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acunningham · 25-11-2020, 01:52

If you're looking for a software project, how about an OpenCPN plugin or a smartphone app to semi-automatically generate a boat's real-world polar diagram?

sbender · 25-11-2020, 08:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackNet

Greetings everyone,

I have always been interested in exploring the chemistry of computing technologies in the maritime sector. Specializing in IT, I have garnered a handful of technical knowledge and I have recently been wanting to apply this in the industry. After a few boat shows and such, I noticed there are hardware improvements made but I think there is still some leaps to take, especially on the software side.

I am interested in knowing how the marine electronics and technology scope is like from the perspective of boaters and sailors and what else can be improved. As for myself, I believe the way forward is embracing open technologies like OpenCPN and I also noticed the thread here regarding Starlink internet access and I also bet that will take off for maritime applications.

You should definitely take a look at Signal K:

Signal K Â» Welcome
https://github.com/SignalK/signalk-s...ster/README.md
Join the Signal K community on Slack!
shameless plug: http://www.wilhelmsk.com

Lot's activity going on here and plenty of areas for improvement.

RaymondR · 25-11-2020, 11:07

The Programmable Loop Controller (PLC) as used for machine and process control is basically a microprocessor with a hard wired timeout control to ensure the device does not get stuck in a loop.

Does my MFD have this feature and from an operational reliability viewpoint is this the difference between my MFD running a nav program and my tablet running OpenCPN?

goboatingnow · 25-11-2020, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The Programmable Loop Controller (PLC) as used for machine and process control is basically a microprocessor with a hard wired timeout control to ensure the device does not get stuck in a loop.

Does my MFD have this feature and from an operational reliability viewpoint is this the difference between my MFD running a nav program and my tablet running OpenCPN?

hard wired timeout control, known as a watchdog timer

wholybee · 25-11-2020, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by acunningham

If you're looking for a software project, how about an OpenCPN plugin or a smartphone app to semi-automatically generate a boat's real-world polar diagram?

It already exists. The polar plugin.

wholybee · 25-11-2020, 14:57

There is of course always room for improvement and things are always evolving. This thread seems to have started with the opinion that development is stagnant or going in the wrong direction. That there is an opening for something new. At least thats how this thread reads to me.

I have to disagree. The new chartplotters are Android. It's currently a closed ecosystem and apps are only available from the vendors store. But it must be possible to sideload an app, even if the method hasn't been discovered. And you could certainly work with a vendor to get an app in their store. I think this is probably the biggest opportunity for a software developer that wants to get into the market.

And I think it is only a short time before someone figures out how to sideload OpenCPN onto a Raymarine chartplotter.

And someone else mentioned the Vesper VHF. I think it is ridiculously overpriced, but that's what they can do because they are the only company on the market with it. Seriously, how expensive should it be for Standard Horizon or ICOM to make a VHF that runs on android and makes it easy to add a million bells and whistles. I bet that since Vesper released their radio all the other manufactures went right to engineering their own version.

I don't really see any operational issues with NMEA2000 or TCP/IP connectivity as it's currently implemented, yet there is progress an improvements there as well.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get my hands on a new chartplotter to play with. To me that is very exciting.

acunningham · 25-11-2020, 15:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by wholybee

It already exists. The polar plugin.

Thanks, I'll take a look!

JackNet · 26-11-2020, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbender

You should definitely take a look at Signal K:

Signal K Â» Welcome
https://github.com/SignalK/signalk-s...ster/README.md
Join the Signal K community on Slack!
shameless plug: http://www.wilhelmsk.com

Lot's activity going on here and plenty of areas for improvement.

I have noticed Signal K when testing OpenPlotter, but I overlooked it when starting this thread. Yes, definitely something to take note of. Thanks for the reminder.

Cheechako · 26-11-2020, 12:53

Reliable wireless instruments and senders.
Instruments that communicate 100% with each other. (been a problem for decades, albeit may be better now)

tanglewood · 26-11-2020, 13:25

I think one of the biggest mistakes product people make is looking at what you can do with various technologies, rather than looking at what problems need to be solved. People pay money to have problems solved. Unique and cool technologies are only of interest to technologists.

Remote monitoring of boats came up as a suggestion. Yes, it's very useful, but everyone and their brother is offering a solution. It's a very crowded market, so you better have something pretty distinguished if you hope to break in.

I'd love to see the certification of N2K products extended to include the messages that are exchanged between them. In my experience, this is where all the compatibility problems lie, and it's no surprise because it's poorly specified, with the expected free-for-all that follows. It's been 20 years like this, so I think it's safe to say NMEA will not address this. I'd guess it's because there are too many big players who are too entrenched in their own interpretation, and unwilling to change. But that's just a guess. So I think the only way it gets solved is via a vendor consortium who create a defacto-standard that sits on top of the N2K certification. But such an effort would likely run into the same vendor resistance, so I don't hold out great hope. I also don't see how you can make a business of such a standard unless you are a vendor who's business is accelerated by having things more thoroughly standardized.

The other area I'd love to see improvement is in the diversity of chart sources that are available across most, if not all charting programs. That to me is the biggest limitation in charting programs. But over the past couple of years, this is moving in exactly the opposite direction with big chart plotter companies buying up the independent charts vendors. So far these charts remain available on other platforms, but I think it makes for a very precarious situation for chart plotter vendors. But like the other areas, it's not clear to me how an independent can unlock this.

Lake-Effect · 26-11-2020, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by wholybee

The new chartplotters are Android. It's currently a closed ecosystem and apps are only available from the vendors store. But it must be possible to sideload an app, even if the method hasn't been discovered. And you could certainly work with a vendor to get an app in their store. I think this is probably the biggest opportunity for a software developer that wants to get into the market.

And I think it is only a short time before someone figures out how to sideload OpenCPN onto a Raymarine chartplotter.

... didn't know about Android being their OS, but it makes sense. Though I imagine there's some secret component or key that they add to apps before they go on their app store., so you'd need to steal, crack or reverse-engineer their scheme, which of course is a crime (DCMA). So I don't think side-loading OpenCPN or other handrolled apps is likely.

But, if they had some foresight, Raymarine or others could make and sell a complete set of compatible hardware - properly marinized central computer/servers, network backbone, sensors, standard Android MFDs and displays- then let people choose the apps to run - their own, or others. I think that sort of hardware offering would sell like hotcakes, and not just to the recreational marine market.

goboatingnow · 27-11-2020, 02:02

Lighthouse is I think running on BSD

goboatingnow · 27-11-2020, 02:04

People talk about cheap hardware. Have a look at the cost of optically bonded high nit lcds. !!! , these are low volume niche markets , hardware designed for marine use will never be mass market

Having said that you can get MFDs cheaper then an iPad Pro

muttnik · 27-11-2020, 02:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Lighthouse is I think running on BSD

I'm happy to be corrected but a few years back I took apart an update for an early iteration of lighthouse and it was Linux. I then had a lengthy communication with Raymarine about the GPL as they hadn't put any of the licences or free software for download. Eventually they put the stuff up but seems that wasn't maintained as whilst there's still a link on the lighthouse page it's broken and licences seem nowhere to be found:
https://www.raymarine.com/view/index...032387737.html