OpenCPN, NMEA2000 and Autopilots

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by Douwe Fokkema

Hi Bram,

The PGN's I am using to control the Raymarine pilot are proprietary and don't have nmea183 equivalents. So I don not see how a SignalK server can do a conversion. Further I have no need of a conversion, my plugin is working and tested during a full sailing season.
To follow a route I do not need the full route in the plugin. I just use the DTW, BTW and XTE for the current leg, that is sufficient to steer on track. Reason I needed an update in O is that the accuracy of the XTE in the nmea183 message lacks precision. I want to steer within meters from the track, limited only by the accuracy provided by the GPS.

Greetings, Douwe

Hi Douwe,

I'am not having an NMEA2K autopilot but I'am interested in SignalK. SignalK does much more then NMEA183. I can receive NMEA2K from my NMEA2K GPS set and my AIS transponder.

In the latest beta OpenCPN version SignalK can direct used as incoming data.

Outgoing does not yet work with SignalK.

But I can send back NMEA183 sentences to the SignalK server and these appear as SignalK. So a route made in OpenCPN is send to the SignalK server and appears in SignalK format.

SignalK server also mixes NMEA183, NMEA2K and SignalK input. And SignalK converts to NMEA2K. However not all PGN's are yet available for this conversion.

Nice that you made your own PGN's. But I think it is better to have PNG's available for other NMEA2K purposes.

Regards,


Bram

[stevead]

Bram,

The title of this thread is "OpenCPN, NMEA2000 and Autopilots"

At present there are no commercial autopilots or sensors that use the Signal K data format.

Please keep the discussion of Signal K to an appropriate thread to avoid cluttering this thread with extraneous noise.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by stevead

Bram,

The title of this thread is "OpenCPN, NMEA2000 and Autopilots"

At present there are no commercial autopilots or sensors that use the Signal K data format.

Please keep the discussion of Signal K to an appropriate thread to avoid cluttering this thread with extraneous noise.

It is about what in general an NMEA2000 autopilot NPG's need to function.

Then to look at the SignalK functions to get the conversion to this NPG's.

Then it is possible to make routes in OpenCPN to steer the NMEA2000 autopilot.


Bram

[LennartG]

Verkerkbr, we've had this discussion before in the signak thread.
As Signal K currently lacks support for PGN's 127237, 129283 and 129284 to NMEA 0183 translation is it not fully suitable as an autopilot interface.
Please stop your annoying lobbying for Signal K as it should be the 'one-and-only' interface needed whatever the problem is.
/Lennart

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by LennartG

Verkerkbr, we've had this discussion before in the signak thread.
As Signal K currently lacks support for PGN's 127237, 129283 and 129284 to NMEA 0183 translation is it not fully suitable as an autopilot interface.
Please stop your annoying lobbying for Signal K as it should be the 'one-and-only' interface needed whatever the problem is.
/Lennart

Indeed, what we need is one interface to combine and transfer all the available data, NMEA183, NMEA2K and other data like engine data.

Not a plugin for one purpose or proprietary PGN's.

Are you sure that if the missing PGN's you mentioned are available in the translation every NMEA2K autopilot can work ?

But is work in progress and not every item is allready working.

Regards,




Bram

[LennartG]

Verkerkbr, can not disagree more with you.
Why force the user to install a Signal K server (not a simple task and not currently available on all platforms) for the NMEA2K to NMEA 0183 translation. That is extreme overkill compared to installing a simple plugin.
If you need bidirectional NMEA2K to NMEA 0183 a plugin is a far better solution, even though none of the options are fully functional as yet.
So let us close this argumentation right now. We have both made our points fully clear.
/Lennart

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by LennartG

Verkerkbr, can not disagree more with you.
Why force the user to install a Signal K server (not a simple task and not currently available on all platforms) for the NMEA2K to NMEA 0183 translation. That is extreme overkill compared to installing a simple plugin.
If you need bidirectional NMEA2K to NMEA 0183 a plugin is a far better solution, even though none of the options are fully functional as yet.
So let us close this argumentation right now. We have both made our points fully clear.
/Lennart

Lets be practical instead of theoretical:

Here my Nmea2000 GPS antenna or NMEA2000 output from my AIS transponder converted to SignalK/canboat is direct available with the latest SignalK input in the (beta) OpenCPN.

That is all.


What is now missing SignalK route output from OpenCPN. And for the translating of SignalK some PGN's to steer the NMEA2000 autopilot.

With NMEA183 it allready works. But the same PGN's are missing.

[seandepagnier]

It seems like the signalk specification for autopilots is being designed around nmea 2000 which is unfortunate because these sentences are obviously not really well thought out.
It is too bad to replicate this within signalk. In any case it doesn't matter too much.

pypilot has dozens of special attributes that other autopilots lack, so it requires a lot more fields. For example, it won't be possible to make a node red alarm do something when the pump motor reaches 40% duty cycle or something similar.

Really no one should care about nmea 2000 anymore. It is obsolete by 20 years and proprietary: bad for freedom.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

It seems like the signalk specification for autopilots is being designed around nmea 2000 which is unfortunate because these sentences are obviously not really well thought out.
It is too bad to replicate this within signalk. In any case it doesn't matter too much.

pypilot has dozens of special attributes that other autopilots lack, so it requires a lot more fields. For example, it won't be possible to make a node red alarm do something when the pump motor reaches 40% duty cycle or something similar.

Really no one should care about nmea 2000 anymore. It is obsolete by 20 years and proprietary: bad for freedom.

Hi BA,


The idea behind Signal is to an universal data transport system that combines NMEA183, NMEA2000, separate Signal entries. All multiplexed in one SignalK data stream.

The Pypilot is an excellent system. Why not feed the Pypilot with SignalK input ?

Now that NMEA2k is opened with canboat/signalK, there are no longer restrictions for the use. And users that have Nmea2K installed can also simply use the Pypilot. Although NMEA183 output is also possible,

There a certainly other systems are in de making connected with ethernet etc.

But the canbus is used for a lot of other purposes like electric bikes, cars etc.

Regards,


Bram

[Martin277]

Hi all,

I see one advantage that hasn't been mentioned yet. If we understand the PGN that the display control units send to the autopilot we can use these displays to control pypilot or any other pilot.

Furthermore it would be very useful to be able to give a +10 degrees command from OC . That way the pilot can steer in hdg mode or wind mode. Now the pilot must be in track mode to be able to accept commands from OC

Martin