Laptop Interface with B&G's
 

Aloha folks,

First time in this group.

I race on a boat here in Hawaii and I've been trying to get the owner to
buy the Performance Processor for our otherwise top B&G system so we can
hook up a laptop to it.

He doesn't want to spend the money.

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Rich,
What is the present configuration? Are there any NMEA output(s)? Perhaps a
multiplexer would be the answer. Have a look at www.brookhouseonline.com.
There are also some references to B&G instruments under "User Comments".
Cheers,
Wout




"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in message
...
Aloha folks,

First time in this group.

I race on a boat here in Hawaii and I've been trying to get the owner to
buy the Performance Processor for our otherwise top B&G system so we can
hook up a laptop to it.

He doesn't want to spend the money.

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in :

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Which line of B&G instruments are you using? We're using the B&G "Network"
line of instruments on Lionheart because the data stream is already NMEA
0183 compatible. You can connect "Network" instruments' data wires
straight to RS-232C ports on the computer, if you like. It was changed to
the incompatible Fastnet2 system in the H1000/H2000 lines so they could
sell you the "Universal Interface Box" for more fun and PROFIT. "Network"
instruments require no such expensive boxes. You simply pull out the data
in and out wires from the looping "Network" cables and hook them directly,
albeit UNBALANCED (damn them), to your NMEA network. Data out hooks to one
of the inputs on our Noland NMEA multiplexer to put all the B&G "Network"
data online. We returned the incompatible H1000 instruments for the older
Network instruments that were still available.

If you've got the Fastnet2 instruments....tell the Cap'n he'll have to
shell out for the interface box...(c;

"Wout B" wrote in message
...
Hi Rich,
What is the present configuration? Are there any NMEA output(s)?
Perhaps a
multiplexer would be the answer. Have a look at
www.brookhouseonline.com.
There are also some references to B&G instruments under "User
Comments".
Cheers,
Wout

Wow! That looks like it. Thanks Wout!

Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in message
...
Aloha folks,

First time in this group.

I race on a boat here in Hawaii and I've been trying to get the
owner to
buy the Performance Processor for our otherwise top B&G system so we
can
hook up a laptop to it.

He doesn't want to spend the money.

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get
a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So you're saying we _can't_ to that with our 2000's because they are not
standard NMEA? Darn!

Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in :

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get
a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Which line of B&G instruments are you using? We're using the B&G
"Network"
line of instruments on Lionheart because the data stream is already
NMEA
0183 compatible. You can connect "Network" instruments' data wires
straight to RS-232C ports on the computer, if you like. It was
changed to
the incompatible Fastnet2 system in the H1000/H2000 lines so they
could
sell you the "Universal Interface Box" for more fun and PROFIT.
"Network"
instruments require no such expensive boxes. You simply pull out the
data
in and out wires from the looping "Network" cables and hook them
directly,
albeit UNBALANCED (damn them), to your NMEA network. Data out hooks
to one
of the inputs on our Noland NMEA multiplexer to put all the B&G
"Network"
data online. We returned the incompatible H1000 instruments for the
older
Network instruments that were still available.

If you've got the Fastnet2 instruments....tell the Cap'n he'll have to
shell out for the interface box...(c;

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in message
...
So you're saying we _can't_ to that with our 2000's because they are not
standard NMEA? Darn!

There is most likely already a processor with NMEA output present. It's part
of the system architecture.
Wout


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in :

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get
a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Which line of B&G instruments are you using? We're using the B&G
"Network"
line of instruments on Lionheart because the data stream is already
NMEA
0183 compatible. You can connect "Network" instruments' data wires
straight to RS-232C ports on the computer, if you like. It was
changed to
the incompatible Fastnet2 system in the H1000/H2000 lines so they
could
sell you the "Universal Interface Box" for more fun and PROFIT.
"Network"
instruments require no such expensive boxes. You simply pull out the
data
in and out wires from the looping "Network" cables and hook them
directly,
albeit UNBALANCED (damn them), to your NMEA network. Data out hooks
to one
of the inputs on our Noland NMEA multiplexer to put all the B&G
"Network"
data online. We returned the incompatible H1000 instruments for the
older
Network instruments that were still available.

If you've got the Fastnet2 instruments....tell the Cap'n he'll have to
shell out for the interface box...(c;

OK. since you are talking about a performance processor you must have a
Hercules or Hydra
system. The system uses B&G's own bus Fastnet (h1000 uses Fastnet2) and can
not be converted
to NMEA with any "standard" magic box. In order to communicate with the
outside world you need
a NMEA FFD or, as you already said, a Performance processor. Most people
have one or the other,
as most systems are interfaced to a GPS. Throug the NMEA FFD you would be
able to interface to
a laptop. You might need a multiplexer also since the NMEA FFD's has one
input and one output, this
depends a little on your configuration.

A Performace processor is not just a NMEA interface to the system, it can
store the polars of your boat so that you will get optimum wind angle etc.
Throug the performance processor advanced calibration can be done. One can
even rename the texts that are displayed on the system, this is particulary
handy on the linear input 4 (of the main processor) that can take any linear
voltage between
0 and 6.5V and give a readout of -999 to 9999 (all of course user
definable).

Regards,
TomS


"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in message
...
Aloha folks,

First time in this group.

I race on a boat here in Hawaii and I've been trying to get the owner to
buy the Performance Processor for our otherwise top B&G system so we can
hook up a laptop to it.

He doesn't want to spend the money.

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wout B" wrote

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote
So you're saying we _can't_ to that with our 2000's because they are
not
standard NMEA? Darn!

There is most likely already a processor with NMEA output present.
It's part
of the system architecture.

OK... I'll check.

Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in
:

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to
get
a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Which line of B&G instruments are you using? We're using the B&G
"Network"
line of instruments on Lionheart because the data stream is
already
NMEA
0183 compatible. You can connect "Network" instruments' data
wires
straight to RS-232C ports on the computer, if you like. It was
changed to
the incompatible Fastnet2 system in the H1000/H2000 lines so they
could
sell you the "Universal Interface Box" for more fun and PROFIT.
"Network"
instruments require no such expensive boxes. You simply pull out
the
data
in and out wires from the looping "Network" cables and hook them
directly,
albeit UNBALANCED (damn them), to your NMEA network. Data out
hooks
to one
of the inputs on our Noland NMEA multiplexer to put all the B&G
"Network"
data online. We returned the incompatible H1000 instruments for
the
older
Network instruments that were still available.

If you've got the Fastnet2 instruments....tell the Cap'n he'll
have to
shell out for the interface box...(c;

"TomS" wrote

OK. since you are talking about a performance processor you must have
a
Hercules or Hydra
system. The system uses B&G's own bus Fastnet (h1000 uses Fastnet2)
and can
not be converted
to NMEA with any "standard" magic box. In order to communicate with
the
outside world you need
a NMEA FFD or, as you already said, a Performance processor. Most
people
have one or the other,
as most systems are interfaced to a GPS. Throug the NMEA FFD you would
be
able to interface to
a laptop. You might need a multiplexer also since the NMEA FFD's has
one
input and one output,

I'll check if that's the case tonight, after our Friday nite race.:-)


this depends a little on your configuration.

A Performace processor is not just a NMEA interface to the system, it
can
store the polars of your boat so that you will get optimum wind angle
etc.

That's what I was hoping to do with a laptop - target boat speed.



Throug the performance processor advanced calibration can be done. One
can
even rename the texts that are displayed on the system, this is
particulary
handy on the linear input 4 (of the main processor) that can take any
linear
voltage between
0 and 6.5V and give a readout of -999 to 9999 (all of course user
definable).

Regards,
TomS

Thanks Tom

Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in message
...
Aloha folks,

First time in this group.

I race on a boat here in Hawaii and I've been trying to get the
owner to
buy the Performance Processor for our otherwise top B&G system so we
can
hook up a laptop to it.

He doesn't want to spend the money.

So I'm wondering if the brain trust he might know another way to get
a
RS232 interface that would cost less?


Rich~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rich" rsmith @aloha.net wrote in :

So you're saying we _can't_ to that with our 2000's because they are not
standard NMEA? Darn!



Yep......

http://www.bandg.com/h1000solutionsinterfacebox.htm

http://www.setsail.com/dashew/NMEA_Data.html
Here's a whole system, drawings and all.