------------------------------------------------------------ -- Copyright Active Research Limited 2002-6 -- -- -- -- Release notes for the -- -- NDC-1 firmware -- -- -- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Changes from v1.11 to v1.12 -- ------------------------------------------------------------ * New configuration feature called 'RS232 Clone mode'. In normal mode, the RS232 output will contain all received data from all active NMEA inputs. In Clone mode, the RS232 output will contain exactly the same data as that on the NMEA Combined output - i.e. the filtered data using the same NMEA filters (set up in Control Centre). * New configuration feature for the NMEA Combined output called 'Duplicate Deletion'. Normally, any duplicate NMEA sentences found in the receive buffer that are deemed safe to delete older versions (duplicates) of will be deleted. This intelligently reduces the output data when too much data is coming in the input channels. For example if two depth sentences are in the buffer ready to be transmitted, there is normally no point in transmitting the older depth value, as the newer one has replaced all previous ones. However, for special systems that do not want this feature (and can guarantee that there will not be more than 100% total loading), this feature can now be disabled. * Changed operation of 'Extra ARL P-Code' control so that when set to 'disabled', all RS232 output ARL P-codes will be disabled/stopped. Previously, only the 'Channel Change' sentence would be stopped by this configuration option, now both the 'Channel Change' and 'System Status' sentences are stopped. ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Changes from v1.10 to v1.11 -- ------------------------------------------------------------ * The "Delete Duplicates" feature is very useful to reduce the data necessary to retransmit out the Combined Output. For example, this can remove old depth values and only retransmit the very latest. This can help reduce the data when the Combined Output is reaching its maximum. For all NMEA 0183 sentences that have multiple parts to them, this rule cannot be applied, and so are added to a "Multi-sentence" list. This list prevents any multiple sentences from having one of their number incorrectly removed by the "Delete Duplicates" feature. Added the AIS encapsulation sentences (ABM, BBM, VDM, VDO) to the "Multi-sentence" list. ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Changes from v1.09 to v1.10 -- ------------------------------------------------------------ * Increased maximum NMEA 0183 sentence length allowed from 90 to 120 characters. NMEA 0183 states this should be a maximum of 82 characters - extra allowed length is to successfully handle invalid length NMEA 0183 sentences (especially encapsulation AIS sentences). ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Changes from v1.08 to v1.09 -- ------------------------------------------------------------ * Removed small bug that could stop NDC-2 from operating correctly when the RS232 Baud rate was set to 4800 Baud. ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Changes from v1.05 to v1.08 -- ------------------------------------------------------------ * Added new capability to pass 'encapsulated' NMEA 0183 data (that is any sentence beginning with a '!' character instead of the normal '$' character). This is important for AIS products that used this binary data encapsulation. * Added the option to set NMEA input 2 to 57600 Baud rate, also useful when using with AIS transponders that use this very high Baud rate. * All NDC-2's wishing to be used with the new NDC Control Centre (v2.00) must be updated to this version. This allows extra AIS sentence headers to be available in the inclusion/filter lists. * NDC Control Centre v2.00 can be used with both NDC-2's and NDC-3's. * Default inclusion/filter lists are set to "pass all data" so that any NMEA data will be passed (as the list is effectly disabled by default).