Orca supports connecting to a wide range of Simrad and B&G equipment including sensors and autopilots.
Simrad and B&G are made by Navico, so the following article will refer to those jointly as Navico equipment.
Which type of Navico equipment is supported?
Navico devices connect via two types of boat networks:
NMEA 2000 - introduced in 2007
SimNet - introduced in 1989
Orca supports connecting to all Navico devices that use SimNet and NMEA 2000. How you connect to Orca depends on which network you have.
How do I figure out which Navico network I have?
The easiest way to identify which boat network you have is by looking at the connectors behind your chartplotter, sensor, or instrument.
If you have black cables with bright yellow connectors, such as the one below, you have SimNet.
If your network consists of T-shaped connectors such as below, you have NMEA 2000.
How do I connect to NMEA 2000 networks?
Orca connects directly to NMEA 2000 networks. You do not need any adapters or additional cables than those provided when you order an Orca Core.
Power will be supplied to the Orca Core via the NMEA 2000 network, making it a "plug-and-play" installation.
How do I connect to SimNet networks?
Orca connects to Seatalk networks via Simrad's SimNet to NMEA 2000 adapter cable. The cable has Simrad Part number 24006199.
SimNet networks deliver lower power capacity than NMEA 2000 networks. Because of this, it's strongly recommended that you install the Orca Core next to the power supply of your SimNet network.
Do you have examples of specific Navico devices that Orca supports?
The list below contains only examples of devices supported by Orca as a reference. Orca supports all NMEA 2000 and SimNet devices made by Navico.
Autopilots: Full control of NAC and H5000 autopilots. Full control of TP autopilots and the AC series via SimNet. See the autopilot article for details.
Wind: B&G WS-series, fully compatible with the Triton series
Depth, temperature, and speed through water: Fully compatible with the Triton series, DST-series, etc.
Radar: Not yet supported – coming soon.
Contact hello@getorca.com if you have questions.