Cheap diy nmea to wifi adaptor - tested and working

[ianj99]

I believe this is the same device that forum user curtis also reported success with a year ago:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?376686-IPAD-AIS/page4

so that's at least two forumites using a fifty quid device which seems to do what the digital yacht thingy claims for several times that. Manual seems a little...errr..challenging though.

Does it support bi-directional communication?

I note in the blurb it says it supports UDP (which I presume means it can output the serial data as udp packets rather than as a TCP stream). Might that be a better choice of protocol for this sort of thing?

It does support bidirectional serial commmunication so you can control a serial device remotely as well as receive data from one.

I haven't tried UDP because Navmonpc which I use as the tcp client doesn't offer UDP as an option.

The manual isn't brilliant - never are when in Chinglish but the setup is fairly obvious - nothing needs changing except the baud rate if used in wifi AP mode.

I agree about the price - it opens your eyes to how little tech costs at the component level these days and how anything boaty ends up priced as 'think of a number and triple it', but that's nothing new.

Same applies to the gps, digital compass and 3d accelerometer chips mentioned in another post - they cost pence, yet Airmar's compass / gps unit is £600.
I had a peek inside the used one I won on Ebay and as you'd expect the 3" diameter pcb is populated with a few quids worth of the aforementioned chips. I suspect the built and tested pcb would cost about £25 - £30 from China, the housing and cable, about the same so the total cost including packaging would be about £100.

 

[st599]

Do you know if the £15 module is controlled via a similar web interface?

 

[ianj99]

Do you know if the £15 module is controlled via a similar web interface?

If you mean the one in post 4, then yes, it is exactly the same . (I have one as well as the cased unit.)

It does require a 3.3v supply and an ADM3202 RS232 to 3.3v ttl converter IC if you want to use it on a nmea device. The pins are on 2mm pitch (not the usual 2.54mm)

Ian

 

[KAM]

Tried the AIS today and of course the baud rate is 38400 as opposed to the boats data at 4800. Not sure where to go from here. I can get one or the other but not both. I presume I need to get a multiplexer so that the whole lot comes out at 38400.

 

[ianj99]

Tried the AIS today and of course the baud rate is 38400 as opposed to the boats data at 4800. Not sure where to go from here. I can get one or the other but not both. I presume I need to get a multiplexer so that the whole lot comes out at 38400.

In post 6 you said you'd got it all working including AIS?

Where does your AIS data come from. The Navicom RT650 VHF's AIS can be set to 38400 or 4800.

 

[KAM]

Sorry when I said can I should have said will be able to. I wasn't lying in the bunk either. Its a Digital Yacht receiver which feeds my SH plotter via a dedicated input. The plotter also takes the slower NMEA via a separate input. I don't think the Digital Yacht receiver is programmable. Seawi says it only takes AIS at 38400. I am not committed to Seawi but it is the only app I have found so far which has all the data I wanted on one screen.

 

[ianj99]

Sorry when I said can I should have said will be able to. I wasn't lying in the bunk either. Its a Digital Yacht receiver which feeds my SH plotter via a dedicated input. The plotter also takes the slower NMEA via a separate input. I don't think the Digital Yacht receiver is programmable. Seawi says it only takes AIS at 38400. I am not committed to Seawi but it is the only app I have found so far which has all the data I wanted on one screen.

I've just won a Sony Xperia 10" tablet and was hoping to use it with Seaclear, this needs Marine Navigator and I cannot see how this can use an external nmea source, but there must be a way.

I've installed Seawi as well, and like the look of it and fortunately all my data including AIS comes from a Shipmodul 4way multiplexer which can transmit all the data at 38400 out of one of its outputs.

The multiplexer costs more than a tablet, so its almost simpler & cheaper to have another tablet & second rsr232 to wifi module for Seawi and nav data.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

The multiplexer costs more than a tablet, so its almost simpler & cheaper to have another tablet & second rsr232 to wifi module for Seawi and nav data.

You could make yourself a YAPP one for a few groats.

 

[ianj99]

You could make yourself a YAPP one for a few groats.

You could!

I'm not sure I could but I plan to give it some thought!
Ian

 

[nigelmercier]

You could! [make a YAPP]

I think Angus meant he had kits available.

 

[ianj99]

I think Angus meant he had kits available.

He's too modest!

Good to know an affordable one is available so KAM needs one provided it can merge 4800 and 38400 streams and send them out at 38400baud. (Assuming Seawi can accept nav data as well as AIS at 38400)

 

[rogerthebodger]

He's too modest!

Good to know an affordable one is available so KAM needs one provided it can merge 4800 and 38400 streams and send them out at 38400baud. (Assuming Seawi can accept nav data as well as AIS at 38400)

This is what Angus is talking about.

http://yappelectronics.co.uk/NTM.htm

 

[ianj99]

This is what Angus is talking about.

http://yappelectronics.co.uk/NTM.htm

That's just what KAM needs and me too if I fit an AIS receiver. (did have one as part of an RT650 vhf but that packed up just out of warranty and has been replaced by a hand held 'emergency only' one.)

Cheers,
Ian

 

[KAM]

Thanks for the great advice. That should solve the problem nicely. I just inquired about ordering one.

 

[ianj99]

Tested on a sony xperia z tablet & seawi

View attachment 48364I've now tested the nmea - wifi interface with a Sony Xperia Z 10" tablet and Seawi app. Couldn't be simpler to set up, with no changes to the wifi interface settings needed. Position and heading is from an Airmar sensor, the chart is from Seawi - no use for navigation but what can you expect for £2.00

 

[KAM]

Yes pity about the charts. It would be a better app without them. Any idea where ground wind gets its data. I presume its wind direction as opposed to angle. I was getting a reading without a magnetic heading input. I wondered if it was sophisticated enough to use COG as a fall back if heading was not available or if it only uses COG and therefore will not work with the boat stationary. I am trying to get wind direction when at anchor.

 

[ianj99]

Uk charts on an android tablet

Screen shots of UKHO Admiralty raster charts on a 10" Android tablet (Xperia Z, Android 4.4).

All 824 charts are provided by Seaclear for a only £29.50 http://visitmyharbour.com and you need Marine Navigator by Ronald Koenig (£6.50)

The functionality and redrawing is quick on my tablet - as fast as a i5 laptop. The only drawback is that Marine Navigator can only use the tablet's built in GPS so to display other data and have an AIS display you do need the nmea-wifi interface described in this thread or similar + the Seawi app. (The Openseamap charts it uses are not suitable for navigation* but adequate for AIS overlay and approximate position.) (*no bathymetric data and lack of detail)

IAN
ps you can install the charts on upto 4 devices eg Windows laptop or pc and 2 tablets.

 

[st599]

Have the 232 to Wifi board. Just waiting for Analog to send my samples.

 

[ianj99]

Memory map tested with the interface

I installed Memory Map Android app and the UKHO charts and then used the demo version of the Pro features upgrade which is needed if you wish to use external nmea data. The settings enable you to choose the IP address and port number which were set to those for the Wifi interface.

So far only Memory Map, costing about £75* for the charts and pro upgrade of the ones mentioned, offers the full functionality of all UKHO raster charts, AIS overlay, external gps/nmea data over wifi or bluetooth and customisable data display panel.

Next test is to try the interface at 38400baud.

* Charts are £25 and pro features $49 The charts are downloaded on demand and not all at once as they are with Seaclear/Marine Navigator, this means you need to make sure you have all those you need installed whilst you have an internet connection available.

View attachment 48908

 

[gascomm]

thank you to the original poster & the rest for a very educational thread.

I've a TackTick micronet (wind, depth, speed) setup already fitted and want it to feed the SeaPilot app (windows pc/tablet/phones, ithings, android) through nmea protocol into the Seapilot WiFi-AIS CTRX Graphene+ all in one. Since the WiFi-AIS gizmo needs a physical nmea input I had been advised by RayMarine that their Micronet Wireless NMEA Interface T122 was the way to go (£250 ish).

I've a feeling that this thread may contain the elements to save me a small fortune.


Links ...
https://www.seapilot.com/
https://www.seapilot.com/hardware/seapilot-wifi-ais/