NMEA transducer is a unit which conforms to the NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 specifications. This makes them somewhat universal and interoperable with various brands and equipment. Yes, this means you can connect an NMEA transducer to one of my navigation laptops or tablets.

NMEA 0183 vs NMEA 2000 what’s the difference

Most people already have existing equipment on their boat that they are trying to connect to one of my systems. However, what should you choose if you need to install a transducer from scratch, for example? NMEA 0183 is a simple serial connection. You can connect the transducer to one device. NMEA 2000 is a network technology and can share the data to many devices seamlessly. 

 If you’re looking to get the data to multiple devices across your boat, NMEA 2000 would be the choice for that. Otherwise, NMEA 0183 should be cheaper and simpler to integrate.

Note: simply connecting a transducer to a computer won’t give you a fish finding picture automatically, just text data of things like depth, speed, water temp if the transducer collects them. For more info on having a fish finding picture, take a look here.

200 KHz Transducer with Embedded Signal Processing

OVA transducer A-B117N features embedded microelectronics that process depth and temperature inside the sensor that can be instantly displayed on any device that accepts NMEA data. 

Digital signal processing technology transfers NMEA 0183 data in real time to a computer via the RS422 standard.