The Internet of Things is already an established standard in many households. On the way home from the weekend, the app can be swiped to heat up your home to a comfortable temperature, the lights can be dimmed by voice control on a film night and the fridge can order milk for your morning cereal when it is running low.
Smart technology has been used in cars for longer than at home. The lights switch on automatically at dusk, the windscreen wipers start working at the behest of the rain sensor and the reversing camera starts automatically when parking.
Smart solutions are also finding their way on board, as standard on many newbuilds. However, retrofitted networks can also be found on older ships. Networking is based on the bus, a data connection between devices such as logs, plumb bobs, anemometers and GPS. The multi-pole cable is power supply and data transmission in one, comparable to a USB cable. While the CAN bus is usually used in cars, the maritime sector has developed its own standards with Seatalk, NMEA0183 and NMEA2000.
You can read about how connectivity can make everyday life on board easier and even safer in YACHT 4/2020 - order here, or simply download the article using the link below.
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Michael Rinck
Redakteur Test & Technik
