A new plugin for AIS class A voyage data: "ais-vd_pi"

[Hakan]

For info:
A new plugin is available in the plugin manager master catalog.
It's aimed to be a help for those having a AIS class A transceiver to update what's called "AIS Voyage Static Data". The plugin is called "ais-vd_pi".

This little plugin will not be a tool for most OCPN users having a class B transponder since voyage data is not used by these devices.
Most AIS class A devices has a not so convenient user interface to change these data and many navigation programs have the feature to send voyage data to a class A AIS. Some medium sized ships using OCPN have asked for this, so here it is.

The AIS device requirement is it's able to understand the NMEA0183 sentence VSD ("VSD - UAIS Voyage Static Data") as most does.
The voyage data handled by this plugin are; Navigational status, destination, planned ETA, depth and persons onboard. The remaining possibility for the VSD sentence "Type of ship" is not touched and remains as once set on the device.

The plugin can be installed as any plugin from Options->Plugins->Update catalog master: ais-vd_pi. Install and activate.
As of attached pictures the plugin interface is located in Options->Ships->AIS voyage data.

Usage:
Navigation status data can be selected from a drop down list.
Enter a new destination in the left text box. Once sent to AIS the used destination is saved in the destination selection drop down box. Up to 15 different destinations are stored for future use.
When all data are set as desired click the "Send to AIS" button and a ECVSD message is created and sent to the OCPN multiplexer. As an event receipt the formatted sentence is shown as the button text.
Provided a AIS output connection is established in Options->Connections and of course physical connected to the AIS device the VSD sentence will be received by the device and update its voyage data accordingly.

Now there are some uncertainties involved here. The shown sentence is cached from the OCPN multiplexer API but that's all we can get.
The plugins has no API to OCPN if there are any output connections established or not.
No AIS devices we have seen are communicating any receiving receipt message.
All together we don't know if the message is received or not. The user is therefore requested to check on the AIS device itself.

All user testing and reports about the function, usability or inadequate behavior are of course appreciated.

So far is there no master catalog installation available for Raspbian 9 or 10(Buster). Raspbian 11 Bullseye is though available.

Many thanks to RooieDirk who has performed all the base job with this. He kindly accepted me to finalize it to an "official" plugin. Consequently any issues would be addressed here or https://github.com/Hakansv/ais-vd_pi/issues

Good luck.
Håkan

[bdbcat]

Hakan...


Nice job!
Welcome to the OCPN Plugin builders team.


Dave

[stevead]

I don't know whether becoming a plugin developer is a privilege or not....

All together we don't know if the message is received or not. The user is therefore requested to check on the AIS device itself.

In addition to visually verifying that the Voyage Static Data has been entered into the AIS, some class A transceivers allow you to query the system. If you send something like

$ECAIQ,VSD

you should receive a VSD sentence with hopefully the same data that you originally entered. Supposedly you can also query for other information such as Ship Static Data ($--AIQ,SSD) etc.

The above may complicate your SetNMEASentence function, however I expect the Class A transceiver will us "AI" as its Talker Id which will enable you to to differentiate it from your "EC" talker Id.

Not sure if you also anticipate that your end users are also using Inland Waterways, in which case the Blue Flag status is set in the last field of the VSD sentence, Regional Application Flags. I can't remember the values, but you should be able to find them in the ITU AIS standard M.1371.

[bcn]

On our macMini it shows up just fine.
No AIS (A) device at hand....


Dirk and Håkan, thanks for that nice tool.


Håkan, perhaps you should trip the patch level from the version info in order to be in line with the rest of the plug-ins.

[Hakan]

Steve..
$--AIQ,...
Yes I suppose there are some transceivers using "own" sentences, like $--AIQ, but my SAAB R3 doesn't. But when searching now I see SAAB R4 and more have that function.
That can very well be sent after the VSD.

I'll look further into that. It's no trouble sending that as well and listen for a reply. If received - very well and it can be show. If not - we do as we do now.
Hopefully someone shows up with more modern device than my for test
Thanks for the advice. Very good.


Inland:
Yes, I know about that but it's more complicated. Actually is the inland part next phase in this little project. I think there are more in this than only the regional flag. If it should a practical inland tool also the numbers of barges, pushed or towed, would be a part. Let's see...


Håkan

[Hakan]

Hubert..
Yes, of course, sorry. Your word in this are mine as well.

Next version..
Thanks
Håkan

[Hakan]

Steve..
Although not documented is my SAAB R3 answering a ..AIQ:

--> 22:59:12 (TCP:192.168.1.168:10120) $ECVSD,,3.0,,STUPAN,215900,11,12,5,0*42
--> 22:59:12 (TCP:192.168.1.168:10120) $ECAIQ,VSD*32
<-- 22:59:12 (TCP:192.168.1.168:10120) $AIVSD,37,3.0,0,STUPAN,21590000,11,12,5,0*78

Very good, I'll fix....
Thanks
Håkan
(Dave, I'd have listened )

[Hakan]

Version 1.3.0 of ais-vd_pi, AIS Voyage data, is now available in Plugin Manager master catalog.

The update includes:
- Send a request to the AIS for a reply of its voyage data content after we have sent updated data.
- Parse any received message and inform the content.
- Simplified plugin version numbering.

Details:
We send: "$ECVSD....", ask for a reply by "$ECAIQ, VSD". The AIS is requested to send "$AIVSD....".
If the replying AIS message is received the user is informed as of the pictures below.
Until a reply message is received from the AIS the button text ask the user to check connection conditions. See shot.

Note:
We haven't tested all make of AIS class A devices so it can be some will not reply on the "..AIQ". If all connections, soft and hard, are there and still no reply please check on the device itself.


Thanks for input
Håkan

[bcn]

Håkan,


what about the .po file at Crowdin?


Hubert

[Hakan]

Hubert.. @ All..
Crowdin will come. Maybe today.
BTW:
Thanks to Rasbats the wiki is now on place: https://opencpn-manuals.github.io/ma...0.1/index.html

Håkan

[AISEAG]

Hakan,

Is there any chance that the AIS coding in the OpenCPN core program be included in this new Plugin?

Serge

[bcn]

In the po file there are two entries "Send to AIS".
Might it be that one is "send " (you want to send) and the other "sent" (you did sent)?

[Hakan]

Hubert..
Hmm.. No, sorry, just my typo. Two code snippets doing the same thing, print: "Send to AIS" but accidentally one got a capital "To". You may use the same text for both.

The capital one will hopefully be corrected on a future update.

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by AISEAG

Hakan,

Is there any chance that the AIS coding in the OpenCPN core program be included in this new Plugin?

Serge

Serge..
Sorry I can't follow your intention. Could you emphasize. What AIS coding?
Håkan

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Serge..
Sorry I can't follow your intention. Could you emphasize. What AIS coding?
Håkan

for those with no AIS equipment and with limited ressources (RAM), it would be great to have AIS functions in a plugin instead of having them in OpenCPN core program.

Serge