Xref: utzoo comp.protocols.misc:547 comp.sys.ibm.pc:27291 rec.boats:1499
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ulowell!cg-atla!weber
From: weber@cg-atla.UUCP (Jeff Weber)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,rec.boats
Subject: Re: Interfacing a PC to LORAN equipment
Message-ID: <6914@cg-atla.UUCP>
Date: 11 Apr 89 17:56:06 GMT
References: <1470@ur-cc.UUCP>
Reply-To: weber@cg-atla.UUCP (Jeff Weber)
Distribution: na
Organization: Agfa Compugraphic Division
Lines: 19

In article <1470@ur-cc.UUCP> akk2@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Atul Kacker) writes:
>
>Boats use a communications protocol called NIMEA 0182/3 (?) to interface
>navigational instruments with each other and with control devices (i.e.
>Lorans to auto-pilots).  Does anyone know or have information on how
>to use a laptop PC to obtain the information from these devices in a usable
>form?  Is there a company that makes hardware/software gizmos to translate
>the NIMEA protocol to say an RS-232 type ?
>

	<we'll see about the general interest...good point.>

	As far as I know the signal is indeed RS-232 and the data is 
	ASCII.  I found this in the connection manual for the autopilot
	interface I was doing about 3 years ago.  I always wanted to put
	a data-scope on it.  The data rate is quite reasonable, something
	less than 9600 baud so your watch could keep up if it had to.

	Call NIMEA