AIS / OpenCPN interface problem

[yannis]

Download and install the free trial of NemaStudio from Sailsoft. This Windows program simulates any number of AIS targets (and many other other sensors like GPS) so you can test OpenCPN AIS and GPS input at home, no need to go to the boat to hook up your AIS and GPS receiver.
/Yannis

[mrm]

Reg, you mentioned that a separate AIS monitoring program shows targets in range, but OpenCPN does not. Are you, perhaps, running this monitoring program in parallel with OpenCPN? COM ports are normally not a shared resource..

Marius

[Rainbow48]

Marius

Not a seperate program. The AIS 600 has a status screen which appears on the laptop whenever the AIS is started up. It's part of the input to the computer.

Reg

[mrm]

Originally Posted by Rainbow48

Marius

Not a seperate program. The AIS 600 has a status screen which appears on the laptop whenever the AIS is started up. It's part of the input to the computer.

Reg

Reg,

things do not appear on screen out of nowhere, esp. on a computer screen My thinking is, you have a background program bound to the COM port on which AIS data is coming, which makes this port unavailable to other programs. This would be consistent with the error message from OpenCPN you get.

Marius

[Rainbow48]

Marius,

The only thing it could possibly be is the AIS. The screen is required in order to activate the "connect" icon for the AIS. Closing the screen turns off the AIS.

Reg

[mrm]

Originally Posted by Rainbow48

Marius,

The only thing it could possibly be is the AIS. The screen is required in order to activate the "connect" icon for the AIS. Closing the screen turns off the AIS.

Reg

Reg,

Just to make sure I had a quick look at Garmin AIS 600 manual and it is an independent device, which does not require a PC program to operate. It just sends any received AIS data over a serial line and couldn't care less what is at the other end of the wire. Can you explain what you meant by what you said?

Marius

[Rainbow48]

Dave & Marius,

When this AIS unit is programed, an icon is loaded onto the desktop. It opens a screen in which the ship's information can be changed, the unit's transmit, receive, and antenna status can be monitored, sent and received information viewed, and a contact list accessed. Garmin does not tell you, either in the manual (at least I didn't pick up on it) or during phone conversations with them, that this icon should not be activated during operations with a laptop chartplotter. The comment from Marius opened a new line of thought for me, so I monitored the Garmin screen till a ship came within range, then closed the screen and opened OpenCPN. And it worked! So, it looks like the problem is now solved. For future reference, should any other sorry, computer illiterate like me run into similar problems, I also found that Garmin's wiring diagram for connecting to a NEMA 0183 device is in error : the manual shows the gray wire as TX A +, while RX A + was identified by Garmin (on the telephone) as being the white wire. In reality, these two are reversed : gray is RX A +, white is TX A +. Maybe it's just a screw up in this particular unit.

At any rate, thank you very much for the assistance and good ideas and comments, all of which resulted in a good resolution. By the way, if you would care to see some photos of the building and sailing of "Rainbow", there is a nice photo essay on the website of yacht designer George Buehler, under "Reg's Boat".

Once again, thanks very much for the help. Either of you ever get around So. MD, give me a shout.

Reg

[mrm]

Reg,

I am happy you got it working.
After looking at your ship, I feel privileged to be of assistance.

Marius

[Rainbow48]

Marius,

Thanks for the nice comment. Like I said, if you ever get around the Chesapeake, give me a shout. Meanwhile, fair winds...

Cheers,

Reg