Quick Network Block - QNB-1-B
Page 3© 2008 Active Research Limited
Important Notices
ActisenseandtheActisenselogoareregisteredtrademarks
of Active Research Limited. All rights are reserved. The
contents of this manual may not be transferred or copied
without the expressed written permission of Active
Research Limited. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
The Actisense Quick Network Block (QNB-1) is intended
for use in a marine environment, primarily for below deck
use. If the unit is to be used in a more severe environment,
such use may be considered misuse under the seller’s
warranty.
The QNB-1 has been certied to comply with the European
directive for Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EN60945),
and is appropriately CE marked. Operation of the unit
should be in conjunction with appropriate CE approved
shielded connectors and cabling used in accordance with
the CE directive EN60945. Any EMC related issues should
be reported to Active Research immediately to allow the
company to rectify or resolve EMC related problems in
accordance with its obligations under EN60945.
If the unit is connected such that compliance failure occurs
beyond the company’s control, the company shall not be
held responsible for compliance failure until suitable EMC
guidelines for connection are seen to have been taken.
Notices
When using this document, keep the following in mind:
The products described in this manual and the specications
thereof may be changed without prior notice. To obtain up-
to-date information and/or specications, contact Active
Research Limited or visit the Actisense website (www.
actisense.com).
Active Research Limited will not be liable for infringement
of copyright, industrial property right, or other rights of a
third party caused by the use of information or drawings
described in this manual.
Active Research Limited will not be held responsible for
any damage to the user that may result from accidents
or any other reasons during operation of the user’s unit
according to this document.
Foreword
Actisense recognises that instructions are often skipped,
so we have aimed to write this document in an informative,
yet direct manner that will aid the user. We have tried
to cover all the points a typical user may need to know.
Please read all sections before installing and using the
QNB-1.
Full information on the complete Actisense product range
can be found on the Actisense website.
Introduction
The QNB-1 was developed to ease the connection of
multiple NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 devices to a bus, and
facilitate the powering and fusing of those devices from a
common point.
Technical features
Wide battery input voltage range to offer maximum
compatibility, the QNB-1 can operate from a battery supply
anywhere between 8 and 35 volts.
Eight x 5-way blocks of connectors, allowing up to 8
instruments to be powered and connected together at the
same time.
A data LED ashes as data passes through showing that
network information owing.
Very low power consumption that is typically 10mA for
the detector circuit and LEDs.
Two fuses are provided (4 amps as standard) allowing
each bank to provide a total of up to 4 amps of current.
Very tough Polycarbonate case is certied to IP66
(classied as “totally protected against dust and protection
against low pressure jets of water from all directions”).
Being Polycarbonate, it is also incredibly strong, offering
a wide temperature range and superior protection to the
electronics inside.
The IP66 rating of the case is only limited by the sealing
gasket strip, which can be enhanced by applying a suitable
non-acid based marine sealant to the gasket after wiring
and testing. This will allow use of the unit in areas where
salt spray could enter, or in environments where maximum
long-term reliability is paramount.
Robust Nylon grommets are certied to IP68 (classied
as immersible for long periods without water ingress). Note
that to achieve this level of water integrity all grommets
must be occupied by round-section cables.
Large range of possible cable diameters of between
4.5 mm and 12 mm, single or multi-pair wire types can be
easily accepted.
The QNB-1 does not validate or checksum the data it
receives in any way. Therefore, the electronic device(s)
supplying the QNB-1 with data retain(s) the sole
responsibility for the data’s validity.
The QNB-1 does not act as a data buffer. Its only purpose
is to allow simple connections between instruments to be
made reliably. If an NMEA 0183 data buffer is required,
use an Actisense NBF-2 to boost and isolate the data from
the source talker instrument to the NMEA 0183 network.
