I'm stuck trying to connect wind instrument

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Seatalk is not NMEA at all. Seatalk is a propietary hardware and software network for sharing data between Raymarine instruments. Seatalk is a very simple hardware implementation. There are three wires, +12V, Ground and data (yellow wire). All data flows back and forth on this one wire. When a device wants to send data to another device it waits until no other device is talking and then makes a request by pulsing the yellow wire in a certain way. When data is received by the other device it will respond back with a message saying received ok or not. This process continues all the time.



The yellow wire can be shorted to ground or +12V and it will not damage any of the devices on the network. So Seatalk is pretty much indestructible.



The main problem with Seatalk is that it is too slow for a lot of data like AIS and video.



The Yakbitz (YakBitz) Seatalk converter can convert Seatalk type 1 described above into NMEA-0183 format data. You need one Yakbitz device for each Seatalk network. Most boats have only one Seatalk network and all devices are connected to that. So most boats only need one Yakbitz device.



There are three basic types of Yakbitz depending on how you want to receive the data. Their options are USB, NMEA-0183 or WiFi. The most popular are probably USB and WiFi. OpenCPN can use either of these without further conversion. To use NMEA-0183 you need another converter to convert NMEA-0183 to USB or WFi. An NMEA-0183 to USB converter is very inexpensive.

Thank you for the response.
Although I have the above instruments, I have never connected them to a network. Question: do I first need to connect all of them to each other and then to the yakbit? I can see the wind instruments has two set of connections. Looking at the manual they recommend to use the autopilot as the source of power with a 5 Amp fuse.

So I guess I could sea talk connect autopilot to depth sounder, sounder to wind instrument and wind to yakbit?
The depths sounder just one, and the autopilot not sure but it looks like it has 2 NMEA cables:

If I want to use Pipilot, then it looks like I need to connect the NMEA 0183 cables to a USB442 converter? And plug it into the Rpi?

Lots of questions but I want to make sure I buy what is needed
Thanks

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

Thank you for the response.
Although I have the above instruments, I have never connected them to a network. Question: do I first need to connect all of them to each other and then to the yakbit? I can see the wind instruments has two set of connections. Looking at the manual they recommend to use the autopilot as the source of power with a 5 Amp fuse.
Attachment 207596
So I guess I could sea talk connect autopilot to depth sounder, sounder to wind instrument and wind to yakbit?
The depths sounder just one, and the autopilot not sure but it looks like it has 2 NMEA cables:
Attachment 207594
If I want to use Pipilot, then it looks like I need to connect the NMEA 0183 cables to a USB442 converter? And plug it into the Rpi?
Attachment 207595
Lots of questions but I want to make sure I buy what is needed
Thanks

You have it right. Connect all the Seatalk ports together and they will work together. Yakbitz will convert the Seatalk data into NMEA. If your instruments already have power then only the yellow Seatalk wires need to be connected together. But most Raymarine instruments send power and Seatalk together on one multi-conductor cable. So it's possible you already have a Seatalk network running if you are using the standard Raymarine curved connector cables.

The USB to 422 converter will connect OpenCPN to the autopilot function over NMEA as you describe. So in the end you will have two connections to the RPi. One for Yakbitz and the other for the autopilot. But be sure to connect the autopilot Seatalk to the other Seatalk instruments. Then they can share data like wind information with the autopilot.

On the Seatalk interface in OpenCPN do not turn on output. Leave this as an input only connection. Otherwise things could get confusing. Read up on PyPilot to learn more about how to configure that communication link using the USB to 422 converter.

[coupdemistral]

probably a dumb idea, but since the ST instruments and the autopilot are already connected through Seatalk1 (as they are in most cases, e.g. on my boat), is there a way to send the autopilot instructions from OpenCPN through the Yakbitz without having to have a separate NMEA connection to the autopilot?

Right now I am using the Yakbitz to receive wind, depth etc data into OCPN, and was hoping to enable autopilot control without having to pull yet another NMEA cable across the boat...

[rgleason]

I believe my old Ratheon Autohelm Wheelpilot 4000 requires/has a separate NEMA IN connection for navigation See page 44 of the manual.

44ST4000+ Wheel & Tiller Autopilots: Owner’s Handbook5 Installing the ST4000+Typical SeaTalk connectionsNMEA connectionsST4000+ can receive wind and navigation data in NMEA 0183 format for use in Track and Wind Vane modes. Receiving NMEA dataNMEA cablingConnect the NMEA navigator or wind instrument to the NMEA INterminals on the rear of the ST4000+ control unit.D3392-2SeaTalk busPower supplyAutopilot controlunit (rear)D3374-2Red(data in +ve)Blue(dat

https://www.nyborg-motorbaadklub.dk/onewebmedia/ST4000+%20Wheel%20and%20Tiller%20OwnerHandbook.pdf

This is needed for Opencpn to be able to send the NMEA "EC" sentences to the autopilot!
See https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...o_an_autopilot

[coupdemistral]

@rgleason

the Raymarine SPX Course Computer I have also features 2 NMEA inputs. I am just trying to avoid pulling a cable from the OCPN computer to the SPX (in the stern cabin). Since I have the YakBitz already installed and working, I was wondering if I can send the RMB, RMC, and APB sentences through that.

(I actually just tried doing that: created an output connection in OCPN that sends those sentences to the YakBitz's serial interface, but it didn't look like the autopilot was receiving them).

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by coupdemistral

@rgleason

the Raymarine SPX Course Computer I have also features 2 NMEA inputs. I am just trying to avoid pulling a cable from the OCPN computer to the SPX (in the stern cabin). Since I have the YakBitz already installed and working, I was wondering if I can send the RMB, RMC, and APB sentences through that.

(I actually just tried doing that: created an output connection in OCPN that sends those sentences to the YakBitz's serial interface, but it didn't look like the autopilot was receiving them).

I know nothing about the SPX but couldn't you try a temporary wiring to the autopilot nema in to see if that worked?

[coupdemistral]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I know nothing about the SPX but couldn't you try a temporary wiring to the autopilot nema in to see if that worked?

I just did that using a temporary wire and, yes, it worked as expected.The A/P shows it's receiving XTE, DTW, BTW etc. data correctly.

Still hoping to avoid pulling a permanent cable, I also tried to set up an OCPN connection to the Yakbitz serial interface (as output, 4800 baude), sending only autopilot sentences, This is in addition to the existing input connection to the same serial interface I use for instrument data. This felt somwhat unorthodox, and, not surprisingly, it failed to convey any data to the A/P.

So I guess I am giving up on that idea and will resort to a dedicated NMEA cable to the A/P.