Introduction

The NemaTalker program

The purpose of NemaTalker (NMEA talker) is to provide the user and the developer of NMEA software and/or hardware with a very powerful testing tool.

The program can be successfully used for educational purposes as well.

The program will transmit proper NMEA 0183 sentences via a PC serial communications port using the industry standard RS232 interfacing option. This data then can be processed by chart plotters and other devices without the need to leave the workshop or office. From version 1.3.0 it is also possible to send the NMEA data over the internet User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to a UDP client.

Although the name of the program suggests that it only can act as a "talker", it is capable to receive incoming data, so functioning as "listener". Incoming data however is not processed, but the raw NMEA data can be stored in an optional logfile and made visible in a convenient tracewindow.

Currently the program can simulate the output of 1 to 6 different instruments simultaneously: GPS, Weather, Sounder, Heading,  Velocity and Radar, plus a feature for custom formatted sentences. The program is designed so that extra instruments can be added in a relative simple way. Sailsoft will be happy to give you a quotation if you require extra instruments or other functionality not provided in the current version.

Dynamic parameters that are common to all instruments (altitude, course and velocity) are collected in one panel at the right side of the window, called "the cockpit". Common parameters that are more static of nature can be set and altered in a separate window.

Large buttons are provided to "open" any of the 7 instruments. They can also be opened in the "Instruments" section of the main menu.

The speed can be set to either knots (Nautical miles per hour) or kilometers per hour. This is one of the generic settings.

Most of the settings and the "current state" are saved upon exiting, so when restarting the program you can continue where you stopped.

The GPS instrument is equipped with 2 very exciting options. One option is the automatic running according to a waypoint file, where the program "follows" the waypoints of that file. You can not alter the course manually.

The second option is the "navigate" function. The program runs also according a preset waypoint file, but you can alter course and speed, and you will see a simulation of the cross-track error (XTE) on the instrument.

The functions are described in more detail in the "Instruments" section of this manual.