Raspberry Pi as Onboard Computer

[conachair]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Now I see a way to tie in the computer/electronics techie stuff with boat stuff which to me is interesting. Plus I need things to do when at anchor are when sailing on nice days

You really need a Pi loaded with openplotter/signalk

All the main bits work out of the box to leave you free to fiddle much deeper down than most will go

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by conachair

You really need a Pi loaded with openplotter/signalk

All the main bits work out of the box to leave you free to fiddle much deeper down than most will go

Thanks.

I was planning to start out with a basic system then move in that direction.....

Starting with hooking up my GX2200 simply for a better/larger display

[steffan]

Fun thread...

I'll preface my reply with the fact that I have just bought my boat and haven't installed anything on her yet. Agree that this is probably only worth it if you enjoy this sort of messing around.

On my desk at home I have OpenPlotter installed on a Pi 3B+, and made it a Plex server+client for movies at anchor. This model Pi struggles to playback video so I will upgrade to a Pi 4 before installing on the boat. Movies will be stored on a USB 3.0 external SSD.

I have the GX2200 VHF mentioned earlier in the thread as this looked like the cheapest way to inject GPS and AIS data. OpenPlotter makes it pretty easy to watch the NMEA0183 sentences flow through and I've seen the GPS data do that. As far as I can tell the GX2200 doesn't broadcast it's AIS demo data so I have not seen those yet.

Right now the radio is wired into a RS422 USB stick on the Pi. This required reversal of the grey and brown wires to work, for some reason. I plan to add a Yacht Devices multiplexer to bring other data in at some point.

A decent 5.2V, 25W power supply will get soldered to the PI motherboard before installation, and I will be using a case with an integrated fan and heatsinks. I may solder the RS422 daughterboard on there too, and secure the whole works to some plywood.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Those monitor connectors look awfully small in the picture also. Are they special to the Raspberry Pi or am I just behind the times?

Going way back up-thread, the Pi Zero and the Pi 4 use mini-HDMI connectors, the Pi 3 uses a full-sized HDMI. Bog standard stuff.

A lot of the discussion here has been about OpenPlotter/OpenCPN. For that you need to run at least a Pi 3 (our current setup) and probably preferable to run a Pi 4 (will be upgrading this season). The Pi Zero that runs PyPilot doesn’t have the oomph for chart display, etc. You can network it with a bigger Pi if you also want chart display, or you can run the software side of PyPilot on the bigger Pi directly. Depends on your thoughts regarding separate vs. integrated hardware.

If all you want is the AP functions with a little data added the Zero and PyPilot will be fine.

One thing about these systems is that for the cost of a single “marine” chartplotter or AP computer you can carry about 10 fully configured spares ready to go, and they have become so ubiquitous that you can pick them up in some pretty out-of-the-way places.

[steffan]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

A lot of the discussion here has been about OpenPlotter/OpenCPN. For that you need to run at least a Pi 3 (our current setup) and probably preferable to run a Pi 4 (will be upgrading this season).

Have you had any luck displaying ENC with OpenCPN on your Pi 3? My current Pi 3B+ doesn't seem to want to render ENC properly, unless all the messing around I have done with the settings hasn't hit the right combo yet. I have limited my testing to raster charts until I upgrade hardware.

Edit: Out of curiosity I just did a fresh download of one of my ENCs and now ENCs are working ‾\_(ツ)_/‾

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

Going way back up-thread, the Pi Zero and the Pi 4 use mini-HDMI connectors, the Pi 3 uses a full-sized HDMI. Bog standard stuff.

A lot of the discussion here has been about OpenPlotter/OpenCPN. For that you need to run at least a Pi 3 (our current setup) and probably preferable to run a Pi 4 (will be upgrading this season). The Pi Zero that runs PyPilot doesn’t have the oomph for chart display, etc. You can network it with a bigger Pi if you also want chart display, or you can run the software side of PyPilot on the bigger Pi directly. Depends on your thoughts regarding separate vs. integrated hardware.

If all you want is the AP functions with a little data added the Zero and PyPilot will be fine.

One thing about these systems is that for the cost of a single “marine” chartplotter or AP computer you can carry about 10 fully configured spares ready to go, and they have become so ubiquitous that you can pick them up in some pretty out-of-the-way places.

So I’ve got the pi zero wh with Pypilot. I need to update the image and to move the calibration files, etc.

Folks say this can be done from a PC, presumably running Windows.
But I also have an old laptop running Navigatrix.

How?

[steffan]

Originally Posted by hpeer

So I’ve got the pi zero wh with Pypilot. I need to update the image and to move the calibration files, etc.

Folks say this can be done from a PC, presumably running Windows.
But I also have an old laptop running Navigatrix.

How?

SD card images can be read and written on Windows with Win 32 Disk Imager https://raspberry-projects.com/pi/pi...in32diskimager

Once the card is mounted in the Pi the simplest way to transfer files is with a USB stick. If the Pi is on the same network as your laptop you can use Filezilla to move files between Windows and Linux.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

Going way back up-thread, the Pi Zero and the Pi 4 use mini-HDMI connectors, the Pi 3 uses a full-sized HDMI. Bog standard stuff.

A lot of the discussion here has been about OpenPlotter/OpenCPN. For that you need to run at least a Pi 3 (our current setup) and probably preferable to run a Pi 4 (will be upgrading this season). The Pi Zero that runs PyPilot doesn’t have the oomph for chart display, etc. You can network it with a bigger Pi if you also want chart display, or you can run the software side of PyPilot on the bigger Pi directly. Depends on your thoughts regarding separate vs. integrated hardware.

If all you want is the AP functions with a little data added the Zero and PyPilot will be fine.

One thing about these systems is that for the cost of a single “marine” chartplotter or AP computer you can carry about 10 fully configured spares ready to go, and they have become so ubiquitous that you can pick them up in some pretty out-of-the-way places.

I plan to go with the Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB Ram. I think it's CPU speed is 1.5 Ghz.

Then I'll build from there. Maybe a 35Gb SD card and I think I'll need the RS485 top hat and power supply, monitor, mouse, and keyboard

I'll worry about cases etc later

Mine may stay portable for a while. I may use it for more than just boat stuff. My solar system for example still isn't mounted. Panels are tied on as needed and the controllers are lying in the lazarette lockers with just wires attached.

Hope I never roll the boat! At least not anytime soon. My batteries are secured though

[thomm225]

Also, what size monitors are you folks using onboard with your Raspberrys?

7"?

[JonathanX]

Just a note here, OpenCPN run on windows, MAC, Android and PI. So if happen you have a Tablet with GPS on it you could do communication in Wifi or Bluetooth too. You might say you don't see very well the screen in sun reflection with the PI you still have to find a screen to attach on your PI. So you have a choice to pick up.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Also, what size monitors are you folks using onboard with your Raspberrys?

7"?

Off the shelf 19" samsung monitor with a 12v input. Though very rarely gets used, usually VNC into the Pi from a laptop feet up

[steffan]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Also, what size monitors are you folks using onboard with your Raspberrys?

7"?

Mine is/will be a 22" TV in the salon.

[thomm225]

Okay thanks.

I'll have to figure it out. I have limited space.

[steffan]

My main reason for using the big screen is that the Pi in my set up is for backup navigation, data broadcast, and logging. Secondarily as a media streamer.

Primary navigation will be phone(s)/tablets running Navionics or OpenCPN independently, but optionally consuming the data broadcast on local Wifi by the Pi.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by steffan

My main reason for using the big screen is that the Pi in my set up is for backup navigation, data broadcast, and logging. Secondarily as a media streamer.

Primary navigation will be phone(s)/tablets running Navionics or OpenCPN independently, but optionally consuming the data broadcast on local Wifi by the Pi.

Ok.

I have nothing now except a depth finder that I can move out onto the bridge deck and now my SH GX2200 which I can see from the cockpit. (and charts)

My old 1990's GPS and chart plotter that came on the boat have both failed over the last 8 years

I have tiller steering so I'm close to the companionway as well

The AIS will be nice to "see" the ships that sometime like to hide behind the tunnel island coming into the bay and their speed. I have two shipping channels to cross on my normal sail North (and back South)