Maretron SSC200 Configuration. Maretron DSM250-01

DSM250 User’s Manual

6.22 Maretron SSC200 Configuration

This describes the configuration of the Maretron SSC200 firmware version 2.0.11. Nine configurable parameters for the Maretron SSC200 solid state compass may be configured using the Maretron

DSM250 display. The Maretron SSC200 configuration menu can be seen in Figure 164 below.

Figure 164 – SSC200 Configuration Screen

6.22.1 Advanced Configuration

Advanced Configuration changes some complex parameters within the device, and should only be performed by an advanced user. Typically advanced configuration is only done at installation and should not need to be done while at sea.

Figure 165 – SSC200 Advanced Configuration Screen

6.22.1.1 Device Instance

This entry allows you to program the NMEA 2000 device instance for the unit. You usually will not need to modify the default value of “0” unless you have multiple units on the network.

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6.22.1.2 Installation Description

This entry allows you to modify the NMEA 2000 installation description text strings. You can enter any information you like here, such as the date the unit was installed, or the location in which it was installed, for later reference. Tools such as Maretron N2KAnalyzer allow you to view these values

later. See section 3.3.4 for details on how to enter a textual value.

6.22.1.3 NMEA0183 Settings

Several characteristics of the NMEA 0183 interface of the SSC200 may be programmed using the

DSM250 display. This can be used for initial programming of a SSC200 compass even if only the

NMEA 0183 interface is to be used after installation is complete. Figure 166 below shows the

possible programming options for the NMEA 0183 interface.

Figure 166 – SSC200 NMEA 0183 Settings Screen

6.22.1.3.1 Baud Rate

The SSC200 compass supports NMEA0183 communication at both 4800 baud and 38400 baud. All

SSC200 Compasses are shipped with a baud rate of 4800 baud. This value may be changed by selecting the Baud Rate option in the menu, and pressing Enter. The use the Scroll Up and Scroll

Down buttons to select the desired baud rate and press Enter to save the value.

6.22.1.3.2 Sentence / Rate Selection

The NMEA 0183 interface is a very low bandwidth interface. The SSC200 is capable of transmitting a wide variety of NMEA 0183 sentences, and can exceed the bandwidth of the NMEA 0183 interface if all sentences are transmitted at maximum rates, causing lost data in NMEA 0183 multiplexers or on the SSC200 interface itself. It is important, therefore, to limit the types of NMEA 0183 sentences transmitted only to those that are necessary for other products which are connected to the NMEA

0183 interface. Figure 167 below shows the SSC200 NMEA 0183 Settings -> Sentence/Rate

Selection menu. In this menu, you can selectively enable and disable the different NMEA 0183 sentences that the SSC200 can transmit, and you can program the transmission interval for the enabled sentences. In the figure, you can see that the HDG and ROT sentences will be transmitted every 0.1 second (10 times/second), the ATT sentence will be transmitted once per second, and the

HDM and HDT sentences are disabled.

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DSM250 User’s Manual

The last line in the menu enables you to program the lifetime of the variation data received by the

SSC200. In Figure 167, you can see that the “Variation Time” has been programmed to 5.0 seconds.

This means that if the compass has not received magnetic variation for five seconds, it will no longer transmit true heading data, as the variation data it has received is now expired. On the NMEA2000 side, the Heading PGN has separate fields for heading sensor reading and variation. The SSC200 always has magnetic heading available; when variation is not available (timeout or invalid) the variation field is set to N/A. The default value of 5.0 seconds should be adequate for the majority of applications, but it may need to be increased for variation sources that transmit less frequently.

Figure 167 – SSC200 NMEA 0183 Sentence/Rate Selection Screen

6.22.1.3.3 Load Default Sentence / Rate Selection

The Load Default Sentence / Rate Selection option will reset the NMEA 0183 sentence enable/disable status, along with transmission intervals and variation time, to their factory default settings.

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Figure 168 – SSC200 Load Default Periodic Rate Selection

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