Sentence Parsing & Generation
Robust handling of the sentences a vessel actually sends — GGA, RMC, VTG, DBT, MWV and the rest — with checksum validation, talker-ID handling, and clean generation of the sentences your product needs to emit.
Marine Serial Data
0183 · 4800 · 38400
NMEA 0183 development — sentences, multiplexing & AIS.
The legacy serial standard, done right. Sentence parsing and generation, clean multiplexing of many talkers, AIS handling, and bridging 0183 to the modern bus — custom interfaces and firmware that move the data without dropping it.
NMEA 0183 Development
The standard that's still everywhere.
- Committee Member NMEA Standards
- Shipped Multi-talker 0183 bridges
- Across AIS · GPS · Autopilots
NMEA 0183 is the older serial standard — one talker to many listeners, ASCII sentences, typically 4800 baud (38400 for AIS). It predates NMEA 2000 by decades, and it's still on nearly every vessel: GPS, AIS, depth, wind, autopilots, and older instruments all speak it. Anything that touches a real boat has to deal with 0183.
We build the interfaces and firmware that parse and generate 0183 cleanly, multiplex several talkers into one reliable stream, and bridge 0183 to NMEA 2000 and OneNet — exactly the problem our Nemo Gateway solves. It's one layer of our broader NMEA development work.
Capabilities
Every job 0183 throws at you.
Multiplexing & Combining
0183 allows one talker per line — so combining GPS, AIS, depth, and wind onto a single feed takes a real multiplexer. We build the prioritization, buffering, and baud handling that merge many talkers without collisions or dropped sentences.
AIS Integration
AIS rides on 0183 as encapsulated !AIVDM / !AIVDO messages at 38400 baud. We decode and route AIS targets, fuse them with GPS and chart data, and get them onto displays, plotters, or the cloud.
0183 ↔ 2000 Bridging
Most boats run both standards, so translating cleanly between them is the most common job we do. We map 0183 sentences to NMEA 2000 PGNs and back, with sensor failover and data fusion — the core of the Nemo Gateway.
0183 at a glance
The serial standard, by the numbers.
| Attribute | NMEA 0183 |
|---|---|
| Physical layer | Serial — EIA-422 (differential) or RS-232 |
| Speed | 4,800 baud standard · 38,400 baud for AIS (high-speed) |
| Topology | One talker → many listeners (single-talker per line) |
| Data format | ASCII sentences — $GPGGA, $GPRMC, !AIVDM… |
| Typical data | GPS, AIS, depth, wind, heading, autopilot |
| Bridges to | NMEA 2000, USB, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi |
Because each line carries a single talker, real-world 0183 almost always needs multiplexing — and, sooner or later, a bridge to NMEA 2000.
Shipped, not theorized
The Nemo Gateway bridges NMEA 0183 and 2000 with automatic sensor failover and data fusion — handling exactly the multiplexing, AIS, and translation problems 0183 throws at a real vessel. It's a public example of work that's mostly under NDA.
FAQ
0183, answered.
What is NMEA 0183?
NMEA 0183 is the marine industry's serial-data standard — one talker to many listeners, ASCII sentences, typically at 4800 baud (38400 for AIS). It's the older standard, but it's still on nearly every vessel: GPS, AIS, depth, wind, and autopilots all use it.
Can you multiplex multiple 0183 talkers?
Yes — that's a core job. Because 0183 allows only one talker per line, combining GPS, AIS, depth, and wind onto a single feed needs a multiplexer with prioritization and buffering. We build that logic so sentences don't collide or get dropped.
Can you bridge NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000?
Yes. Translating between 0183 sentences and NMEA 2000 PGNs — in both directions, with sensor failover and data fusion — is the single most common thing we build. It's the heart of the Nemo Gateway.
Do you handle AIS over 0183?
Yes. AIS is carried as encapsulated !AIVDM / !AIVDO messages on 0183 at 38400 baud. We decode and route AIS targets, fuse them with GPS and chart data, and deliver them to displays, plotters, or the cloud.
What baud rates does NMEA 0183 use?
Standard NMEA 0183 runs at 4800 baud. AIS uses a high-speed 38400-baud variant. Handling both — and multiplexing lines that mix them — is part of building a reliable 0183 interface.
0183 Development
Need a product that has to speak NMEA 0183?
Need a product that has to speak NMEA 0183?
Let's talk.
Tell me about the talkers, the listeners, and where the data has to go — and I'll tell you how I'd build it.
Set a course info@bigcove.io