wirelessly-
connected notebook connect The Cap'n to the serial port the Webfoot is
connected to quite seamlessly. The Cap'n just thinks it has a live serial
port on the NMEA network. Of course, I can also use just any serial data
monitor or logger to read or store what the Webfoot is looking at, too.
I've never had more than one computer aboard, so can't say whether the
Webfoot will send/receive the serial data to more than one station on the
LAN at a time. I'll have to try to remember to look that possibility up
when I'm alone on the boat with time on my hands.

Not being tied down is a real boon, as long as the Compaq Latitude has 12V
available to extend its battery runtime. You can navigate and have control
of the B&G Network Pilot autopilot from anyplace on the boat with it. If
you're anchored out, you can leave the appropriate sensor online and carry
the notebook ashore to monitor its parameter, such as depth or wind from
the beach laying on a blanket. I want to try to see if we can read the
boat's network from the bar at the yacht club, now that we've moved it to
what should be in range....(c;

Since I got the Webfoot, there's been lots of new serial to Ethernet boxes
show up. I suppose they can do the same thing.