Android NMEA Serial WIFI

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KAM

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I see that android apps are available to log NMEA data over wi fi. Unfortunately the NMEA to wifi adapters are very expensive. I have a Raymarine Seatalk to NMEA adapter which has a serial output. Serial to WIFI adapters are relatively cheap. Would the apps be able to handle the serial data or has anyone come across a suitable app.
 
KAM said:
I see that android apps are available to log NMEA data over wi fi. Unfortunately the NMEA to wifi adapters are very expensive. I have a Raymarine Seatalk to NMEA adapter which has a serial output. Serial to WIFI adapters are relatively cheap. Would the apps be able to handle the serial data or has anyone come across a suitable app.
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The serial data out of the adapter is just an electrical level change (I think). The data will still be in NMEA format sentences which should be readable by the app.
 
The difference between the "pc" and "nmea 0183" outputs (both will be "serial") will (I think) be that the former will be single ended rs232, the latter differential (rs422). The application layer data should be the same (as playtime says). In your proposed scenario you don't actually care about anything below that application layer because you're going to convert it to IP over wireless anyway. A serial to wireless converter is definitely worth a look if you can find a reasonably priced one that fits the bill although one imagines that with a dedicated "nmea-0183 to wireless" adapter the manufacturer should understand exactly what you're trying to achieve if you need support. You can always come back here for help of course :-)

Not only is the cost of some of these nmea-to-wifi adapters just absurd (even considering the extra cost of opto isolated circuitry) (£400 for the digital yacht one?) the network programming on some of them is just absurdly toytown. "TCP server" which supports one client device? WTF?
 
The trouble with using some kind of "serial to Wifi converter" is that the only standard protocol it can implement is Telnet and I rather doubt that the various NMEA applications for tablets, smartphones or PCs will be expecting that.
 
Thanks for the info so far. Perhaps someone could clarify the use of a cheap serial to wi fi adapter. I was thinking I could buy one of these and just connect the serial data cables (from the raymarine adapter) and a power supply but maybe I was being too simplistic would the adapter need a pc to drive it.
 
KAM said:
Thanks for the info so far. Perhaps someone could clarify the use of a cheap serial to wi fi adapter. I was thinking I could buy one of these and just connect the serial data cables (from the raymarine adapter) and a power supply but maybe I was being too simplistic would the adapter need a pc to drive it.
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I'm sure you could. Having done that, you could connect to it with a PC telnet compatible terminal emulator and interact with your plotter via the screen and keyboard using raw NMEA sentences. The question is whether or not your favourite Android application could do anything with it? Don't forget that PCs have had serial ports ever since they were invented and, even though the old RS232 socket has long since disappeared, the concept still exists internally, just using virtual serial ports implemented over USB. Serial communications has never really been a serious consideration for Android - does it have the necessary drivers to interface to serial over wifi? Do the Android NMEA dashboard applications talk telnet? I just don't know - if I were implementing one from scratch, it would not be my first choice...
 
Was having a look at sail tracker which seems to read NMEA sentences directly from the wifi. I would just use the GPS in the tablet but it would be handy to read and record all the other NMEA data such as depth and windspeed. I want to be able to see these from my bunk. I need to be able to do this without getting too involved in the electronics.
 
KAM said:
I want to be able to see these from my bunk. I need to be able to do this without getting too involved in the electronics.
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Or you could use one of my mini-Seatalk repeaters. You could mount it quite nicely by sewing it into a pillow so you can see what's going on by opening one eye when you are in bed. Not wireless, but no palava with converters or software - just connect it up to Seatalk.
 
I should have put a bit more information in the above... If you have a netbook/laptop and it is connected to your NMEA then using Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adaptor you can re-send that data out over a wifi network.. It is free and it is built into windows 7 (and maybe other versions of windows but I have not tried).
 
KAM said:
Perhaps someone could clarify the use of a cheap serial to wi fi adapter...
Click to expand...
While this is probably possible, it would be more useful to have a device that converts the data into the correct format, then broadcasts it on an existing Wi-Fi network. It certainly won't be as simple as hooking a serial to Wi-Fi adaptor up to the data feed.
 
I have a netbook but changing to Android tablet. I was looking for a black box solution I could wire into the seatalk and hide it with all the other wiring but can't afford a proper marine NMEA to wifi.
 
Ah.. I have a netbook at the chart table which I was happy to leave on for this since it has a small screen and is not too power hungry... It is connected to NMEA out (from plotter), NMEA out (from AIS) and NMEA out from Angus' seatalk to NMEA convertor..

NavMonPC software reads in all these three inputs and using the microsoft freebie as mentioned above it is possible to re-transmit all this onto WiFi so that we can see all the data on Android phones, iPhones and any other WiFi devices on board.

Just have one issue now with Android 'Sail Tracker Polar NMEA' not showing wind info.. I'll look into this later but either the App is not understanding the $IIVHW sentence.. or I need to do something more in the way of configuration in the App.. More later :)
 
OK thanks. This is what I want to do. Do you wire the NMEA straight into the netbook. I would have to use the USB input.
 
Correct.. NMEA connected into the netbook via a standard Serial<->USB cable (or multiple cables)
Infinitely preferable to get these cables with the FTDI chipset in rather than the name I can never remember.. Check by going to the Device Manager -> Ports (COM and LPT) -> COMx -> Properties -> Details
 
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