Rose Point believes there is a big future in NMEA 2000 and has developed a new type of Gateway for sharing network information with Coastal Explorer. The new device is different from other “gateways” because it has a more direct connection to the software, eliminating an entire layer of software overhead. Most of the other “gateways” use a com port, which can cause confusion when configuring your computer because the port is for NMEA 2000, not serial data. The Rose Point Gateway appears in the operating system as an NMEA 2000 Gateway.

The Rose Point NMEA 2000 Gateway consists of a small marine grade encapsulated electronics module with two cables, one for NMEA 2000 and the other with USB. Installation is very simple: Connect the device to the NMEA 2000 network and then plug it into the computer. Then, insert the driver disk and it is done! The device also includes two status lights, one for NMEA 2000 network traffic and the other for indicating USB status.

Jeff Hummel, director of Sales and Marketing at Rose Point, said:

“Rose Point is primarily known as a software company, but we had long since decided to produce hardware to the extent that others do not. Meaning that if we see a clear need for a product, but it’s not available, we will produce it. The essence of Rose Point products is that they just work. In order to ensure trouble-free access to NMEA 2000, we decided that we needed to create our own device. We wanted unfettered access to the network so that we can get the most from it. Other devices create a layer between our software and the network; we have no control over what we could do with these other devices. Users will benefit from using our Gateway because any support issues can be directed to one company, both the producer of the software and the hardware.”

The Rose Point NMEA 2000 Gateway has a suggested retail price of $349 and will be available 3rd quarter, 2010.

For product images, please contact Jeff Hummel: Jeff@Rosepointnav.com.