OpenCPN SIMRAD/LOWRANCE Radar Overlay PlugIn

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by Douwe Fokkema

You better try the new release (41026) that Kees published yesterday.....

Hi,
we can we download this new release ?

Serge

[Tuuletar]

Hi Dave,
Just got back from 2-months in the Lau Group and out of contact. Just an update for anyone who is interested. I've now got a working plugin for the KODEN RadarPC. If anyone has the same type of Radar and wants to test or get involved then let me know.
Cheers,
Mark

[Neptune's Gear]

Download latest version here opencpn-navico-radar-plugin.github.io

Same issue for me. Took my other laptop down to the boat today to try that. Same thing again - no radar picture on this plugin .

I'm now thinking it must be a conflict with something - I'll delete and re-install windows (7) on my nav laptop, then install only OCPN and see what happens....

[Neptune's Gear]

Update - no radar pic with latest (2) plugins; I have deleted Windows, reformated the disk drive, reinstalled WIndows 7 Ent edition, patched up to date, downloaded and installed OCPN 3.2.2222, installed charts, and the plugin BR24 Version 0.41026. Still no radar pic. This laptop is an Asus X42F, with Intel graphics.
If I regress to earlier plugins it was ok, but when I formated my disk I forgot the only other copy of the August version was on that If anyone can send me a copy I'd appreciate it!
So, what changed in the DLL between August and now?

[Hakan]

Matt..
Frustrations, for you and me because I can't make much of a help. Have no ideas since the 41026 version is working on my Win7 using BR24 and for Douwe using 4G as well. I suppose you have checked the log file for any traces? A silly? note but yesterday I couldn't get my scanner working but it turns out to be due to the lack of neither compass heading,HDT, nor GPS course, COG. I'd forgot to switch the compass on! (If I remember right some earlier plugin version still viewed a, face up, radar picture even without any of them.)

I've attacked two zipped versions, 40622 an 41026 both built by me against most recent OCPN beta. The latter is the one where Kees have changed the ageing logic and the menu behaviour but I think you've tried it. Please download and scrap the .pdf extension

Håkan

[Neptune's Gear]

thanks, I'll let you know tomorrow... :-)

[Douwe Fokkema]

RI-10 interface box

May be a little bit of a side track from the pi, but still interesting. In Europe the Lowrance radar is supplied with a RI-10 interface box. This box connects to the radar with a RJ-45 connector and to the official display with a Simrad proprietary ethernet connector. There is also a Simnet connector for a NMEA2000 connection. The box will accept heading info from the NMEA2000 and pass it to the radar for Marpa and chart overlay. Currently this functionality is not used in the pi.
I expected that the RI-10 would pass the heading info over the Ethernet to the radar. Actually it does not.
I found that the RX and TX wires of the incoming ethernet (RJ45) are directly galvanic connected to the outgoing ethernet (Simrad connector, pins counted clockwise looking onto the RI-10) as follows,
RJ45 pin1 (white/green) to pin 3
pin 2 (green) pin 2
pin 3 (white/orange) pin 5
pin 6 (oranje) pin 4
This means that the incoming NMEA2000 data is not intermixed into the ethernet.

Instead there is a signal on pin 7 and 8 (brown, brown/white pair) of the RJ45. This is not an NMEA2000 signal, there is a a differential voltage of 5 volt, could be a RS422 signal. I have not succeeded in further analyzing this signal.

Summary: the incoming and outgoing ethernets are directly connected. Over a spare pair of wires the radar receives the heading info.

[Neptune's Gear]

Hakan, ok, the older .dll works (sort of - see below), the newer one does not. Let me give you some further background. Earlier this year, I lost radar pics below about 1nm. Kees had a similar problem, and it was a fault in the radar, so after trying various .dll versions, I decided I must have the same fault, as no-one else had reported it. Being a bit low on cash at the moment, I decided I had to put up with it for a while.
Then, in August or Sept, another user commented to me that he had had a similar issue, and it was resolved by a newer .dll. So I looked on GIT, and downloaded the latest (remember, Sept at this point). It worked! I had all ranges again, and I thought "fixed!, something in the .dll..."
Then, I noticed the latest one had come out - changed to that. No radar image AT ALL... Changed back to the Sept one, worked. No other changes. Tried it on my netbook - same results exactly. So I decided to format and rebuild my nav PC to see if it was some other software app conflict, or a windows problem causing the issue. I formatted, and rebuilt windows (7, ent, SP1) loaded OCPN and charts, Still no radar Pic. Stupidly I had formatted the machine with the Sept .dll on it - the only one that worked properly!
It does not seem to be hardware - changing the .dll's gives repeatably no radar image at all with ver .41026 and an image with range over 1nm with .40622. There is nothing obvious in the log files;

.41026
________

10:33:00: 2014-10-30
10:33:00: ------- Starting OpenCPN -------
10:33:00: Version 3.3.2222 Build 2014-10-22
10:33:00: wxWidgets version: wxWidgets 2.8.12
10:33:00: MemoryStatus: mem_total: 3501 mb, mem_initial: 8 mb
10:33:00: SData_Locn is C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\
10:33:00: Using existing Config_File: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\opencpn.ini
10:33:00: Styles loading from C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\uidata\styles.xml
10:33:00: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\
10:33:00: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\.opencpn\
10:33:00: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
10:33:00: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
10:33:00: System default Language: en_US
10:33:00 AM: Opencpn language set to: en_US
10:33:04 AM: ChartSymbols loaded from C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\s57data\chartsymbols.xml
10:33:04 AM: Using s57data in C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\s57data
10:33:04 AM: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
10:33:04 AM: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
10:33:04 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM3
10:33:04 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM5
10:33:04 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM6
10:33:04 AM: Creating glChartCanvas
10:33:04 AM: PlugInManager searching for PlugIns in location C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins
10:33:04 AM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
10:33:04 AM: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
API Version detected: 108
PlugIn Version detected: 41012
10:33:04 AM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
10:33:04 AM: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
API Version detected: 106
PlugIn Version detected: 102
10:33:04 AM: Warning: unable to use NPOT texture for chart symbols
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Renderer String: Intel(R) HD Graphics
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling stencil buffer
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Texture rectangle format: de1
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Detected Windows Intel renderer, disabling Vertexbuffer Objects
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Vertexbuffer Objects unavailable
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Using Framebuffer Objects
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Using FBO Stencil buffer
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Using Depth buffer clipping
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Using s3tc dxt1 compression
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Compressed tile size: 128kb (6:1)
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Minimum cartographic line width: 1.0
10:33:04 AM: OpenGL-> Minimum symbol line width: 1.0
10:33:04 AM: ChartDB Cache policy: Application target is 1024 MBytes
10:33:04 AM: Loading chart db version: V018
10:33:04 AM: Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
10:33:04 AM: Chart directory #0: C:\nzcharts
10:33:04 AM: GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
10:33:04 AM: Initializing Chart C:\nzcharts\NZ21\NZ2101.KAP
10:33:05 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIHDG to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:05 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIDPT to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for GPRMC to Serial:COM5 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIMTW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: BR24radar_pi: Heading source is now HDT
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIMWV to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIDBT to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIVLW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIVHW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:06 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for AIVDO to Serial:COM3 (Priority: 3)
10:33:07 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for GPRMC to Serial:COM3 (Priority: 3)
10:33:07 AM: Initializing Chart C:\nzcharts\NZ22\NZ2201.KAP
10:33:12 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIRMC to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:12 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIRMA to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:13 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIRSA to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
10:33:14 AM: BR24radar_pi: Range Change: 0 --> 22309 meters (raw value: 3155
10:33:29 AM: PlugInManager: Deactivating PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
10:33:29 AM: PlugInManager: Deactivating PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
10:33:29 AM: opencpn::MyFrame exiting cleanly.
10:33:29 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM3
10:33:29 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
10:33:30 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
10:33:30 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM5
10:33:30 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
10:33:31 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
10:33:31 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM6
10:33:31 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
10:33:32 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
10:33:32 AM: Chart cache purge
10:33:32 AM: PlugInManager: UnLoading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
10:33:32 AM: PlugInManager: UnLoading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
10:33:32 AM: Chart cache purge
10:33:32 AM: LOGBOOK: 2014-10-29 21:33:32 UTC OFF: Lat -36.61618 Lon 174.78828 COG 231.00000 SOG 0.00 kts
10:33:32 AM: opencpn::MyApp exiting cleanly...

and .40622
________

11:01:04: 2014-10-30
11:01:04: ------- Starting OpenCPN -------
11:01:04: Version 3.3.2222 Build 2014-10-22
11:01:04: wxWidgets version: wxWidgets 2.8.12
11:01:04: MemoryStatus: mem_total: 3501 mb, mem_initial: 8 mb
11:01:04: SData_Locn is C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\
11:01:04: Using existing Config_File: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\opencpn.ini
11:01:04: Styles loading from C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\uidata\styles.xml
11:01:04: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\
11:01:04: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\.opencpn\
11:01:04: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
11:01:04: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon -36.6161, 174.788
11:01:04: System default Language: en_US
11:01:04 AM: Opencpn language set to: en_US
11:01:08 AM: ChartSymbols loaded from C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\s57data\chartsymbols.xml
11:01:08 AM: Using s57data in C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\s57data
11:01:08 AM: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon -36.6162, 174.788
11:01:08 AM: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon -36.6161, 174.788
11:01:08 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM3
11:01:08 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM5
11:01:08 AM: Opening NMEA Datastream Serial:COM6
11:01:08 AM: Creating glChartCanvas
11:01:08 AM: PlugInManager searching for PlugIns in location C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins
11:01:08 AM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
11:01:08 AM: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
API Version detected: 108
PlugIn Version detected: 40622
11:01:08 AM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
11:01:08 AM: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
API Version detected: 106
PlugIn Version detected: 102
11:01:08 AM: Warning: unable to use NPOT texture for chart symbols
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Renderer String: Intel(R) HD Graphics
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling stencil buffer
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Texture rectangle format: de1
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Detected Windows Intel renderer, disabling Vertexbuffer Objects
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Vertexbuffer Objects unavailable
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Framebuffer Incomplete: 00008CDD
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Framebuffer Objects unavailable
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Using Depth buffer clipping
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Using s3tc dxt1 compression
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Compressed tile size: 128kb (6:1)
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Minimum cartographic line width: 1.0
11:01:09 AM: OpenGL-> Minimum symbol line width: 1.0
11:01:09 AM: ChartDB Cache policy: Application target is 1024 MBytes
11:01:09 AM: Loading chart db version: V018
11:01:09 AM: Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
11:01:09 AM: Chart directory #0: C:\nzcharts
11:01:09 AM: GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
11:01:09 AM: Initializing Chart C:\nzcharts\NZ5321\NZ532101.KAP
11:01:09 AM: Warning: Skew override on chart C:\nzcharts\NZ5321\NZ532101.KAP is 0.00119747 degrees
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIMTW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIMWV to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIDBT to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for GPRMC to Serial:COM5 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIVLW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIVHW to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIHDG to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:10 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIDPT to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:11 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIRMC to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:11 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for IIRMA to Serial:COM6 (Priority: 1)
11:01:11 AM: BR24radar_pi: Heading source is now HDT
11:01:11 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for AIVDO to Serial:COM3 (Priority: 3)
11:01:11 AM: Changing NMEA Datasource for GPRMC to Serial:COM3 (Priority: 3)
11:01:15 AM: BR24radar_pi: Range Change: 0 --> 1852 meters (raw value: 262
11:01:27 AM: BR24radar_pi: Range Change: 1852 --> 1393 meters (raw value: 197
11:01:33 AM: BR24radar_pi: Range Change: 1393 --> 1852 meters (raw value: 262
11:01:45 AM: PlugInManager: Deactivating PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
11:01:45 AM: PlugInManager: Deactivating PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
11:01:45 AM: opencpn::MyFrame exiting cleanly.
11:01:45 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM3
11:01:45 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
11:01:46 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
11:01:46 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM5
11:01:46 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
11:01:47 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
11:01:47 AM: Closing NMEA Datastream Serial:COM6
11:01:47 AM: Stopping Secondary Thread
11:01:48 AM: Stopped in 1 sec.
11:01:48 AM: Chart cache purge
11:01:48 AM: PlugInManager: UnLoading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\br24radar_pi.dll
11:01:48 AM: PlugInManager: UnLoading PlugIn: C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins\dashboard_pi.dll
11:01:48 AM: Chart cache purge
11:01:48 AM: LOGBOOK: 2014-10-29 22:01:48 UTC OFF: Lat -36.61615 Lon 174.78826 COG 0.00000 SOG 0.00 kts
11:01:48 AM: opencpn::MyApp exiting cleanly...

Sorry for the long post. Any ideas??

Matt

[blubaju]

Hello, I am quite afraid to ask this, but no question, no reply ;-)

Being very fed up with my ancient Raymarine setup (approx.year 2000, when they went bancrupt and that reflects how the components perform, work together or fall apart) and following the progress of oCPN I think time is ready for a fully working PC-backup and later changeover. A direct access to NMEA2000 might be helpfull, but this is another topic.

Question is: Garmin or which Navico or what else?

Raymarine was only once asked for in this thread, I asume no one works on a fork to include their new scanners (Broadband, not my old stuff)

Garmin does not convince me as once I decide to go for a chart plotter I am stuck to Bluecharts. Sailing in Asia and later to EU this might not be the best choice.

Navico (Simrad, B&G and Lowrance), do their Radar scanners all have same and interchangeable software? Hence it does not matter what G4 scanner I buy? Or is there a specific preference? Again the point is a backup if my PC runs havoc.

Is there anywhere a list of already working features and a possibility to compare with the Garmin solution? eg. Marpa development was denied for Simrad somewhere in the thread, any change of mind?

Thank you for any reply,

Heinrich

P.S. I'll be in LA early Dec. and one scanner I want to bring home ;-)

[Neptune's Gear]

Heinrich,

I can't comment on the others, but the Navico radars (Lowrance, Simrad, B&G etc) are all the same, one manufacturer (Navico) and different labels. 3G or 4 G both work. Be aware that this plugin is in Alpha code.

Charts - if you are using Opencpn, then the charts are limited to whatever opencpn can display, what the manufacturers radar screens display is irrelevant, unless you want them to match exactly with the PC radar view.

With the Navico radars, you do not NEED a radar display or junction box of any type for OCPN to work - the radar dome ethernet plug can go directly to the laptop/pc ethernet port. Cheaper. You can do a 3G radar for close on $1000 USD....

Good luck!
Matt

[rgleason]

Matt or Hakan. If you know the approximate date SEPT you can revert back in git and compile to get the one that works. Test it out then do a diff to see what has changed and might be causing this. I wonder if there are different versions of the software in the radar. Perhaps you updated the radar software. Not having one yet leaves me at a disafvantage.

I can post the git steps to revert if needed.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Neptune's Gear]

Yes please Rick, I'm new to GIT, and have never compiled anything!
Thanks
Matt

[merrimac]

I’ve been improving the plugin over the last few weeks, and just pushed release 0.41102 out to the download site.

Important fixes:

• Ageing of the radar image and drawing has been revised.
• Robustness when radar data is sent in incomplete, longer or shorter packets than normal.
• Overlay of the radar image during scrolling, moving, zooming, etc. works better.
• Added missing radar controls: Target Separation, Noise Rejection, Scan Speed.
• The radar control is shown when you click on the radar button.
• Master mode is enabled even when the radar was already on, so you can take over from a 2nd control unit.

The image is now as good as or even slightly better than on my Lowrance, as the computer has a higher resolution screen.

I’m still working on having the controls on the screen update when you adjust the radar image on a different control unit — whether a 2nd OpenCPN instance or a MFD.

There is a ‘hidden feature’. If you set VerboseLog=1 in the ini file then the “Advanced” part of the control dialog will show how many packets and spokes were received in the last refresh (1s unless you are moving/scrolling), and how many are incorrect or missing:



Source at github: https://github.com/canboat/BR24radar_pi
Windows compiled DLL: opencpn-navico-radar-plugin.github.io


Kind regards,
Kees

[merrimac]

Matt,

I'd like you to try 0.41103. Set VerboseLog to 1 in the ini file, start the radar (press the radar button) and click on "Advanced >>". Check whether the first "pkt" value gets other than 0.

If it doesn't, check the log file. It should have lines every 3 seconds (if verbose logging is enabled):

BR24radar_pi: received report <x> bytes: ....

My 4g puts out 3 packets of 18, 66 and 129 bytes every few seconds.

[Neptune's Gear]

Hi Merrimac, thanks for your efforts!

I changed to the new version you supplied. A couple of differences. The radar switch icon never goes green now, stays yellow when on, and red, of course when off. There is no Radar image at all and no packets, no spokes...
Still works if I go back to the old .dll (but not under 1nm)...
Is that any help?

Matt