Navico radar plugin v2.0 released

[merrimac]

Unfortunately, the new documentation has disappeared in the recent cleanup. Douwe and I am going to write new documentation on github instead, but this will take a while.

Originally Posted by GrahamW

Disconnect the radar
>Done
Enable emulator mode
> Done
Open the radar PPI window (black window with range rings)
> I assume by this you mean the BR24Radar button on the button bar, though initially it is white with range rings? When pressed, it does turn black, but only the Radar Open CPN options dialog box comes up, with Open GL, Radar present and Variation boxes ticked, nothing else. I do not see any Menu.

Hm I guess you have some preferences left over from v1, or something, or you closed something before. It's not what I mean.

The PPI window is a separate windows showing radar only, but in your case it's apparently hidden. Try right mouse (context menu) on the chart and click "Radar control...". This should bring up a "Radar" dialog with just some buttons. This is called the "radar control menu". It should have as the 2nd button a "Show window" button. Hit that. Now you should get a small radar only window. This is called the "Radar PPI window". It has a "Menu" area at the top right. If you close the control menu you can click that to get the control menu back.

If you leave OpenCPN it should now store the layout you have and come back up the same way.

[GrahamW]

Merrimac,

Brilliant - working fine now! Thanks for your patience. And for all the great work that you and others have put in to making the plug in with all it's many refinements.

Now that I have it up and running I'll play around and get myself up to speed.

Regards,

Graham

[rgleason]

Merrimac

Unfortunately, the new documentation has disappeared in the recent cleanup. Douwe and I am going to write new documentation on github instead, but this will take a while.

See Time Machine April 1 (I can put this back up if you want, can't do it today requires doctoring the pathnames) Or perhaps Pavel has a more recent backup with your recent edits hopefully!
https://web.archive.org/web/20160401...vico-broadband

Also I found the "External Plugins Page" is missing here is Time Machines April 1 version which would be fine I think. This can also be put back up, but not by me in the next couple of days. Then I can.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160401...ugins_External

[merrimac]

What I wrote is from early August, so there is not much hope for a backup.


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[Hakan]

I'm happy to be the one to inform about the ongoing BR24Radar_pi development.

The BR24Radar plugin for Navico/Simrad/Lowrance BR24, 3G and 4G radar scanners is close to handle ARPA targets and transfer needed data into OpenCPN.
It is a MARPA function in respect that the user has to right click a radar target on screen and select a new menu item "Set ARPA Target". The radar plugin will now set the extent and position of the target's echo. While following the target its speed, course as well as distance and range to own ship is reported to OCPN and it will appear as an ARPA target following most of the logic for an AIS target but with a different symbol.
Douwe is developer for the ARPA part of the plugin and source is available on GitHub, see below.

What we have tested so far are simulations using a recorded radar transmit session and a program feeding OCPN with navigational data for the same route as the radar capture. All attached pictures are from such a simulation.

The ARPA implementation in OCPN was already very well prepared and only some minor adjustments are needed. Some already queuing as a pull request in GitHub and others are in a development phase.

Next steps are more testing, not less in reality but the winter season here prevents such activities.
Feel free to test the source for your own build, or if desired I can serve a dll file. See below.
The plugin will mainly work in present OCPN 4.5 without mentioned changes although a lost ARPA target deletion will not act as desired. I haven't tried in 4.4 but have no doubts.

Comments, Q's or thoughts? We'll try to answer all.

This test period has been very stimulating and many thanks to Douwe for this extension of the plugin where Kees and others has created a very good base for the ARPA implementation.
Håkan

Links:
Source: https://github.com/douwefokkema/BR24...pi/tree/marpa3
A Windows dll: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...24radar_pi.dll
Test issues reporting: https://github.com/douwefokkema/marpa/issues

Images from the tests:
1. The process starts with a mouse over the radar target, right click and select "Set ARPA Target"
2. As soon the radar plugin has detected the target limits and position it reports to OCPN as status acquired - Amber symbol.
3. When course and speed are stable the status changes and the symbol is green with course and speed data.
4. The ARPA targets has the same functionality as an AIS target, like CPA and TCPA info.
5. Also is the AIS target list applicable for ARPA targets.
6. The radar plugin use normal NMEA messages to communicate to OCPN. ARPA targets can be seen on other screens as well.

[rgleason]

The Navico Radar crew is doing some wonderful work!

[Baikal]

Amazing work!

[Hakan]

For BR24Radar_pi and the new ARPA function testers are more than welcome:
Slightly updated since above links:
For windows. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ARPA_win32.exe
For Ubuntu: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/..._arpa_i386.deb

Issues and Q:s are of course also welcome.
Håkan

[ejs]

Has the plugin been updated to include the Simrad Halo open array radars? I had sent the Wireshark files to one of the developers, who said it the addresses were different but not to tough to incorporate. I can test if it has been incorporated in this build.

Eric

[Hakan]

Eric..
No, I'm sorry, this update is about the ARPA targets feature and is made by Douwe. Your discussions about Halo was with merrimac and he's the main developer of the whole plugin. So unfortunately I can't give you status for the development your asking for.
Håkan

[ejs]

Hakan,

Thanks for the reply, no worries. Now I don't need to download and try it over my sketchy internet connection.

Cheers, Eric

[Douwe Fokkema]

An example of the target tracking in my latest development version is now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oXDVSyr-LIU. It shows a difficult case of keeping track, targets getting close, flow together, part again and still being followed individually. This is done through stabilizing the target tracks with a Kalman filter.

[bcn]

Wow

[rgleason]

Yes, wow. I would not be surprized if this is a unique feature.

[merrimac]

As is usual with open source, we can't really plan ahead that well. Besides, many people want other work.

I had started on splitting the Navico code-base into a "generic" and a "navico" part so that it would be easier for the Garmin radar developers to copy our functionality (which is getting to be awesome, so we understand they want to share it.) It would also make it easier for someone to start a Raymarine or Furuno plugin. However that work has stalled somewhat as Douwe ramped up the MARPA work.

Once Douwe has finished the MARPA work I will re-evaluate how to release it, probably release it based on the 2.x code base and then feed that work back into the generic code.