OpenCPN Radar Overlay PlugIn

[Neptune's Gear]

Yes Dave, I think a separate thread would be the go!
Matt

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

Yes Dave, I think a separate thread would be the go!
Matt

Hi everyone,

A project " BR24 radar (Beta) is open into Tracker/Flyspray.

OpenCPN::Tracker pi - BR24 Radar (Beta): Tasklist

Serge

[blue22]

Originally Posted by RobbieW

Hi Blue22, just read your document and now trying to make sense of it. What really interests me is that you say you have your PCs wirelessly connecting through gradar to the dome.

As Garmin have chosen a fixed IP address for the dome, did you have to configure the wireless router to accept and broadcast data from that fixed address?

I have a setup where NMEA data from both GPS and AIS is distributed wirelessly via my router using muttnik's kplex utility - compiled to run on Tomato in an RT-N16 router. What I'd like to be able to do is plug the ethernet cable from the dome into the same router and have radar data wirelessly available as well. That router is currently configured to run addresses in the 192.168.20.xx range.

What I'm having trouble getting my head around is the addressing I'm going to need to try and set up in both router and PC, given that I understand the gradar plugin will fail if it cant see addresses in the required range.

More openly, does the BR24 plugin suffer the same addressing constraints as it seems the gradar one does?

Hi Robbie, I think you're probably more advanced than I am here. I'll check out muttnik. I'm guessing you'd need a second router if you need to set the AIS and GPS on 192.168.20 and the radar on 172.16.1.1/24. I can only input one directed IP but there may be work arounds.

[badey0015]

Hi chaps,

Is the si tex T-760 radar compatible with the BR24 plugin? I know it is made by koden...


Looks like a nice unit. Keen to go open cpn only radar but like the idea of a redundant radar only display, and some of the watch features...

Appreciate your advice.

[Hakan]

badey...
The very short answer is - No.
The T-760 seems to be a display and control unit for the M-X scanners/antennas. And what I can see the M-x scanner series are not using a UDP-IP transmission protocol like the Garmin and Navico radar scanners.
Without technical details I could say the very first condition to be able to use the OCPN radar plugins is that the cable from the scanner must have a "normal" network connector e.g. the RJ45 plug.
Håkan

[cowelld]

To all users of the SIMRAD and LOWRANCE BR24, 3G and 4G radars I'm moving the thread over to OpenCPN SIMRAD/LOWRANCE Radar Overlay PlugIn to avoid the confusion with the Garmin efforts. Matt and Hakan, if you'll take up the new thread I'll look for your efforts there.
Hakan, if you'll send me your revised sources I'll consolidate them with mine and post the results to the GitHub.
Kees, if you still want to be involved please maike it known.

Thanks all for your patience and efforts.

Dave Cowell

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by cowelld

To all users of the SIMRAD and LOWRANCE BR24, 3G and 4G radars .....

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder, a project " BR24 radar (Beta) is now open into Tracker/Flyspray.

OpenCPN::Tracker pi - BR24 Radar (Beta): Tasklist

How to get to Tracker / Flyspray ?
Tracker/Flyspray is here OpenCPN::Tracker All Projects: Tasklist
Login and Registration is here OpenCPN::Tracker All Projects: Tasklist at the top

Serge

[badey0015]

Hi, just a quick question about suitable tablets / laptops. Do I need an ethernet port? Undecided between the garmin or BR 24 but will choose one in the next few days

Thinking of having a asus T100 as the main computer - would something else be more suitable and low power? The T100 doesn't have an ethernet port I see - nor do most tablets.

If there is a thread detailing the hardware connection side of things please let me know...

Cheers,

[rgleason]

It would be best to ask this question an appropriate thread please. Try the recent tablets thread and please read a little thanks.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by badey0015

Hi, just a quick question about suitable tablets / laptops. Do I need an ethernet port? Undecided between the garmin or BR 24 but will choose one in the next few days........Cheers,

badey..
Yes, both the BR24(Navico) and Garmin radar needs a wired Ethernet connection. And at least for the BR24 a wire less communication via a router is not suitable. I haven't tested the Garmin my self on a wire less but I assume it's also not the best method.
Håkan

[merrimac]

Originally Posted by cowelld

WOW,
That's a lot of traffic since I've visited the Forum. I should set up the email. To clear some of the issues I'm afraid Hakan and Matt have been using two different versions of the Plug-in. In the beginning I plagiarized Dave R's Gradar to create the BR24 which worked OK. Kees Verruijt then modified it significantly to accomodate the 3G/4G units due to their dual-range capabilities. That's the version on GitHub/CANBOAT/BR24RADAR_PI which Hakan has been using.

Hi, This is Kees. Unfortunately my "canboat" nickname has been nicked by someone else here on Cruisers Forum.

I have been in contact with Dave, and I will integrate his changes for guard zones back into https://github.com/canboat/BR24radar_pi

I then plan on doing some general code cleanup and trying to improve on the general issues that are still remaining.

Should we split off from this Thread and create a seperate "BR24G Plug-in" for the Lowrance/Simrad/B&G units. It's sometimes confusing, expecially since I'm also Dave.

Please!

I saw that Serge has set up a flyspray tracking page for issues with the BR24 plugin, which is great. I also don't mind if users just bring up issues on Github directly -- ie https://github.com/canboat/BR24radar_pi/issues

[badey0015]

Thanks for your help. Just ordered a garmin HD 18" radar. Going to run it with open cpn in master mode - fitting out to head across the south pacific this year. Also have an older crt furuno radar as backup.

I've found a few sources for the mrj-5780-01 connectors online. Was thinking of ordering from TTI, Inc. Americas | Electronic Components Distributor.

Could anyone point me in the direction of a suitable switch from these guys?

[RobbieW]

Originally Posted by Hakan

badey..
Yes, both the BR24(Navico) and Garmin radar needs a wired Ethernet connection. And at least for the BR24 a wire less communication via a router is not suitable. I haven't tested the Garmin my self on a wire less but I assume it's also not the best method.
Håkan

Hi Håkan,
Could you outline why wireless via a router is unsuitable for radar connections please. If thats to do with data volume, what sort of volume is being transmitted? I use a reasonably performant router onboard, Asus RT-N16, and wonder if that would work (I'm pretty sure I'll use the BR24 but as the posts are here...).

For anyone else looking into wired or wireless connections with Garmin equipment, I came across this article recently which may give some insight.

Cheers ... Robbie

[CarCode]

I guess it might be a question of transfer volumes.
I have tested several routers on board and they all failed to transfer internet and TV with Elgato Netstream Sat at the same time. Then I installed the former model of the Apple Airport Extreme which is cheaper now since Apple introduced the new cube Airport Extreme last year. Internet with Bullet and TV with Netstream Sat works now at the same time.

Gerhard

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by RobbieW

Hi Håkan,
Could you outline why wireless via a router is unsuitable for radar connections please. If thats to do with data volume, what sort of volume is being transmitted? I use a reasonably performant router onboard, Asus RT-N16, and wonder if that would work (I'm pretty sure I'll use the BR24 but as the posts are here...).

For anyone else looking into wired or wireless connections with Garmin equipment, I came across this article recently which may give some insight.

Cheers ... Robbie

Robbie...
I've two main sources for my assertion; My own tests with the BR24 and the "reversed engineering" paper.
The paper you can find here: Roboat: Radar refered to in this post: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post915730. See on page 6 paragraph 6.1.1 ...."Although the data stream uses just around 1 Mbit of net bandwith it is not suitable for standard WiFi (e.g. IEEE 802.11 b/g) because the way it is send out......."
My own tests using a IEEE 802.11 g confirmed this. It was able to receive data from the scanner though unreliable. And if the router was also doing something else but the radar transmission it was a mess. Then to try being in master mode, to also send data to the scanner, was not feasible at all.

If there are other WiFi technique capable to support the needed bandwidth and the way data transmission is carried out I don't know. If a theoretical suitability is found I think it has to be carefully evaluated before one can trust it.

Håkan