Guides

Smartboatia Hub Setup: With, Without or Alongside NMEA 2000

10 October 2025approx. 4 min read

Your Smartboatia Hub can be installed on almost any boat. Here's a quick overview of the most common setups and what you need to connect.

NMEA 2000: the standard network

If your boat already has an NMEA 2000 network, installation is especially easy:

Connect the Hub to your NMEA 2000 backbone with a Micro-C drop cable with a female connector on the Hub side.
The Hub detects the network automatically and starts receiving data.
The Hub always gets its power through its own power cable, not via the bus.

Tip: You can recognise NMEA 2000 by its round 5-pin connectors, T-pieces and a main backbone cable.

Smartboatia Hub NMEA 2000 connection

The Hub’s NMEA 2000 port is a male Micro-C connector.
So you need a cable or adapter with a female Micro-C connector on the side that plugs into the Hub.

Connectors on the front of the Smartboatia Hub — **Power connector** 5-pin, 8 to 28 V DC. The supplied power cable plugs in here.

**NMEA 2000 connector** Male Micro-C connector. You need a cable with a female Micro-C socket.

**USB port** Currently unused, reserved for future extensions.

SimNet: the yellow Navico network

SimNet (used by Simrad, B&G, Lowrance) is technically identical to NMEA 2000 but uses different connectors.

Simply use a SimNet to NMEA 2000 adapter cable (female on the Hub side).
After that, everything works just like a standard NMEA 2000 connection.

SeaTalk NG: Raymarine

SeaTalk NG is Raymarine’s own version of NMEA 2000.

Use a Raymarine adapter cable (A06045).
No converter needed, it’s the same protocol.

SeaTalk 1: older Raymarine systems

Older SeaTalk 1 networks are not directly compatible with NMEA 2000.

Use the Raymarine SeaTalk1 to SeaTalkNG converter (E22158).
Then connect the Hub with the A06045 adapter. Only supply power from one side.

Note: Some very old functions may not be passed through.

NMEA 0183: the older protocol

NMEA 0183 is the predecessor of NMEA 2000.

It needs an active gateway, e.g. Yacht Devices YDNG-03N, and a small NMEA 2000 backbone with a power feed. Connect the Hub to it with a drop cable.
The gateway converts data from your NMEA 0183 devices into NMEA 2000.

No onboard network

No problem, the Hub also works in stand-alone mode:

Connect the power cable to 8 to 28 V DC: brown to ground, blue to positive.
The Hub records its own sensor data and sends it via Wi-Fi. With a subscription, live data and alarms also go out via Hub cellular.

Perfect for refits!

Feature / sensor	Source	Available
GPS position and movement	internal GPS receiver	Yes
Heel / trim / sea state	6-axis motion sensor	Yes
Battery voltage	the Hub’s power supply	Yes
Air pressure	internal sensor	Yes
Backup tracking	GPS	Yes
Wi-Fi / Hub cellular	internal modules	Yes (Hub cellular only with a subscription, when there’s signal)
Anchor watch	GPS	Yes

Data source	Note
Wind, depth, speed through water	need instruments on your onboard network
AIS	needs an AIS receiver on your onboard network

Quick summary, with exact cable and adapter names

Setup	What you need	Typical product / search term
NMEA 2000	Standard Micro-C drop cable (female) to connect the Hub (male port) to the backbone	“NMEA 2000 Micro-C drop cable female to male”
SimNet (Simrad / B&G / Lowrance)	SimNet to NMEA 2000 adapter cable (female on the Hub side)	“SimNet to NMEA 2000 Micro-C adapter cable” (e.g. Simrad 24006199, 1 m, or 24006413, 4 m)
SeaTalk NG (Raymarine)	DeviceNet (Micro-C) to SeaTalkNG spur cable	“Raymarine A06045”
SeaTalk 1 (Raymarine, older)	SeaTalk1 to SeaTalkNG converter kit plus A06045 adapter to the Hub	“Raymarine E22158 SeaTalk1 to SeaTalkNG converter kit”
NMEA 0183 (older standard)	NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 converter (active gateway)	“Yacht Devices NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 gateway YDNG-03N”

Whether it’s a modern yacht or a classic, the Smartboatia Hub connects to almost any setup. With the right adapter, your boat becomes smart, safe and seamlessly connected.