This guide provides an overview of integrating Victron systems with marine networks. These features include:
This document serves as a high-level overview with links to relevant manuals for detailed setup instructions.
Integration with MFDs depends on customer requirements and equipment used. A GX device (e.g., Cerbo GX or Ekrano GX) is typically involved, with two main options:
Comparison of Options:
Illustration:
The Victron GX devices offer a user-friendly Tank Level Page to centralize and visualize data, as well as integration with MFDs and the NMEA 2000 network.
Key Features:
Visual Examples:
Video that demonstrates the tank page on the GX
Victron Energy GX devices feature an NMEA 2000-out function: when enabled, the GX device acts as a bridge: it makes the data of all connected Battery monitors, Inverter/chargers, as well as other products connected to the GX device, available on the NMEA 2000 network.
Using that feature, and having the GX device connected a NMEA 2000 network, Marine MFDs can read this data and visualise it to the user. Often in a highly configurable manner.
Signal K unlocks powerful features:
More details:
Ideal for larger vessels, the GX built-in Modbus-TCP server enables SCADA system integration. For more details, see the Modbus-TCP FAQ.
For most installations and integrations, it will be best to use one of our GX Products. It acts as a hub, collecting information from connected equipment, such as Inverters, Battery Monitors and Chargers; and then making them available to the MFD.
All Victron products that feature a VE.Can port can be directly connected to the NMEA 2000 network, using the VE.Can to NMEA 2000 cable.
Note that the use of both those interfaces is deprecated. Use a GX device instead.
Refer to our Datacommunication whitepaper, page 8 and beyond, for a list of Victron products and their supported PGNs.
Instances are used in an NMEA 2000 network to identify multiple similar products connected to the same network.
As an example, take a system with two battery monitors (one for the main battery bank, and another for the hydraulic-thruster bank) and also a Quattro inverter/charger. All three of those devices will send their battery voltage measurements out on the NMEA 2000 network. For the displays to show these values at the right place, they need to know which voltage belongs to what battery. That is what instances are for.
There are various types of instances, and for marine systems are two that matter: the Device instance and the Data instance. The Data instance goes by various different names, like Fluid instance, Battery instance and DC instance.
NMEA 2000 defines three different instances:
A NMEA 2000 CAN-bus network needs to be laid out as in a backbone configuration, using drop cables to connect to each device. Also, there should be only two terminators in the network. Therefore:
Or:
The first option is more aligned with the official NMEA 2000 method. But, in case of multiple Victron products that need to be connected to the NMEA 2000 network, will require more wire runs and definitively more NMEA 2000 to VE.Can conversion cables.
The Victron VE.Can network accepts 9 to 70VDC.
The NMEA-2000 network used to be 9 to 16VDC, which is, or will be, expanded to also include 24V. Which means that some NMEA-2000 devices are 9 to 16VDC, some are 9 to 30VDC, and some allow higher voltages.
Also, the Victron VE.Can network will (in most cases) be powered with battery voltage. So for a 48V system, the voltage on the VE.Can network exceeds the NMEA-2000 accepted voltage levels.
Therefore, it is important to not connect those power cables.
The Victron cable used to connect both networks together, the VE.Can to NMEA 2000 cable, has a removable fuse which is to be removed in case separation is necessary. A printed warning label is attached to the cable to warn about this.
When connecting a GX to an NMEA 2000 network, it is recommend to do so using a galvanically isolated CAN-Bus port.
This is especially the case when your NMEA backbone and GX are powered from separate power sources or do not share a common ground. These are the two most popular models that feature such galvanically isolated port:
On both above products, VE.Can port 1 has galvanic isolation. VE.Can port 2 does not.
For a full list of which ports feature isolation, see this document.
All data sent out by Victron devices on the NMEA 2000 network can be picked up by the Maretron MFDs & software. See the Maretron N2KView® vessel monitoring and control software.
Both can be made at the same time.
Ethernet is needed to get the MFD App, as explained above.
And an NMEA 2000 connection is needed to get data to show in other fields on the MFD.
See annotated screenshot above for which is what.