AIS-receiver not working in OpenCPN under Navigatrix

[hansvalk]

I have recently installed Navigatrix on an Acer Aspire One. Additionally I have tried to make an Advansea RX-100 AIS receiver work with OpenCPN. There is also a GPS attached, which is multiplexed via the RX-100. The RX-100 is connected to an USB-port of the Acer Aspire.
With the GPS set to 'Network LIBGPS' and 4800 baud, the GPS signal comes through and a position is shown by OpenCPN on the map.
In the AIS-toolbox window no USB-port is shown. There is als no baud-rate setting available. I've tried every one of the 7 ports, but no AIS-info shows on the map.
Changing the GPS-toolbox settings to 38400 baud and setting the data source to 'AIS-port shared' results in losing the GPS-signal, but still no AIS-info is shown on the map.
The strange thing is that xgps (also in the Navigatrix-package) DOES show AIS-information of ships in my vicinity, with names, positions etc.

I have with the RX-100 a CD which contains a driver for Linux (ftdi_sio). Is it absolutely necessary to install this driver to get OpenCPN to recognize the RX-100?
It's strange xgps can do the trick without a driver. It sees AIS-targets as well as GPS-satellites.

How can OpenCPN be brought to recognize the RX-100 without losing the GPS-signal?

[nohal]

hansvalk...
You don't need the driver at all if xgps works without it (FTDI chips are known to have pretty good support in the Linux kernel out of the box). The correct config in this case should be setting the AIS port (the AIS baudrate is always 38400) and using 'AIS-port shared' for the GPS.
You can get the correct port by issuing

dmesg

in the terminal after you attach the RX-100 to your computer.
Your problem is probably related to GPSD launched automatically when the device is inserted and recognized. Older OpenCPN versions up to 3.0.2 then can get the GPS info from it, but not AIS.
You have basically two options:
1) stop GPSD and do the setup with the USB port you discover in dmesg output (you can write into that box in the toolbox, so it's not that important if the port does not get detected and put into the list automatically, which is the case for some new schools port names).
2) Upgrade to OpenCPN 3.1.1328 (or .1405 due to be out in the next 24 hours) release candidate which has the data input code rewritten to support scenarios like this much better. There should be no problem upgrading as Navigatrix is just another Ubuntu clone AFAIK (of course if you are not running it from a CD or another read-only media).

Pavel

[hansvalk]

Originally Posted by nohal

You have basically two options:
1) stop GPSD and do the setup with the USB port you discover in dmesg output (you can write into that box in the toolbox, so it's not that important if the port does not get detected and put into the list automatically, which is the case for some new schools port names).
2) Upgrade to OpenCPN 3.1.1328 (or .1405 due to be out in the next 24 hours) release candidate which has the data input code rewritten to support scenarios like this much better. There should be no problem upgrading as Navigatrix is just another Ubuntu clone AFAIK (of course if you are not running it from a CD or another read-only media).

Pavel

Hello Pavel,

I think I will try the last option. GPSD (and xgps) is useful as it shows a list of AIS-targets and GPS-data. I like to keep that.
Thanks for thinking for me. I'll be back with you later.

--
greeting from The Netherlands.
Hans Valk

[hansvalk]

Originally Posted by hansvalk

I think I will try the last option. GPSD (and xgps) is useful as it shows a list of AIS-targets and GPS-data. I like to keep that.
Thanks for thinking for me. I'll be back with you later.

Well, I did the upgrade, all according to what is said about installing the beta versions.
First added ppa:nohal to the software sources and then upgraded using the package manager. I downloaded the version for other Ubuntu's, as I don't think Navigatrix uses 12.04.

The funny thing is: although OpenCPN is still shown in the toolbar and in the manta-menu it won't start by clicking on it.

Should I get rid of Navigatrix?

[sinbad7]

I am also not receiving any AIS signals on OPENCPN the past two days from my SR162
receiver although there is plenty of traffick in my area? v. 3.1.1328

Tore

[nohal]

Originally Posted by hansvalk

Well, I did the upgrade, all according to what is said about installing the beta versions.
First added ppa:nohal to the software sources and then upgraded using the package manager. I downloaded the version for other Ubuntu's, as I don't think Navigatrix uses 12.04.

The funny thing is: although OpenCPN is still shown in the toolbar and in the manta-menu it won't start by clicking on it.

Should I get rid of Navigatrix?

Can you try to remove your config file an run again? (/home/YOURUSERNAME/.opencpn/opencpn.conf)
If it won't help, please post the logfile from the last session (opencpn.log in your home - just the last part is what we need to see)
Navigatrix is indeed fine and I like the idea, but it suffers from the lack of manpower I would say. Not that we don't know this very well here

Pavel

[cowelld]

I've been able to use VSPE as an internet AIS source (hd-sf.com:9009) with success on a Windows system. The AIS RADAR plugin isn't showing anything though. (I haven't a GPS source so perhaps that is the issue.) One note - after terminating the AIS source all the displayed AIS icons continue on indefinitely. This could be a disastrous situation if the user didn't notice the loss of AIS ship movement.

[yachtman]

have you tried

settings / ships/ais targets/lost targets.

chose an appropriate time length.

[cowelld]

I suddenly have that dumb feeling. Thanks for pointing out the feature. I didn't wait long enough for the time-out to take effect. I figure the defaults must be 8 and 10 minutes which would be a little over a mile and half at six knots. I guess that's reasonable if AIS ranges are twenty plus but close if the CPA warning is at two miles. It'd be better still if there was a message about loosing AIS data after the timeout.
Thanks again.

[yachtman]

supose there is as targets get a black line through them

strangely when using my digital yacht ais, and using it for own ship position, it tends to be instantly visible when there is a data out, as the top right gps goes red and the ship, grey/ black.

[wadda]

Originally Posted by nohal

<snip> There should be no problem upgrading as Navigatrix is just another Ubuntu clone AFAIK (of course if you are not running it from a CD or another read-only media).

The new .deb packages for OpenCPN has changed locations of some of the files.

In Navigatrix a blind upgrade of OpenCPN will break configurations as the upgrade moves some files. Additionally it replaces others that no longer point in the right direction.

This is less of a problem if someone gets the AIS information from a source that is not the soundcard. But it must be hand hacked for the soundcard signal to get through with the new layout.

[wadda]

I've just worked my way backwards through the posts.

The problem, it seems, is the version of OpenCPN in the Navigatrix release cannot demux the AIS data from the GPSD.

Since you are not using a modified VHF radio via your soundcard for AIS, a new version of OpenCPN might resolve your problem.

The Navigatrix Support Form ( http://navigatrix/support.php ) is the place to go for solutions.