What is the purpose of Device Instance and Data Instance?
veLink supports multiple Bluetooth devices of the same type on a single NMEA 2000 network. To ensure that each device and its transmitted data are uniquely identified, veLink uses both Device Instance and Data Instance.
For most installations, no manual configuration is required. During the pairing process, veLink automatically assigns a Device Instance that is not already in use by another paired device, preventing conflicts between devices of the same NMEA 2000 Device Class and Function.
The Data Instance is used to differentiate multiple data sets transmitted within the same PGN. This is particularly useful when a single device reports several values of the same type. For example, a battery monitor may transmit two Battery Status PGNs, where Battery Instance 0 represents the input battery and Battery Instance 1 represents the output battery.
To simplify installation for standard users, the Data Instance setting is hidden during the initial pairing process. It can only be modified later through the Edit menu, which is intended for advanced configuration.
Can these settings be changed after pairing?
Yes. The Edit function allows both Device Instance and Data Instance to be modified without removing and re-pairing the device. This makes it easy to resolve instance conflicts or adapt the configuration to existing NMEA 2000 installations while preserving the Bluetooth pairing.