Input through USB differently than through WIFI?

[fbaud]

Hello everyone
I do not know how to continue.
I have the latest OpenCPN and I have a MiniPlex (ShipModul MiniPlex 3WI-N2K).
The MiniPlex is set up to pass all data through all channels.
In OpenCPN I have two connection configurations. Once WIFI and once USB.
I also get all the data on both configurations. But:
When connecting via USB, the GPS connection "interrupts" every few seconds and the PEEP appears as a warning signal (e.g. in the case of an anchor alarm). All 3 GPS bars are green, but then the red dot and PEEP come on for a millisecond.
GNSS in use: 12. GPS connection is optimal and working.
The problem:
If I connect OpenCPN with WIFI then there are no such interruptions. Only when connected to USB.
Of course I have already checked whether I have the correct and latest USB driver for the MiniPlex.
And I checked the connections with another GPS software, I didn't have these interruptions there.

What else could it be?
Thanks for any tips.

[Corsair63]

I've also the Miniplex 3 N2K but with ethernet connection.

could be some problem with overflow in the USB (COM port) try to configure in well high COM speed, e.g. 115000 bps, that will depend of how many inputs you'll have active (total 4 for that model).

because if they are as normal 4800 bps should not be so much problem for the USB output, but if you have one for the AIS it must work at least in 38400 bps, and of course if would be more inputs at such speed them you'd have overflow in the output and loss of data. all together with the data coming from the N2K bus.

also why not trying UDP connection via wi-fi? it's bi-direccional and you can connect some devices simultaneous.
And it works really well with OCPN.

try to update the firmware to the latest:

MiniPlex-3 V3.16.2
See the Changelog for details about the updates.

WiFi firmware V1.5.0.3
This update addresses stability issues of the WiFi access point of the MiniPlex-3Wi(-N2K). The minimum required MiniPlex-3 firmware (V2.3.4) and update instructions are included in the package.

and last contact with shipmodul developer, the answer are very fast and will let you know if is there any routing problem in the NMEA sentences.

I'm using the UDP connection for OCPN and both of the COM port outputs for another software all together at the same time.

I had a problem with the wind vane that gave me one reading every some seconds instead of continuous readings, with the support of shipmodul was detected that the transmission of NMEA sentence from the vane was not fully standard, and have to exchange it in the "input mode" from "NMEA" to "NMEA (CR/LF)" and I started to get continuous wind readings, maybe something similar together with overflow for the GPS signal.

[fbaud]

Thank you for your feedback signal.
I tried it with output at 115000bps. Unfortunately it hasn't helped yet.
But I'm also not the super professional, maybe I have a wrong setting somewhere else.
I'll show you a print screen of how mine looks.
and, What exactly do you mean by "UDP connection via Wifi"?
When I connect the laptop to the MiniPlex with Wifi, I can no longer connect the laptop to my cell phone and then have no internet on the laptop. So I prefer to connect with USB so I can use the WIFI for internet.

[Corsair63]

I lost all I wrote before for using the back arrow. 😵*💫

First, are you receiving data in OCPN with the COM3 port setting as 115200?

Maybe you´ll need to exchange the COM3 parameters in the device manager in that COM port to 115200. (Remember always to write previous parameters, just in case)

Also, the output speed of the Miniplex port it’s independent from the data speed of the “Host port” in this case the COM3. You can leave it in either 4800 either 38400, it will depend on what you have connected on them.
Then check the individual inputs in Miniplex, you can select the input, click no scroll, and click on clear, and select one by one the inputs and check if you’re receiving the desired data from the desired devices.

Miniplex has some speed restrictions input/output and you have 115200 in the input 4 so maybe you're not receiving anything, exchange to 4800 if you have a normal NMEA device or 38400 if HS-NMEA, one of the outputs will exchange automatically I guess to 4800, but it's no problem for you because you're not using them.

For the UDP connection:
Second, best of all you can do is to set all devices in the same Wi-Fi network on such way the laptop won’t disconnect from the mobile when connected to Miniplex, all them will work in the same network, I guess that should be the access point created with your mobile if you haven’t a router or make a access point with the laptop (up to you).

Now you’ll have to read the Miniplex manual for the connection of equipment inside the Wi-Fi network.

Page 23 “Wi-Fi Interface” for start but not the desired one, working on the Miniplex WiFi network and will disconnect the laptop from mobile.

Page 26 “Joining an existing Wi-Fi Access Point/Router” that is the option to put all equipment in the same network.

Page 46 “Network” And for the exchange to UDP, consider that where it says 10.0.0.1 it should be the Miniplex address inside your network as you already setup in 26.

And if after all the system explodes and your brain too the best thing would be contact with costumer service of Shipmodul that is good and quickly.
If you do that (I really recommend it) Also send the configuration file that you have saved for the Miniplex, explaining the problem.

[Hakan]

fbaud..
For info.
There's is a bug in O 5.8.2 concerning high speed serial connection, like USB.
On certain occasions one character in a NMEA0183 message can be lost resulting in a checksum error and the message is not used. If this happens for example to the message xxRMC the position can be lost for a second or two possible leading to effects you've described.
The bug is corrected in master code and will be included in next OCPN release.

[fbaud]

Many thanks for your extensive information.
But unfortunately....
1. I haven't solved the problem until now.
2. I basically don't understand the principle of these different speeds. Already noticed that when I installed AIS. There it was mentioned that AIS requires 38400bps. I have no idea why such speed settings need to be made. The USB cable can always provide full bandwidth for everything. So there should be no more overflow. But probably I didn't understand the principle and there is certainly a logic to it.
3. In the Windows device manager, for COM3, I have also set the baud rate to 115200 with the standard settings. But that hasn't changed anything. problem persists.
4. In the device manager for Windows, for COM3, the advanced settings look like this, see image. Oddly enough, I can set bytes values there to a maximum of 4096 for higher speed. What all that means, I have no idea.
5. Yes, I would like to have a different network combination, but this is not possible with my existing hardware and software.
The laptop with Win10 always runs. The MiniPlex should always be connected to the laptop independently of my cell phone, even if the cell phone is not on board.
In Win10 I can create an access point, but it only works if there is an existing internet. And that's not always the case. And to set the MiniPlex via web interface 10.0.0.1, I need a Wifi connection with the MiniPlex. And in this time the access point of Win10 closed again because of no internet connection. OMG. So this is not a solution.
Yes, I could connect MiniPlex to my phone's HotSpot. And the PC with the cell phone. But like I said, it all depends on the phone. Not good.
I would like to avoid an additional router because it is another device that consumes energy and runs constantly. In addition, to be honest, I expected at the time, for the high price of the MiniPlex with WIFI, that I could create an on-board WiFi network with the MiniPlex. I wasn't informed enough that it doesn't exist. My mistake.
6.Hakan, as if that's true, then I can still try so many things, and it could always be this bug. So I'm currently assuming that it's this bug, which sucks incredibly. How is that possible?!?!?! Anyway... Do you happen to know when the next update will come? So I'll wait at most months/years until it's fixed at best? Otherwise I know that I definitely have to look for another solution.

Thank you very much!

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by fbaud

Many thanks for your extensive information.
But unfortunately....
1. I haven't solved the problem until now.
2. I basically don't understand the principle of these different speeds. Already noticed that when I installed AIS. There it was mentioned that AIS requires 38400bps. I have no idea why such speed settings need to be made. The USB cable can always provide full bandwidth for everything. So there should be no more overflow. But probably I didn't understand the principle and there is certainly a logic to it.

Both sender and receiver need to use the same baud rate. It will be stated by the sender. Has nothing to do with the cable

3. In the Windows device manager, for COM3, I have also set the baud rate to 115200 with the standard settings. But that hasn't changed anything. problem persists.
4. In the device manager for Windows, for COM3, the advanced settings look like this, see image. Oddly enough, I can set bytes values there to a maximum of 4096 for higher speed. What all that means, I have no idea.

Don't care about the baud rate settings in device manager. OpenCPN will override these.

6.Hakan, as if that's true, then I can still try so many things, and it could always be this bug. So I'm currently assuming that it's this bug, which sucks incredibly. How is that possible?!?!?!

A bug is a bug and since the developer's and the tester's are humans there can always be a mistake. This was also not detected during the beta tests. Now when detected our bellowed developer made a correction.

Anyway... Do you happen to know when the next update will come?

I've heard about a maintenance release of v5.8.4 in a near future. My best guess is about week(s)
And reports like yours and from others make it possible to find well hidden bugs like this and make it possible to correct.
Thanks

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by fbaud

2. I basically don't understand the principle of these different speeds. Already noticed that when I installed AIS. There it was mentioned that AIS requires 38400bps. I have no idea why such speed settings need to be made. The USB cable can always provide full bandwidth for everything. So there should be no more overflow. But probably I didn't understand the principle and there is certainly a logic to it.
3. In the Windows device manager, for COM3, I have also set the baud rate to 115200 with the standard settings. But that hasn't changed anything. problem persists.

Already told that NMEA works on two frequencies, the normal one as 4800 bps and High-Speed (done for AIS) as 38400 bps.

Why the difference of input / output speed:
If you have one input of 4800, another in 4800, another in 38400 and last one in e.g. 4800, let’s say that it won’t work in a 4800 output and most probably not in 38400 too.
Imaging all those inputs full of data so there won’t be enough bandwidth until you define a speed of at least the sum of all inputs.
That’s explained in a very simple way. And if you read the document of Miniplex there is a restriction of processed character per second.

Also, Miniplex don't allow some different input/output frequencies combinations, well we have to deal with it.

The main thing is if do you receive data in O with the COM3 setting Via USB?

Because if you receive and Miniplex also receive those data could be what
Hakan says that is a glitch in the data stream in the COM port at high speed, but I guess that you should not be able to receive a correct data stream with speed less than 55K, you could try with 38K but maybe you get overflow and loss of data or even worst a non-valid data stream.

It’s my case with output 1, I have to had for an old software set at 38K and most of the time I got a non-valid stream.
and Miniplex doesn't allow me to set higher speed without exchanging the input speed too making that input unreadable.

My input are very similar to you.
Seatalk-4800(Wind)-4800(GNSS)-38400(AIS+GPS+Echo-Sounder)
FTB I haven't any problem with positioning, well sometimes I get from three bars to one bar, considering that I have three positioning systems, if it fails in one the backup gives it another valid data (GNSS 0183 to multiplexer, GNSS via N2K, GPS with AIS receiver to multiplexer)

I recommended to you to be in contact with Shipmodul developer and maybe he could give you some hint about.

[Corsair63]

Going around your case, maybe you could try another check/solution.
Use one of the outputs 1 or 2 and set at least with 55K (these connections will only send data, so laptop will receive only data) connect to laptop with a serial/USB adaptor (does your laptop have a physical COM port?) make in O an input connection with that COM port at same speed than setup in multiplexer.
Leave the COM3 as output only and you can set at lower speed maybe 9600 either 4800.
Until found another answer could work and adaptors are really cheap.

[Antipole]

I have reported an issue with inputs from both WiFi and USB here.
Different platforms and symptoms but just possibly related.

[Tehani]

Originally Posted by fbaud

Hello everyone
I do not know how to continue.
I have the latest OpenCPN and I have a MiniPlex (ShipModul MiniPlex 3WI-N2K).
The MiniPlex is set up to pass all data through all channels.
In OpenCPN I have two connection configurations. Once WIFI and once USB.
I also get all the data on both configurations. But:
When connecting via USB, the GPS connection "interrupts" every few seconds and the PEEP appears as a warning signal (e.g. in the case of an anchor alarm). All 3 GPS bars are green, but then the red dot and PEEP come on for a millisecond.
GNSS in use: 12. GPS connection is optimal and working.
The problem:
If I connect OpenCPN with WIFI then there are no such interruptions. Only when connected to USB.
Of course I have already checked whether I have the correct and latest USB driver for the MiniPlex.
And I checked the connections with another GPS software, I didn't have these interruptions there.

What else could it be?
Thanks for any tips.

How do you power the PC? If you use an inverter, you must use a USB isolator at the output of the PC.