Changing/Upgrading NGW-1 Firmware
NGW-1 firmware v2.500 and newer
Switching between AIS and Standard configurations does not require the firmware to be updated, as Actisense Toolkit can help create the exact configuration by enabling or disabling conversions as required.
Please refer to Page 9 for details of how to configure an NGW-1 using Actisense Toolkit.
If a new NGW-1 firmware has been released, download the ActiPatch that matches the hardware variant (ISO, USB, STNG) of your NGW-1 from the NGW-1 Download page. For example, if you have an NGW-1-ISO, both the “NGW-1-ISO (STD) vX.XXX ActiPatch Setup” (defaults to ‘Standard conversions’) and the “NGW-1-ISO-AIS vX.XXX ActiPatch Setup” (defaults to ‘AIS/Full conversions’) can be used to update.
Once the update is complete, if the NGW-1 had previously been configured using Actisense Toolkit it will continue to use that configuration, if not, Actisense Toolkit can be used to create a configuration that exactly matches the conversion requirements.
NGW-1 firmware v2.420 and older
Both the ‘Standard conversions’ firmware and ‘AIS conversions’ firmware can be installed into any hardware variant (ISO, USB, STNG) using the corresponding ActiPatch. The firmware has all possible conversions enabled by default, ready to go and NMEA Reader can be used to disable any of those conversions that are not required. For full instructions on how to use NMEA Reader, please refer to the NMEA Reader & EBL Reader User Manual.
If a new NGW-1 firmware has been released or there is a requirement to change between the ‘Standard conversions’ and ‘AIS conversions’ firmware, download the required ActiPatch that matches the NGW-1 hardware variant (ISO, USB, STNG) from the NGW-1 Download page. For example, if you have an NGW-1-ISO running the ‘Standard conversions’ firmware and wish to change to the ‘AIS conversions’ firmware, download the “NGW-1-ISO-AIS vX.XXX ActiPatch Setup” and use it to update the firmware. To return to the ‘Standard conversions’ firmware, download and use the “NGW-1-ISO
(STD) vX.XXX ActiPatch Setup”.
Connecting an NGW-1-ISO or NGW-1-STNG to a PC In order to update firmware or configure the conversions, these are the connection options:
1. The Actisense USBKIT is a quick and low-cost way to connect the NGW-1 to a PC. It can be connected to the NGW-1’s ISO / NMEA cable, or directly to the NGW-1 terminal block inside the case (as long as standard antistatic precautions are observed).
2. If a standard “USB to Serial” adapter cable is already available, this can be plugged in to a ‘D-type’ 9-pin connector (such as the Actisense DB9-F) which is wired to the NGW-1’s ISO / NMEA 0183 cable
or directly to the NGW-1 terminal block inside the case instead if that is more convenient (as long as antistatic precautions are observed). Please refer to section “Connecting to a PC/laptop” on page 6 of the user manual for more details.
3. The most flexible option is the Actisense USG-2 that includes a 4-pin terminal block that the NGW-1’s ISO / NMEA 0183 cable can connect directly to.
The USG-2 offers 1500 volts of isolation on both its input and output, which allows it to be used on any NMEA 0183 device whilst keeping the PC safe from ground loops and ground potential differences.
This makes it a true NMEA 0183 diagnostic tool for installers when used with the freely available Actisense NMEA Reader software.
Please note that NGW-1-ISO variants are powered using the NMEA 2000/SeaTalkNG cable, therefore backbone power must be available on the “CAN C” and “CAN S” pins on the NMEA 2000/SeaTalkNG connector before the NGW-1 can operate. NGW-1-USB variants are powered once the latest USB drivers have been successfully downloaded and installed on the connected PC.
Using ActiPatch to update firmware
With the NGW-1 connected to your PC, select the corresponding COM port for your NGW-1 in the “Comms” drop down menu in ActiPatch. Please note that you do not need to select a baud rate as ActiPatch will automatically try many different baud rates. Once bi-directional communication between ActiPatch and the NGW-1 has been achieved, the ‘Program’ button will go green.
Click on the ‘Program’ button to start the update process – the progress bar will indicate the firmware update progress, starting with a red bar and then a green bar. When the installation has completed
successfully, the ‘Patch ID’ box and ‘Device ID’ box will contain identical values.
For more information on NMEA 0183 and how it works, please download our free guide to NMEA 0183 networking here: https://actisense.com/everything-to-know-about-nmea-0183-guide/
For more information on NMEA 2000 and how it works, please download our free guide to NMEA 2000 networking here: https://actisense.com/complete-guide-to-building-an-nmea-2000-network/