40 replies to this topic

[brico]

Nexus has introduced new WInd Transducers: nWind and nWind race.

Can anybody say something about it?

brico

[goblew]

In a week or two. I'm just installing it with NX2's now. Complete new install though and won't be able to compare to previous transducer version.

[psyklik]

Achillefs from Chicago Marine Electronics emailed me last Friday saying he should have one this week, which I've had on orde for some time. I have not heard more.

~ psyklik

[Moonduster]

It sure looks like the same physcial transducer to me. The key difference is that the electrical interface is directly to the Nexus bus rather than the older interface that could only be connected to a Nexus Server. Connecting directly to the bus probably drives up the product cost - but the mark ups are so high that the price is probably unaffected.

Generally, Nexus seem to be moving towards a serverless model, where all the transducers connect directly to the Nexus bus and the server is only a gateway to a PC. This looks like the next transducer refresh and stays in line with that strategy.

What they don't discuss on the web site is whether they are computing TWA, TWD and TWS in the processor on the mast head or whether one still needs a Server to do that math. If they moved those calculations to the mast head, this could be a step towards integrating accelerometers in the mast head instrument and correcting all the wind info for heel angle and pitch, roll and yaw as well. If they didn't, the real question is ... why not?

[jarcher]

What they don't discuss on the web site is whether they are computing TWA, TWD and TWS in the processor on the mast head or whether one still needs a Server to do that math. If they moved those calculations to the mast head, this could be a step towards integrating accelerometers in the mast head instrument and correcting all the wind info for heel angle and pitch, roll and yaw as well. If they didn't, the real question is ... why not?

My understanding is that these corrections - at the very least for heel - are made in the server if you have an HPC so that the server can know the heel and pitch.

I had heard that Nexus is going to the server-less model and I really don't understand why. It seems if they do that, all the instruments and/or transducers are going to have to have a signifigant amount of processing power beyond what is really needed for their own task. A wind transducer should report, well, wind. Or maybe they will isolate this intelligence int eh instruments. Whichever way, it seems that this creates a lot of redundant expense with the potential for different firmware versions all floating about. I really don't see a problem with the existing system. Maybe there is a bit more wireing, but there are easier ways to fix that.

[Joakim]

It seems if they do that, all the instruments and/or transducers are going to have to have a signifigant amount of processing power beyond what is really needed for their own task.

Instruments and the server do not need "signifigant amount of processing power"! A 5$ microcontroller with less than 1 mA power consumption can easily do everything needed. The processor inside Nexus server is just a 8 bit microcontroller from the 90's with 8 MHz clock! NEC 78 k0 -series:
http://www.ic72.com/pdf_file/u/22360.pdf
http://america2.renesas.com/docs/files/12704e71.pdf

Nothing wrong with that, but it just shows that not much is needed and there is MUCH more computing power inside a 30$ GPS puck.

[jarcher]

It seems if they do that, all the instruments and/or transducers are going to have to have a signifigant amount of processing power beyond what is really needed for their own task.

Instruments and the server do not need "signifigant amount of processing power"! A 5$ microcontroller with less than 1 mA power consumption can easily do everything needed. The processor inside Nexus server is just a 8 bit microcontroller from the 90's with 8 MHz clock! NEC 78 k0 -series:
http://www.ic72.com/...ile/u/22360.pdf
http://america2.rene...es/12704e71.pdf

Nothing wrong with that, but it just shows that not much is needed and there is MUCH more computing power inside a 30$ GPS puck.

Okay a fair point, but what I really said was "signifigant amount of processing power beyond what is really needed for their own task." Now you have every instrument able to do everything a server can do, and you need to keep all the firmware versions compatible. Easier said then done. If you eliminate the server you also lose the ability to plug a PC in to the system, and also you can't accept NMEA input from non-Nexus devices. I realize hardware can be created that provides these abilities, but then again, it already exists. The server.

So, is an existing server compatible with a wind transducer that hangs on the bus? I guess so, since you can hang an HPC on the bus. I noticed that my FDX server generates packets out the RS-232 port for, say wind direction and velocity even though there is no wind trransducer connected. I don't know if it does that on the bus or not.

I doubt Nexus will abandon their server model any time soon, since they have a sizeable installed base. But it will be interesting to see how well the different toys play together.

[xyzzy]

Modern micro-controllers are just so much more powerful than the 80s and 90s stuff these instruments and servers were originally designed around. There isn't going to be a custom IC in the instrument, not enough volume for that. And it needs to be smart enough to do what's expected now. Interface with the instrument bus, deal with li-ion rechargeable batteries, handle accelerometers and other sensors that are more sophisticated and need more on-instrument smarts than a spinning wheel that sends pulses. And the smarter chips are easier to develop for too.

So you stick a cheap chip in the instrument that's good enough to do what you want the instrument to do. And that happens to be more powerful the what was in the old server. So what's the point of the server?

[Woolfy]

OK to answer some of the questions/points raised previously.

There two basic formats of the nWind available with 3 mounting/arm style variations in one one of them.

The basic nWind is a standard forward facing unit that apart from the fact it has a large orange sticker on it's arm looks exactly like the model it superceeds. There are two principal differences from the old model that the end user will observe. The first is that as Moonduster said, instead of having to run the MHU cable down the rig and through the hull to the server where the raw data is processed and thence output onto the bus, the cable can be connected directly to the network bus at any point as the processing of the raw data is done within the MHU and the processed data is then output in our protocol. The big gain here is ease of fitting and more importantly (from my point of view) is weight saved......You can now have one run of cable running from the masthead through the mast mounted displays, the compass and then aft to the server instead of in the pre HPC compass and nWind days 3 cables to do the same job, and that was on a Nexus system, others have and still do manage to use even more than that!

The second feature is that the calibration tables are now stored within the MHU itself and there is no longer to a need to manually enter them as you had to do in the past. For those who don't know in the factory every single MHU we make is mounted on a special rig and the accuracy of the direction is measured in 45 degree increments, previously a correction table based on the reading was printed off and enclosed with the MHU on despatch. When the system was being commissioned the user would have to manually enter these corrections into the system using either the race software or one of the displays, we did find that a lot of customers (or their contractors) manged to loose the table between delivery and commisssioning or failed to pick up on the significance of it so didn't bother entering the data. We've found that the accuracy of our MHU's if these tables are used is good to +/- 1 degree throughtout the full 360 degrees, something we're rather proud of and none of our competitors seem to be able to match when we've tested them. We've actually being loading these tables in the wireless MHU's ever since they were released, so although this may sem like a radical change it's well proven already.

The second nWind option is the "race nWind" this comes in there styles, the standard forward facing as above and two vertical options, one with the standard flat base for screwing direct to the mast head or a bracket on the mast head and the second with a spiggot type base for either side mounting at the mast head or into a socket incorporated into the masthead itself by the mast fabricator. The "race" has the same features as the standard nWind but is also capable of storing and applying the T.R.U.E. calibration tables generated using the advanced calibration features of the NX2 Race Software package...the big + being that this means the computer can be switched off and unplugged or put into hibernation mode saving amps once the calibration process is complete.

There other changes that have been made, these are steps towards further improving the MHU's performance and reliabilty including an increased resistance to ESD damage, but as to tell you what some of them are would alert others to our development routes and I'm not sure which these are, I'm not going to tell you!

With regards the use of these with old systems and many of you will know we've always made a massive effort to ensure "backward compatability" of all new developments and this is no exception, the nWind can be retro fitted to all server based product, all you need to do is switch the wiring at the server to plug into the network instead of the "wind" connections. This policy of backward compatabilty is one of the core elements of our development philosphy and it ain't about to change, so don't worry if you've already got Nexus gear, chances are if you want to upgrade it you won't be looking at starting from scratch. For those who don't want to rewire their system and for the few old products still fitted to boats out there that won't work with nWind we intend to maintain availability of the old style MHU's for quite some time yet. And no we're not about to turn our back on NMEA!

There are actually a number of reasons why we're doing this and I'll let you all keep guessing what they are, if only because someone might come up with an idea we hadn't thought of that's worth incorporating into future developments and that's always very handy

[psyklik]

Woolfy,

Am I to understand correctly, that the "nWind" and the "race nWind" MHU do not resolve upwash any better than the original dual fin MHU?

~ psyklik

[Woolfy]

Woolfy,

Am I to understand correctly, that the "nWind" and the "race nWind" MHU do not resolve upwash any better than the original dual fin MHU?

~ psyklik

Upwash is corrected using the T.R.U.E. process, this is in the advanced calibration menu of the NX2 Race Software.

As I'm sure you're aware upwash is a moveable feast and will vary according to sails set, how they've been trimmed and conditions prevaling, hence the need to "re calibrate" using the T.R.U.E. process. It works pretty well, undoubtedly a skilled operator using software like Expedition could improve on it slightly, but most of us don't have the luxury of having someone of that ability on the crew (even if we can afford them) so for 99% of users the using the T.R.U.E. function is the best way forward.

This could also be used with the old MHU's but the computer had to be left connected and running for the duration of the race in order for it to be applied. The advantage with the "Race" versions of the nWind is that you can do your T.R.U.E. procedure then switch off the computer until such a time as circumstances demand/the opportunity to re-calibrate occurs.

I think you'll find if you talk to any manufacturer if they put their hands on heart none of can honestly claim to have come up with a simple to use solution that has cracked correcting out upwash accurately, but we're trying!

[psyklik]

Woolfy,

Thanks much for the reply,
~psyklik

Woolfy,

Am I to understand correctly, that the "nWind" and the "race nWind" MHU do not resolve upwash any better than the original dual fin MHU?

~ psyklik

Upwash is corrected using the T.R.U.E. process, this is in the advanced calibration menu of the NX2 Race Software.

As I'm sure you're aware upwash is a moveable feast and will vary according to sails set, how they've been trimmed and conditions prevaling, hence the need to "re calibrate" using the T.R.U.E. process. It works pretty well, undoubtedly a skilled operator using software like Expedition could improve on it slightly, but most of us don't have the luxury of having someone of that ability on the crew (even if we can afford them) so for 99% of users the using the T.R.U.E. function is the best way forward.

This could also be used with the old MHU's but the computer had to be left connected and running for the duration of the race in order for it to be applied. The advantage with the "Race" versions of the nWind is that you can do your T.R.U.E. procedure then switch off the computer until such a time as circumstances demand/the opportunity to re-calibrate occurs.

I think you'll find if you talk to any manufacturer if they put their hands on heart none of can honestly claim to have come up with a simple to use solution that has cracked correcting out upwash accurately, but we're trying!

[Jorma]

Upwash is corrected using the T.R.U.E. process, this is in the advanced calibration menu of the NX2 Race Software.

As I'm sure you're aware upwash is a moveable feast and will vary according to sails set, how they've been trimmed and conditions prevaling, hence the need to "re calibrate" using the T.R.U.E. process. It works pretty well, undoubtedly a skilled operator using software like Expedition could improve on it slightly, but most of us don't have the luxury of having someone of that ability on the crew (even if we can afford them) so for 99% of users the using the T.R.U.E. function is the best way forward.

This could also be used with the old MHU's but the computer had to be left connected and running for the duration of the race in order for it to be applied. The advantage with the "Race" versions of the nWind is that you can do your T.R.U.E. procedure then switch off the computer until such a time as circumstances demand/the opportunity to re-calibrate occurs.

I think you'll find if you talk to any manufacturer if they put their hands on heart none of can honestly claim to have come up with a simple to use solution that has cracked correcting out upwash accurately, but we're trying!

Hi Woolfy,

I have been trying figure out how to find/build a TWA/TWS correction table in Nexus nx2 system in order to calibrate TWA values. Now they are often quite off and thet T.R.U.E. calibration system leaves you in the dark about what it has decided to do.


Look-up tables and leeway corrections for TWA calibration work quite well in B&G and NKE (with known limitations).


Now I see promising information on the new nWind sensor and also in the Nexus Race software (v1.08). In the N-Race software at the section Tools-calibrate-wind there is a "table-based corrections" -button that looks promising but is not functional with normal Wind race sensor. The manual skips the subject.

Is there now a fully functional TWA-correction table that you can edit with N-Race software and save the table in the nWind MHU for future use? Any hope for leeway correction for TWA outside N-Race? Could you give us some light on these issue?


Thanks in advance.
Jorma

[goblew]

Upwash is corrected using the T.R.U.E. process, this is in the advanced calibration menu of the NX2 Race Software.

As I'm sure you're aware upwash is a moveable feast and will vary according to sails set, how they've been trimmed and conditions prevaling, hence the need to "re calibrate" using the T.R.U.E. process. It works pretty well, undoubtedly a skilled operator using software like Expedition could improve on it slightly, but most of us don't have the luxury of having someone of that ability on the crew (even if we can afford them) so for 99% of users the using the T.R.U.E. function is the best way forward.

This could also be used with the old MHU's but the computer had to be left connected and running for the duration of the race in order for it to be applied. The advantage with the "Race" versions of the nWind is that you can do your T.R.U.E. procedure then switch off the computer until such a time as circumstances demand/the opportunity to re-calibrate occurs.

I think you'll find if you talk to any manufacturer if they put their hands on heart none of can honestly claim to have come up with a simple to use solution that has cracked correcting out upwash accurately, but we're trying!

Hi Woolfy,

I have been trying figure out how to find/build a TWA/TWS correction table in Nexus nx2 system in order to calibrate TWA values. Now they are often quite off and thet T.R.U.E. calibration system leaves you in the dark about what it has decided to do.


Look-up tables and leeway corrections for TWA calibration work quite well in B&G and NKE (with known limitations).


Now I see promising information on the new nWind sensor and also in the Nexus Race software (v1.08). In the N-Race software at the section Tools-calibrate-wind there is a "table-based corrections" -button that looks promising but is not functional with normal Wind race sensor. The manual skips the subject.

Is there now a fully functional TWA-correction table that you can edit with N-Race software and save the table in the nWind MHU for future use? Any hope for leeway correction for TWA outside N-Race? Could you give us some light on these issue?


Thanks in advance.
Jorma

I was told by the Nexus rep at the Chicago Strictly sail show that only the nWind Race version allowed you to maually change the tables in the software program.

[Jorma]

I was told by the Nexus rep at the Chicago Strictly sail show that only the nWind Race version allowed you to maually change the tables in the software program.

HI goblew,

nice to hear that the manual calibration is there. I'd be happy to hear about details, but no specific info on Nexus web site and I have not been able to locate nWind manual.
Has anyone hands-on experience?

Jorma

[BadgerB]

In case that it helps here is a screen shot including a manual correction table for
nWind race .

Note: I am still trying to find out how to complete this without using the TRUE process.
 nxrace1.jpg   104.48K   74 downloads

[Jorma]

In case that it helps here is a screen shot including a manual correction table for
nWind race .

ThanksBadgerB for the photo! This is something we have been waiting for.

The TWA-correction table looks very similar to B&G's. This is definitely an improvement in Nexus wind calibration. You can add up upwash and leeway corrections into the table.

Unfortunately there are only 3 columns (Beat - reach- downwind). I would have preferred the way Expediton deals it with unlimited amount of columns and rows. You can build as complicated model as you need.

Note: I am still trying to find out how to complete this without using the TRUE process.

What is the problem? Usually you just enter the corrections, activate the calibrations and everything works fine.

Has anyone found a manual in the Web for the nWind Race transducer? Still none on the Nexus website.
Any experience on the water with nWind Race and its calibrations?

Jorma

[Gleitzeit]

I have been sailing with the one of the first nWind Race sensors last year in the Tour de France on a M34. As I have broad experience in manually calibrating B&G stuff, I never tried the TRUE process. I just put in the calibration values manually into the table and it worked right away. In the beginning we had sometimes problems to reach the sensor from the Nexus Race software due to some bugs in the Wind- and also the HPC-Sensor. But Nexus delivered during the Tour software updates, which we easily installed. I had the impression, that the system is even more stable than a B&G 2000 or 3000. Nevertheless the whole fleet had problems with their instrument systems during nearby thundersorms due to statics - the carbon masts were not grounded and I got a decent strike, when I disconnected the mast cables to prevent the rest of the system.

[BadgerB]

I have been sailing with the one of the first nWind Race sensors last year in the Tour de France on a M34. As I have broad experience in manually calibrating B&G stuff, I never tried the TRUE process. I just put in the calibration values manually into the table and it worked right away. In the beginning we had sometimes problems to reach the sensor from the Nexus Race software due to some bugs in the Wind- and also the HPC-Sensor. But Nexus delivered during the Tour software updates, which we easily installed. I had the impression, that the system is even more stable than a B&G 2000 or 3000. Nevertheless the whole fleet had problems with their instrument systems during nearby thundersorms due to statics - the carbon masts were not grounded and I got a decent strike, when I disconnected the mast cables to prevent the rest of the system.

Hi


Did you find your nWind race wind sensor as calibrated by factory, seems to be over reading wind speed?

Mine is.

bb

[goblew]

I have been sailing with the one of the first nWind Race sensors last year in the Tour de France on a M34. As I have broad experience in manually calibrating B&G stuff, I never tried the TRUE process. I just put in the calibration values manually into the table and it worked right away. In the beginning we had sometimes problems to reach the sensor from the Nexus Race software due to some bugs in the Wind- and also the HPC-Sensor. But Nexus delivered during the Tour software updates, which we easily installed. I had the impression, that the system is even more stable than a B&G 2000 or 3000. Nevertheless the whole fleet had problems with their instrument systems during nearby thundersorms due to statics - the carbon masts were not grounded and I got a decent strike, when I disconnected the mast cables to prevent the rest of the system.

Hi


Did you find your nWind race wind sensor as calibrated by factory, seems to be over reading wind speed?

Mine is.

bb

I'm curious, how can you tell it is overreading?

[BadgerB]

J111

I can tell it is over reading because:

1. when the NX wind race sensor says 17 knots TWS the boat close reaching with a No 1 feels as if it is in ~ 14 knots.
2. Nearby friends wind reading lower.
3. If I stop the boat near the pro-quality RPR wind instruments on the club start platform they are reading lower than mine by 2 to 3 knots.
see
http://www.weather-f...ington_web.html and
http://www.geograph....uk/photo/516221

I have now tried to correct the problem by reducing the gain setting on the" NX wind race "calibrartion from 71% to 59%..

BB

[Afulop]

Hello Guys,

I would like to ask that if you ever faced with the following problem:

I have a Nexus NX2 system on my boat with Multi control, Wind data, server, nWind trd. log/depth trd.

The problem seems to be simple but I cannot find it out. I got TWS on Multi control, but I cannot got it on the Wind data.
If I run through on the sub function there is no TWS only AWS.

Couly you help me to find out what could be the problem?

[Tommyboomer]

J111

I can tell it is over reading because:

1. when the NX wind race sensor says 17 knots TWS the boat close reaching with a No 1 feels as if it is in ~ 14 knots.
2. Nearby friends wind reading lower.
3. If I stop the boat near the pro-quality RPR wind instruments on the club start platform they are reading lower than mine by 2 to 3 knots.
see
http://www.weather-f...ington_web.html and
http://www.geograph....uk/photo/516221

I have now tried to correct the problem by reducing the gain setting on the" NX wind race "calibrartion from 71% to 59%..

BB

I've been seeing the exact same problem, and I was blaming it on speed calibration issues affecting the TWS calculation but this might be the other solution to adjust the gain on the wind calibration... would the pc have to remain on for that to stick? That would only be applicable to the TRUE calculations correct?

[Woolfy]

It'll stick if it's a Race NWind, you'll need to have the laptop on still if it's a standard NWind.

[goblew]

Woolfy,
I've sent emails to US dealer and to Nexus, but no response. My wind calibration was not entered when the dealer installed the equip. and the certificate can't be found. Is there any way to get the factory calibration adjustments for my Nwind?

[Woolfy]

The E-mail is probably one of the numerous ones in my mailbox that I haven't got to yet. Been away work and pleasure so bit behind. Quick answer to question is no problem. The calibration values you're worried about were loaded in the factory and are stored in the Nwind MHU itself. These don't show on the displays because they are not out put by the MHU...no need the data being output is already corrected. As and when you do the masthead alignment calibration this will also be saved in the MHU. Back to my inbox.....

[P2 Marine]

Hi Woolfy,

I'm curious about this question.

"Hello Guys,

I would like to ask that if you ever faced with the following problem:

I have a Nexus NX2 system on my boat with Multi control, Wind data, server, nWind trd. log/depth trd.

The problem seems to be simple but I cannot find it out. I got TWS on Multi control, but I cannot got it on the Wind data.
If I run through on the sub function there is no TWS only AWS.

Couly you help me to find out what could be the problem?"

If there is no compass in the system, there can be no true wind, right? If there is no compass does the server shut down the true wind options available at the display level?

Cheers,
Rob

[Woolfy]

If this is a NX2 Wind data display then TWS requires a log input as standard in order for it to be displayed, this can either be via the network i.e. a log TDX into the server or direct ...the log pulse wired to the back of the display or (if one is wired into the server) COG off the GPS....no speed input no TWS. Please note the source of the speed input needs to be set using function C63 on that display not (the NX2 Multi). A compass is required for TWD.

[Tommyboomer]

It'll stick if it's a Race NWind, you'll need to have the laptop on still if it's a standard NWind.

Woolfy I have the regular MHU so any calibration adjustments need to be applied and the PC left on. Also I have the race box up and running and it is telling me that I cannot apply the calibration in the race software since the FDX server is
"not in control" or a message sort of like that?

[Woolfy]

Hi Tommy,
With the non Race version of the Nwind calibrations like masthead alignment etc will still work just fine if the laptop is off, it's basically the T.R.U.E. cal values that are stored in the NWind Race with the laptop off. In the configure section of the Race software please just confirm what version software you have loaded on the Nwind, I may need to send you an upgrade....

Woolfy

[Tommyboomer]

Hi Tommy,
With the non Race version of the Nwind calibrations like masthead alignment etc will still work just fine if the laptop is off, it's basically the T.R.U.E. cal values that are stored in the NWind Race with the laptop off. In the configure section of the Race software please just confirm what version software you have loaded on the Nwind, I may need to send you an upgrade....

Woolfy

Hi Woolfy,

Just to clarify, I don't have an nWind MHU, I just wanted to clarify whether or not advanced calibration features were stored in the server or the RaceSoftware needed to be running for those features to be used in a regular MHU.

Tom

[jarcher]

Tom, my understanding, and I may be wrong but I don't think so, is that the server retains everything. Thinking about how the system works, I think the Race Software would have to set the corrections in the server and let the server do the correcting.

[Woolfy]

For the old style single vane MHU's and the "non Nwind" versions of the twin fin MHU all calibrations are stored in the server with the exception of the calcualtions arrived at using the T.R.U.E. process in the advanced calibration features of the Race Software. So for the T.R.U.E. corrections to be utilised the computer needs to be up and running with the Race Software on.

Woolfy

[Tommyboomer]

For the old style single vane MHU's and the "non Nwind" versions of the twin fin MHU all calibrations are stored in the server with the exception of the calcualtions arrived at using the T.R.U.E. process in the advanced calibration features of the Race Software. So for the T.R.U.E. corrections to be utilised the computer needs to be up and running with the Race Software on.

Woolfy

Perfect Woolfy and Jim. That's what I needed to know - I was mixing up the TRUE and the Advanced Calibration. I supposed I could have just turned off the laptop and to see if the values changed, but that would be too easy wouldn't it

[Panta Rei]

Might be turning this tread a bit off topic, but I have the nWind race, MRC, HPC, server, triducer, Winddata and Multi on my Farrier F-22R and have been recording data with the intention of building up a polar for this boat. However, I am not able to export the data from the race software. I can playback my training runs, and I choose to export upon which the program converts data for a long time, but where is the data? I can not find a excel file containing the data I have exported. Anybody done this and able to enlighten me?

Thanks, Tor

[jarcher]

I can not find a excel file containing the data I have exported. Anybody done this and able to enlighten me?

The Race software does not export as an Excel file or any other format other than Nexus' native "NXB" format, which is binary...

Perhaps an app that does that would convert NXB to something like CSV would be handy...

[juustright]

OK to answer some of the questions/points raised previously.

There two basic formats of the nWind available with 3 mounting/arm style variations in one one of them.

The basic nWind is a standard forward facing unit that apart from the fact it has a large orange sticker on it's arm looks exactly like the model it superceeds. There are two principal differences from the old model that the end user will observe. The first is that as Moonduster said, instead of having to run the MHU cable down the rig and through the hull to the server where the raw data is processed and thence output onto the bus, the cable can be connected directly to the network bus at any point as the processing of the raw data is done within the MHU and the processed data is then output in our protocol. The big gain here is ease of fitting and more importantly (from my point of view) is weight saved......You can now have one run of cable running from the masthead through the mast mounted displays, the compass and then aft to the server instead of in the pre HPC compass and nWind days 3 cables to do the same job, and that was on a Nexus system, others have and still do manage to use even more than that!

The second feature is that the calibration tables are now stored within the MHU itself and there is no longer to a need to manually enter them as you had to do in the past. For those who don't know in the factory every single MHU we make is mounted on a special rig and the accuracy of the direction is measured in 45 degree increments, previously a correction table based on the reading was printed off and enclosed with the MHU on despatch. When the system was being commissioned the user would have to manually enter these corrections into the system using either the race software or one of the displays, we did find that a lot of customers (or their contractors) manged to loose the table between delivery and commisssioning or failed to pick up on the significance of it so didn't bother entering the data. We've found that the accuracy of our MHU's if these tables are used is good to +/- 1 degree throughtout the full 360 degrees, something we're rather proud of and none of our competitors seem to be able to match when we've tested them. We've actually being loading these tables in the wireless MHU's ever since they were released, so although this may sem like a radical change it's well proven already.

The second nWind option is the "race nWind" this comes in there styles, the standard forward facing as above and two vertical options, one with the standard flat base for screwing direct to the mast head or a bracket on the mast head and the second with a spiggot type base for either side mounting at the mast head or into a socket incorporated into the masthead itself by the mast fabricator. The "race" has the same features as the standard nWind but is also capable of storing and applying the T.R.U.E. calibration tables generated using the advanced calibration features of the NX2 Race Software package...the big + being that this means the computer can be switched off and unplugged or put into hibernation mode saving amps once the calibration process is complete.

There other changes that have been made, these are steps towards further improving the MHU's performance and reliabilty including an increased resistance to ESD damage, but as to tell you what some of them are would alert others to our development routes and I'm not sure which these are, I'm not going to tell you!

With regards the use of these with old systems and many of you will know we've always made a massive effort to ensure "backward compatability" of all new developments and this is no exception, the nWind can be retro fitted to all server based product, all you need to do is switch the wiring at the server to plug into the network instead of the "wind" connections. This policy of backward compatabilty is one of the core elements of our development philosphy and it ain't about to change, so don't worry if you've already got Nexus gear, chances are if you want to upgrade it you won't be looking at starting from scratch. For those who don't want to rewire their system and for the few old products still fitted to boats out there that won't work with nWind we intend to maintain availability of the old style MHU's for quite some time yet. And no we're not about to turn our back on NMEA!

There are actually a number of reasons why we're doing this and I'll let you all keep guessing what they are, if only because someone might come up with an idea we hadn't thought of that's worth incorporating into future developments and that's always very handy

With the backwards compatibility you mentioned can I replace my wind transducer (2005 model) without re-running the cable? (Using the original cable).

[kiwi_jon]

^^^

Yes. I have just replaced my original single fin Nexus wind transducer with the new NX2 twin fin transducer. I bought the wind transducer without cable and used the original cable to my nexus classic server.

[techdef]

Kiwi Jon, I just did a similar change, new nwind to old server. Can't get it to read TWA correctly at all. Tech support said to connect to buss rather than to wind port. When I do that I get no wind readings at all. Keeping it connected tothe wind port gives me incorrect TW calcs, but the apparently look pretty good. If I turn setting 77 on, the TW comes to life, but if its still on at a system off/on I get all zeros again next time I fire up the boat. Very odd.

You having better luck?

-j

[P2 Marine]

Hi techdef,

I've seen this problem you're having.

I had a conversation with JRJ (GoGoGadget) recently and he thinks that when the nWind is connected to the wind port on the server its network address gets locked and messes everything up. I don't think that there is a patch yet. I also had a conversation with Woolfy, and he thought the wind transducer could have been damaged by connecting it to the server.

The customer I'm working with has an RMA from Garmin to replace the nWind wand. They acknowledge the conflict in the manuals because the server manual says connect wind to the server, but the nWind manual says to connect it to the network.

I'm sure they'll correct the manuals, and they'll probably come up with a patch for this problem, but right now this issue is up in the air.

If you connected an nWind to the server first you need to call Garmin at 800-800-1420 or you can email nexus.support@garmin.com to get your issue resolved. They are responding to email and will give you a case number. You'll need to be patient because as of today there are no wind transducers in stock, and there is no solution that I know of to the problem you describe. I've been trying to get this one sorted for over a month now...

Cheers,
Rob

[kiwi_jon]

Kiwi Jon, I just did a similar change, new nwind to old server. Can't get it to read TWA correctly at all. Tech support said to connect to buss rather than to wind port. When I do that I get no wind readings at all. Keeping it connected tothe wind port gives me incorrect TW calcs, but the apparently look pretty good. If I turn setting 77 on, the TW comes to life, but if its still on at a system off/on I get all zeros again next time I fire up the boat. Very odd.

You having better luck?

-j

This weekend was the first chance I had to test the new wind transducer. There were no problems with it. I replaced the old Nexus wind transducer with a NX2 wind transducer not a nWind transducer.