As you can see here in an report from Ben @ Panbo on N2K cable mixing, Simnet cables used to contain a yellow/blue pair for the data wires. Apparently this type of cable caused issues as the impedance of a long stretch was not according to NMEA specifications. This naturally ends up giving problems when you have a IS 20 wind instrument at the other end of a 20m cable. In my case it's even worse as I had to order a 30m cable as my mast is 25m tall.
I've been told that Simrad has switched to a different cable that has white/blue data wires which has better characteristics. To 'fix' existing installations Simrad has also produced a "Simnet Noise Filter", P/N 24006934. The Simrad NSE documentation states on PDF page 32:
For a large systems or sailboats with a mast head wind sensor and long mast cable, it is recommended to use a SimNet noise filter (24006934). On sail boats the filter should be inserted at the mast junction. On larger systems without a mast head unit, the filter should be inserted centrally along the backbone.
The original 2006 era SimNet installation manual contains no reference to this. Probably these issues have become more prevalent with larger networks being deployed.
I've ordered such a noise filter. I've been told it contains a 120 Ohm termination resistor as well as a 220 μF capacitor to damp out supply issues. Once it gets delivered I'll report on what it contains and the effects on my network.
