Radar plugin v5.0.0 released

[Moo]

Originally Posted by seacap

Any chance this will all be available on a tablet. Tablets have water proof cases and can be used outside. Also take far less power than a computer.
Thanks. You guys look like you have been doing a fabulous job. I just don’t use a computer ��

Use a Windows tablet, or just RDP or VNC.

[Dos]

Hi!
I have in mind to use a Halo24 together with the radar plugin in the near future, but I am not sure how the radar picture will be automatically oriented with the sea chart in OpenCPN installed on my notebook.

In the plugin manual I read the following:
["Note that this box is no longer needed with HALO radomes. HALO 4/6/8 apparently come with an interface box, but they don't inject heading we think."]

Does this mean OpenCPN connected to a Halo24 and using the radar plugin will not need heading data from NMEA0183 (or NMEA2000 converted to NMEA0183) at all within OpenCPN?

I am receiving already the NMEA0183 sentences "HDM" and "HDG" in OpenCPN converted from Seatalk1, but note sure if this is what´s maybe needed and also not sure about the update intervall yet and if this would be sufficient (HDM and HDG messages per minute). The sentences are from the mechanical Raymarine fluxgate compass or from the Raymarine S2 autopilot computer which I have (directly) connected to an external third party gyro sensor (Seymo Gyro V2.04).

Would be great if you could give me some information.

To the plugin developers: A.s.a. I will have installed it: Please let me know by private mail in case there is interest to have a look at it for future Halo plugin features development. My sailboat is located near Amsterdam. Also Teamviewer or Anydesk sessions would be possible (60Mbit marina WLAN). I would be happy to assist...

[Hakan]

Dos..
Yes, you need a true heading (HDT) in OCPN for a proper chart overlay. (COG can be used experimentally but not for navigation)
There are different ways to get the HDT into OCPN. Some Navico interface box, like the 4G type, can serve that incorporated in the radar data stream but I myself is not sure for the Halo types. But never mind, your heading source(s) are good enough.
If you get HDM or HDG into OCPN the plugin WMM_pi will support the HDT if needed. Be sure to have that plugin activated.

In radar_pi preferences be sure to use default options for heading; i.e. none of the heading options selected.

The update interval is not very critical for most ships. 1 or 5 Hz is good enough. Also for the use of ARPA at a moderate speed. (For twenty knots and more it may be unreliable. Having a sail boat I haven't tested that speed myself)


Good luck /Håkan

[Dos]

Hi Håkan,

Thank you for this phantastic news - especially about the WMM_pi plugin creating the HDT NMEA0183 sentence from HDM and HDG!

My day is saved. It means that I can save around 600 EUR for an additional compass heading sensor as not needed in my setting.

Please allow me one more question:
Which from the following Halo24 features currently can be used already with radar_pi and which aren´t reverse engineered yet?

- Dual Range operation (detects dangers both near and far)
- Doppler technology (they call it VelocityTrack) to detect and visualize targets (in different color) which are approaching or moving away without manually selecting individual targets
- MARPA target tracking (up to 10 targets, 20 in double range)

Thanks in advance for your great assistance!
Dos

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by Dos

Hi Håkan,
......

- Dual Range operation (detects dangers both near and far)

Yes all Halo can be used as "two scanners" That's Navico Halo A and B in preferences.

- Doppler technology (they call it VelocityTrack) to detect and visualize targets (in different color) which are approaching or moving away without manually selecting individual targets

No I don't think so. But anyone, like developer Kees, using the Halo type may correct me.

- MARPA target tracking (up to 10 targets, 20 in double range)

The Automatic ARPA detection for a selected area or the manual MARPA function is a radar_pi feature and has nothing to do with radar scanner type. Radar_pi can have 100 (M)ARPA targets at the same time.

[Karanga]

I have been using a Halo24 connected to OpenCPN on a Win10 laptop for a few months now. It plugs straight into the LAN socket, so a very simple installation.
I can confirm that the setup works reasonably well, although I am still learning how to drive it properly.
I usually find it best to select the range (instead of auto). I have found that 16 or 24km works the best for me, on A.
I can run both scanners (labelled A and B) and switch between the chart overlay. I haven't worked out if ARPA and guard zones work simultaneously. I haven't seen a huge benefit yet of using B for close range stuff.

I really do wish it would provide better target painting. Several times I can see a significant size boat (eg small steel fishing trawler) as plain as anything with biological eyeballs, yet the electronic radar might show nothing, or intermittent returns. Fibreglass boats can be even less visible. Kinda disappointing. I have tried increasing the gain, but just get a cluttered screen. Auto mode seems to be just as good.
I have tried to change option for sea clutter, and harbour vs open sea, rain clutter, etc, but these always seem to revert to default, so I presume that the options are not really available.
In the absence of decent HDG (HDM or HDT) being available, the picture is surprisingly good and very usable using COG only, if necessary.

I still have an issue where occasionally the radar menu options all display "Noise rejection Low", for every button option. However clicking on the button usually labelled "Range" for example does still work as range option.
Another issue I have is CPU usage. If I have radar_pi plugin enabled when I start OpenCPN, but the radar is not powered on, the CPU jumps up to about 60%, and the cooling fans run continuously. To prevent this, I have to start OpenCPN with the radar off and radar_pi plugin disabled, then turn on the radar and then enable the plugin. CPU usage is then a normal 3%. I just have to remember to disable the plugin before shutdown...

Other people might have some more tips and tricks, to get the most out of this expensive equipment.

Tim

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by Karanga

I still have an issue where occasionally the radar menu options all display "Noise rejection Low", for every button option. However clicking on the button usually labelled "Range" for example does still work as range option.

Tim

Tim, could you try to make a screen print of this issue?


Douwe

[Karanga]

Here is a screenshot I took a little while ago, showing the issue. It may be a slightly older version, but the issue has still occurred when all OS, O5 and plugin are latest versions available.

[Karanga]

Douwe
Thank you for your reply and interest.
I think the issue is more likely to occur after several hours of sailing, and multiple clicks through lots of the menu options.
As I indicated, the button options work properly, just their label is wrong. I just have to try to remember the positions of the real options...
Tim

[Douwe Fokkema]

Tim,
Thanks, very strange, never seen a thing like this before. I just can't image how the radar_pi software can cause this, but you never know. I would rather think that this is caused by a bug in wxWidgets. As long as I can not reproduce, I can't do anything about it.
Douwe

[Karanga]

Thank you for looking at it.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to reproduce it either! So we probably cannot make any progress on resolving it. Nobody else has reported it, but I can't think that I may be the only person.
A few months ago, I had to replace my laptop, which meant reinstalling everything from new. The issue that occurred on the old laptop (from which I found the screenshot) occurred on the new laptop too!
Oh, well...!!
Any comment from you on my other issue, of extra-ordinary cpu usage? I am guessing it has something to do with network searching when an RJ45 connection is found in the LAN socket.
Tim

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by Karanga

Any comment from you on my other issue, of extra-ordinary cpu usage? I am guessing it has something to do with network searching when an RJ45 connection is found in the LAN socket.
Tim

I checked this on Windows, using the resource monitor, and a transmitting radar (simulated with TCPreplay). I found no difference in CPU load with an already activated radar_pi or a later activated radar_pi. But the average CPU load indicated in the resource monitor is high at start, going down very slowly to a stable level. When starting radar_pi later, the stable level is reached faster. I think this caused by the averaging algorithm used by the resource monitor. I found CPU load levels with running radar of 14% on an older laptop to 0.3% on a recent computer.

Douwe

[AEM]

I am going to connect HALO-20 to PC, will it work same as HALO-24 ? no any hidden rocks ? just to be sure..

[Hakan]

AEM..
Although I'm not having a Halo I do think it's the same. I haven't heard of any rocks to climb. All functions would be the same apart from antenna size and range.

[rramsey]

Connection problem. If you could help, I'd be much obliged ...

My HALO20 seems to connect. RadarPI displays the serial number but if I attempt to transmit it keeps searching for the radar. To no avail.

PI is connected to a WiFi router, HALO is connected to that router by UTP cable. PI is accepts WiFi. So PI = 10.10.10.1, connected to router @ 192.80.1.165 (router = 192.168.80.1).

Starts off with
"Navico HALO A - Stand-by"
Then after selecting "START-STOP RADAR" goes into
"NAVICO HALO A - NO RADAR", still displaying serialno, "Scanning interface " - looping through 10.10.10.1 and 192.168.80.165 and below that "Firmware Jan 17 2020 03:05:44 43"

RadarPI obviously communicates with the HALO but doesn't seem to get the reply it is expecting?

Is there something I am missing?