DIY Research and Development

[GordMay]

Frank’s interesting & informative webpage ➥ www.gadgetpool.de - Die Homepage

[gello]

wow, this is still alive.
i quit checking in after interest dwindled.
have made a bit of progress
settled on beagleboard for server as all the various
pi's at $25 never materialized.
using a stripped ubuntu as os as debian only
runs in compatibility mode on arm proc.
turns out on latest gen of handheld devices
javascript is plenty fast so for compatibility
across apple ios, android, windows, this will
be a web app not a native one.
using apache and lighttp as servers
side by side for now and trying to marshall
threads to keep fork/exec per request to a min.

using vnc which runs on win/apple/unix/android
and allows me to talk to opencpn on same net
from all devices.

is there an opencpn port for arm?

still looking for a good free video streamer for
movies and radar over handhelds from server at nav station.

working on common ether interface using pic
so backbone wiil be erher or wifi.
looked at wifly chipset but price is prohibitive and
arduimo but it is too crippled.

peripherals in design:
all use
xml via deamon on unix to
ethernet/wifi to

a serial/nema 0183
b. canbus/nema2000
c. remote output relays protocol tbd for
controlling autopilot, windlass, lights, etc.

theres the status.
may be getting some help this summer
from some college students at ga. tech
one can only hope. lot of sw here.
then theres the physical dsn.
this stuff is all duct tape and coat hangars right now.

cheers

gello

[Lake-Effect]

Just writing to add encouragement. I'm also in and around electronics and programming, but I sail to get away from all that!

Besides, there's only so much geekery that can be efficiently deployed on a 19' boat. But I have put in a sexy smoked acrylic DC panel, with LED-illuminated switches and custom extended range analog voltmeter/ammeter, and hand-rolled some LED light fixtures.

I also have a small ASUS eee netbook and a GPS-USB fob and I'm experimenting with various nautical distros (all of course with OpenCPN).

To me it seems the current weaknesses of DIY instrumentation are robustness and sunlight visibility, but your javascript/browser approach opens the doors to all sorts of display hardware. Time for me to revisit those 2D graphics primitives...

[conachair]

Some Pi play

YAPP: A Sailing Raspberry Pi - Yachting and Boating World Forums

[gello]

hey, thanks for the link.
that may save some time.
still debating on running OpenCpn native versus in a VNC window back to
the main boat system. the beagle is a cool board but the horsepower
to run opencpn and still keep up with all my instruments is questionable.
got a good source for the raspberrypi boards that actually delivers?

[MrsO]

Is this "the" place to contribute/follow DIY marine electronics, open source for marine, etc.?? That's my real question, where do I "hang out" for this? I have resources to share. I could start with how standards and open source grow up together and why... but enough for now.
I retired from Colorado where I closed out my career as an R&D software engineer (earth science data, computer graphics, user i/f). In Washington I retired - bored, took up sailing. Found an Arduino and I've been happier ever since. Steep electronics learning curve! Giving my boat a monitoring/GSM system now, want to see OpenCPM show radar, etc.
Send me to the very best web forums?

[Microship]

HI from a nautical Arduino project in your backyard... about a dozen of them going into my shipnet.

Cheers!
Steve
Friday Harbor

[Paul Elliott]

Hi, this is Paul (S/V VALIS, author of NavMonPc), also in the neighborhood. I'd say that Cruiser's forum is the most active hangout for us DIY tech geeks. OpenCPN has it's own category here, but for anything else you will just start (or find) a topic.

I'm working on some PIC projects, will probably announce them here when they are ready to show. I like the Arduino and Rasperry Pi, but for low-cost and simple the PIC has a lot to recommend it, as long as you don't mind doing a custom PCB.

[Microship]

Who knew that quaint little Friday Harbor would become a hotbed of nautical gizmology? Howdy, neighbor!

-Steve

[Paul Elliott]

Hi Neighbor! I'm actually in Finland now (Friday Harbor was too warm and bright for me), but when i get home I want to discuss SMT assembly with you. I've got some vague ideas...

Yes, Friday Harbor is going to be the nautical Silicon Valley. Someone needs to come up with a catchy name. Silicon Harbor???

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, MrsO.

[fatdash]

Gello, I have started a similar project. Currently have a navigation module using solar and xbee to send nema 0183 from the compass and gps to a raspberry pi. All I have to do is mount the waterproof case someplace on the boat with clear sky and no magnets. No wires required.

Developing a galley system for refrigerator and freezer that controls the compressor using a Arduino. This also has co2 and propane sensors and control.

Another module will retransmit nema 2000 from depth, speed & temp via Ethernet. This is still in design.

I will be posting all schematics and code on my website.

I am looking for any other persons interested in a open system made from standard parts. Can't say it is always cheaper in the short term but you will know your system from the ground up and in the long term you should only have to replace one small component instead of a whole system.

[denverd0n]

Providing a link to your website might be helpful.

[nigelmercier]

Some more interesting projects here: YAPP Electronics - Home Page

I think the aforementioned gadgetpool.de would be the best place to discuss such things, but I'd be happy to create a new dedicated forum if there was enough interest.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, fatdash