OpenCPN Version 4.0 Released

[Helmsmatt]

We are leaving port and internet now. I'm guessing that the default sentences when setting up the filter aren't everything, and I need to go find other sentences to add to allow in the filter? Do you know of a good site that has a complete NMEA0183 sentence description?
Thanks

[nohal]

Matt...
The default is not to filter anything. It is your settings that change it.
For the description of the sentences, start at http://opencpn.org/ocpn/nmea_sentences

Pavel

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

RD...

This is a variation problem from your autopilot heading sensor message.

From the VDR trace:

$GPHDG,231.50,,,12.00,E*03

$GPRMC,020716,A,3951.7176,N,07518.4128,W,000.0,000.0,200115,012.1,W*7C

The variation at Philly is -12, or 12W. The HDG message says 12E. The RMC message is correct at 12.1W. This agrees with WMM_PI.

   /*
   ** HDG - Heading - Deviation & Variation
   **
   **        1   2   3 4   5 6
   **        |   |   | |   | |
   ** $--HDG,x.x,x.x,a,x.x,a*hh<CR><LF>
   **
   ** Field Number:
   **  1) Magnetic Sensor heading in degrees
   **  2) Magnetic Deviation, degrees
   **  3) Magnetic Deviation direction, E = Easterly, W = Westerly
   **  4) Magnetic Variation degrees
   **  5) Magnetic Variation direction, E = Easterly, W = Westerly
   **  6) Checksum
   */

Dunno what to do about this...
A custom version to accommodate bad code in the hdg sensor?

Dave

Thanks for catching that. I should have seen it myself. Let's hold off for a bit before customizing any code. I need to re-check my autopilot settings to be 100% sure that I have 12 degrees west selected.

FYI, on my boat GPRMC comes from a Garmin 18xLVC puck, not from the autopilot or other Seatalk instruments. The "12.1,W" must be coming from that. I hadn't realized that GPS would provide variation information.

GPHDG comes from the autopilot. I am shocked that it says "12.00,E". Especially after the problems last June, I double-checked this, but maybe at that time I ran a "test" where I reversed it and forgot to set it back again. (Something tells me that must be the problem, since Raymarine wouldn't make a mistake like this in their firmware.) I'll try to check next time I'm at the boat, but my mast is down and sitting on a support leg that's right in front of the autopilot control head, so this one may need to wait for a couple months. I'll let you know if I figure out a way to access it. My mast isn't that heavy, so maybe I can move it out of the way.

[rgleason]

Options > Charts > Chart Files

1. Add a new directory of charts.
2. Click apply

The program then scans EVERY folder and Kap file rather than just the ones listed under each of the "Directories". For example it scans BSB_ROOT/07region, BSB_ROOT/08region, BSB_ROOT/09region (and all their charts) even though the only directories I have listed are BSB_ROOT/02region and BSB_ROOT/03region !

Why waste all that time and power? Isn't it possible to check the list of directories first?

[Helmsmatt]

Thanks, Pavel,
I'll have a look when my data is better. We sailed from Tobago Cays to Canouan ( yes, eat your heart out) and I got most things working by dumping my two NMEA connections and starting a new single one with no restrictions. Only problem is the own ship doesn't point correctly in less I ignore HDM, HDG, AND HDT. only them will the ship point correctly. Of course then my Tru Heading doesn't work on my Dashboard. Is there another sentence I can ignore that will allow one of the heading sentences to work properly?
We found a serene anchorage that is very calm and we are the only boat here.
NICE!

[nohal]

Matt...
I would need a piece of your data stream, say a minute, completely unfiltered, recoded with VDR plugin, to advice you which sentences are problematic and why.

Pavel

[Wrong]

Having trouble creating an O4 package for armhf.

First, a question. Is it possible to prevent a call for /usr/bin/fakeroot by editing a file?

I'm getting this error when trying to install the generated file using dpkg. "corrupted filesystem tarfile - corrupted package archive"

Read a post saying a downgrade to an older version of cmake resolved the issue, but thought I'd ask here first.

[nohal]

Wrong...
No it is not possible, fix your system, please.

Pavel

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by nohal

Wrong...
No it is not possible, fix your system, please.

Pavel

Fix what? A more helpful reply than this is possible, no?

[nohal]

Wrong...
I build ARMHF packages on Debian Wheezy, Debian Jessie and all the supported Ubuntu releases. None of them has any problem. I really don't know what is wrong with your machine, you will have to do some research.

Pavel

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

... I am shocked that it says "12.00,E". Especially after the problems last June, I double-checked this, but maybe at that time I ran a "test" where I reversed it and forgot to set it back again. (Something tells me that must be the problem, since Raymarine wouldn't make a mistake like this in their firmware.) I'll try to check next time I'm at the boat...

I got to the boat tonight and was able to access the autopilot controls. It was set properly (12° W variation), but the NMEA feed definitely says 12° E. I am almost certain that the problem is NOT the Raymarine firmware. They're too careful to make a mistake like that. I believe it is the Seatalk-to-NMEA translation in the vYacht router that's generating the error. I'm going to contact the guy and ask for his assistance.

Here are some of my surprising findings:

Set autopilot variation to 12°W:
$GPHDG,231.50,,,12.00,E*03 (should be west, but it's east)

Set autopilot variation to 6°W:
$GPHDG,232.50,,,6.00,E*35 (should be west, but it's east)

Set autopilot variation to 0°:
$GPHDG,233.50,,,0.00,W*20 (looks OK, except it's not the correct variation for my area)

Set autopilot variation to 12°E (hoping it's just a negative sign issue):
$GPHDG,234.00,,,244.00,E*32 (yes, that's 244°!!!)

Set autopilot variation to 1°E (wondering if the error is linear):
$GPHDG,232.50,,,255.00,E*31 (yes, that's 255°!!!)

Here's my guess: I read somewhere that SeaTalk is difficult to translate because it uses a 9 bit word. That's why you can't just hook it up to a RS232 port and listen to the ASCII codes. The fact that this guy's translation table goes from 0 to 255 (for a 360° compass) indicates that he may not be seeing all 9 bits. Or, his calculation is just flawed.

I'm not a programmer, so I can't dive into his C code. If any of you are curious, you can find his firmware code here:

https://github.com/vyacht/nmea
vYacht Yacht automation

Obviously, no change to OpenCPN should be considered for this, because broadcasting incorrect GPHDG will only lead to problems with other programs. The fix needs to be at the root cause, which I believe (but have not proven) is in the vYacht router.

[nohal]

RD...
Good find and it is obvious that we shouldn't fix it on the consumer side. But be nice to him, guys like this will change the "marine industry" to a bunch of open minded hippies. One day... I hope... Maybe...


Pavel

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by nohal

RD...
Good find and it is obvious that we shouldn't fix it on the consumer side. But be nice to him, guys like this will change the "marine industry" to a bunch of open minded hippies. One day... I hope... Maybe...


Pavel

I'm not angry at the guy. These things happen, a little one-man operation can't test every single thing himself. I'll work with him and be patient. If I were a programmer, I'd jump in and fix it myself.

[muttnik]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Here's my guess: I read somewhere that SeaTalk is difficult to translate because it uses a 9 bit word. That's why you can't just hook it up to a RS232 port and listen to the ASCII codes. The fact that this guy's translation table goes from 0 to 255 (for a 360° compass) indicates that he may not be seeing all 9 bits. Or, his calculation is just flawed.

I'm not a programmer, so I can't dive into his C code. If any of you are curious, you can find his firmware code here:

https://github.com/vyacht/nmea
vYacht Yacht automation

I've never been able to drive github. Can't find any C files under those links at all. All I seemed to turn up were hardware schematics and the code for the web interface. Can anyone who knows this github stuff better than I give me a hint?

I suspect RhythmDoctor's supposition about the cause of the error may not be correct. The "ninth bit" is used only to signal that a byte is a "command byte", i.e. the start of a block of data and what might be thought of as the equivalent of an nmea-0183 sentence type. Data is 8 bit.

[RhythmDoctor]

I hope I'm incorrect. I don't remember exactly what I read to get the 9-bit idea into my head. A quick Google search found this: Asynchronous SeaTalk

I'm at work and don't have the time to worry about this right now. All I know is that it's complicated, and that's why there are not a whole bunch of simple solutions for Seatalk where you can just hook up a serial-USB converter to listen to the thing.

I had found a bunch of .c files here. Not sure if they're relevant. Sorry, my prior link had the wrong branch of his directory:

https://github.com/vyacht/gpsd

Also this directory has a bunch of files whose names begin with "st" (Seatalk?). It's just a guess on my part, though. No time to look into it right now:

https://github.com/vyacht/stm32/tree...iph_Driver/src