Introduction to Project
Siren Marine were looking to advance their popular Connected Boat® Platform by adding NMEA 2000 integration and customized app functionalities developed in partnership with leading marine manufacturers including Cobalt Boats, Jeanneau America, ZF Transmissions, and others. Actisense would provide the NMEA 2000 integration using a unique version of the ISO version of the NGT-1 NMEA 2000 to PC interface, connecting that to Siren Marine’s embedded onboard control unit.
Project Activity
Actisense’s team of engineers and product developers worked closely with the team at Siren Marine to find a practical solution to fulfil their project requirements. Using the ISO version of their NGT-1 intelligent NMEA 2000 Gateway – which comes complete with OPTO-isolated input and ISO-Drive® output for safe interfacing – Siren were able to offer their MTC customers access to the vessel’s NMEA 2000 PGN messages and the ability to send a sub-set of that data to the Siren Cloud server via a cellular connection.
Siren Marine’s unique integration of NMEA 2000 data will now allow their customers to connect their systems directly to the cloud and deliver a powerful, custom-branded mobile app experience to users of their products. A rapidly growing group of forward-looking boat manufacturers including Southport, Vanquish Boats, Cobalt, Jeanneau, BassCat, and Falcon Boats have all taken advantage by including Siren technology on many of their models.
Customer Benefits
Using the Actisense NGT-1 in the development of its NMEA 2000 integration, Siren Marine created the concept of dynamically establishing unique “data channels” for different marine manufacturers, capable of collecting and storing information both onboard within the Siren MTC device, as well as in the Siren Cloud. Data from different devices is uniquely managed for use in both Siren’s mobile and Fleet apps. This technology can provide manufacturers — as well as boaters — with comparative graphic information on RPM, temperature, oil pressure, fuel consumption, tank levels and soon, additional values such water depth and environment readings. Using Siren Marine’s powerful apps, users can plot this information in intelligent, time-selectable ways for up to six engines (vital with the growing popularity of multi-engine centre console boats). All recorded data is then stored in the Siren Cloud, available for instant diagnostic recovery.
Siren Marine can provide graphic engine alert warnings with data and time selection, highlighting multiple engine performance parameters at the exact time of the alert. This information can also be sent to boaters, manufacturers and even a pre-selected service provider — improving diagnostic accuracy, speeding up service times and increasing customer satisfaction.
Fleet operators will also benefit by being able to better understand and manage their assets with the ability to monitor and report on engine alerts, fluid levels and fuel consumption.
Andy Campbell, Chief Engineer at Actisense, said: “Working on this project with Siren Marine has reinforced the true power that the Actisense NGT-1 can offer an OEM customer. We’ve used over two decades of NMEA specialist knowledge to develop our product range and help boat owners better control the data on their vessel, creating a more informative and ultimately safer boating experience. We’re delighted to have been able to work with the team at Siren Marine on this project and look forward to continuing that close relationship.”
Daniel Harper, Siren Marine Founder and CEO, said: “The ability for boats to ‘tell’ owners if they need to stop by the fuel dock, top off freshwater tanks or visit the pump-out station on the way out of the harbor — before they even leave home — is a real game-changer!”
Mr. Harper added “Adding NMEA 2000 integration to our Connected Boat Platform may be an evolution of our technology, but it will have a revolutionary effect across the boating industry.” He continued: “We’ve developed our Internet of Things (IoT) technology as a pathway to the cloud that any marine company can take advantage of — to better understand how their products are used in the real world and how they perform in dynamic conditions and changing environments. This will result in better products, a better boating experience and happier customers.”