ShipModul released firmware V3.20.0 for MPXConfig3

ShipModul B.V., a Dutch marine electronics manufacturer, announced the release of a new firmware (version 3.20.0 for Windows) of the MPXConfig3 Configuration Tool. This latest version includes new features for the network configuration of MiniPlex-3E plus improved Linux/Wine environment support. Some of the new features are:

MiniPlex-3E Network Configuration

  • Fixed the MiniPlex-3E > Search problem that occurred on computers with multiple network interfaces like Ethernet and WiFi. The WiFi interface needed to be temporarily disabled to be able to find a MiniPlex-3E connected to the Ethernet interface.

MPXConfig3 will now always find a MiniPlex-3E, regardless of the number of network interfaces the computer has.

  • The MiniPlex-3E Network Settings window now has buttons to choose between an automatic IP address (DHCP) or a fixed IP address. This replaces the less intuitive way of entering 0.0.0.0 in the IP address field to set the interface to DHCP.
  • The Assign IP window now has a checkbox to set the network interface to an automatic IP address (DHCP). This replaces the less intuitive way of entering 0.0.0.0 in the IP address field to set the interface to DHCP.

Linux Support

On Linux, MPXConfig3 can be run in Wine but it was only able to connect to a network-enabled MiniPlex-3 using TCP or UDP because Wine doesn’t fully emulate a Windows registry where MPXConfig3 tries to find COM ports.

ShipModul has now added the possibility to add COM port names on the command line, which will then be added to the port selector on the main window of MPXConfig3.

COM ports must be added to the Linux/Wine environment as usual according to the Wine documentation. To add one or more ports to the Port selector, start MPXConfig3 with:

wine mpxconfig3 com1 com2

This command will add com1 and com2 to the Port selector.

Furthermore, it should be noted that this latest MPXConfig3 version is only available for Windows and not yet for macOS. To use a MiniPlex-3 on a Mac, firmware V2.3.18 must be loaded using MPXConfig3 V2.4.1 for MacOS. The V2.3.18 firmware, however, can only be loaded in multiplexers with serial number ranges 3x00xxxx and 3x02xxxx. This firmware is not compatible with serial number range 3x01xxxx! For these multiplexers, you must use MPXConfig3 for Windows, which can be run in a virtual machine on your Mac.

ShipModul provides advanced solutions for the reliable communication of NMEA data between multiple talkers and listeners. They are offering several interfacing options (NMEA0183, N2K, USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi …) a rich set of features and configurations while eliminating ground loops. This makes the outputs compatible with all sorts of inputs, whether they are isolated or not, differential (RS-422) or grounded (RS-232). Any combination of networks using NMEA 0183, N2K or SeaTalk data integrates seamlessly via the latest MiniPlex-3 Series NMEA multiplexers. They offer the ultimate solution to connect old and new worlds and the perfect gateway to computers and tablets onboard.

 

For further information you may contact the Official Distributor and Support Center for Greece:

 Aegean Electronics SA

4 Zosimadon Str, Piraeus 185 31, Greece

Tel: +30 210 4123000

E-mail: info@aegeanel.com