OpenPlotter project

[Sailoog]

Originally Posted by MatthewDurst

I wish I would've found this thread a few months ago...

I used the MPU-9150 to make a calibrated IMU for my boat, and have all my instruments (GPS, DST-800, the IMU, and hopefully a replacement wind vane soon) plugged into an Arduino, which then multiplexes the data out to an RPI. But the RPI's only function is to wirelessly transmit the NMEA stream with stripeydog's kplex.

I want to switch over to OpenPlotter and ditch the Arduino altogether, but I'm not as familiar coding on the Pi... the one thing holding me back is that I use the IMU to filter my depth, water speed, and wind speed to correct for vessel roll and pitch, as well as the rate at which it is rolling/pitching (my triducer is unfortunately offset by about 23 degrees from the vertical (which throws off depth/paddlewheel info) due to some poor planning involving my holding tank).

If I ditch the Arduino and connect everything to the Pi, is there a simple way to manipulate the NMEA data before OpenCPN reads it? I'm not asking for someone do to the work for me, of course--I don't mind having to learn a few things on my own. And as far as connecting the additional instruments to the RPi, I'm assuming I'd get an RS-232/422 to USB converter? Or is it more efficient to connect to the pins with a TTL converter?

I agree with Conachair but in case you want to give it a go, I will try to explain how openplotter works.

Calculated data (true wind, ROT...), SDR AIS data and sensor data are converted into NMEA data and sent to UDP localhost 10110.

Then openplotter (kplex) combines UDP localhost 10110 data with all the serial and network devices created by user in an unique data steam on TCP localhost 10110. OpenCPN reads from this stream.

You could take data from TCP localhost 10110, filter it and sent it to another port. Finally you could set opencpn to read from this new port.

[petter5]

Originally Posted by Sailoog

I have never tested this hat because is a little bit expensive so when I affirmed that some of its components will work on openplotter out of the box, I was assuming they were connected normally and it seems that they aren't. Step by step...

It seems that the GPS is conected by SPI so first of all go to Menu>Preferences>Raspberry Pi configuration and be sure the SPI interface is enable.

Then execute ublox-spi-to-pty to create /dev/pts/1

Now you have to start gpsd, try typing gpsd /dev/pts/1 in a terminal (I do not remember if you need sudo)

Finally create a network input (GPSD) in openplotter (NMEA 0183 tab) and apply changes. If you have satellite connection and all is ok you should have data in the NMEA inspector (show output).

If it works we will try to make this run at startup.

I found the NAVIO+ documentation Using default Raspbian - Emlid and did the documented settings. Most things seems to work now except for that I'm not able to get gpsd to work with the onboard M8N gps. If using the created virtual serialport /dev/pts/1 the gps works fine in kplex/openplotter but if I try to connect gpsd to /dev/pts/1

sudo /dev/pts/1

I will get no data in kplex or if testing with

gpsmon

[exkma367]

. Here is my remote sensor housing. I cut and bent a small piece of lexan. Glued sockets to the lexan and soldered wires to the socket pins. Glued the assembly into a cat-5 box, punched it down. Now to get a cat-5 socket mounted in my openplotter project box.



Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[exkma367]

Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[exkma367]

I was able to cram everything into a old DSL router case I pulled the guts out of. Not much AIS traffic here in the middle of PA, so testing will have to wait. Remote viewing and control works great though my old nook color and Iphone4. Tomorrow may see an amphenol connector for power. Wifi range is limited but more than enough for my 35 foot boat. Great job putting this on the RPI. It is a convenient, low cost, low power, bit of redundancy. I am looking forward to installing a few temp sensors, maybe a high bilge water alarm, twitter notification if my boat try's to go anywhere without me, ect, ect. Thanks again for all your hard work!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Sailoog]

Originally Posted by petter5

I found the NAVIO+ documentation Using default Raspbian - Emlid and did the documented settings. Most things seems to work now except for that I'm not able to get gpsd to work with the onboard M8N gps. If using the created virtual serialport /dev/pts/1 the gps works fine in kplex/openplotter but if I try to connect gpsd to /dev/pts/1

sudo /dev/pts/1

I will get no data in kplex or if testing with

gpsmon

If you have serial data trough kplex, you don't need to start gpsd because GPS data will be already on the system (TCP localhost 10110) but in case you want to start gpsd the code is:

gpsd /dev/pts/1

or

sudo gpsd /dev/pts/1

Paste here what the terminal returns

[Sailoog]

Originally Posted by exkma367

Attachment 115789Attachment 115790
I was able to cram everything into a old DSL router case I pulled the guts out of. Not much AIS traffic here in the middle of PA, so testing will have to wait. Remote viewing and control works great though my old nook color and Iphone4. Tomorrow may see an amphenol connector for power. Wifi range is limited but more than enough for my 35 foot boat. Great job putting this on the RPI. It is a convenient, low cost, low power, bit of redundancy. I am looking forward to installing a few temp sensors, maybe a high bilge water alarm, twitter notification if my boat try's to go anywhere without me, ect, ect. Thanks again for all your hard work!!!!

Yesssss. I like seeing people assemblies. Thanks to you for testing.

If no major issues are reported I will publish v0.6.0 stable version ASAP in order to start working on documentation and the last step of development (analog sensors interface).

[Vamonos]

Originally Posted by Sailoog

Can you imagine a beautiful panel instrument with sexy gauges and custom virtual switches to trigger openplotter actions? Running from any tablet/phone/laptop browser connected to openplotter access point? I love it! Noted!

I was looking into how to handle gauges, in a platform independent way, and came across a CodeProject that does gauges in HTML5 and jquery. Here is an example: Aqua Gauge - HTML5

and here is the project page here:
HTML5 Canvas - Aqua Gauge - CodeProject

Richard

[NahanniV]

Originally Posted by exkma367

Attachment 115781. Here is my remote sensor housing. I cut and bent a small piece of lexan. Glued sockets to the lexan and soldered wires to the socket pins. Glued the assembly into a cat-5 box, punched it down. Now to get a cat-5 socket mounted in my openplotter project box.



Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

COOL !

Have you tested it yet ?

How long is the cable ?

How are you using the twisted pairs of the cable for the I2C signals ?

Thanks,
JM.

[Arne Henriksen]

Great solution with the cat5-box, I guess we will see more of these...

Another question: These relay boards should work fine with OpenPlotter on the Pi?

[Sailoog]

Originally Posted by Vamonos

I was looking into how to handle gauges, in a platform independent way, and came across a CodeProject that does gauges in HTML5 and jquery. Here is an example: Aqua Gauge - HTML5

and here is the project page here:
HTML5 Canvas - Aqua Gauge - CodeProject

Richard

Nice!!!! really customizable. Downloaded. I will try to do something with it but I am not a javascript master at all. Anyone?

[seandepagnier]

about 3 years ago I connected a 10dof to a raspberry pi. I still have, it's 4 wires, but I had to write drivers (fortunately in userspace) for the sensors.

I used an arduino to drive pwm for motor controllers, but apparently there is a way to do it directly from the raspberry. Maybe instead it's better to have some kind of optically coupled and electrically isolated connection to an arduino which measures analog voltages and drives pwm while the rpi is protected from voltage spikes.

[Sailoog]

Originally Posted by Arne Henriksen

Great solution with the cat5-box, I guess we will see more of these...

Another question: These relay boards should work fine with OpenPlotter on the Pi?

It should work but you have to consider:

These kind of boards have 2 options to power the internal switches (5V) by setting a jumper. Power from raspberry gpio pins or external power. Try to avoid powering from gpio pins because it drawn more current than gpio pins can serve. You have to set the jumper to external power. Powering from +5 gpio pin is an option but there is a current limitation too. I have see similar boards (x4 5v relays) working powered by raspberry +5 gpio pin (not from general gpio pins) but it would be better to power it from the general 5v source.

I have not tested yet so this is not empirical information. I thought that if you have to power from an external source, it will be better to use 12v relays in order to power it from boat batteries. I am waiting for 12v relays, as soon as I can make serious tests I will report.

[Arne Henriksen]

Originally Posted by Sailoog

It should work but you have to consider:
...You have to set the jumper to external power...

Thanks, I have a lot of 12V->5V power supplies around these days so that should be no problem.

[exkma367]

Originally Posted by NahanniV

COOL !

Have you tested it yet ?

How long is the cable ?

How are you using the twisted pairs of the cable for the I2C signals ?

Thanks,
JM.

Tested and working fine with a two foot cable, (I will use a longer cable on the final install). I believe I2C has enough range for any boat install. I put the data and clock on one pair and put power and ground on another. I connected a wire to GPIO4, for the DS18B20 temp sensors. I also put a 4.7K resistor between 3.3v and GPIO4 at the PI header connection. I am going have to sit in the boat for a while to figure out where I want to put temp sensors. I am in the middle of a major rebuild of the boat so the install may wait a bit.