AvNav - navigation in the browser

[wellenvogel02]

What about overlays for Grib data is there a plugin for this?

Still waiting for someone to do it...

Would you expect this to be a reasonably plug and play affair. Any gotchas or tweaks you can share. We will need to probably work out how to filter input and outputs so we can ensure we get only what we care about and send only what is needed out to both the AP and the Network UDP stream. We currently send it to the broadcast address or in our case 192.168.0.255

Should be no problem - add an UdpWriter to the config.
You can do a lot of filtering on the NMEA level - all inputs and outputs have this. Refer to https://www.wellenvogel.net/software...e.html?lang=en - search for "filter".
But you can do this via the UI (server/status page).
Additionally you can add blacklist entries to an output. To make this working assign useful names to your input channels and afterwards you can use those names within blacklists.

I worry about USB assignments between reboots. All devices are connected via a USB3 hub.

AvNav uses the bus-ids of the USB devices. So as long as you connect to the same physical port it should work. For simple inputs you potentially do not need any configuration as it will auto detect them and try to find the correct baud rate (requires traffic on the channels of course).
Best is to connect one device after the other, watch the UsbSerialReader on the Server/Status page and make the necessary configuration for each newly found device.

a fairly simple Ubuntu 22.04 server build with extensions for the 4 x sata SSD card. It has pretty low utilisation even when streaming to multiple devices. Can your AVNAV server be used on that server do you think?

For AvNav by it's own this should not be a problem (it's python...). The ocharts-plugin most probably is not ready - have a look at https://www.wellenvogel.net/software...20620/?lang=en for the available packages.
And we also depend on the available OpenCPN plugin.

Whenever we connect a device like a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra via browser or a Samsung Tablet. On first connection we get the error that we cannot connect to the chart as too many connections. Exiting that chart and clicking on another then going back to the primary chart results in the chart loading.

Could you try to pick up the provider.log from the ocharts plugin?
Never saw an issue like that.
Btw: which versions of avnav/ocharts do you have?

[sparticle]

Andreas thanks for the reply.

Could you try to pick up the provider.log from the ocharts plugin?
Never saw an issue like that.
Btw: which versions of avnav/ocharts do you have?

The server is fully upto date and was only built in the last few days using your latest image.

See image of the packages attached.

I will look for the provider log. It happens whenever you connect for the first time. Clicking out then into the next chart, then out and back to the primary chart causes it to render the chart. Otherwise you just get a blank screen with the various instruments around it.

Not sure how I record a movie and show this.

Cheers
Spart

[mgrouch]

Originally Posted by sparticle

Andreas thanks for the reply.







The server is fully upto date and was only built in the last few days using your latest image.



See image of the packages attached.



I will look for the provider log. It happens whenever you connect for the first time. Clicking out then into the next chart, then out and back to the primary chart causes it to render the chart. Otherwise you just get a blank screen with the various instruments around it.



Not sure how I record a movie and show this.



Cheers

Spart

If you use it on pi4 you can just install BBN OS image. It has latest AvNav and screen capture tool to record it. (vokoscreenNG)

https://github.com/bareboat-necessities/lysmarine_gen

[sparticle]

Not sure about that. We will persist with the pure AVNAV server.

Looking at the possibility of installing on top of a minimal Ubuntu 22.04 server.

For now we will stick with the Raspbian version you use built on Debian bullseye I think and the built in and command line debian apt updaters.

All our desktops/laptops are all Ubuntu LTS and pi's we build are usually all Ubuntu LTS.

OAN what is the direction of AVNAV server. Are you looking to expand it to include other OpenCPN plugins?

We love OpenCPN and have been using it for years but the lack of a master/slave type setup or remote (VNC is crap) is challenging and led us down the Navionics App as a remote display. The Android OpenCPN app does not work properly, and there is no support despite paying for the app. That leads to syncing the routes between Navionics and OpenCPN.

The AVNAV server approach provides so much more flexibility as everything has a browser! We can use a tablet at the helm station and the chart table nav station simply uses a browser!

Yes we will still need other applications like xygrib etc. The Grib plugin would be a great addition next if you have a roadmap.

Cheers
Spart

[wellenvogel02]

OAN what is the direction of AVNAV server. Are you looking to expand it to include other OpenCPN plugins?

I don't think so. The architecture is completely different and it was possible (with a lot of effort) for the particular use case - o-charts... - but there is no general solution. The OpenCPN plugins are C/C++ and they always tightly couple there basic functionality with the UI handling.
Which are the plugins that you are looking for especially?

The Grib plugin would be a great addition next if you have a roadmap.

As I wrote - we would need someone to do this....

The Ubuntu part most probably is something that could be done more easily if we have suitable OpenCPN plugins for this architecture.

[sparticle]

Andreas,

As far as I know the plugins work on Ubuntu on x86 and Rpi ARM OpenCPN we use them on both.

We did a lot of testing today onboard. Had some issues with the auto-detection of the USB ports and baud rates. Also did not work properly after a restart and locked the AIS usb port out. Had to do a hard reset of the DY AIT5K and AVNAV to get the ACM0 port back. Eventually we hard coded the correct baud rates. Seems fine now.

Finding our way with the filtering. We couldn't work out how send wind data to the AP or see what it was actually sending out. Sailing yacht so sail to wind and other AP functions need the wind data. The USB0 connection is setup as combined and is connected to the 85001 and gets some ST1 data via NMEA and we want to send specific data back onto the ST1 network via the 85001 like RMB APB Wind etc. The 6001+ also show other data like a repeater screen if it has the data.

The UDPWriter seems to send out the full muxed stream which allowed us to connect other things like navionics boating app etc. and see position and AIS data. We may be duplicating functionality as we saw a broadcast button. Does that mean if we config a specific port on the local machine as the destination and tick the broadcast button it will send to the broadcast address anyway.

Currently, we are sending to 192.168.0.255 as the destination.

Things feel a little clunky and simplistic (not a bad thing) compared to OpenCPN but we like the interface. There seems to be some artefacts on the rendered charts and areas that a re missing at certain zoom levels. We don't see this with the same charts on OpenCPN.

We need to tweak the layouts and noticed that each device connecting does not get the modified layouts but a standard layout. e.g. we created a new layout (4) and put some data on it. But connecting from the tablet it still saw the default 3 instrument pages. Do we have to modify the layout from every device?

We have not yet gone sailing with this new setup, just testing in the marina. AP output does work as we see the BRG and DST on the old raymarine RL80C plotter so the route is being send to the ST1 network.

We will continue testing.

Cheers
Spart

[wellenvogel02]

As far as I know the plugins work on Ubuntu on x86 and Rpi ARM OpenCPN we use them on both.

Ok - so if I understand correctly you need the o-charts stuff for ubuntu 22 on arm64? Or armhf?

Had some issues with the auto-detection of the USB ports and baud rates

Algorithm is rather simple - open the device, try bauds between baud and minbaud and see if it receives some valid nmea - if not - start over.
Works for many standard set ups - but not for all of course...

Finding our way with the filtering. We couldn't work out how send wind data to the AP or see what it was actually sending out.

Basic approach:
Every output sends out the whole NMEA data stream unless you do some filtering. You can filter based on pattern: whitelist e.g. RMB, APB or blacklist - e.g. ^RMB,^APB and combinations. On top you can do blacklisting based on input names.

There seems to be some artefacts on the rendered charts and areas that a re missing at certain zoom levels. We don't see this with the same charts on OpenCPN

Would be interesting to know which issues yo have there exactly.
If areas are missing - underzoom/overzoom are the settings to play with. The approach is a bit simpler then at OpenCPN - just see which charts will contribute to a tile - and render them starting at the lowest zoom. With underzoom/overzoom you decice how many levels to go up/down. It's a balance between performance (many levels -> slow rendering) and empty areas. Normally the defaults should be ok any way.
If it would be about some missing buyos - refer to this thread discussion before - going to the latest daily will solve this.

We need to tweak the layouts and noticed that each device connecting does not get the modified layouts

The settings are always specific to a device (this includes the layout name). But you can store settings of a device on the server (save button at the settings page) and load this on another device.
If you attach a new device and have some stored settings you will be prompted to select one set.
Storing the settings at the server is recommended any way - if something seriously goes wrong you can delete the browser data and reload the settings from the server.
The layouts are stored at the server any way (but every new client starts with the layout "system.default" until you load settings with a different name).
And once you start changing a layout you have been prompted for a new name (default: "user.default").
So the workflow: Use one device as a master, do the layout changes, store it's settings with a nice name at the server - and use this settings on other similar devices.
If you only want the layout on other devices- just select the layout name on the settings page.

Does that mean if we config a specific port on the local machine as the destination and tick the broadcast button it will send to the broadcast address anyway.

As far as I remember: no. If it works with your current settings - fine.

[sparticle]

Andreas,

Thanks for the additional information. More testing this weekend hopefully out on the Humber. It is a very busy river with huge amounts of commercial shipping so the AIS functions will get a good test as well as dynamically modifying routes etc.

If we wanted to start with a basic Ubuntu server and then install your software is there an easy way to do that? A repo we need to add for instance to download your software and the plugins.

Cheers
Spart

[BlackSea]

If we wanted to start with a basic Ubuntu server and then install your software is there an easy way to do that? A repo we need to add for instance to download your software and the plugins.

we doesn't provide any ubuntu repository. Only Debian/RaspiOS.

You can of course try but we can not guarantee anything. After installing AvNav deb package, you still need to adjust some things that we have extra for prebuilt images

[sparticle]

Andreas,

We want to add a zerotier network connection to the AVNAV server.

How are the network adaptors and connections configured.

We can install the zerotier client on the underlying debian OS but it does not show up.

Cheers
Spart

[wellenvogel02]

Please describe a bit more in detail which kind of setup you have.
AvNav headless image?
Where would you expect the client to show up?
Hint: AvNav images do still use old style network setup /etc/network/...

[sparticle]

Originally Posted by wellenvogel02

Please describe a bit more in detail which kind of setup you have.
AvNav headless image?
Where would you expect the client to show up?
Hint: AvNav images do still use old style network setup /etc/network/...

Thanks for this. I thought this was on netplan.

Zerotier is now installed correctly and we now have full remote access to the AVNAV server from our private VPN. It is amazingly responsive. We can review and plan routes from the desktop at the office. Check out the status of the navigation systems etc.

Thank you. As you may have noticed I have been championing this client server approach to the gods of OpenCPN on other forums on here as the future for OpenCPN. With your deep history with OpenCPN via O-charts it would be interesting to get your perspective on whether you feel a collaboration would result in a better experience for users.

We are totally sold on the approach AVNAV is taking. It is transformational as all we need in a client in a modern browser and a network connection.

No more VNC and RDP etc. No more sloshing routes about, a single source of the truth on the network. Simplified connectivity etc.

it would be good to have a backup function to backup the important config and other files so that there is an easy plug and play route to replacement of the physical server component for redundancy.

We have imaged the AVNAV server and will refresh that periodically.

Cheers
Spart

[wellenvogel02]

With your deep history with OpenCPN via O-charts it would be interesting to get your perspective on whether you feel a collaboration would result in a better experience for users.

I doubt that there are many chances for close cooperation. I'm in contact with the OpenCPN devs for the o-charts part. Finally I implemented a frame to be able to use the OpenCPN plugin. But this is a hard job as the architectures and pre-requisites are that different. OpenCPN needs a display device to run, relies on a lot of libraries and has a huge and rather complex code base.
As the "business logic" is closely tight to the display stuff it would be really hard to get some plugins that have display functions by their own (like radar or grib) to run in an environment that fit's to the AvNav approach.

it would be good to have a backup function to backup the important config and other files so that there is an easy plug and play route to replacement of the physical server component for redundancy.

We already have https://github.com/wellenvogel/avnav/issues/229 to address this.
Maybe you would like to comment there.

[sparticle]

Originally Posted by wellenvogel02

I doubt that there are many chances for close cooperation. I'm in contact with the OpenCPN devs for the o-charts part. Finally I implemented a frame to be able to use the OpenCPN plugin. But this is a hard job as the architectures and pre-requisites are that different. OpenCPN needs a display device to run, relies on a lot of libraries and has a huge and rather complex code base.
As the "business logic" is closely tight to the display stuff it would be really hard to get some plugins that have display functions by their own (like radar or grib) to run in an environment that fit's to the AvNav approach.

it would be good to have a backup function to backup the important config and other files so that there is an easy plug and play route to replacement of the physical server component for redundancy.

We already have https://github.com/wellenvogel/avnav/issues/229 to address this.
Maybe you would like to comment there.

Sounds like OpenCPN roadmap needs to look hard at the architecture for V6.x and separate the presentation layer from the application logic. I would reduce complexity and bloat!

[mgrouch]

BBN Marine OS is another one for raspberry pi4 which has AvNav preinstalled:

https://github.com/bareboat-necessit...ag/v2022-10-01

Fair Winds!