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francois.lavoie · 14-03-2021, 16:09

For posterity, the information of a newcomers to raspbery pi use on a sailboat to manage marine electronics will be described in this thread.
I have bought a raspbery pi 3B to install openplotter on it. I will connect it to different instruments including a VHF-DSC radio without GPS, a GPS and an AIS receiver, compas, temperature sensors, ...
The information will be available to android phones and tablet thru wifi.

Comments of senior users or newcomer are welcome.

thomm225 · 14-03-2021, 17:12

For the Openplotter download for your SD Card see link below.

The 1.3 GB image file.

https://cloud.openmarine.net/s/sL9doDML7P4CQDo

francois.lavoie · 15-03-2021, 16:41

@thomm225:
In fact, I have already installed openplotter on the pi with the help of the following video:

Openplotter instruction video for Raspberry Pi - YouTube

It worked well for the instructions, this is a rather dense video, you have to stop and back up. It leads you to the download site.
However, I just found this download site, which also provide desktop computer images:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/operating-systems/
Opencpn setup.
From there I have downloaded maps into the opencpn. However, maybe I have downloded to much maps but now opencpn is no more functional and with superimposed gray. As a linux user I know I could probably erase the files in the home folder pertinent to opencpn only, and redownload the maps once more.
I was kind of happy to get into this type of problem. I live in Canada, and here you have to buy the marine charts. You have to install an additional software or plugin to be able to install canadian maps. You cannot reinstall these maps on different computer and I imagine on different openplotter installation on the same pi.
Also, you have to buy the canadian maps in Europe and they cost 20 Euros. I never found the canadian maps on the government of canada web site.
Sensors installation.
Sensors installation is covered within the openplotter installation video. You have to adapt the procedure to your hardware. I have bought a NESDR nano 2+ RTL-SDR dongle to provide AIS-receiver data. The procedure is not that easy. I will have to come back on this one. Presently I am missing the GPS sensor, but it should come by post within a day or the other. I think that both sensors are needed to be able to see boats on the opencpn maps. I will come back on the peculiarity of installing these sensors on a future post.
Any cues to reset opencpn within openplotter to erase the maps data?
Is there a canadian site for the maps compatible with opencpn?

EarlWer · 15-03-2021, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

Is there a canadian site for the maps compatible with opencpn?

The o-charts site is the only place I have found that has Canadian charts for reasonable prices.
http://o-charts.org/map/en/CA/index.html

You need to register and install their plug-in. The maps are decrypted with their plug-in. The procedure is a bit convoluted, but I now have maps for the St.Lawrence.
It is valid for 2 devices, for 1 year. I have 1 license for OpenCPN on an RPi 4 and the other for OpenCPN on my MacBook as backup.

The OpenCPN has a 'Remove Selected' in the Options, Chart Files window.

bonne chance ;-)

francois.lavoie · 15-03-2021, 19:07

@EarlWer
I also dropped on that hyperlink. So we have to buy canadian maps in euro. If you buy on the canadian site it costs hundreds of dollars.
Thanks for the cue for removing charts.
On se voit sur l'eau cet été! :P

Beausoleil · 16-03-2021, 08:53

FWIW, for a dedicated plotter application the 3B+ is great, but I would recommend the Raspberry Pi 4 - it has two video ports, USB 3.0, up to 4GB RAM, a faster processor, and a "real" gigabit ethernet port (not limited to 300Mb/s like the RPi3).

But, TANSTAAFL (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch):
The RPi 4 draws more power, the HDMI ports are not full-sized - requiring an adapter, and RPi 3 cases don't fit (because of the two mini HDMI ports).

From https://www.androidcentral.com/raspb...raspberry-pi-3:

Raspberry Pi 3 B+

Quote:

CPU: Broadcom BCM2837B0 Quad core Cortex-A53 @ 1.4GHz
GPU: VideoCore IV @ 250-400MHz
RAM: 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
USB: 4x USB-A 2.0 ports
Display ports: Single Full-size HDMI
Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 300Mbps Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0
Misc.: 40-pin GPIO header, 3.5mm audio port, camera module support, composite video

Raspberry Pi 4

Quote:

CPU: Broadcom BCM2711 Quad core Cortex-A72 @ 1.5GHz
GPU: VideoCore VI @ 500Mhz
RAM: 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM
USB: 2x USB-a 2.0, 2x USB-A 3.0, 1x USB-C
Display ports: 2x microHDMI
Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0
Misc.: 40-pin GPIO header, 3.5mm audio port, camera module support, composite video

I currently have three Raspberry Pi's - a 2B, a 3B and a 4. One is serving strictly as a media server, one's sitting idle, and the 4 is acting as a file server fronting an 8TB drive array. I did use the 4 for a bit as a desktop computer, and it was hands-down better than the 3B for that purpose. But for a standalone dedicated plotter? Debateable.

I plan on purchasing an NMEA 2000 PiHAT - the PICAN-M (https://copperhilltech.com/pican-m-n...-raspberry-pi/) and interfacing it with my current Raymarine setup. I'll probably set it up as a Signal-K server. Lot's of projects, but so little time. I gotta retire first so I can really play with 'em!

EarlWer · 16-03-2021, 09:50

New HAT coming out...
https://forum.openmarine.net/showthr...id=3284&page=3

francois.lavoie · 17-03-2021, 22:36

@EarlWeir:
The OpenCPN has a 'Remove Selected' in the Options, Chart Files window.

Remove selected what?

arsenelupiga · 17-03-2021, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

For posterity, the information of a newcomers to raspbery pi use on a sailboat to manage marine electronics will be described in this thread.
I have bought a raspbery pi 3B to install openplotter on it. I will connect it to different instruments including a VHF-DSC radio without GPS, a GPS and an AIS receiver, compas, temperature sensors, ...
The information will be available to android phones and tablet thru wifi.

Comments of senior users or newcomer are welcome.

I am total newbie. Why would one use rasberry pi, which i understand is a cheap computer, to run electronics ?

Only electronic part that I find essential is autopilot, depth sounder, GPS and charts/sateelite photos.

I use SAS planet in connecrion with GPS to cover my map, sattelite needs.

AP can be stand alone

Depth sounder can be stand alone.

Why bother with anything else ?

francois.lavoie · 18-03-2021, 04:45

And what about an AIS receiver or transponder installation?

francois.lavoie · 20-03-2021, 03:03

@beausoleil:
Working with openplotter and the pi 3B, this linux box is very slow. Is there so much improved performance with the pi 4. I have seen a version with 8GB RAM and 32GB memory. Do you have an idea of the additional treatment speed provided, or it would not do much difference?
@others:
Has anyone have run openplotter raspberry pi software in a QEMU virtual window on their arm64 computer?

Thanks.

francois.lavoie · 24-03-2021, 08:39

I have been working with the raspberry pi 3B and openplotter in the last few days. I have received two GPS modules: the GY-GPS6MV2 and the Grove air 530 which present a greater satellite coverage but which is said to function under less favorable conditions.

Working with the pi 3B is rather slow and not really necessary for now. Not till I am more confortable with all the openplotter and opencpn possibilities. Is there a well functioning version of openplotter for pc? I have the debian variant. Is openplotter ubuntu more functional?

EarlWer · 24-03-2021, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

Working with the pi 3B is rather slow and not really necessary for now. Not till I am more confortable with all the openplotter and opencpn possibilities. Is there a well functioning version of openplotter for pc? I have the debian variant. Is openplotter ubuntu more functional?

You need to find a better computer that you want to use.
Debian vs Windows vs Android vs Mac is the wrong question.
Except for Android*, it's all essentially the same code.

If the RPi 3 is slow, then get something faster that you want to use aboard.

I have a new RPi 4 w/8GB and it seems fine. I have not compared it to my other installation on a MacBook, but I assume the MacBook will be better because it's a faster computer.

I was worried about getting something waterproof and bright in the cockpit.
Now that I found that OpenCPN includes a built-in wifi access point that can be enabled and VNC, I can use almost anything in the cockpit, and keep the RPi and big screen in the cabin, where it's protected.

Route planning would be done in the cabin and the cockpit screen would only be used to confirm my current location and view other info.

Note: This is also all new to me and I have not actually used OpenCPN aboard my new/old boat.... but I have lots of computer experience ;-)

*My understanding is that the Android has to be recompiled for that platform. Note: I DID buy the Android version, but probably prefer to use VNC to my RPi.

thomm225 · 24-03-2021, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

I am total newbie. Why would one use rasberry pi, which i understand is a cheap computer, to run electronics ?

Only electronic part that I find essential is autopilot, depth sounder, GPS and charts/sateelite photos.

I use SAS planet in connecrion with GPS to cover my map, sattelite needs.

AP can be stand alone

Depth sounder can be stand alone.

Why bother with anything else ?

I'd say the Rpi it's a low priced computer that doesn't come with a keyboard, mouse, or monitor.

Mine is the RPi 4 so has 4 GB Ram. (my two I should say since I have one on the boat and one at home.

You can plug a GPS USB Dongle into it, download OpenCPN Charts and have a homemade Chart Plotter. My display is on a 19"HDTV and is a chart plotter with AIS display.

I have the NMEA 0183 data coming in from my SH GX2200 VHF/GPS/AIS thru a 422/482 USB adapter. The GPS from the SH VHF has a higher priority (1) that I assigned to it so is backup to the GPS USB Puck. Puck is set to (0) if I remember correctly.

You can also use the RPi for internet and it has WiFi so can connect to your hotspot which for me is my phone when underway, and the marina's WiFi when docked.

Prices range from $35.00 - $119.00 for a RPI or RPI kit. Available with up to 8 GB Ram!

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspb...6607568&sr=8-3