OpenCPN and SPX Autopilot

[PiXL]

Moin Werner,

I am unfortunately stuck with the same problem (all waypoint data is on p70, but "no navigation data" error message is shown when track mode is enabled), but with a little different hardware setup and was wondering if you were able to solve it in the meantime.

I have OpenCPN on Win7 with a USB GPS and a Gadgetpool SeaTalk1<->NMEA0183-bridge connected via Ser2USB-converter. This feeds waypoint data into Seatalk1-bus, which is converted by Raymarine Seatalk1<->Seatalk-ng (with EV-1, ACU100, p70 and tiller drive) and surprisingly lands on this bus. But it seems that something is missing. I would be able to reprogram the Gadgetpool bridge, but no clue what is missing...

All Raymarine devices have been updated in May '15, a new update has been published in July, but should only take care of AP stability in rough conditions.

Ahoy,
Axel

[marathona]

Hi Axel,

Most probably its the magnetic variation (deviation) that is missing in the RMC sentence when it arrives at the Raymarine unit. The variation is mandatory for the newer Raymarine auto pilots to work.

There can be two reasons for variation missing (alternatively or even both):

1. Several USB GPS do not provide the variation. This can be solved by installing the "World Maganetic Model" plugin in OpenCPN and activating it. Make sure to get the 2015 version of the plugin, since the modeling behind the last version has stopped working on Dec 31st 2014.

2. Some bridges do not translate the variation to Seatalk, even if it was correctly included in the NMEA RMC sentence from OpenCPN.
According to Franks answer to my request last year, this is also the case for the gadgetpool bridge:
gadgetPool.de Forums-viewtopic-Variation im RMC-Datensatz für Raymarine Autopilot

Workaround for the SPX computers for 2nd problem was to send the RMC sentence directly to the NMEA 0183 input of the course computer. Apparently the missing NMEA input connections of the ACU prevents us from using this workaround.

So if you are acutally able to reprogramm the bridge I think you will need to do so... Good Luck!

And if you succeed please let me know how this can be done, because and I am (still) struggling with the same issue...

Best regards,
Eva