Radar plugin v5.0.0 released

[Hakan]

Ian..
Sorry, the radar plugin will not run at Android at all. You'll need a PC, Win/Linux/Mac, for that.
Håkan

[Ian_Edwards]

HI Hakan,
Thanks for the quick reply, I have Open CPN running on a Windows 10 PC as well, I said Android because that's what I use most of the time on the boat.
Same question, will the Radar plugin allow me to test the Raymarine Quantum?

[Hakan]

Ian..
Not yet but Douwe is doing efforts to implement that. He's now out sailing but may advice when back.

[Ian_Edwards]

Thankyou.

[Karanga]

I have found that if I have the plugin enabled when I start OpenCPN (v5.x) and my Halo radar is not powered up, the Windows 10 laptop gets a bit hot, fan running constantly and task manager showing 40% CPU usage. I think it indicates that there is a constant attempt to communicate with something plugged into the RJ45, which is not responding.

If I subsequently turn on the radar, the comms work, but the laptop continues running the fans etc.

My current solution is to disable the plugin before shutdown. Then the system starts and runs normally (CPU 2 or 3%). Then I enable the plugin.

Tim

[SCarns]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Ian..
Not yet but Douwe is doing efforts to implement that. He's now out sailing but may advice when back.

Yes, contact Douwe. He's looking for a unit near by so he can test a few things. He's in the Netherlands. I've been taking Wireshark samples for him, and he's made progress, but digital radars are a different thing than what Raymarine was doing with the old C/E-Series analog radars.

He's looking for some specific data. Perhaps you can help him out.

[iv3wjr]

Hi to all and thank you for your excellent work. I'm running OpenCPN 5.2.0 + Radar plugin 5.1.4 on my Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB. Yesterday I tested the connection with my GARMIN xHD RADAR and I was really happy to see it in action.


My question to the developers and to the GARMIN RADAR users is: may I leave PIN 5 permanently connected to the shield of the Ethernet cable and operate the RADAR simply powering it up or there are other valid reasons to keep a separate switch to go into the "operate" mode?


If possible I would avoid to operate two switches to activate the RADAR.


And, guys, really thanks for the RADAR plugin

[Hakan]

iv3wjr..
Now I don't have a Garmin scanner myself but if I understand it correct it depends weather you have an MFD or not. Read more here: https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/doc/GRadarDoc.pdf
found here: https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...r:garmin_radar
Håkan

[iv3wjr]

Hakan..
thanks for the links but I don't know if I have an MFD (Multi Function Display? Multi Function Device? Master in Fashion Design). The Garmin xHD is the only small RADAR I ever operated and I don't know if other scanners adopt the same procedure to bring them to operation: 12V Power + "operate" switch. The Garmin is connected directly to the Raspi running OpenCPN with no Ethernewt hub/switch in the middle.
Does your scanner or any other have a separate switch to awake it from standby?

Originally Posted by Hakan

iv3wjr..
Now I don't have a Garmin scanner myself but if I understand it correct it depends weather you have an MFD or not. Read more here: https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/doc/GRadarDoc.pdf
found here: https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...r:garmin_radar
Håkan

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by Ian_Edwards

HI Hakan,
Thanks for the quick reply, I have Open CPN running on a Windows 10 PC as well, I said Android because that's what I use most of the time on the boat.
Same question, will the Radar plugin allow me to test the Raymarine Quantum?

Currently I am working on the implementation of the Raymarine analogue radar into the radar_pi environment. This is for the Raymarine radar that connects (analogue) to a E120 display, which generates a digital radar interface. I have also been looking at the data from a newer digital Raymarine HD radar, there I can display the radar image, but I have not yet been able to find the command structure. I have no data at all from a Quantum radar, so I do not know what is needed to implement it. Actually I would need a Quantum radar and a compatible plotter to do a good job.


Douwe Fokkema

[Ian_Edwards]

Hi Douwe, Thanks for the update, the Classic E series hasn't been in production for several years now and most of the E120's are getting old and spares are becoming difficult to find.
The newer Quantum Radars use Chirp pulse compression techniques and patch antennas, so there is no magnetron. However, the output format has to be very similar to that of the Analogue HD digital radars, in essence range and bearing in some digital form. It wouldn't surprise me if the output format of the of the HD and the Quantum where the same, or at least very similar.
Reverse engineering the command structure I think will be very difficult.
I recently took the lid of my Quantum radar just to see what is inside, and see if I could see any obvious problems which would be easy to fix, but I couldn't see anything wrong, so I have sent I back to Raymarine for repair. But I did take some photographs.
[IMG][/IMG]
url=https://www.cruisersforum.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=14252&c=503][/url]


sorry if that's a bit messy, it's the first time I've used photos on this forum

[SCarns]

Hi Douwe,

Hope the sailing was great.

Here's an idea: based on what Ian_Edwards has suggested, is it feasible to assume that some sort of range command may not be all that different from a Garmin or Navico digital unit? If not, can you get those commands into a data stream I can insert into my network with Wireshark to send to my Raymarine unit and see how it responds?

Steve

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by SCarns

Hi Douwe,

Hope the sailing was great.
Here's an idea: based on what Ian_Edwards has suggested, is it feasible to assume that some sort of range command may not be all that different from a Garmin or Navico digital unit? If not, can you get those commands into a data stream I can insert into my network with Wireshark to send to my Raymarine unit and see how it responds?
Steve

Thanks for thinking along with me. But I will now first finish my work on the integration of the E120 connected Raymarine radar. I am a long way there, the basic structure is functioning. Later I might switch my attention to more recent Raymarine radars.
Good sailing! Douwe

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by SCarns

Hi Douwe,

Hope the sailing was great.
Here's an idea: based on what Ian_Edwards has suggested, is it feasible to assume that some sort of range command may not be all that different from a Garmin or Navico digital unit? If not, can you get those commands into a data stream I can insert into my network with Wireshark to send to my Raymarine unit and see how it responds?
Steve

Thanks for thinking along with me. But I will now first finish my work on the integration of the E120 connected Raymarine radar. I am a long way there, the basic structure is functioning. Later I might switch my attention to more recent Raymarine radars.
Good sailing! Douwe

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by SCarns

Hi Douwe,

Hope the sailing was great.
Here's an idea: based on what Ian_Edwards has suggested, is it feasible to assume that some sort of range command may not be all that different from a Garmin or Navico digital unit? If not, can you get those commands into a data stream I can insert into my network with Wireshark to send to my Raymarine unit and see how it responds?
Steve

Thanks for thinking along with me. But I will now first finish my work on the integration of the E120 connected Raymarine radar. I am a long way there, the basic structure is functioning. Later I might switch my attention to more recent Raymarine radars.
Good sailing! Douwe