NMEA 0183 to WiFi

[Distance]

Distance,

Nice gadget. One question:

The Specification page says the box runs on 5-12V. The Reference page says 5-24V.

A 12V boat has nominal voltages as high as 15VDC. A 24V boat has nominal voltages as high as 30VDC. Based on the Specification, I can't power the box on a 12V boat. Based on the Refernece page, i can't power the box on a 24V boat.

Which page is correct and ... what's the scoop?

Thanks!

We need to spend a little more time editing our technical stuff. Truth be told we have tested our box on as much as 35 volts and as little as five. We tried to make it rubust and able to handle irregular voltages that occur from the different wiring that exists out there.

 

[Distance]

I realize I am diverging from the requirements of the original poster, and if the most 'inexpensive' solution is desired for getting data to the iPad or iPhone, ignore my proposition.

I recently installed the Raymarine e7 on my new sailboat that has the capability of mirroring its display to any iOS device, and also supports a bidirectional link to control the chart plotter as well.

admittedly, it is a more expensive solution and extreme overkill in many scenarios. however, the ~$400 cost for the serial->WiFi links seems excessive to me and restrictive when a larger boat is considered, with the potential need to remotely display not only NMEA 0183 serial data, but also NMEA 2000, Radar, Sonar, chart plotting, autopilot ... and possibly Flir IR and camera data. I think I paid ~$1200, but then, the capabilities are far greater.

for some applications the more expensive solution might be the better investment.

just thoughts ...

daniel

The issue with this approach is that you are stuck using the Raymarine App. If you want to run iRegatta it is not open, also it is not open to parsing the instrument data to improve sailing apps in the future. Having the link as open as possible is needed to foster an environment where app developers can come up with cool stuff for the sailing market.

 

[Tucky]

Distance, would the DMK box do the job I outlined above allowing multiple instrument inputs and outputs?

Thanks.

 

[us7070]

I think that some of the posts are disregarding the OP's need for a solution that can easily go with him from boat to boat.

He hasn't been back..., but it sounds like he does nav/tactics on different boats.

For a fixed installation, there are many solutions, and also many threads detailing them.

As I mentioned above, I use Expedition to broadcast NMEA over an ad hoc network - it doesn't require anything other than my laptop, which I bring anyway.

I guess I could also bring a small router, but that makes two things I have to power. I have seen USB-powered travel routers, but haven't tried one.

Anyway, if anyone has a suggestion for another _portable_ solution, I'm interested.

 

[ftbinc]

Thanks US7070 for pointing out that I am looking for an inexpensive solution that could be portable and easy to move to another boat. I have been viewing the posts, but there has been little to get me to jump back in. Thanks to everyone that posted.

-

 

[WunHungLo]

US7070, you seem fixated on using a PC and ad-hoc networking set up on the PC. You have offered only that solution in any thread on Wifi. While this may work, there are other considerations like cost of the PC, and its software, securing the PC to various nav stations, having to continually run the PC in order to get a wifi connection, power drain, etc...

If you re-read the solution I posted using the Shipmodul miniplex and making it portable, the total cost and ease of installation and use is not much above $400. You can get away with its default port configs and installing it without a PC, however at some point, its full potential might be needed on some boats to filter NMEA sentences, for which you need a Windows PC connected to it to run the config software.

The PC solution doesn't do a good job at multiplexing with the same flexible features for filtering sentences, managing port speeds, combining incoming data streams, or offering Sea-Talk to NMEA translation which is really useful when moving from boat to boat. At some point, the OP might run across a Raymarine SeaTalk environment and having a mux that already has a specific port configured to do that , is a clean solution.

To the OP, the Mux is probably the easiest way to move from boat to boat and connect to a NMEA 0183 port as a listener. Even if the boat you move to hasn't already integrated the GPS, AIS and instrument data within their own network, the mux allows you to do it without disturbing their existing environment.

My $400 and $0.02

 

[us7070]

US7070, you seem fixated on using a PC and ad-hoc networking set up on the PC. You have offered only that solution in any thread on Wifi. While this may work, there are other considerations like cost of the PC, and its software, securing the PC to various nav stations, having to continually run the PC in order to get a wifi connection, power drain, etc...

If you re-read the solution I posted using the Shipmodul miniplex and making it portable, the total cost and ease of installation and use is not much above $400. You can get away with its default port configs and installing it without a PC, however at some point, its full potential might be needed on some boats to filter NMEA sentences, for which you need a Windows PC connected to it to run the config software.

The PC solution doesn't do a good job at multiplexing with the same flexible features for filtering sentences, managing port speeds, combining incoming data streams, or offering Sea-Talk to NMEA translation which is really useful when moving from boat to boat. At some point, the OP might run across a Raymarine SeaTalk environment and having a mux that already has a specific port configured to do that , is a clean solution.

To the OP, the Mux is probably the easiest way to move from boat to boat and connect to a NMEA 0183 port as a listener. Even if the boat you move to hasn't already integrated the GPS, AIS and instrument data within their own network, the mux allows you to do it without disturbing their existing environment.

My $400 and $0.02

I was thinking he might _already_ be running a laptop and expedition.

If not, it's obviously not a good solution.

I am interested in your method - how long would it take, from walking on the boat, to do the wiring?

I'm not particularly experienced at that sort of thing, and I wouldn't want to blow up a $25,000 instrument system - is there any danger of that?

 

[Tucky]

FWIW, I just ordered the Shipmodul from Great Lakes Marine Specialties (http://www.navstore.com/). I ordered this rather than the iMux because I did not get an emailed response from iMux after four days and got a quick email back from Shipmodul and found Great Lakes helpful and knowledgeable when I called them on the phone.

They are going to try and set up my unit in advance a bit, and gave clear advice on how the hookup process should go and will make sue all firmware is current before shipping. I have temporary access to a windows laptop so think I can wend my way through the setup and have a US number to call if I struggle.

A good start from them, I hope i can do my part.

 

[ftbinc]

FWIW, I just ordered the Shipmodul from Great Lakes Marine Specialties (http://www.navstore.com/). I ordered this rather than the iMux because I did not get an emailed response from iMux after four days and got a quick email back from Shipmodul and found Great Lakes helpful and knowledgeable when I called them on the phone.

They are going to try and set up my unit in advance a bit, and gave clear advice on how the hookup process should go and will make sue all firmware is current before shipping. I have temporary access to a windows laptop so think I can wend my way through the setup and have a US number to call if I struggle.

A good start from them, I hope i can do my part.

But this is almost 500.00 I'm trying to do this on a low budget.

 

[us7070]

FWIW, I just ordered the Shipmodul from Great Lakes Marine Specialties (http://www.navstore.com/). I ordered this rather than the iMux because I did not get an emailed response from iMux after four days and got a quick email back from Shipmodul and found Great Lakes helpful and knowledgeable when I called them on the phone.

They are going to try and set up my unit in advance a bit, and gave clear advice on how the hookup process should go and will make sue all firmware is current before shipping. I have temporary access to a windows laptop so think I can wend my way through the setup and have a US number to call if I struggle.

A good start from them, I hope i can do my part.

But this is almost 500.00 I'm trying to do this on a low budget.

can you tell us more about the type of sailing you do.

Is it round the cans racing - maybe 5 or 6 hours on the water and then in..., or are you distance racing too?

will there be a laptop on the boat?

 

[ftbinc]

Type of Sailing: Racing, both buoy and distance

Trying not to have a laptop on the boat, instead having a tablet.

Looking for a low cost, easy to install and use NMEA to WiFi Bridge.

I have used the Digital yacht bridge, but it is close to 300.00 and I was hoping someone had a solution around 100.00 based on the postings here, it looks like I might have to suck it up and put out the bucks...

 

[Ocean View]

You can always buy this one for about $150

Need a case and PSU though

http://www.moxa.com/product/MiiNePort_W1.htm

 

[Distance]

Distance, would the DMK box do the job I outlined above allowing multiple instrument inputs and outputs?

Thanks.

Yes and no. It will connect up your instruments to display data via wifi just fine, however it will not solve your multiplexing issue for interfacing the instruments with each other and make your HDS overlay properly. To tie your instruments together I would recommend an Actisense NDC-4-AIS. There might be other ways to wire up the boat without multiplexing but you would have to leave out some connections and not get full connectivity.

 

[WunHungLo]

US7070, you seem fixated on using a PC and ad-hoc networking set up on the PC. You have offered only that solution in any thread on Wifi. While this may work, there are other considerations like cost of the PC, and its software, securing the PC to various nav stations, having to continually run the PC in order to get a wifi connection, power drain, etc...

If you re-read the solution I posted using the Shipmodul miniplex and making it portable, the total cost and ease of installation and use is not much above $400. You can get away with its default port configs and installing it without a PC, however at some point, its full potential might be needed on some boats to filter NMEA sentences, for which you need a Windows PC connected to it to run the config software.

The PC solution doesn't do a good job at multiplexing with the same flexible features for filtering sentences, managing port speeds, combining incoming data streams, or offering Sea-Talk to NMEA translation which is really useful when moving from boat to boat. At some point, the OP might run across a Raymarine SeaTalk environment and having a mux that already has a specific port configured to do that , is a clean solution.

To the OP, the Mux is probably the easiest way to move from boat to boat and connect to a NMEA 0183 port as a listener. Even if the boat you move to hasn't already integrated the GPS, AIS and instrument data within their own network, the mux allows you to do it without disturbing their existing environment.

My $400 and $0.02

I was thinking he might _already_ be running a laptop and expedition.

If not, it's obviously not a good solution.

I am interested in your method - how long would it take, from walking on the boat, to do the wiring?

I'm not particularly experienced at that sort of thing, and I wouldn't want to blow up a $25,000 instrument system - is there any danger of that?

Here are 2 pics of some bits and pieces of my "portable" kit.

For power, you can either tap into the distribution panel (degree of difficulty varies from boat to boat) or use a cable with a cigarette lighter plug. Many boats have a cigarette lighter socket at, or near the Nav station.

For the instrument connection, you'll need to tap into the NMEA 0183 OUT port on the boat's instrument system. Again, the ease of this will vary from boat to boat so have some decent lengths of spare instrument wire. For Ray Marine and Sea Talk,

the SeaTalk bus carries power and data so you can tap into that pretty easily. For that, I separate SeaTalk cable and a spare terminal block in case I need to splice into the wire and leave a convenient means to access the bus on another occasion. Of course you'll need owner permission to cut into the existing wiring.. Some boats with older systems may have a serial DB9 output port, in which case I have a cable for that and a couple of spare DB9 plug kits of different genders. e.g. an older Ockam system's NMEA Tap has a serial cable with a DB9 on it, so I have made up a plug and cable with the opposing gender to connect to the Mux.

If you need to tap into AIS and GPS separately, you'll need more cable. The mux has a port specifically set as the default port for AIS and additional input ports.

The time it takes will vary but if it's one of the boats you regularly sail on, you can set up some convenient connection points for future use. That may take a little longer than a one-off quick connection. In any case, we're not talking about more than a couple of hours of scouting their situation and doing it. BTW, the Mux's ports are all opto isolated top protect any downstream devices connected to the mux from electrical disparities.

/monthly_08_2012/post-5483-008468800%201345224211_thumb.jpg

/monthly_08_2012/post-5483-012962800%201345224215_thumb.jpg

 

[Tucky]

Distance, would the DMK box do the job I outlined above allowing multiple instrument inputs and outputs?

Thanks.

Yes and no. It will connect up your instruments to display data via wifi just fine, however it will not solve your multiplexing issue for interfacing the instruments with each other and make your HDS overlay properly. To tie your instruments together I would recommend an Actisense NDC-4-AIS. There might be other ways to wire up the boat without multiplexing but you would have to leave out some connections and not get full connectivity.

Thanks for the answer- as you can see above I figured that out myself and went with the ShipModul that combines bot functions.

 

[Distance]

Distance, would the DMK box do the job I outlined above allowing multiple instrument inputs and outputs?

Thanks.

Yes and no. It will connect up your instruments to display data via wifi just fine, however it will not solve your multiplexing issue for interfacing the instruments with each other and make your HDS overlay properly. To tie your instruments together I would recommend an Actisense NDC-4-AIS. There might be other ways to wire up the boat without multiplexing but you would have to leave out some connections and not get full connectivity.

Thanks for the answer- as you can see above I figured that out myself and went with the ShipModul that combines bot functions.

Yes I did see that. We are working to add many of those functions to ours but through an App interface.

 

[Mogle]

I would like to see that Nexus come up with a solution for this! Their race box looks really good. A upgraded version of their race box could easily hold a wi-fi interface / router and more. I might just be dreaming, but it would be a really plus for their product range.

 

[breezetrees]

If anyone wants to try a do-it-yourself NMEA 0183-wifi system you can use a python script I wrote.

It receives the NMEA sentences and runs a web server to deliver the data. It saves the most recent version of every sentence, without needing to be configured. I have some example web pages that parse and format the data using javascript. It is unlikely to work with something like expedition the way it runs now (because the data won't show up as serial data on the client side) but it's open to improvement.

I've got the NMEA server running on a linux router as an embedded system but it works well on a laptop too. The router still works as a router too, the data server is just a little background process. Any device with a browser can access the data. I rooted a nook simple touch to use as a display because it looks great in the sun.

Here's the link: http://www.holdentec...th-nook-display

Here's a picture of the system (delivering simulated data), there are some videos too if you follow the link above.

-Mike

 

[Tucky]

Thanks breezetrees. Responses like yours remind me just how little I know I'm hoping i can do a little basic wiring and manage a simple terminal program, while you are knocking something like your setup together.

I never was good with languages . . . . . . . . or is that were good?

 

[ftbinc]

cool