NMEA 2000 PGNs are a series of numbers and letters that describe the data coming from a particular device on the network.

NMEA 2000 PGNs are a series of numbers and letters that describe the data coming from a particular device on the network.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not Standardized
• D. Only for Some Devices

Answer: (A)

In NMEA 2000, a PGN (Parameter Group Number) is a numeric identifier that labels the type of message being sent on the CAN bus. It does not carry or describe the data in a human-readable string. The actual data payload is binary, and its structure and meaning are defined by the PGN in the NMEA 2000 standard. So the idea that PGNs are a series of numbers and letters that describe the data isn’t accurate—the PGN itself is just the identifier; the description of what the data means lives in the PGN’s documented data fields. To know what data a PGN carries, you consult the standard for that PGN, not a textual description within the PGN itself.

In NMEA 2000, a PGN (Parameter Group Number) is a numeric identifier that labels the type of message being sent on the CAN bus. It does not carry or describe the data in a human-readable string. The actual data payload is binary, and its structure and meaning are defined by the PGN in the NMEA 2000 standard. So the idea that PGNs are a series of numbers and letters that describe the data isn’t accurate—the PGN itself is just the identifier; the description of what the data means lives in the PGN’s documented data fields. To know what data a PGN carries, you consult the standard for that PGN, not a textual description within the PGN itself.