Feature Requests

[LennartG]

Is there a way to flag failing MNEA messages in Dashboard?
Some, like Heading and Compass, gets blank when the message is lost while others, like Depth, Speed and Log, just continues to display the last received message, probably no longer correct.
It would be nice with a consistent 'failure indication' or at least an indication that a message is lost, like with the GPS.
One suggestion would be to indicate an 'outdated' message in red or replace it with e.g. five dashes (or blank it).
Regards
LennartG

[transmitterdan]

LennartG,

A “failed” message never reaches dashboard. So dashboard has a timeout that each instrument uses to decide how long to wait for a new value before showing —- or something else. So dashboard can never know about “bad” or “failed” messages. It never sees anything but good messages.

The NMEA debug window will show “bad” or “failed” messages in red.

[LennartG]

Transmnitterdan,
I am not talking about an incorrect message but the simple lack of new messages, this could be equipment failing or multiple other reasons.
As long as there is no new information the old information remains displayed, I've not tried an erroneous message with e.g. wrong checksum, but this is simply what happens if the source quietly dies.

If you think everything is ok, then you never check the debug window and a missing message is not shown in red, it simply does not exist..

/LennartG

[transmitterdan]

Ok, I understand.

Let’s take an example. What should happen on the depth display when no depth message is received for let’s say 1 minute?

[LennartG]

What I would like to see should , preferrably, be consistent between all dashboard instruments, if at all possible.
Today e.g GPS Compass and HDG blanks out so that could be one way. Another could be to make the displayed information red. The important thing is to alert the user that the information displayed is outdated due to lack of updated data.

I think that blanking the information is best but it should perhaps be clarified somehow. My main concern is that outdated information, most likely incorrect, should not be displayed in the same way as fresh and correct information.
/LennartG

[Hakan]

LennartG..
Are you talking about something like my shot?
Håkan

[LennartG]

Håkan,
that could do just fine but you may leave out the digits, just the dashes or, even better, the question marks, after, say, 30 seconds or one minute. Most of these transmitters send information once a second anyway.
A sidenote: Why not center the text information in dashboard? It looks off when text is left justified and instruments centered.

/ Lennart

[LennartG]

Håkan,
after sleeping on it: The dashes are a more common way to indicate lack of information and is, in my opinion, the better choice. The important thing is that outdated information is removed after say 30 seconds or perhaps one minute.
The comment on justification remains unchanged.
/ Lennart

[Franziska]

Audible direction finder ?

Hey, I just wrote this in the MOB thread and was wondering if this could not be added to the features of the AIS module of OpenCPN.

"... Regarding the AIS locators.

Would it not be great to have an audible guidance system on the onboard receiver?

Similar to old school Radio Direction Finders.

The more you head towards the person in the drink, the faster a beep you hear. If you head directly to them you hear a solid sound.

That would free the person left onboard from looking at a display and focus on the multitude of other things needing to be done during the recovery mission.
... "

This is for the case that the person over board wears an AIS transponder.
Unfortunately I am not enough tech savy to write a Plug-in for this myself.

[Simi 60]

I'd be very happy to see the trip and sumlog do something.
Pleeeaasse. (-;

[skipperearly]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Audible direction finder ?

Hey, I just wrote this in the MOB thread and was wondering if this could not be added to the features of the AIS module of OpenCPN.

"... Regarding the AIS locators.

Would it not be great to have an audible guidance system on the onboard receiver?

Similar to old school Radio Direction Finders.

The more you head towards the person in the drink, the faster a beep you hear. If you head directly to them you hear a solid sound.

That would free the person left onboard from looking at a display and focus on the multitude of other things needing to be done during the recovery mission.
... "

This is for the case that the person over board wears an AIS transponder.
Unfortunately I am not enough tech savy to write a Plug-in for this myself.

Please add it in the tracker - I will vote for it

[Franziska]

I'd love to add it, but at the moment the password recovery fails (and I lost mine from 3 years ago...). I wrote to Dave about it. Hope they can fix it ASAP.

[rgleason]

Lady Rover your new password should have been sent. if not PM me.

[nohal]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

I'd be very happy to see the trip and sumlog do something.
Pleeeaasse. (-;

If you talk about the dashboard instruments they do exactly what they are designed to - Show the data if available in the NMEA stream.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by nohal

If you talk about the dashboard instruments they do exactly what they are designed to - Show the data if available in the NMEA stream.

Great if you have additional nmea instruments to link them to.
Why can't they show the details like free phone apps can simply reading the info from I assume, GPS?