What is the max backbone length for a lite cable?

• A. 50 meters
• B. 100 meters
• C. 200 meters
• D. 150 meters

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the backbone length on a NMEA 2000 network is limited to keep the CAN signal valid at the network’s data rate. The Lite cable variant is specified to allow a backbone up to 100 meters, provided the network is properly terminated at both ends and devices connect as spurs off the trunk. This length helps maintain acceptable propagation delay, impedance, and reflections for reliable data transmission at the CAN rate used by NMEA 2000. Shorter backbone runs are still fine, but longer runs beyond 100 meters would go past the recommended limit and increase the risk of communication errors. So, the maximum backbone length for a Lite cable is 100 meters.