BMEA

Mastervolt, the Dutch-based pioneer of premium electrical systems, is proud to announce the launch of the MasterBus-NMEA2000 interface. This easy-fit connection will allow NMEA2000 systems to be fully compatible with the Mastervolt MasterBus network, allowing information about power management, navigation, and engine performance to be displayed together on a single screen.

This is all due to the way data is moved around a boat using Controller-area Network (CAN-bus) technology. The CAN-bus system was invented by the motor industry to reduce the amount of wiring in cars. By using a single data wire to link an average of 70 electronic devices together, savings of around 2km of cabling and 50kg in weight were made in each vehicle.

Mastervolt was founded as a pioneer of innovative stand-alone power systems, and immediately saw the potential. Using advanced CAN-bus technology, it developed the MasterBus network, a single ‘plug and play’ connection that seamlessly links every Mastervolt device aboard. The ability to exchange high-speed data between equipment such as battery chargers, inverters and digital switching has made Mastervolt the market leader in self-contained, and often automated, power systems.

At the same time, the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) developed a CAN-bus system for navigation equipment and engine management sensors, allowing data to be transferred between the hardware of different manufacturers. The industry-standard NMEA2000 allows a single screen to display and control several compatible sensors at once.

Mastervolt realised that combining NMEA2000 and its own MasterBus data into a single display would give the boat owner even more flexibility, so developed the new interface. Mastervolt is the only company to offer such advanced power management connectivity.

Fully compatible with the standard NMEA2000 plug, the MasterBus-NMEA2000 interface offers full and reliable two-way networking with the rest of the onboard systems, allowing owners to have all the information and control they need in one location. Apart from reducing the wiring even further, the single screen has great potential for the new e-propulsion systems, where power-management can be monitored closely whilst using the navigation feeds.

“We received many requests to share information from the MasterBus with the navigation panels,” explained Marc Persoon, Mastervolt’s Marketing Manager. “The MasterBus-NMEA2000 interface not only provides third-party panels with more information, but also increases the possibilities for our touch-based Mastervolt panels.”

The retail price of the MasterBus-NMEA2000 interface will be £347.00 + VAT