Inspect marine data. Build a virtual vessel.
RayNmeaSimulator is a desktop application for receiving, displaying and generating supported NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 data. Use it to explore instrument values, create repeatable vessel simulations, follow routes and test how compatible marine software and equipment respond.
v0.1.0 · Public Engineering Reference — AS-IS. Official releases · Online User Guide The complete User Guide is included in the application and works offline.
RayNmeaSimulator is intended for software development, bench testing, simulation, training, and controlled equipment evaluation.
Do not use RayNmeaSimulator as a source of navigation, collision-avoidance, vessel-control, engine-control, or other safety-critical information on an operating vessel.
Generated or simulated NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, AIS, position, heading, speed, depth, engine, route, and other data may appear valid to connected equipment. A chartplotter, display, gateway, logging system, or other receiver may not be able to distinguish simulated data from actual vessel data.
When transmitting generated data:
- Use an isolated or otherwise controlled test network whenever practical.
- Verify the selected connection and connected equipment before enabling Sending.
- Do not connect simulated data to an operational vessel network while underway unless the entire test environment has been specifically isolated from navigation, steering, propulsion, alarm, and other safety-critical systems.
- Do not rely on RayNmeaSimulator, its Autopilot mode, simulated AIS, routes, or generated sensor values for real-world navigation or vessel operation.
- Loading a Layout, Template, route, or received data does not authorize external Sending. Transmission requires explicit user authorization.
- F12 / Stop is an application control, not an emergency-stop or safety system. Already queued or transmitted data cannot be recalled.
RayNmeaSimulator is provided as a Public Engineering Reference — AS-IS. Users are responsible for the configuration, isolation, wiring, network topology, connected equipment, and safe operation of their test environment.
- Viewer RX receives supported messages and creates or updates instruments. Inspect source identities, values and units in the instruments, Property Editor, Object Tree and Diagnostics. Receiving does not authorize instrument Sending.
- Generate builds a virtual vessel from instruments and optional generators. Set values manually or bind compatible dynamic sources, then deliberately authorize output when your test connection is ready.
NMEA2000 coverage includes navigation, propulsion, transmission, environment, tanks, electrical measurements and selected communication/control data. NMEA0183 has its own serial path and sentence instruments. The manual lists 48 supported PGNs and 18 sentence formatters, with direction and field limitations; these are specific implementations, not universal protocol support.
- Movement and Autopilot: steer manually, use a compatible SDL-mapped game controller, or follow a selected route with the VesselMovement Autopilot.
- Routes and chartplotters: import/export GPX or KML, inspect route snapshots, and retrieve supported Axiom routes through compatible configured connections. Route selection, route requests, motion and external Sending are separate actions.
- Marine software: feed compatible receivers such as OpenCPN using a suitable transport. The owner has observed simulated route-following vessel movement in OpenCPN; this is interoperability in that setup, not a promise about every receiver.
- Instruments and generators: combine navigation, engine, transmission, environmental, AIS and other supported instruments. Generators provide optional dynamic values; manual-value transmission does not require one.
- Reusable workspaces: save Layouts, manage your own editable Templates, and choose a theme, including the Darkeum theme shown here.
- Diagnostics and logs: inspect supported device identities and messages, view application logs, and optionally record NMEA traffic separately.
Six read-only Templates ship with the application: Default, Environment / Weather, Navigation / Autopilot, Single Engine, Synthetic AIS Demonstration and Twin Engine. Duplicate a bundled Template to customize an independent user Template.
Layout → Load Default Layout opens the supplied eight-group, 35-widget workspace. Your saved Layouts and user Templates remain separate. Loading either a Template or Default Layout never grants permission to send externally.
| Connection | Use and important limits |
|---|---|
| Network NMEA2000 / RayNetworkBridge | Supported PGN receive/send and compatible authenticated route services. |
| Native SocketCAN | Linux CAN interfaces; configure the interface and physical network separately. |
| CANable SLCAN / Waveshare USB-CAN-A | Supported serial CAN adapters on Windows/Linux, with compatible firmware and wiring. |
| Actisense NGT-1 | Receive supported; Release transmission is disabled. Debug transmission is experimental. |
| NMEA0183 serial | Receive/send supported sentences using the correct port, baud rate and electrical interface. |
| Signal K | Publish supported mapped measurements; raw CAN transport and Viewer subscription are not implemented. |
Windows x64, Ubuntu x86_64 and native Linux ARM64/Raspberry Pi packages use platform-specific runtime requirements. Debian 12 ARM64 requires its specific compatibility package; a package built on newer Linux is not interchangeable. macOS source build support is present; macOS binaries are not a supported v0.1.0 distribution. Choose a package for your actual OS, processor and runtime requirements. See platform details and limits.
Choose the matching package from the official releases. Application packages include the required Qt runtime, so a Qt development SDK is not needed to run them. Recorded system prerequisites still apply.
- Windows x64: close the application, extract the Windows ZIP, run the enclosed installer and follow its prompts. Keep the application's installed runtime files together.
- Linux: verify the supplied SHA-256 sidecar, extract the matching archive,
enter its
RayNmeaSimulatordirectory and run./install.sh. The per-user installer defaults to~/.local/opt/RayNmeaSimulator; it does not upgrade your OS or replace system Qt/glibc. Keep user data outside the program prefix. - Debian 12 ARM64: use the archive explicitly marked Debian12, following the Debian 12 instructions.
Updates and uninstall preserve application data outside the managed program prefix. Back up important Layouts and Templates before making your own changes. See Windows and Linux installation/package details.
- Start the application and keep Sending stopped. F12 invokes Stop.
- Choose Mode → Generate (Tx). Load the Default Layout or create a Layout from one of the six bundled Templates.
- Select an instrument and inspect its values, units and identity in Property Editor and Object Tree. Change a manual value and commit it with Enter.
- Add or enable a compatible generator only when dynamic values are useful. For movement, deliberately select Manual, Game Pad or Autopilot and its inputs.
- Save your workspace as a new Layout. You can explore locally without authorizing output.
- For an external test, configure the intended interface in Setup, confirm its status, review each instrument's Enable/interval, then explicitly choose Enable Sending. Inspect an independent receiver and stop deliberately.
For reception, choose Viewer RX, configure a supported input and inspect incoming data. Viewer is not a guarantee of electrical silence: CAN signaling and protocol management may still occur. Use an appropriate isolated test network.
Open Help → RayNmeaSimulator Help, or press F1, for the complete 52-topic offline User Guide. Search covers article text and captions; contextual F1 opens related guidance. Select screenshots to enlarge them.
Read the same manual online at rfstateside.github.io/RayNmeaSimulator. Both editions use the same manual sources. For offline use, open Help in the application. Website build instructions describe local generation and preview.
Use Help → Check for Updates... to check official stable release information without installing anything. Package selection follows your platform and runtime; unavailable release information is reported clearly.
- This is a Public Engineering Reference — AS-IS, not a certified navigation system, collision-avoidance tool or substitute for vessel instrumentation.
- Supported PGNs, sentences, fields and directions are bounded by the message references. A Diagnostics entry or successful connection does not establish complete receive/transmit support or delivery on the wire.
- Release Actisense output is disabled; arbitrary adapter-to-adapter Bridge Mode and Signal K Viewer subscription are not available.
- Additional automatic APB/RMB navigation mappings remain limited. Selecting a route alone does not start movement, issue a route request or authorize Sending.
- Controller mappings, receiver behavior and physical transports depend on the actual device/setup. Do not treat one working demonstration as universal compatibility.
Read Known Limitations and the connection guidance for details.
The supported build is C++17, Qt 6, CMake/CTest and Ninja, with verified pinned marine dependencies and SDL2. Start with the fresh-clone CMake guide, then Windows, Ubuntu or Raspberry Pi ARM64. Dependency acquisition is explicit; normal configure/build verifies an existing stage. See tests and the Deploy workflow for development and packaging.
Copyright © 2024–2026 RF StateSide LLC. Original RayNmeaSimulator software is licensed under GNU AGPL-3.0-or-later; see LICENSE. The AS-IS designation does not replace that license or its terms.
Thanks to the NMEA2000/NMEA0183 contributors, including Timo Lappalainen, Al Thomason and other credited authors; Qt, SDL2 and other components retain their own licenses. Qt Charts has GPLv3/commercial terms. See third-party notices, provenance and Help → About → Licenses and Acknowledgments for credits and applicable terms.
Voluntary Support through PayPal helps development, testing and documentation. Contributions do not unlock features, technical support, warranties or services. Payments are handled by PayPal.
Visit RF StateSide or report a reproducible problem in the repository with your version and a small, sanitized example. Keep credentials, private routes and vessel information out of reports; see SECURITY.md.