OpenCPN / PyPilot build

[scruff]

The boat I sail has an Autohelm4000 control box and wheel drive. This works OK for motoring and sailing in light conditions but is a bit slow to respond and struggles sailing in windier conditions.

I've got a Win10 tablet PC with a 12v power input and recently installed openCPN which is to be used with Antares / Admiralty chart combination plus gps puck. I intend to buy the bits to feed this with NMEA 0183 wind data and also AIS data.

However I also want the OpenCPN on the PC to be the interface with PyPilot - both to sail to a compass course or to a wind course. I'd prefer not to have to use the old nokia screen in a clear box as the interface, any boxes I would want hidden away out of sight. I intend to drive the existing wheel drive motor.

Most of the projects I've read about this morning seem to use the nokia screen in box approach though...

So has anyone built / experimented with OpenCPN and Pypilot and give me a nudge in the right direction to help setting out to do the above?

Thanks

[seandepagnier]

You don't need to use the nokia display, it's one of 4 possible control interfaces. The others include:


1) opencpn pypilot plugin
2) web browser interface
3) python control scripts (included in openplotter)


The pypilot forum is here: OpenMarine - Pypilot