Yacht Devices NMEA2k to Raspberry Pi

[rejas]

Hi!

I'm about to replace our Actisense NGW-1-ISO to a new device between NMEA2k and our Raspberry Pi running OpenPlotter.

I'm looking at the devices from Yacht Devices. They have (at least) three options.

1. NMEA2k -> WiFi -> R-Pi (YDWG-02)
2. NMEA2k -> USB -> R-Pi (YDNU-02)
3. NMEA2k -> Ethernet -> R-Pi (YDEN-02)

I have ruled the first one out since there is a big overlap in the functionality we already have. And I kind of like cables.

My plan was to go over USB as a drop in replacement for my current solution, but then I saw the third choice that seems to be quite new. It still has a cable, but it will rely on a switch (that is already there). I do like the web dashboard it has. There is an overlap in functionality and the power consumption is higher.

All this is most because it is fun and we don't really need it to navigate.

Do any of you have any experience of these devices? Do you have some thoughts I missed? Would you go for 2 or 3 or something completely different?

[ns423]

I have #3 and have been very happy with it. I have it sending data to my low power router to share out via WiFi. I like the Ethernet for reliability but I've never tried one of their wireless adapters. The Ethernet vs. USB will allow you to share data easier if you decide you want to go to multiple devices. I have some more information and pictures in this thread: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...et-229493.html

[smac999]

why get rid of the actisense?

[rejas]

Originally Posted by smac999

why get rid of the actisense?

I will have use for it in another boat. Main reason is that I want to test the new devices and the cabling from the actisence doesn't look great. I have the ISO version to witch I connected a serialport and then a serial to usb converter. It doesn't look to nice and I will use it as a movable device.

It works fine.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by ns423

I have #3 and have been very happy with it. I have it sending data to my low power router to share out via WiFi. I like the Ethernet for reliability but I've never tried one of their wireless adapters. The Ethernet vs. USB will allow you to share data easier if you decide you want to go to multiple devices. I have some more information and pictures in this thread: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...et-229493.html

But can’t I pull the data into the Pi via USB then use the Pi’s wifi to share with my tablet or phone apps? Or the Pi’s Ethernet to a stronger wifi router? I’m about to buy the N2K to USB adapter as it looks nice and simple for connection to OpenCPN on the Pi, but I would also like the data to use in iSailor on my phone and tablet.

[rejas]

Originally Posted by fxykty

But can’t I pull the data into the Pi via USB then use the Pi’s wifi to share with my tablet or phone apps? Or the Pi’s Ethernet to a stronger wifi router? I’m about to buy the N2K to USB adapter as it looks nice and simple for connection to OpenCPN on the Pi, but I would also like the data to use in iSailor on my phone and tablet.

That is absolutely possible and works. That is why I'm hesitating to buy the Ethernet one, since it consumes more power and the functionality overlaps. What the Ethernet will add is a nice looking web dashboard (at least it looks good on the screenshots) and the possibility to use it even if the raspberry stops working. Other than that all functionality is already on the Raspberry. There are dashboards in SiignalK that also looks good but the one from Yacht Devices looks nicer.

But the reason for this thread is that I cannot really decide what way to go. I like to have options but I don't like too much overlap in functionality. Especially it it costs som power. In this case the power consumption is low though.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by rejas

That is absolutely possible and works. That is why I'm hesitating to buy the Ethernet one, since it consumes more power and the functionality overlaps. What the Ethernet will add is a nice looking web dashboard (at least it looks good on the screenshots) and the possibility to use it even if the raspberry stops working. Other than that all functionality is already on the Raspberry. There are dashboards in SiignalK that also looks good but the one from Yacht Devices looks nicer.

But the reason for this thread is that I cannot really decide what way to go. I like to have options but I don't like too much overlap in functionality. Especially it it costs som power. In this case the power consumption is low though.

Have you seen the SignalK server solutions ?

You can receive NMEA2K with a canbus adapter with usb output.

NMEA2K is translated to SignalK format. Then it can be used directly or converted to NMEA183.

I'am using the small Canable board ( $29,-) but other adapters are also possible like the NGT-1 from Actisense.

If you take the Openplotter image. You get Debian plus the OpenPlotter additions, like the SignalK server.

It works great here for receiving NMEA2K on my Raspberry Pi.


Bram

[rejas]

Originally Posted by verkerkbr

Have you seen the SignalK server solutions ?

You can receive NMEA2K with a canbus adapter with usb output.

NMEA2K is translated to SignalK format. Then it can be used directly or converted to NMEA183.

I'am using the small Canable board ( $29,-) but other adapters are also possible like the NGT-1 from Actisense.

If you take the Openplotter image. You get Debian plus the OpenPlotter additions, like the SignalK server.

It works great here for receiving NMEA2K on my Raspberry Pi.

Yes, this is exactly what I am doing. I have the NGW-1 currently and it works fine. But the devices from Yacht Devices looks interesting and i want to try them out. Thanks for your input.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by rejas

Yes, this is exactly what I am doing. I have the NGW-1 currently and it works fine. But the devices from Yacht Devices looks interesting and i want to try them out. Thanks for your input.

For direct input of NMEA2K you can also use the NGT-1`. This is not the convertor NGW-1.


Looking at the list of the SignalK server. Yacht Devices YDWG_02 are also supported in UDP and TCP. (canboatjs)


Bram

[RigBig]

I went the easy way. I tapped into the nmea2k by means of iKommunicate and from there to the 4G Connect Pro. The iKommunicate comes with some nice built in apps which allows me to view all my 2000 data wirelessly from any where on the boat.

I know there is a way to get the data off the boat by means of the 4g sim card to the cloud for remote access, I just haven't figured out how to do that yet.

[s/v Jedi]

I can not understand why people consider USB versions. It is -serial-, can only connect to one device which must be powered on and working good before anything can happen. And then the driver problems, especially with the new OpenCPN

I have both the wifi and Ethernet versions. You can consider them equal, but I only have the wifi version because the Ethernet version was not yet available when I bought that.

When you already have a wifi router and you connect the nmea2000-Ethernet gateway to one of it's LAN ports, it works the same as when you connect the nmea2000-wifi gateway to your wifi as a client.

I prefer a cable, so the nmea2000-Ethernet version which I connected to my
wifi router. This works so good that I use the wifi link for OpenCPN on my laptop as well as for iPad/iPhone apps.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I can not understand why people consider USB versions. It is -serial-, can only connect to one device which must be powered on and working good before anything can happen. And then the driver problems, especially with the new OpenCPN

I have both the wifi and Ethernet versions. You can consider them equal, but I only have the wifi version because the Ethernet version was not yet available when I bought that.

When you already have a wifi router and you connect the nmea2000-Ethernet gateway to one of it's LAN ports, it works the same as when you connect the nmea2000-wifi gateway to your wifi as a client.

I prefer a cable, so the nmea2000-Ethernet version which I connected to my
wifi router. This works so good that I use the wifi link for OpenCPN on my laptop as well as for iPad/iPhone apps.

I haven’t set up a router yet and even if I had I still want Signal K on the Pi to handle outgoing NMEA to other devices such as tablets/phones. I assume that if I get the Ethernet version then I can connect that directly to the Pi for now and use it the same way as I would use the USB version?

In the future when I have a router, I would connect the gateway to the router and the Pi to the router. Signal K on the Pi will take the NMEA input, process it, then make it available to the rest of the network. Is that right?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I haven’t set up a router yet and even if I had I still want Signal K on the Pi to handle outgoing NMEA to other devices such as tablets/phones. I assume that if I get the Ethernet version then I can connect that directly to the Pi for now and use it the same way as I would use the USB version?

In the future when I have a router, I would connect the gateway to the router and the Pi to the router. Signal K on the Pi will take the NMEA input, process it, then make it available to the rest of the network. Is that right?

No, sorry it doesn’t work like that. It all starts with a rock solid Ethernet and wifi. The converter does the converting so if you demand to use SignalK then that has to be your gateway. For me it is the YachtDevices converters or even my Vesper AIS.

Get a great wifi router first. People in the know really like the GL.iNet with OpenWRT https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If that hasn’t enough ethernet ports, add a good Ethernet switch. Maybe something like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Once you have that network up, you can do anything with PC’s, laptops, iPads, tablets etc. Then you connect your pi with Ethernet and get it to do everything you like. I take the YachtDevices simple converter for now

Edit: let me add to that: the SignalK running on pi cannot do this; you still need to add a CANbus transceiver to it, which adds a device that is crucial to correct operation, lowering reliability. There are other ways... you can run it on a Victron GX device which has CANbus On board.

[teppokurki]

SK Server supports connecting to Yacht Design's YDGW-02 over its RAW protocol over TCP and UDP. YDEN-02 supports also RAW per https://www.yachtd.com/products/ethernet_gateway.html.

I haven't done it, but I would think that you could connect the devices together with a network cable, with fixed ip addresses, and everything should work. No network switch with that bit of constant extra power draw, and you'd be future proof to add a real network some day in the future.

[fxykty]

Anyone know if the YD SeatalkNG gateway will pass through radar data? I’ve got a Raymarine Digital Radar connected via our SeatalkNG network to the chart plotter, which is where the radar displays.

Could we display it in OpenCPN?

Fingers crossed! If this works then my Pi replacement of the chart plotter is almost complete. (Actually, I do plan to use both together - one in the cockpit and the other inside the cabin and phones/tablets wherever.)

Current setup (off the boat and on our dining room table during this lockdown period) is Pi connected via WiFi to a RedBox router. There’s also a cellular gateway to give us 4G internet on the boat when coastal cruising and a sat phone for slow data offshore/remote, both connected to the RedBox.

The plan is for the YD Ethernet gateway to connect that to the Pi. I hope to use Signal K Server to make the incoming NMEA available to OpenCPN on the Pi and iSailor on phones and tablets.