autopilot route plugin

[ironman]

The way I test it is with a simulator I created https://github.com/marcobergman/ais_simulation; this broadcasts NMEA RMC messages on UDP, and takes APB messages on tcp/10111. When you add two OpenCPN connections you have a simulated boat at your computer, and activating an OpenCPN route will steer the boat. With this I identified the issues that I put in github. A few of them have been closed in the last few hours, and with those I can start testing it at the boat. Let me know if you need more pointers.

[ironman]

@rgleason, when you say PIM you mean the Master Plugin Catalog of OpenCPN? This one still has an old version 0.4.1.0 that turns the ship around at the end of a route. The Beta Catalog has an even older version (0.4), and this differs from the versions in cloudsmith that are 0.4.1.0, 0.4.0.17 and 0.4.10.18 for the -prod, -beta resp. -alpha versions. Cloudsmith does not seem to carry plugins for windows, or am I mistaking?

The one compiled straight from github is 0.5 and that one has solved the turning-around issue (closed issue #6)

[rgleason]

The one compiled straight from github is 0.5 and that one has solved the turning-around issue (closed issue #6)

- Please provide a link or say who's repository???
https://github.com/rgleason/autopilot_route_pi source of 0.4.1.0

https://github.com/seandepagnier/aut...commits/master

The two have diverged somewhat.

]@rgleason, when you say PIM you mean the Master Plugin Catalog of OpenCPN?

- Yes, PIM is short for PlugIn Manager, "Master Catalog"

This one still has an old version 0.4.1.0 that turns the ship around at the end of a route.

- 0.4.1.0 is the newest version

The Beta Catalog has an even older version (0.4), and this differs from the versions in cloudsmith that are 0.4.1.0, 0.4.0.17 and 0.4.10.18 for the -prod, -beta resp. -alpha versions.

- Yes probably. I should probably remove those.

Cloudsmith does not seem to carry plugins for windows, or am I mistaking?

- Many/most plugins are deployed to Cloudsmith OpenCPN Organization.

The are listed in the various repositories. Alpha is short lived. Beta is longer but should not be used for master catalog. Prod should be used for master catalog. https://cloudsmith.io/repos/

The one compiled straight from github is 0.5 and that one has solved the turning-around issue (closed issue #6)

- Please identify exactly what the repository is as there are several possiblilities, also please identify what the OS you are using is. Thanks.

[rgleason]

Very helpful. I may have some questions.

Originally Posted by ironman

The way I test it is with a simulator I created https://github.com/marcobergman/ais_simulation; this broadcasts NMEA RMC messages on UDP, and takes APB messages on tcp/10111. When you add two OpenCPN connections you have a simulated boat at your computer, and activating an OpenCPN route will steer the boat. With this I identified the issues that I put in github. A few of them have been closed in the last few hours, and with those I can start testing it at the boat. Let me know if you need more pointers.

[rgleason]

Very helpful. I may have some questions.

Originally Posted by ironman

The way I test it is with a simulator I created https://github.com/marcobergman/ais_simulation; this broadcasts NMEA RMC messages on UDP, and takes APB messages on tcp/10111. When you add two OpenCPN connections you have a simulated boat at your computer, and activating an OpenCPN route will steer the boat. With this I identified the issues that I put in github. A few of them have been closed in the last few hours, and with those I can start testing it at the boat. Let me know if you need more pointers.

[ironman]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Please identify exactly what the repository is as there are several possiblilities, also please identify what the OS you are using is.

This one git://github.com/seandepagnier/autopilot_route_pi.git

[rgleason]

Ok I will ignore your previous comments.

[ironman]

I have tested 0.5 on the boat, compiling from github on an unbuntu laptop, connected to a pypilot. For the first time I was confident and able to let the autopilot guide me into my narrow harbour entrance, so I expect the use the plugin with the Route Position Bearing algorithm from now on. Some comments

• Pypilot only uses APB messages, not RMB
• I changed the Route Position Bearing radius from the default 50 metres to 25 metres.
• Some overshoot behind a waypoint can be expected with that short radius; for pypilot I've tried to compensate with the FF gain and this is still subject of tuning efforts.
• At the end of a route the system still steers a weird turn, this is solved by the tweak described in github issue #6

https://user-images.githubuserconten...eb0def9f8c.png

[rgleason]

Ironman thankyou for your report.
I will add issue 6 fix from sean.
How do you find the interface being essentially "preferences", with no toolbox icon. Is it intuitive enough? Does this cause any restrictions on how you might multitask?

[ironman]

The no-toolbox-button interface is equivalent to the stock opencpn active route panel, so that is as intuitive as opencpn itself. It needs a manual, that's all.

[rgleason]

Good points. I need to get into the plugin in greater detail. Do ypu have something to add to the manual?

Here https://opencpn-manuals.github.io/ma...0.1/index.html

[ironman]

At least it should at least cover all items in the preferences screen - some of which are still unknown to me. I'd remove the 'advices' that are currently there, remove the links to rpi_autopilot, as this seems to be obsolete, and move paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 of the FAQ to the introduction.

If it is still true that the plugin has not been tested with anything else but pypilot, I think this should be made very clear in the beginning of the manual and possibly be part of the positioning of the plugin, e.g. position it as pypilot advanced route plugin.

[rgleason]

I've tried to make those changes by using the "Edit" button at the upper left in github, to create a Commit, which will take awhile to be incorporated into the actual web version.

I may not have addressed all of your points, but did fix most of them, including the pypilot link. Once the changes are merged you can fine tune it further by using the Edit button.


Thanks.

[ironman]

I made a bit of a braindump on the pypilot forum; this might give some insights as to usage is concerned. https://forum.openmarine.net/attachment.php?aid=1636

[rgleason]

Marco, I am going to include your document in the Plugin Documentation as a pdf attachment. It is interesting to compare the 3 modes of this autopilot plugin, with the autopilot functions already built into Opencpn (which I did some years ago. to show graphically the effect of the various parameters.)

I am surprised you have found an error in the PIM version since the basic code is the same as the plugin on sean's repository as far as I know. Since I have not yet figured out how to test Autopilot Plugins from the desktop, confirming your report is somewhat difficult.


I suppose the next step is to check the basic code.