Reverse engineering Navionics / Raymarine Plotter Sync

[SYSkidbladner]

Hey!

Has anyone looked into reverse engineering Navionics Plotter Sync and implement it in OpenCPN?

Would be great to send routes and waypoints From OpenCPN through WiFi to all modern Raymarine MFDs instead going through the hassle of moving memory cards back and forth.

Plotter Sync with Raymarine Wi-FI | Navionics

[barnakiel]

We have had a similar thread not long ago.

You need a plotter that accepts WPL sentences and has serial-in (or else a native wifi board).

OpenCPN does not sent WPL natively over Ip but we have found a simple workaround.

So start with you plotter specifications sheet at nmea page. Then search for that thread and you have a fine take off point.

Cheers,
b.

[SYSkidbladner]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

We have had a similar thread not long ago.

You need a plotter that accepts WPL sentences and has serial-in (or else a native wifi board).

OpenCPN does not sent WPL natively over Ip but we have found a simple workaround.

So start with you plotter specifications sheet at nmea page. Then search for that thread and you have a fine take off point.

Cheers,
b.

Hey! I read through the thread you're thinking of but (I believe) Navionics Plotter Sync doesn't utilize NMEA over WiFi but instead using another protocol, hence this separate thread..

Older Raymarine plotters had no problem receiving WPL sencences via NMEA but with the newer ones they removed the functionality and are now pointing to using a removable SD-card, using one of their own navigations software as RayTech RNS or whatever its called, which supports sending routes/waypoints over ethernet/WiFi.

[seandepagnier]

so instead of pushing the route over the serial port it should just send it over tcp? It would be easy but I have no way to test it.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SYSkidbladner

(...)

but (I believe) Navionics Plotter Sync doesn't utilize NMEA over WiFi but instead using another protocol, hence this separate thread..

(...)

that's sort of cool.

Now what that 'another protocol is' PLS?

It is difficult to reverse engineer anything when a manufacturer does everything to use proprietary methods.

Without knowing what the receiving end expects, it may be a challenge to get OpenCPN developers to build a matching output interface.

b.

[SYSkidbladner]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

so instead of pushing the route over the serial port it should just send it over tcp? It would be easy but I have no way to test it.

I have no idea of how the Navionics iPad app and the Raymarine Plotters communicate besides it going over WiFi when sending over routes/waypoints.

What presume needs to be done is to intercept the communication between an iPad sending waypoints etc to the plotter to see how and what they communicate.

Unfortunately I cant really do this since the boat is on the hard with most of the electronics removed for a couple of more months.

[SYSkidbladner]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

that's sort of cool.

Now what that 'another protocol is' PLS?

It is difficult to reverse engineer anything when a manufacturer does everything to use proprietary methods.

Without knowing what the receiving end expects, it may be a challenge to get OpenCPN developers to build a matching output interface.

b.

I would gladly provide all information I can as soon as all my electronics is installed.

Regarding the use of proprietary methods, I agree... It might not even be possible to "crack" the way they communicate but I thought there might be quite a lot of users with both OpenCPN and a Raymarine Plotter who would be interested in this functionality.

Perhaps some one out there could do a "man in the middle" attack or something with Wireshark?

Link to the Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...eLakesHD&hl=sv

Link to the iPad app: https://itunes.apple.com/se/app/boat...744966613?mt=8

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by SYSkidbladner

I have no idea of how the Navionics iPad app and the Raymarine Plotters communicate besides it going over WiFi when sending over routes/waypoints.

What presume needs to be done is to intercept the communication between an iPad sending waypoints etc to the plotter to see how and what they communicate.

Unfortunately I cant really do this since the boat is on the hard with most of the electronics removed for a couple of more months.

Maybe you can run wireshark in a few months.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SYSkidbladner

(...)

I thought there might be quite a lot of users with both OpenCPN and a Raymarine Plotter who would be interested in this functionality.

Perhaps some one out there could do a "man in the middle" attack or something with Wireshark?

(clearly)

Quite a lot of users are always interesting in something. And how many of them can crack the method open?

It is sort of unfair load to expect (e.g., in this case) OpenCPN developers to not just write the code (for free) but also crack open methods intentionally designed by greedy manufacturers to limit access to their vastly overpriced products to third party / open source / hobbyist players.

Otherwise yes. You want that Navionics thing talking and a plain router pretending to be a Ray plotter of the desired type. The router can be looked up with a wireshark-like tool and then you see what happens. maybe you get some clues, or maybe you get nothing.

Or else ... connect anything else to that Ray plotter and see what happens when we send it a WPL from OpenCPN.

If I have heaps of time later this week, I may have a look at the story and see if I can get any clues on linking the talker with a fake Raymarine receiver (this is with my wifi router acting as if).

Which Ray plotters use the new method? Maybe, in the end, it is just a plain IP talker/listener thing?

Where can I download that Navionics thingy that does the talking?

barnakiel

[SYSkidbladner]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Quite a lot of users are always interesting in something. And how many of them can crack the method open?

It is sort of unfair load to expect (e.g., in this case) OpenCPN developers to not just write the code (for free) but also crack open methods intentionally designed by greedy manufacturers to limit access to their vastly overpriced products to third party / open source / hobbyist players.

Otherwise yes. You want that Navionics thing talking and a plain router pretending to be a Ray plotter of the desired type. The router can be looked up with a wireshark-like tool and then you see what happens. maybe you get some clues, or maybe you get nothing.

Or else ... connect anything else to that Ray plotter and see what happens when we send it a WPL from OpenCPN.

If I have heaps of time later this week, I may have a look at the story and see if I can get any clues on linking the talker with a fake Raymarine receiver (this is with my wifi router acting as if).

Which Ray plotters use the new method? Maybe, in the end, it is just a plain IP talker/listener thing?

Where can I download that Navionics thingy that does the talking?

barnakiel

I totally agree, and was by no mean implying that someone should just sort this out but I thought I should get it out in the light and start a discussion about it. I'm willing to help out in anyway I can but perhaps there are others more suited out there seeing this.

All MFDs from Raymarine running the Lighthouse OS works the same way. Which is all new plotters and at from least a couple of years back.

The MFDs won't accept WPL sentences via NMEA (0183 or 2000). More info about NMEA support here: https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/pqt5.../95122499679/1 Page 399 and downwards.

You can download the app from here: Navionics Boating (US) | Navionics