Complete boat systems supplier and thruster specialist Vetus says it has achieved NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) 2000 certification in the USA for its CANverter gateway device, which offers connectivity and communication capabilities for boat owners using its proportional bow and stern thrusters.
The company says its system enables connection of a proprietary Vetus Controller Area Network (V-CAN) into the NMEA 2000 network, establishing integration of the company’s specialized V-CAN products – notably its Bow Pro thrusters and new E-Line and E-Pod electric propulsion – with other certified high-level onboard systems in support of serial data networking.
Vetus claims the potential benefits for boat owners include the ability to visualize V-CAN data and the Vetus brand on their screen, control V-CAN data with NMEA 2000 devices and select NMEA 2000 controllers. By combining CANverter and NMEA 2000 OneNet, the standard for IP networking of devices, boat owners can monitor any installed V-CAN device remotely, from home for example.
Thijs Boegheim, sales director at Vetus, commented, “With the trend for increased interconnectivity and unified control and monitoring, we are pleased to be the first company to offer boat owners new capabilities, as the only supplier that currently supports thruster PGNs (parameter group numbers), to enable NMEA 2000 data compatibility. Our innovative E-Line and E-Pod electric propulsion can now also be linked to the NMEA 2000 network. The next step is to work on strategic agreements with the leading screen providers to guarantee the availability of Vetus branding and thruster information on leading multifunctional devices.”
