How to Connect All These Instruments ?

[George64]

Hello,

My boat is equipped with:

• Furuno GP31 GPS (com 7)
• Clipper GPS repeater (com 4)
• Simrad IS15-wind instrument (com 7)
• Simrad IS15 multi display (roblink)
• Simrad IS15 depth + temperature instrument (roblink)
• Simrad IS15 log instrument (roblink)
• Simrad tiller pilot TP32 (com 7)
• AIS receiver (com 1)

This is all connected together. http://www.uisge-beatha.eu/uploads/i...ingsschema.jpg


Using a commercial Dutch navigation program, I'm able to have all the instruments 'talking' to the program, using the tiller to steer a certain wind direction, to a waypoint, and just holding course.

In OpenCPN I managed to get the gps connected, and I think the AIS, although there were no boats around transmitting an AIS-signal, so I'm not sure about the test.

Does anyone on the forum has a suggestion or clue what setup I need to do?

Thanks in advance for your help!
G

[Viking Sailor]

Try this.

[George64]

Wow, thanks Viking! I'll be at the boat this weekend and see how to change wires.

Just one question, can you give me your thoughts behind the modification?

G

[George64]

I gave Viking's modifications a try, I did work out partly. There is no wind info shown in the program. Before trying it with OpenCPN, I watched the nmea-data on each communication port. I used to different programs to test:
- Polarcom
- Nmeastudio
Both programs show the gps data, the ais-data, however no wind data.

While looking at my other program, I noticed that one of the communication ports can set to act as a nmea 183 -port with repeater options. Feature request for OpenCPN???
Maybe a multiplexer would help too, hwoever I don't have one available to test with.

[richardhula]

Viking Sailors most important change is routing your GPS signal direct to instruments/AP & not via laptop, which should never be the case.

I know you have a switchable alternate GPS, but neither should route through the laptop only to it.

If you could label the COM ports & show what baud rate, plus show AIS feed it would make diagram easier to understand.

See below my setup.

[Viking Sailor]

Updated to provide wind and depth to laptop.

[George64]

Thanks quys for the help and work you did on changing the scheme. I'll update my scheme first.

Just to be sure, taking Viking's scheme, does that still allow me to have the AP steer to wind or to steer to a route (besides it already holds course )?

@richardhula: would pls explain why it is better to have the gps signal directly go to the instruments?

Thanks!

[richardhula]

Originally Posted by George64

@richardhula: would pls explain why it is better to have the gps signal directly go to the instruments?

Thanks!

If you loose or disconnect laptop, you loose GPS feed to everything else.

I know you have redundancy here but its still not good practice.

GPS receiver output can feed several devices so anything that requires position data can be connected directly to it. KISS principle.

[Viking Sailor]

This update adds wind steering to the Geonav path. The IS15 wind instrument and multi-display are now single points of failure.

[Viking Sailor]

Richard,

The Geonav 4C has a built-in GPS receiver.

Paul

[George64]

Maybe to clarify, I either use the laptop or the geonav to connect to all other instruments (next to charts...). The laptop is inside and the geonav is outside. If the laptop is working, I usually have the geonav outside because it is a very handy chart plotter and ocasionaly connect it to the other instruments. So to say, for electronic navication I mostly use my laptop and sometimes the geonav.

G

[George64]

I updated the diagram to show more detail. Also gave Viking's drawing a go, no luck to get it up and running. Information to steer using wind or route info is lost. Have to have a closer look into the wiring while aboard.
Would a multiplexer solve the question?