Waypoints Uploads OpenCPN to Garmin

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Hello Garmin testers...

OK, we have a working solution for Garmin waypoint uploads via generic NMEA strings.

The current code is in github master now, so source builders may take a look.

Test results appreciated.

Thanks for your patience.
Dave

Hi Dave, is there anyway I could get an executable to test this?

Peter

[nohal]

Peter...
Just get the 3.3.1931 beta released half an hour ago...

Pavel

[Tupaia]

FOLLOW UP and RESULTS

Hi Dave,

I appreciate all the work you did on this and can report that WP's are now being uploaded from OCPN to the Garmin GPS using standard NMEA without having to swtich to GRMN - Host. Brilliant thank you.

BUT, (why is there always a but?)

There is still an anomoly in that the first WP in each route is ignored. If you remember MaxSea includes the current vessel position as WP0 whenever a route (WP's) are uploaded, this is subequently ignored by the Garmin GPS.

I looked at the route manager and I am not convinced that the way OCPN handles routes in general is completely logical.

When a route is entered it exists in isolation and no reference to the vessel position is made which is logical and correct.

However, when you make a route active, if the vessel is not actually at the start of the route, then the distance and time information from the vessel position and the first WP (1) and the vector from the vessel is missing which does not seem logical to me.

As a suggestion would it be possible to include the vessel position as WP0 when a route is activated. This would not require the WP numbering to be changed just an additional zero WP at the beginning that would be switched on or off depending if the route was active or not.

This would correctly upload all of the WP's of the route. The Garmin GPS would then ignore the first, but it should not cause a problem on other GPS's as any GOTO would be to WP1.

It would also provide complete data for the active route from where the vessel is.

What do you think?

Finally, as I suspected, it appears that using this method the Garmin will only accept 10 WP's including the first one, that it then ignores. There should be a note somewhere of this limitation, help file? pop up? don't know where.

Peter

[bdbcat]

Peter...

Let me be clear on this.

1.
"There is still an anomoly in that the first WP in each route is ignored. If you remember MaxSea includes the current vessel..."

Are we sure that OCPN is actually emitting the first point? This was the original bug to be solved, and it definitely works for me. And, my Garmin eTrex does not discard the first point.

2.
We discussed pretty thoroughly the idea of making the ownship present position be the first point in the route. And we decided not to, for the following reason: If you are sitting in Miami and planning next week's charter cruise to Antigua, you don't want the first leg of the route to be 500 miles of nothing....

Or, as you said, a route sits in isolation, has nothing inherently to do with the present ownship position.

We could change this behaviour for active routes. Might be a good idea.
Feature Request?

Thanks for the quick feedback
Dave

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

We could change this behaviour for active routes. Might be a good idea.

That was what Peter suggested.

When I activate a route in my Garmin GPS it gives me a bearing from my current position to the second point in the route. If I am past the second point it gives me a bearing to the closest point ahead of me.

It's not quite as simple as generating a bearing to the beginning of the route because the user might already have passed that point before he activates the route.

It would make sense to me that when I activate a route in OpenCPN I get a bearing from my current position to the first point in the route that is still ahead of me.

Fabbian

[tom_BigSpeedy]

Dave,

WP upload to Garmin GPS 152 works, as long as there's a GPS connected.
If not (no active datastream at all, although defined), O still comes back with the "Waypoints sucessfully uploaded" message.
Just start O with NO instruments connected --> after a while it'll come back with the "Success"-Popup ...

So there doesn't seem to be a real handshake, is it ?

Thomas

[bdbcat]

Thomas....

You are correct. There is unfortunately no handshaking at all in generic NMEA route/waypoint uploading. That is one advantage of Garmin GRMN uploading. In this mode, there is a handshake and unit model confirmation.

I suppose the OCPN message should say:
"Waypoints sucessfully transmitted"

Dave

[tom_BigSpeedy]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Thomas....

I suppose the OCPN message should say:
"Waypoints sucessfully transmitted"

Dave

You can't say if it was sucessful or not, so just say "Waypoints transmitted"

Thomas

[Rasbats]

I decided to test route uploading to the Garmin GPSMAP 4010 again, with OpenCPN 4.0.

OpenCPN recognises the type of plotter, showing a good connection, but the route never appears in the Garmin.

Has anyone achieved a route transfer with a Garmin GPSMAP 4xxx, 5xxx series plotter?

Thanks.

Mike

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Rasbats

I decided to test route uploading to the Garmin GPSMAP 4010 again, with OpenCPN 4.0.

OpenCPN recognises the type of plotter, showing a good connection, but the route never appears in the Garmin.

Has anyone achieved a route transfer with a Garmin GPSMAP 4xxx, 5xxx series plotter?

Thanks.

Mike

What do you mean by "showing a good connection"?
Are you using NMEA mode or GRMN mode?

[Rasbats]

I think using NMEA resulted in 'GPSMAP 4010' being written into the OpenCPN log file, but no routes were uploaded.

Mike

[bdbcat]

Mike...

Can you show us the relevant lines from the logfile while uploading?

Thanks
Dave

[Rasbats]

Dave,

Did a number of tests this afternoon:

1. Plotter - Garmin Port
OCPN - Use GRMN host mode for uploads

FAILED: Error on route upload. Check log file.
NMEA DEBUG WINDOW: No data

2. Plotter - Garmin Port
OCPN - GRMN host mode not selected

FAILED: No error message
NMEA DEBUG WINDOW: Output data shown

3. Plotter - NMEA Port
OCPN - GRMN host mode not selected

TRANSFER OF WAYPOINTS ONLY
NMEA DEBUG WINDOW: Output data shown

4. Plotter - NMEA Port
OCPN - Use GRMN host mode

FAILED: Error Message - Garmin GPS not connected

5. Plotter - NMEA Port
OCPN - GRMN host mode not selected

TRANSFER OF WAYPOINTS ONLY
NMEA DEBUG WINDOW: Output data shown

The numbers of the attached files correspond to the different scenarios.

SUMMARY

With GPSMAP 4010 using Garmin port, OpenCPN with GRMN host mode for uploads the plotter is recognised but nothing is sent.

With GPSMAP 4010 using NMEA port, OpenCPN not using GRMN host mode, waypoints are uploaded to the plotter but not the route.

This was also experienced with O 3.2.2.

EasyGPS still sends route and waypoints to the Garmin. EasyGPS preferences need to be set to send to Garmin GPS 76. 4010 is not an option.

Mike

[Rasbats]

'Free Serial Port Monitor' was used to see what was being received/sent to the Garmin.

Read files attached are FROM the Garmin and Write files show the upload TO the Garmin.

Tested with EasyGPS (working) and OpenCPN in GRMN host to Garmin Port on the plotter (not working).

EasyGPS text files were oversize for upload and name changed to pdf.

Mike

[Tupaia]

I have now thoroughly tested this and I believe the problem has been resolved in latest beta 1108.

Sean, did some work on board using my Garmin 128 and we pretty sure OpenCPN now reliably upload way points.

The Garmin can be left in NMEA/NMEA mode.

There may still be a limitation on the number of WP's but 19 can be consistently and reliably uploaded. You may be able to upload more.

You cannot upload Routes, this is a failing of the Garmin not OpenCPN.

Thanks Sean good stuff.