Send NMEA from OpenCPN to S2G autopilot Help

[otisploggerhead]

The S2G doesn't do anything when I send any type of navigation instructions to it. According to Raymarine info all I have to do is input the RMB signal into one of the NMEA input locations and it will then use those data to navigate a route or to a location.

[pa391as]

typically on Raymarine APs you have to push a button to put the AP in “track” mode. is there something equivalent in yours?

[otisploggerhead]

OK it looks like operator error here. Not being familiar with how some programers think I assumed the AP would see input and then automatically navigate when the route is activated on the navigation computer. That is how I would do it, but Raymarine requires that it acknowledge the fact that data are being sent to it for navigation. This is done by a series of steps performed on the controller to get the AP computer to recognize that navigation info is being sent.

I will report results when I get back to the boat in about 3 weeks.

Thanks for everybody's help.

[wholybee]

Yes, there are a few steps on the controller first, to turn on the autopilot, and then activate track mode.

Regarding NMEA testing, it is very helpful to have a second laptop, RS422 interface, and use a terminal program like putty to test that what is being output is really what you think it is. You could also look at the responses from the autopilot.

Some manufactures mis-label (+) and (-) so swapping those is something I do early in testing if it doesn't work as expected. A terminal block is helpful to make trying different combinations easy.

[otisploggerhead]

Well, the damm thing still doesn't work correctly. It will navigate to the first waypoint, but then it continues on, on that course. The only way I can get it to follow a course is if the first waypoint is some distance in front of the direction headed. If the first waypoint is say 5 miles away, the autopilot will sometimes completely lose location and start driving in a circle. Looks like a dead project.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by otisploggerhead

Well, the damm thing still doesn't work correctly. It will navigate to the first waypoint, but then it continues on, on that course. The only way I can get it to follow a course is if the first waypoint is some distance in front of the direction headed. If the first waypoint is say 5 miles away, the autopilot will sometimes completely lose location and start driving in a circle. Looks like a dead project.

If you engage track mode and it successfully navigates to the destination waypoint ,

(A) are you getting arrival waypoint detection on the S2G

your system will now need to broadcast the next waypoint and you will need to confirm with the S2G by pressing track again.

The S2G does not automatically progress from waypoint to waypoint with confirmation.