🔍 Key Concepts

• NMEA 0183 standard recommendations for cable shielding and grounding • How ground loops and noise can be introduced if shields are grounded at multiple points • The role of the talker vs. listener in an NMEA 0183 connection

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens if the shield is connected to ground at more than one point along the cable—how can that affect noise and interference? • In a simple talker-listener pair, which device is usually treated as the reference point for signal and shield grounding? • Which option best minimizes the chance of current flowing through the shield while still allowing it to act as an effective noise shield?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which end (talker or listener) is typically considered the signal reference/ground source in NMEA 0183. • Check NMEA guidance on whether a single-point or multi-point shield ground is preferred to avoid ground loops. • Confirm that the selected option avoids creating a loop path for shield current while still providing an RF/EMI noise return path.