Smart Boat 16: Connect NMEA Instruments to Home Assistant

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of connecting NMEA instruments to Home Assistant, specifically for your Smart Boat. You will learn about the differences between NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 networks, how to wire your connections, configure Home Assistant, and install the Smart0183 integration to automate your instrumentation data.

Step 1: Understanding NMEA Networks

• NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 are protocols used for communication between marine instruments.
• NMEA 0183 is a simpler, older protocol that uses a single talker to multiple listeners.
• NMEA 2000 is more advanced, allowing multiple devices to communicate simultaneously and is more suitable for complex networks.

Step 2: Gather Required Equipment

You will need the following items to connect your NMEA instruments to Home Assistant:

• USB to RS-232 DB9 Serial 9 pin Adapter
• USB to RS422 Serial Adapter
• DB-9 Female RS232 Serial Plug
• NMEA 2000 to 0183 USB Adapter

Helpful Links:

• USB to RS-232 DB9 Adapter
• USB to RS422 Adapter
• DB-9 Female RS232 Plug
• NMEA 2000 to 0183 USB Adapter (Use code SMARTBOAT10 for a discount)

Step 3: Wiring Connections

1. Connect the NMEA instruments using the appropriate adapters.
2. Ensure all connections are secure and correctly oriented.
3. Verify that the USB adapters are recognized by your system.

Step 4: Configure USB in Home Assistant

• Open Home Assistant and navigate to the configuration settings.
• Go to the "Integrations" section and add the USB devices.
• Ensure that the system recognizes each connected adapter.

Step 5: Install Smart0183 Integration

1. Access the Home Assistant interface.
2. Go to the "Add-ons" section and search for the Smart0183 integration.
3. Install the integration and follow the on-screen prompts for setup.

Step 6: Update Configuration.yaml

• Open the configuration.yaml file in your Home Assistant setup.
• Add the following lines to configure the Smart0183 integration:

smart0183:
  serial_port: /dev/ttyUSB0

• Save the file and restart Home Assistant for the changes to take effect.

Step 7: Discover Created Entities

• Once Home Assistant is running, navigate to the "Entities" section.
• Review the list of automatically created entities from your NMEA instruments.
• Make note of any entities you want to add to your dashboard.

Step 8: Add Entities to Dashboard

1. Go to the dashboard section of Home Assistant.
2. Click on "Edit" to customize your dashboard.
3. Use the "Add Card" feature to include the entities you discovered in the previous step.
4. Arrange and customize the cards as needed for easy access to your instrument data.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should have successfully connected your NMEA instruments to Home Assistant. You can now automate and monitor your marine data seamlessly. For further enhancements, consider exploring additional Home Assistant integrations or adding more sensors to your setup. Happy boating!