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
NMEA 0183 - introduced in 1983
SimNet - introduced in 1989
Orca supports connecting to all Navico devices that use NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183 and SimNet. How you connect to Orca depends on which network you have.
NMEA 2000
How do I verify that I have an NMEA 2000 network?
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 other 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.
NMEA 0183
How do I verify that I have an NMEA 0183 network?
If you have 2-5 thin cables with different colours which are in a box like the one below, you have NMEA 0183.
How do I connect to NMEA 0183 networks?
You’ll need an NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 converter along with an NMEA 2000 backbone. We recommend Actisense and YachtDevices converters and Garmin's backbone.
SimNet
How do I verify that I have a SimNet network?
If you have black cables with bright yellow connectors, such as the one below, you have SimNet.
How do I connect to SimNet networks?
Orca connects to SimNet 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: HALO 24, 20+, 20, 8, 6, 4, and 4G. See the radar article for details.
Reach out to hello@getorca.com if you have questions.