It is possible to disconnect a device without interrupting the backbone.

• A. It is possible to disconnect a device without interrupting the backbone.
• B. It is not possible to disconnect a device without interrupting the backbone.
• C. It requires powering down the entire system.
• D. Only during maintenance.

Answer: (A)

In NMEA 2000 networks the backbone is a CAN bus laid out as a main trunk with devices connected to it via short drop cables. The electrical path along the backbone is continuous even if one device is unplugged, because each node attaches to the bus rather than being in series with other devices. As long as the two ends of the backbone remain properly terminated, removing a single device doesn’t break the data path for the rest of the devices. This is why you can hot-swap or disconnect a device without interrupting the rest of the backbone. The power distribution is separate, and as long as the backbone stays terminated and the bus remains powered, the network continues to function.