"Kees Verruijt" wrote in message
...
I assume you use these modules in your non-marine products right?

No, I am going to use one of these in a MiniPlex-42Wi.

To me having a WiFi multiplexer doesn't make sense, as there is no
"serial profile" defined on top of Ethernet, by my understanding.

There is, sort of. Telnet is a standard protocol to replace serial
terminals. And I found out that the modules from Lantronix, which come with
a serial port redirector, talk almost standard telnet. If I open telnet on
their IP and port, I see the serial data on my screen.

Even
if there were in my opinion it would more sense to have an (wired)
Ethernet version of your multiplexer instead?

Coming too: the MiniPlex-42E.

The only "problem"so far is that the port redirector software which creates
a virtual com port opens a point-to-point TCP/IP session with the modules
while I like them to talk UDP. That way, any computer on the net can read
the NMEA data and talk to it, instead of just one.

A lot of people
considering this type installation might already have a PC/access point
installed, and it would mean higher reliability for users willing to run
wires. People that really want wireless you can sell a $50 access point
to... Ethernet modules are surely a lot less expensive?

Well, al lot of professional race-sailors like to use Wifi instead of BT
because most tablet PC have Wifo built in standard while BT if often an
option. And Wifi is slightly higher power than class I BT devices.

The new integrated systems (Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin) also use wired
ethernet, so the infrastructure is getting installed already.

What we need now is a standard for transmitting NMEA and NMEA-2000
(like) data over Ethernet/UDP. Guess that won't happen for a while...

Well, let's define one!
It would be interesting though to see how the major brands transfer NMEA
over ethernet. But indeen, UDP is the best way since it is also a
connectionless/broadcast protocol just like NMEA0183 and NMEA2000.

Meindert