UCNLNMEA

NMEA 0183 protocol support library

This repository is a supported version of a library I posted back in 2011 at CodeProject

The library is able to parse and build any NMEA0183-sentences. Common used standard sentences are supported 'from the box'.

If you looking for a tiny and fast C/Arduino code for parsing NMEA0183-sentences, please, refer to UCNL_ALibs library

The parser/builder is made as a static class.
To use it, just:

• Add UCNLNMEA to your project's references list.
• Add a propriate using declaration: using UCNLNMEA;

List of supported standard sentences

Sentence ID	Description
AAM	Waypoint Arrival Alarm
ALM	GPS Almanac Data
APB	Autopilot Sentence "B"
APA	Autopilot Sentence "A"
ASD	Autopilot System Data
BEC	Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Dead reckoning
BOD	Bearing, Origin to Destination
BWC	Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Great Circle
BWR	Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Rhumb Line
BWW	Bearing, Waypoint to Waypoint
DBK	Depth Below Keel
DBS	Depth Below Surface
DBT	Depth Below Transduser
DCN	Obsolete Decca Position
DPT	Depth
DSC	Digital Selective Calling Information
DSE	Extended DSC
DSI	DSC Transponder Initiate
DSR	DSC Transponder Response
DTM	Datum Reference
FSI	Frequency Set Information
GBS	GBS Satellite Fault Detection
GGA	Global Positioning System Fix Data
GLC	Geographic Position, Loran-C
GLL	Geographic Position, Latitude/Longitude
GRS	GPS Range Residuals
GSA	GPS DOP and Active Satellites
GST	GPS Pseudorange Noise Statistics
GSV	GPS Sattelites in View
GTD	Geograpic Location in Time Differences
GXA	Transit Position
HDG	Heading, Deviation & Variation
HDM	Heading, Magnetic
HDT	Heading, True
HSC	Heading Steering Command
LCD	Loran-C Signal Data
MSK	MSK Receiver Interface (for DGPS Beacon Receivers)
MSS	MSK Receiver Signal Status
MTW	Water Temperature
MWD	Wind Direction & Speed
MWV	Wind Speed & Angle
OLN	Obsolete Omega Line Numbers
OSD	Own Ship Data
RMA	Recommend Minimum Specific Loran-C Data
RMB	Recommend Minimum Navigation Information
RMC	Recommend Minimum Specific GPS/TRANSIT Data
ROO	Waypoints in Active Route
ROT	Rate of Turn
RPM	Revolutions
RSA	Rudder Sensor Angle
RSD	RADAR System Data
RTE	Routes
SFI	Scanning Frequency Information
STN	Multiple Data ID
TLL	Target Latitude & Longitude
TRF	Obsolete TRANSIT Fix Data
TTM	Tracked Target Message
VBW	Dual Ground/Water Speed
VDR	Set and Drift
VHW	Water Speed and Heading
VLW	Distance Traveled through Water
VPW	Speed, Measured Parallel to Wind
VTG	Track Made Good and Ground Speed
VWR	Relative Wind Speed & Angle
WCV	Waypoint Closure Velocity
WDC	Distance to Waypoint, Great Circle
WDR	Distance to Waypoint, Rhumb Line
WNC	Distance, Waypoint to Waypoint
WPL	Waypoint Location
XDR	Transducer Measurement
XTE	Cross-Track Error, Measured
XTR	Cross-Track Error, Dead Reckoning
ZDA	Time & Date
ZDL	Time & Distance to Variable Point
ZFO	UTC & Time from Origin Waypoint
ZTG	UTC & Time to Destination Waypoint

List of known Talkers

Talker ID	Description
AG	Autopilot - General
AP	Autopilot - Magnetic
CD	Communications - Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
CR	Communications - Receiver / Beacon Receiver
CS	Communications - Sattelite
CT	Communications - Radio-Telephone (MF/HF)
CV	Communications - Radio-Telephone (VHF)
CX	Communications - Scanning Receiver
DF	Direction Finder
EC	Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS)
EP	Emergency Position Indicating Beacon (EPIRB)
ER	Engine Room Monitoring Systems
GA	Gallileo
GB	BeiDou
GL	GLONASS
GP	Global Positioning System (GPS)
GN	Mixed satellite fix
HC	Heading - Magnetic Compass
HE	Heading - North Seeking Gyro
HN	Heading - Non North Seeking Gyro
II	Integrated instrumentation
IN	Integrated Navigation
LC	Loran C
P	Proprietary Code
RA	RADAR and/or ARPA
SD	Sounder, Depth
SN	Electronic Positioning System, other/general
SS	Souder, Scanning
TI	Turn Rate Indicator
VD	Velocity Sensor, Doppler, other/general
DM	Velocity Sensor, Speed Log, Water, Magnetic
VW	Velocity Sensor, Speed Log, Water, Mechanical
WI	Weather Instruments
YX	Transduser
ZA	Timekeeper - Atomic Clock
ZC	Timekeeper - Chronometer
ZQ	Timekeeper - Quartz
ZV	Radio Update, WWV or WWVH

Standard sentences examples

Building & parsing of a HDT sentence (Heading from True North)

double shipHeading = 48.123;
string hdt_sentence = NMEAParser.BuildSentence(
   TalkerIdentifiers.GN,    // Talker identifier = GN (GPS + GLONASS)
   SentenceIdentifiers.HDT, // Sentense identifier = HDT (Heading from True North)
   new object[]             // Parameters list
    {
        shipHeading, // Heading value in degrees
        "T"          // T stands for True
    }));

after that, hdt_sentence will has a value "$GNHDT,48.123,T*17\r\n"

To parse new built sentence, one can use following code:

// parseResult can be NMEAStandardSentence or NMEAProprietarySentence
// to use it, you have to check type of the result and make a cast
try parseResult = NMEAParser.Parse(hdt_sentence);

if (parseResult is NMEAStandardSentence) // check if it is a standard sentence
{   
   // sentence parameters are stored in 'paramters' field, which is an object[]
   // accoring to HDT sentence format, the first parameter (index = 0) is a double value for heading
   Console.WriteLine(string.Format("Heading: {0:F03}", (parseResult as NMEAStandardSentence).parameters[0]));
}

Building & parsing of a RMC sentence (Recommended minimum, sentence C)

double lat = 48.50963056;
double lon = 44.55977778;
double speedKmh = 0.5;

string rmc_sentence = NMEAParser.BuildSentence(
   TalkerIdentifiers.GN,     // Talker identifier = GN (GPS + GLONASS)
   SentenceIdentifiers.RMC,  // Sentence identifier = RMC
   new object[]              // Parameters list
 {
    DateTime.Now,            // UTC time
    "Valid",                 // Time is valid
    lat, "N",                // Position latitude, degrees
    lon, "E",                // Position longitude, degrees
    speedKmh.Value / 0.5144, // Speed
    null,                    // track true  
    DateTime.Now,            // UTC date
    null,                    // magnetic variation
    null,                    // magnetic variation direction
    "D",                     // Positioning system mode indicator, D = differential
});

after that, rmc_sentence will has value $GNRMC,233843.698,A,4830.5778,N,04433.5867,E,0.972006,,270719,,,D*6F\r\n

To parse it, use following code:

// parseResult can be NMEAStandardSentence or NMEAProprietarySentence
// to use it, you have to check type of the result and make a cast
try parseResult = NMEAParser.Parse(rmc_sentence);

if (parseResult is NMEAStandardSentence) // check if it is a standard sentence
{   
   // sentence parameters are stored in 'paramters' field, which is an object[]
   var rmcResult = (parseResult as NMEAStandardSentence);
   Console.WriteLine(string.Format("Lat: {0:F06}, Lon: {1:F06}", 
      rmcResult.parameters[2], // latitude value as double
      rmcResult.parameters[4]  // longitude value as double
      // ... etc
   ));    
}

Proprietary sentence definition, building & parsing example

Dealing with proprietary sentences is pretty the same process as with standard ones, except few diffirencies: First, you should add a description for a sentence. Consider we need an ACK sentence, which should has single integer parameter - error code.

NMEAParser.AddManufacturerToProprietarySentencesBase(ManufacturerCodes.UWV); // Add new entry to proprietary sentences descriptor

// message identifier "0", parameters: integer, double, string and a byte array
// parameters go as a string, where items are separated with commas
// x stands for an integer value
// x.x stands for double 
// c--c stands for string
// h--h stands for a hex string or a byte array (e.g. "ff0123aa4d5a")
NMEAParser.AddProprietarySentenceDescription(ManufacturerCodes.UWV, "0", "x,x.x,c--c,h--h");

Now we can build and parse sentence $PUWV0 as follows:

int int_parameter = 12345;
double double_parameter = 3.1415;
string string_parameter = "this is a string parameter";
byte[] byte_array_parameter = new byte[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 };

var uwv0_sentence = NMEAParser.BuildSentence(
   ManufacturerCodes.UWV, 
   "0", 
   new object[] {
     int_parameter,
     double_parameter,
     string_parameter,
     byte_array_parameter
   });

After the call, uwv0_sentence will has value "$PUWV0,12345,3.1415,this is a string parameter,0x010203040506070809*51\r\n"

Parsing this proprietary sentence is as follows:

var pResult = NMEAParser.Parse(uwv0_sentence);

if (pResult is NMEAProprietarySentence)
{
   var prop_sentence = (pResult as NMEAProprietarySentence);
   
   // here we can check:
   // Manufacturer identifier, by accessing prop_sentence.Manufacturer
   // Sentence identifier, by accessing prop_sentence.SentenceID
   
   // and all the parameters, as with standard sentences:
   int_parameter = (int)prop_sentence.parameters[0];
   double_parameter = (double)prop_sentence.parameters[1];
   string_parameter = (string)prop_sentence.parameters[2];
   byte_array_parameter = (byte[])prop_sentence.parameters[3];   
}