The Perfect Platform for OpenCPN ? Raspberry Pi

[night0wl]

Hi All,

Has anyone seen this bit of tech news:

Raspberry Pi | An ARM Linux box for $25. Take a byte!

Linux system on a pcb that will eventually be the size of a credit card.
$25 is the targetted cost
Will have HDMI out, USB, and audio
Micro-SD for storage

The system is capable of running Quake III, which if you all recall from the 2000 era, is no graphics slouch. I recall buying a multiple-hundred dollar video card just to run this game.

Seems to be the perfect beachhead to launch an embedded OpenCPn. It may be time to shift focus on developing OpenCPN from being an app controlled by mouse & keyboard to *TOUCH* based. That seems to be the direction things are going.

Then, all we need to do is find a way to cheaply source a exterior grade 7-12" touchscreen and you no longer need to have a plotter at the helm!

Except for Radar. Has anyone figured out a radome or platform that displays the full radar image (not just acquired targets) on a plotter overlay?

Love the thoughts of the group on this nifty technology that seems to be getting a lot of buzz in the industry today.

[night0wl]

Here's a video demo of them running Quake III on the device:

Raspberry Pi - Quake 3 demo - YouTube

[night0wl]

This gets more and more exciting.

I used to dabble in car-pcs, and the lilliput 7" screen was legendary in those circles. Soooo, I looked it up.

Now, they have a USB Monitor available. No vga card...just plug it into usb and you have a screen:

ThinkGeek :: Lilliput Mini USB Monitor

On lilliput's site and Amazon, there is *EVEN A TOUCHSCREEN* version of this (though I cant get it for $99) like Thinkgeek.

So,

$25 for embedded system
$170 for touchscreen version of the screen
$??? for waterproofing enclosure to keep at helm
$30 for USB hockey puck GPS receiver
$200 for AIS receiver (Nasa AIS or other similar receive only)

This could be viable if I can find a waterproof enclosure for the helm!!! Just need linux drivers for the screen dammit!

[dacust]

Except the Lilliput is only 350 nits. Daylight viewable is normally 1,000-1,200 and sunlight viewable is 1,500 or better. (Those figures are from memory, but should be very close...)

-dan

[dacust]

Sorry, I should have said that the rest of it sounds great. I'm always interested in different platforms, like ARM, BeagleBoard, Basic Stamp, etc.

Thanks for posting.

-dan

[night0wl]

Originally Posted by dacust

Sorry, I should have said that the rest of it sounds great. I'm always interested in different platforms, like ARM, BeagleBoard, Basic Stamp, etc.

Thanks for posting.

-dan

Glad to do it. Are you aware of any sunlight viewable, waterproof, reasonably priced lcd touchscreens out there that are third party? Everything I've seen is in the $700 range...which negates the value since you can get lightly used Raymarine C80 in that range on ebay.

[dacust]

Originally Posted by night0wl

Glad to do it. Are you aware of any sunlight viewable, waterproof, reasonably priced lcd touchscreens out there that are third party? Everything I've seen is in the $700 range...which negates the value since you can get lightly used Raymarine C80 in that range on ebay.

Nope. Nothing. Nada. That is the last piece with no low cost option.

-dan

[sailias]

Originally Posted by dacust

Except the Lilliput is only 350 nits. Daylight viewable is normally 1,000-1,200 and sunlight viewable is 1,500 or better. (Those figures are from memory, but should be very close...)

-dan

A work around here is to use a black box. I use my netbook on the seat next to the helm pedistal. Out of a cardboard box I build a viewing box and covered all sides with a black plastic from a garbage bag. Worked great as the putter sat deep inside it, so stayed dry and the screen was totally readable. You have to work out the angles however so that all is viewable.

A simple approach could be to get two peices of starboard and route out the diameter of the llipute monitor and place a three sided visor on the monitor. Again the angles should be calculated carefully. The monitor is sandwiched between two peices of starboard with the starboard mounted to the binnacle support. Now make a three sided visor out of black plastic and unless the sun is from behind the screens viewability should be adequate. A low cost solution. Not ideal but should work.

[kiwiradical]

An alternative for those that want to make their own daylight screen is to replace the backlight with a matrix of high brightness LEDS...with the newer high brightness white leds you can easily get full sunlight visibiity......

[bdbcat]

kiwiradical....

More info/links?

I'd love to get rid of the CCFL tubes in my wheelhouse monitors. Poor dimming range, AC noise, heat, short life, fragile, high voltage arcing in salt environment, etc.....

I'd also like to build/buy a PWM dimmer control (for LED backlights) that really works, with an "old-timey" knob to twiddle.....

Dave

[kiwiradical]

Here's one rather convoluted explanation Changing from CCFL to LED Display

However there are many, many different types of LED strips available..even colour changing ones...try eBay, and the same for LED drivers or power supplies.