OpenCPN General

[Hakan]

James..
In Tools->User interface you can select to collapse the bar after a given time and further down adjust the size with the slider "User Interface scale factor".

Color and location are though not adjustable.

[rgleason]

Added to FAQ


How to increase the size, color and location of the Toolbar



Using FAQ

When on the FAQ page, you can do a Control-F (find for browser) to then enter "Toolbar" and find the references to "Toolbar"

[hoolie]

Originally Posted by Hakan

James..
In Tools->User interface you can select to collapse the bar after a given time and further down adjust the size with the slider "User Interface scale factor".

Color and location are though not adjustable.

Sadly.

Dark grey on black is OK at night but in bright sun the icons are just not visible. For the same reason, I have changed the status bar default black text on grey to white.

[Hakan]

@All..
Since there has been some more or less relevant discussions about OCPN's ability to handle GNSS info from the different system available I made a test.
My phone's inbound GNSS is obviously seeing four system here at home (inside!):
GP = GPS
GL = Glonas
GA = Galileo
GB = BDS

What the GNSS board does is to combine what it gets to GNxxx for position sentences, like: GNGGA, GNRMC etc..
On the other hand is the satellite info divided into different xxGSV, GAGSV, GLGSV etc.
So, without a filter in the connection set up the "GP status" instrument is rather nervous.

Håkan
A small VDR extract:
$GPGSV,2,2,07,25,07,137,,26,67,250,,27,10,264,,8*5 9
$GLGSV,2,1,08,74,56,205,,66,07,336,,73,14,170,,76, 00,000,,1*73
$GLGSV,2,2,08,84,83,254,,83,31,052,,67,22,025,,68, 14,077,,1*77
$GAGSV,3,1,09,15,40,213,23,27,54,285,24,36,27,056, 24,02,07,149,,7*78
$GAGSV,3,2,09,04,10,009,,09,04,059,,19,00,000,,21, 09,314,,7*72
$GAGSV,3,3,09,30,52,175,,7*4D
$GAGSV,3,1,09,02,07,149,,04,10,009,,09,04,059,,15, 40,213,,1*7A
$GAGSV,3,2,09,19,00,000,,21,09,314,,27,54,285,,30, 52,175,,1*75
$GAGSV,3,3,09,36,27,056,,1*4F
$GQGSV,1,1,01,01,07,042,23,8*5C
$GBGSV,4,1,13,32,13,019,24,29,35,074,26,26,42,215, 30,20,18,071,23,1*7D
$GBGSV,4,2,13,08,18,036,25,02,01,104,,05,13,126,,1 2,07,246,,1*71
$GBGSV,4,3,13,13,41,053,,19,04,118,,24,43,286,,25, 05,330,,1*79
$GBGSV,4,4,13,35,82,164,,1*4B
$GBGSV,2,1,08,25,05,330,23,19,04,118,,20,18,071,,2 4,43,286,,5*7E
$GBGSV,2,2,08,26,42,215,,29,35,074,,32,13,019,,35, 82,164,,5*74
$GNGSA,A,3,05,18,29,,,,,,,,,,1.6,1.2,1.0,1*33
$GNGSA,A,3,27,,,,,,,,,,,,1.6,1.2,1.0,3*33
$GNGSA,A,3,08,20,26,29,32,,,,,,,,1.6,1.2,1.0,4*35
$GNVTG,,T,,M,0.0,N,0.0,K,A*3D
$GNDTM,P90,,0000.000024,S,00000.000000,E,0.967,W84 *50
$GNRMC,200336.00,A,5813.571276,N,01145.754249,E,0. 0,,200121,0.4,E,A,V*78
$GNGNS,200336.00,5813.571276,N,01145.754249,E,ANAA NN,09,1.2,33.0,39.0,,,V*1E
$GNGGA,200336.00,5813.571276,N,01145.754249,E,1,09 ,1.2,33.0,M,39.0,M,,*41

[rgleason]

So do we need to use a GPS filter? Can the existing filters be used? Yes.


But is there a better way, that is perhaps simpler?
Prioritize automatically on GP, then GA, GL, GB if the signal is lost?

Then allow overide of the priority?


As a simple list in the filter form?

[Hakan]

Rick..
See my shots where I use a "normal" filter to disable "[] GSV" and added e.g. GLGSV. (You can always "Add" whatever sentence you like with the three dotted tool)


But you don't "have to". If you don't show the GPS status graph there's no problem at all.

[rgleason]

Yes, I think I should add your screen shots and descriptions to the manual.

[rgleason]

Please see

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...gnss_filtering


What is the problem? Jumping GPS?

[Hakan]

Rick..
There's no real problem at all. My aim was only to show that different GNSS system works fine with OCPN as expected.
But if you'll like use the satellite status instrument, still named "GPS Status", you may need to filter the data input to avoid flicker.

Position is very stable so no "jumping".

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Rick..
There's no real problem at all. My aim was only to show that different GNSS system works fine with OCPN as expected.
But if you'll like use the satellite status instrument, still named "GPS Status", you may need to filter the data input to avoid flicker.

Position is very stable so no "jumping".

Can you please tell us which GPS devices you have used to prove it?
Especially I am curious about modern devices which provide old US-GPS, Glonass, Galileo and mixed data of this.
Thank you, Gerhard

[Hakan]

Gerhard..
As said it was my mobile phone's, OnePlus100 A v.10, inbound GNSS. I haven't examined what board they have used. My method was to let O on the phone output UDP to my network for a better view on my PC. Also more convenient VDR recording there than on the Android.
So from the received xxGSV sentences it's clear up to five GNSS system was involved. At least as long the GNSS board fulfills the NMEA 0183 standard Talker designation. I've no obvious doubts about that.
Håkan

[Hakan]

Gerhard..
more..
How the GNSS board combines the different system's signal to produce a position e.g. GNRMC I don't know. One could expect them to use the "best" combination for a reliable fix. But since each system may have its own clock time that would be tricky? But the result is very good. Even in-house I've a very stable fix.

[Hakan]

More about the GNSS Talker identifier here:
https://www.nmea.org/Assets/20190303...0mnemonics.pdf

[CarCode]

Hakan...
We should not expect many OpenCPN users will use a smartphone as GPS receiver. So I guess some more investigation is needed to find out how the standalone receivers of multiple navigation satellite systems will work. As far as I know the smartphones sometimes don't use the satellite signals but a so called A-GPS (assistent GPS) from known fixed land stations.

[Hakan]

Gerhard..
I don't see why it's important to know how a single device is working inside a soon we get valid fix messages according to the NMEA 0183 standard? While cruising the world.

The more GNSS system devices use to get a position fix the less we need to care about who owns the system and a possible fare for a lock down.