NASA AIS engine to Android phone

[edsailing]

Thanks. The problem seems to be that although the connection is recognised AIS isn't launched. So no icon, no data stream to be seen on power up.

[bdbcat]

edsailing....

To save screen space, the AIS icon in the toolbar is by default not enabled for Android.
You can enable it just like desktop toolbar control: Right-click (long-touch on Android) any tool in the toolbar. A menu will pop up to allow you to select which icons are shown in the toolbar.. You can then add the AIS icon, if you like.

However, the icon visibility does not control the AIS internal capture logic. It only controls how the targets are displayed. The default is simply to display all targets found.

But back to the original problem.
According to your screenshots, you have no data coming in from the AIS comm port. That is the real problem. Either there are no targets, or the port is somehow not active, or the USB adapter is faulty. Hard to tell the root cause with AIS.

a) Are you sure there are AIS signals available in your location?
b) Have you tried this adapter on a laptop PC at this location, right now.

Thanks
Dave

[conachair]

Originally Posted by edsailing

Thanks. The problem seems to be that although the connection is recognised AIS isn't launched. So no icon, no data stream to be seen on power up.

Just tried the same with an android tablet & USB micro to USB female converter. Data coming down the serial connection, the tablet will display ais over wifi if the serial connection from the Nasa engine is plugged into a raspberry pi.
Plugged into the tablet it will show the connection and seems to connect but no data.
Maybe worth downloading a serial app for android to see if the phone will get data from the serial line?

[edsailing]

Dave, I'm not back on the boat til Monday, currently away from the sea, 12 miles inland so no data.

I've tried clicking on the icons that are there, that only enables features associated with that icon. Of I select the three vertical dot menu I get the option to toggle or show/hide components, if I click, I get ’more options' box, selecting that has no effect......

The gear I'm using works perfectly on a win10 laptop.

Conachair, what you describe seems to mirror my experience but not sure how I'd get the serial connection straight into the phone - an adaptor, I guess.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by edsailing

Conachair, what you describe seems to mirror my experience but not sure how I'd get the serial connection straight into the phone - an adaptor, I guess.

Sounds like the same input device - OTG micro USB to USB socket into a serial/usb converter. Shows up in Opencpn as AUSB serial:usb prolific_pl2303.

Just spent a while trying to get anything at all into the tablet from this - no great joy. Nothing coming in over usb/serial viewer app, it couldn't find the prolific converter. Also put a power meter between the tablet and usb/serial converter. The tablet seemed to power up then power down randomly though maybe the micro USB socket is dodgy on the tablet, charge fine even when wigglying the cable so hopefully it's not that. I did manage to get just one AIS message coming up on the tablet opencpn so very likely the problem has nothing to do with opencpn but more likely how android is dealing with the cheap prolific usb/serial chip. Just ordered a powered OTG hub to see if that will help, might be the tablet is struggling to provide enough power.
But looks like Opencpn is fine, it's not showing any AIS messages because it's not getting any.

[rgleason]

So you need an android driver for the Prolific. Do these really exist?
Check with the manuf.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by rgleason

So you need an android driver for the Prolific. Do these really exist?
Check with the manuf.

The tablet sees the prolific usb/serial but doesn't seem terribly happy about it

I'm guessing power might be an issue, the tablet seems to send power out the micro usb then turn it off. just guessing though......

Edit - think I've a dodgy OTG cable. Wiggle til the power meter sees voltage then don't breathe and Opencpn sees the dummy messge on powerup from the nasa and other ais messages.

[edsailing]

I've loaded a USB: serial app. AIS seems to be getting that far - back on board tomorrow so can see if it works.

Thanks for the input so far, I'll report back

[bdbcat]

ed....

I have had lots of trouble with OTG/microUSB adapters on many Android devices. The issues are as conachair notes. Very fiddly connector, not really suitable for mobile use.

I much prefer a WiFi connection for AIS input to the tablet.

Dave

[conachair]

Originally Posted by edsailing

I've loaded a USB: serial app. AIS seems to be getting that far - back on board tomorrow so can see if it works.

Thanks for the input so far, I'll report back

What AIS are you seeing in the monitor? Any way you could paste it here? Nasa aren't always best behaved with NMEA, I've a wind sensor which sends a wrong checksum. If you have the nasa with you then the power up dummy message should show up in the ais target list >

[edsailing]

It's all packed away now. I got a power up message in the adaptor, what window is that in which you have with the dummy message?

[edsailing]

Originally Posted by edsailing

It's all packed away now. I got a power up message in the adaptor, what window is that in which you have with the dummy message?

Well, one last try and "bingo"

A different usb to serial converter seems to have done the trick - I'm getting the startup message like conachair, let's see if it works tomorrow on the water.

Thanks all, really appreciated the support

[conachair]

Originally Posted by edsailing

what window is that in which you have with the dummy message?

On a laptop it's right click then bottom of the menu, android it's long press then bottom of the menu - "AIS target list". Though if there are no messages in the "show nmea debug" window then they won't be in there either.

[edsailing]

Update: it works! Tried and tested, Thanks all

[ohgary]

Originally Posted by bcn

How do you know? How does it show up?

Can you please post your communication settings in Options (screenshot)?

MOst android phones will make screen shots with Pressing volume down and power at the same time.