B&G wifi module interfacing to OPCPN

[merrimac]

As I wrote earlier, I can confirm that the NOS (Navico Operating System) plotters such as Zeus, NSS, HDS, etc. will put out a very good NMEA0183 stream over TCP on port 10110.

Here is a small excerpt from data coming out of my plotter:

$GPGLC,9960,,,,,,,,,,,,*75
$GPGLL,5303.1482,N,00523.7212,E,073017,A,A*4D
!AIVDM,1,1,7,,13aDr:OP00PHi<8NK?8f4?vP2000,0*1E
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
$GPGSA,A,2,08,13,15,18,28,30,,,,,,,,1.60,*0A
$GPGSV,3,1,10,05,27,194,,08,09,022,44,13,86,274,38,15,47,292,41*7A
$GPGSV,3,2,10,18,11,323,32,20,44,253,,21,08,300,,24,12,252,*7D
$GPGSV,3,3,10,28,55,088,41,30,37,070,39*7D
$GPRMC,073017,A,5303.1482,N,00523.7212,E,0.0,0.0,130517,1.2,E,A*13
$GPVTG,0.0,T,358.8,M,0.0,N,0.0,K,A*25
$GPZDA,073017,13,05,2017,-02,00*66
!AIVDM,1,1,8,,13aB:FpP0;PHQspN@ieb1wvR2000,0*63
$GPAAM,,,,N,*38
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
!AIVDM,1,1,9,,13aEQuOP00PHfrJNFnr00?vR2000,0*08
$GPAPB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,N*26
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
!AIVDM,1,1,0,,H3aDBLDT0000000@2kqkk01H1210,0*04
$GPBOD,,T,,M,,*47
!AIVDM,1,1,1,,H39bHjTU000000047kolq00h6220,0*11
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
!AIVDM,1,1,2,,13aGv@OP00PJ8;VNDun00?vR2000,0*1F
!AIVDM,1,1,3,,13buf400000HrH`NKIUUgA<T0000,0*33
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
!AIVDM,1,1,4,,13P7gM00000Hk7NNKQ?;H:VT0000,0*56
$GPRMB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,N*04
!AIVDM,1,1,5,,13M@QSW0000HjDHNKO73N:dR0000,0*2A
$SDHDG,85.5,,,1.2,E*0E
$GPXTE,,,,,N,N*5E
$SDDBT,7.6,f,2.3,M,1.2,F*05
$SDDPT,2.3,0.5,*7F
$SDMTW,,C*1A

It actually makes this all up from my N2K sensors, so that's quite impressive, and includes all sensor data including AIS.

See the attached screenshot for that data arriving in OpenCPN.

My guess is that you've either not set up O's data connections or that the plotter and your PC are not on the same network. You can add the plotter IP address in O just fine even if it completely unreachable, but it won't work, obviously.

So check:
- Are both computers (a plotter is a computer, yes) on the same network (subnet)?
- Can you ping the plotter from your computer?

[jbinbi]

merrimac, thanks.

I can ping the plotter from my computer. I am connected, it says 'connected with no internet access'. but when i open the debug window, no data is there. i mentioned the boat is not moving, but i would still expect to see data. Is there something I need to do on the plotter side to enable output? see screen shots attached. I included one of the plotter's nmea option.

[merrimac]

There's nothing to do on the plotter.

Have you tried disabling the Windows Firewall?

[Whomda]

I don't think you're supposed to set the OpenCPN settings to the same IP address of the plotter hub, that's a conflict. i suggest picking anything else. Here's my working OpenCPN settings:

[merrimac]

Originally Posted by Whomda

I don't think you're supposed to set the OpenCPN settings to the same IP address of the plotter hub, that's a conflict.

Huh? The Zeus builtin WiFi will give the Windows computer an IP address on the 192.168.0 subnet, using DHCP. The TCP connection details in the connections list *must* give the IP address of the plotter and port (192.168.0.1 and 10110, in jbinbi's case...)

[Whomda]

Originally Posted by merrimac

Huh? The Zeus builtin WiFi will give the Windows computer an IP address on the 192.168.0 subnet, using DHCP. The TCP connection details in the connections list *must* give the IP address of the plotter and port (192.168.0.1 and 10110, in jbinbi's case...)

Hmm, that's not how it worked on mine. I used a hard coded IP address (93) on the same subnet and did not trust DHCP to allocate one. You're saying the OpenCPN settings are supposed to use the IP address of the plotter and not the allocated IP address of the laptop?

I will check with ipconfig when back on the boat what is the wireless setting allocated to the laptop, and the hub setting for the GoFree.

Jibni, can you also publish a screenshot of the ip address of the laptop wireless connection? Right click Wireless Icon -> Open network and Sharing -> click Wifi Connection -> Details to see the gateway and IP address.

[Whomda]

Oh, but I see you can already ping the plotter. I may have been mistaken trying to debug your IP settings.

You do have the "filter NMEA course and speed data" setting checked, which would filter a number of messages. What data are you trying to get from the plotter? Just GPS and AIS?

[merrimac]

Originally Posted by Whomda

Hmm, that's not how it worked on mine. I used a hard coded IP address (93) on the same subnet and did not trust DHCP to allocate one.

And which device had that IP address?

Originally Posted by Whomda

You're saying the OpenCPN settings are supposed to use the IP address of the plotter and not the allocated IP address of the laptop?

Yes. Assuming with "OpenCPN settings" you mean "data connections" in TCP mode.

[Whomda]

Originally Posted by merrimac

And which device had that IP address?

I can't get back to the boat for a while, but I can believe that you are correct that I have set my GoFree address to a specific address not ending in .1, and OpenCPN is matching that. My settings for my GoFree app on android back this up.

I believe I did that in case it was ever on a subnet with an actual gateway/modem/router, which is almost always 192.168.0.1 (or 1.1), to avoid conflicts. I can't confirm for sure what IP address is used by the laptop wireless until I reconnect at the boat, but i generally avoid DHCP for connections like this and hard code an IP address.

Nevertheless, sounds like I threw a red herring out there about IP addresses, my apologies. Unless jbinbi happens to have a router on the same subnet and there actually is a conflict.

[GRIT]

Did this ever get sorted out?

About to buy Zeus 3 and want to use Open CPN for plotting, radar and ais.

Thanks.
Paul.

[jbinbi]

I am able to connect as in the past, but I have never been able to get data. Boat is not available to me for a while. Been very frustrated by this, a spring time project. Tried a few months ago with latest greatest of both OpenCPN AND B&G firmware upgrades.

[northwestsailor]

I wired all N2K and 0183 data to come into my Zeus 2. From there a hard wire (Ethernet) goes to the Navico WIFI1 router. All my iPads (4) of various vintages and sizes including several iPhones and Mac computers are able to pick up this data from the Zeus 2 address plus 10110 Port. All devices point to the same address and Port number since the Zeus 2 is not creating is accepting any device to “listen” in on the broadcast and is not expecting any two way communication. The exception is with OpenCpn and the Navico radar which is sending short commands to the Zeus 2 to start/stop the radar transmitting, change ranges etc.
Make sense?

[GRIT]

Yes, makes sense. Thanks.

I'm anxious to get started wiring this all up this winter.


Thanks again.
Paul.

[Frans4u]

Dear all,

Since this is my first post, I'm not sure whether this should be a new post or is a continuation of this post.

What's the question:
Recently I installed the GoFree WiFi-1 module in my Simrad network, with a Zeus2 plotter.
OpenCpn is receiving the data, but the boat's position goes haywire. Every other second the GPS position is changing considerably, jumping around with 40 Nm steps. (the position behaviour on the plotter is normal)

Previous posts imply that a normal position behaviour is possible.
Does anyone have any idea which setting is causing this?

Thanks for any feedback!

Frans

[merrimac]

Frans, take a look at the NMEA Debug options in O, look for the NMEA 0183 sentences reporting your position. Apparently one or more is producing whacko locations. This could be multiple NMEA 0183 streams in OpenCPN and/or multiple GPS transmitters on your NMEA 2000 bus being forwarded by the Zeus 2.