Data display for OpenCPN

[Franziska]

Last not least, it's easier to find waterproof cases for the most popular phones.

The wireless charging through a window or, possibly thinned out, deck section avoids any issues with humidity.
An example (I have not tested this model!)

https://onepointech.com/stealth-wireless-charger/

Btw. they also sell tiny wireless charging receivers which plug into the phones USB port, if it does not have wireless charging by design. Phone and charging receiver fit into the waterproof case.

https://www.amazon.de/Nillkin-Empf%C...924606&sr=8-12


A typical app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...aboni.boatinga

[bergius]

Originally Posted by KultaPossu

I have been looking into OpenCPN, and I can't find any software or hardware for data displays (example as attached picture) nor any projects related to it.

This is something I built for our previous boat, getting the data from Signal K. Worked fine for the couple of years we had the boat.


Our current boat has B&G Tritons, so I haven’t revisited the project. But maybe an e-ink screen like this would be nice somewhere beside my bunk for quickly seeing stats while at anchor without having to turn a tablet or smartphone on.

[akopac]

SignalK can transmits NMEA over Wi-Fi.
SignalK has a couple instrument display plug-ins for Amazon kindle paper white readers (with Wi-Fi + built in browser and GLARELESS screen) over Wi-Fi
Openplotter for rpi includes the ability to use your Wi-Fi hardware on the pi as a Wi-Fi access point.
All this is powered by Fairy Dust for power and the screen on the pi can be shared to almost any other tablet or computer over the pi using the free VNC built into raspbean OS
Amazon kindle paper whites can be found for $30 used and are almost waterproof
Raspberry Pi’s run about $50 now

[hans-martijn]

I just bought these. There a little small, but look really nice and aren't expensive. https://github.com/bareboat-necessit...-m5stack-tough

I haven't had a chance to test them though, so if you're interested I'll post that later.

-Hans

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by hans-martijn

I just bought these. There a little small, but look really nice and aren't expensive. https://github.com/bareboat-necessit...-m5stack-tough



I haven't had a chance to test them though, so if you're interested I'll post that later.



-Hans

Absolutely, tell us about how it went.

[chrismiller]

You can configure opencpn to provide navigation information over nmea via messages RMB and RMC. A NASA clipper GPS repeter will display this as a rolling road.



https://www.nasamarine.com/product/c...-gps-repeater/


I used to have this setup, but now have some old nexus nx2 instruments that to the same thing. Their steer pilot gives directions on the direction to steer.

[Distant_Shaws]

When I installed OpenCPN

I also installed NavMonPCmainly to collect the data from various sources and feed it to OpenCPN

NavMonPC will also display incoming data on a separate switchable screen.

[CyKlop]

I think that the question and many of the responses are conflating three separate things.

OpenCPN is, basically, a display system. It doesn't generate much data on its own, generally. It does, sometimes, bridge the data from one format to another (such as incoming NMEA183 data to SignalK). Thus there are three different parts to consider:

1. The incoming data stream, generally NMEA183, consisting of things like GPS position and other sensor data as NMEA183 sentences. This is present on whatever NMEA data bus you have.

2. The receiver of that data - there can be multiple receivers if you're using a hardware buss that supports multiple devices (such as NMEA2000, EtherNet, WiFi, etc, but not an NMEA183 _hardware_ buss, though there are devices that will allow you to get around that limitation too).

3. The displayer of the data - this is often the same as item #2.

OpenCPN is at level 2 and 3. It can also act as a bridge between two different level 2s such as taking something from an N2K hardware buss and outputting it as SignalK server.

The OPs question means he wants another level 2 and 3 device - a display that will numerically display values. This can be _anything_ that will interpret the sentences and has a way of connecting to the data stream. For instance, my Zeus Chartplotter acts as a wifi serve and outputs the NMEA183 sentences. So another device can easily catch those sentences and do... whatever the heck it wants with them, including displaying them - OpenCPN is not even involved in that process, and DEFINITELY no mirroring required.

The normal configuration I run on my ship is:

NMEA2K buss linking my depth, speed, water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, position (GPS) sensors plus my AIS transceiver together with my Zeus Chartplotter at the nav station plus my laptop running OpenCPN (using an NMEA2K -> USB dongle, though I could do it wirelessly too) also at the Nav Station. An iPad at the helm station that is either mirroring the Zeus Chartplotter or else running some other display software or chartplotting software, depending on our needs at the moment. and getting its data wirelessly from either the Zeus or the Cortex M1 WiFi servers.

I also have two Triton displays that are plugged into the N2K hardware buss and getting their power and data from that. No OpenCPN required.

[Slainte1]

Contact Londonchartplotters

[CarinaPDX]

Yes, @CyKlop has it right. The problem is not collecting and disseminating the information. The problem is to find a way to display the information in an inexpensive way. The OP used an RM multi-display as what he wants, but without the hideous price tag. This has been on my mind too.

It seems to me that the OBP60 would be what the OP is looking for, assuming it is reasonably accessible to user configuration. Plugging onto the N2K bus and displaying the chosen data is a great solution, conceptually the same as the RM display. I will be watching this.

I am currently awaiting a new Raspberry Pi 5, which I will use with OpenPlotter when it is updated to be compatible. The RPi 5 has two mini-HDMI connectors, plus several other ways to drive displays. My intial thought was to have my TV connected to one, which could be used as a computer display and for watching videos. The second one could drive a simple display to show N2K data in the cockpit (in addition to the chartplotter). The hardware is simple. The Dashboard project linked to above would fit this concept perfectly, with an e-ink display connected directly to the RPi 5. This fits into the chartplotter paradigm, with the Pi running a full suite of marine software.

Personally I need a way to display some N2K data in the cockpit without firing up the chartplotter so the OPB60 is of great interest. With the RPi used as a backup chartplotter and instrument display, I am also interested in the Dashboard approach.

Conceptually, an inexpensive hobby board such as Arduino or Pi Zero could drive an e-ink display from N2K or 0183 for under $100 total cost. The realities of commerce mean that a commercial solution is 10 times that. There is a lot of room for innovation here.

Greg

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

It seems to me that the OBP60 would be what the OP is looking for, assuming it is reasonably accessible to user configuration. Plugging onto the N2K bus and displaying the chosen data is a great solution, conceptually the same as the RM display. I will be watching this.

I did a little Googling on the OBP60. It is "open" which is good. The design objectives are astounding. The question I couldn't suss out is the execution.
Will this be pure "open source" like OpenCPN, where you download it and have fun -- which means, in the hardware world, you 3D-print the housing, procure the buttons and plugs and display and chips and PCB and execute it?
Will this be a small supplier business, where the developers provide a partially complete kit (the entire PCB with chips installed, as well as assorted buttons and switches and plugs and such) and the hobbyist prints and customizes and assembles it?
Or will it be a full on vendor, where the entire completed device is available, even if it is "open source." I think (but am not sure) that the Electrodacus BMS for batteries in this model.
With anything but the first choice, the developer ends up taking on a huge logistic problem, and if the price is good the uptake could be overwhelming.
This project could address so many of the challenges a willing tinker normally faces. I've heard of pypilot, for instance, and can't get my mind around the entirety of the project -- boards and software and firmware installation and mounting/waterproofing and connection to an actuator and...well, I can't. But a nearly complete display to replicate a B&G Triton at a fraction of the cost would be very attractive!

[tkalfaoglu]

It's easy to install a remote desktop app on an android tablet and connect to the OpenCPN computer.. Have a centralized OpenCPN computer (maybe an Orange PI/Raspberry PI setup?)
and connect to that machine.

[ColIn Ferguson]

I have done precisely that. I have a raspberry pi running openplotter.
It is receiving AIS, GPS, various temperature, pressure sensors and accelerometer. It receives Seatalk 1 data from the Raymarine instrumentation via an optocoupler. The data is displayed via Signal K and there as several display options which are user confugurable.Openplotter is set up to do all this plus more.
I access this via an Oukitel waterproof android tablet mounted at the binnacle which is linked wirelessly through VNC to the raspberry pi access point. The Oukitel is highly readable in bright sunshine, better than my old Raymarine MFD.
I actually do most of my chart plotting with Navionics, but it is easy to flip between them
Minimal power usage and the whole lot probably cost less than £200.

[Franziska]

Just on a side note, it works also directly with NMEA 0183 and OpenCPN, no need for SignalK.
Nothing against SignalK, but it's worth mentioning that it is not mandatory/necessary if you only want to receive data over WiFi from an OpenCPN computer.

[hans-martijn]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Absolutely, tell us about how it went.

It actually works very well, with loads of screens you can use. If you have a signalk-server, this is a really nice extra, although very tiny.

-Hans