Starting with a Blank Slate

[rfe3]

Hi everyone,

I have some questions about setting up a Boat with only OpenCPN. I am going to have a blank slate so to say as all of the electrics will be stripped out and converted from 12V/110V to 24V/230V. I would like to use OpenCPN with an RPi as the Nav/boat data/AIS/Radar center. No commercial Chart Plotters etc... Only the data gathering endpoints would be commercial units, Wind instruments, GPS, Tankage sending units, Depth, Speed, Temp, possibly Engine water Temp and Oil Temp, Alternator Temp, Radar Head, Autipilot etc...I basicly want OpenCPN to and the RPi to be THE system to monitor and control everything except energy as I am planning a complete system from Victron with the monitoring and control displays.

I've been using (playing with) OpenCPN for a few years and am satisified that the development is mature enough to use it as the "Main" system on the boat. I've read up on the SignalK interface and am confident that I can use it to interface all of the Data to and through the RPi. I've seen another interface system here in this Thread about (Twocan)? I can't find the thread again so I'm not sure of the spelling. I'm unsure of the difference between the two or if one is prefered over the other. I'm not really a "Programmer Guy" I can do hardware no problem.

So, my first (of many) question is about the Hardware side of things. What hardware/sensors etc... would you recommend? Naturally the latest and greatest Rpi, but what Hats, data collection sensors, and what system NMEA 0183 or 2000 or a mix of both. I'm unsure what the industry std. is regarding NMEA, is 0183 an "Older"system that is gradually being replaced by 2000? I would think that having the data collection systems all having the same language would be a plus from the ease of programming but again am unsure.


I would appreciate any guidance on what hardware and sensors you guys feel are the easiest to intergrate and in making a plan/diagram of how I should set the system up. I'm not starting the project until Feb. 22 when I get back to the US but I'm trying to get all my Ducks in a row so I can have a clear plan when It comes time to tackle it.


Many thanks,
Rick