DIY Chain Counter - Again!!!

[GarryF]

My boat is 20m long and my router is about two thirds from the bow to the stern.
WiFi worked but was a bit flakey.
So I use a wired connection to my router - I had one near the bow anyway (for the Anchor Camera).
I understand that the RPi's WiFi isn't very strong so you might have problems with the connection.
That said, all the important detection and counting is done, locally, on the RPi so it shouldn't loose count but the web connection to it may get a bit flakey.

As with all projects like this (and fault finding) the key is to start with something that works and make changes accordingly.
I use that process all the time.

Re the WiFi strength, I think that makes a lot of sense, so I will run a cable when I install - its not that bad now I know most of the "wire runs". It'll be very similar to my AIS setup, which is hard wired onto the NMEA 2K network for my main nav system with Garmin, but also has a WiFi connection so I can connect with my iPad if I have to run Imray Navigator in any emergency.

Re the testing, I powered everything down last night, and on power up this morning I rebooted the Raspberry, restarted chain.js and "happy days" it values had been written away.

Today I'm going to try and put a break in the code so I can step through it and get a better understanding - I believe that the F9 key allows the stepping, so just got to google how to set some break points. Hopefully by the time I get back out to the boat I'll have covered everything, so it should be a case of a simple install, but as we all know, that wont happen, and Im sure your last comment will come into play.

PS I am still walking around the house with a smile on my face

 

[Hurricane]

Re the WiFi strength, I think that makes a lot of sense, so I will run a cable when I install - its not that bad now I know most of the "wire runs". It'll be very similar to my AIS setup, which is hard wired onto the NMEA 2K network for my main nav system with Garmin, but also has a WiFi connection so I can connect with my iPad if I have to run Imray Navigator in any emergency.

Re the testing, I powered everything down last night, and on power up this morning I rebooted the Raspberry, restarted chain.js and "happy days" it values had been written away.

Today I'm going to try and put a break in the code so I can step through it and get a better understanding - I believe that the F9 key allows the stepping, so just got to google how to set some break points. Hopefully by the time I get back out to the boat I'll have covered everything, so it should be a case of a simple install, but as we all know, that wont happen, and Im sure your last comment will come into play.

PS I am still walking around the house with a smile on my face

You might be interested to see that the code has lots of
console.log("Message");
lines left from when I was debugging.

If you run the code from a command line (not using systemd etc) - either from the RPi's console via the desktop GUI - or from an SSH connection to the RPi,
these messages will appear on the console as the program progresses.
These messages also display the counter as it is incremented/decremented.
Might be easier to debug using these messages.

I'm going to send you a PM on the Linux distros that I use.

 

[GarryF]

You might be interested to see that the code has lots of
console.log("Message");
lines left from when I was debugging.

If you run the code from a command line (not using systemd etc) - either from the RPi's console via the desktop GUI - or from an SSH connection to the RPi,
these messages will appear on the console as the program progresses.
These messages also display the counter as it is incremented/decremented.
Might be easier to debug using these messages.

I'm going to send you a PM on the Linux distros that I use.

I did spot those, but hadnt really appreciated their functionality,

As I said earlier, I would like to gain a better and deeper understanding of coding, and this project offers me an ideal route to achieving this end. Any pointers or guidance would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated.Cheers Garry

 

[starfire]

Looks like Rpi 4 are like rocking horse poo.

 

[GarryF]

Looks like Rpi 4 are like rocking horse poo.

Everyone must be building Hurricanes Chain Counter

 

[jakew009]

Looks like Rpi 4 are like rocking horse poo.

Find Raspberry Pi computers in stock - rpilocator

 

[John100156]

Just tried your suggestion re creating programs using ChatGPT, with your chain counter as an example, and sure enough it responded in seconds, proposing a suitable hardware and software build - love it .
FYI I am in the process of assembling the components on the breadboard for your "Opto Isolator Hat", that began this whole thread, then I guess its onto testing the full functionality.
One point to note, for others thinking of running with this project, is I purchased a Raspberry Pi 4 2Mb, and this uses a USB C connector for power, so ensure whatever Voltage Converter is selected supports a USB C connector, otherwise they will need an adaptor.

Just be a little careful with GPChat, you do need to be very specific, I had a problem a couple of months ago and received (following 3 attempts) what looked like the right code for what I required, but when I ran it, it did not function as I had required/requested. I had to resort to digging deeper into coding manuals before I managed to crack the problem. That said, it truly is an amazing resource, my only fear is that it will make us all lazy and instead of learning to code from first principles, we will just relay on this form in future, oh dear, I hope I am not falling into if we travel by trains at that speed we will all suffocate category ;-)

I live in MK, this subject seems rather topical, numerous police escorted motorcades running up and down the M1 yesterday to the AI talks held at Bletchley Park....

 

[John100156]

Find Raspberry Pi computers in stock - rpilocator

Pimoroni and PiHut are both showing stock?

Raspberry Pi Boards, Kits, HATs, and Accessories - Next Day Delivery - Pimoroni

Raspberry Pi Store

 

[starfire]

Pimoroni and PiHut are both showing stock?

Raspberry Pi Boards, Kits, HATs, and Accessories - Next Day Delivery - Pimoroni

Raspberry Pi Store

Just ordered a kit from Pimoroni, thanks.

Now to decide what other goodies I need!

 

[Hurricane]

Regarding the supply of Raspberry Pis
The last couple of years has been very difficult.
Things are a lot better now though.
Thankfully I had lots of Model 3Bs from a previous project so that kept me going.
I also managed to buy a couple of CM4s for a router project that I worked on.
But apart from that, I searched on Ebay for any that I needed.

During the shortage, Raspberry Pi set up a website locator so that we could fine where in the world they were in stock.
This is a link to that website
Find Raspberry Pi computers in stock - rpilocator
Three and a half pages of availability now - during the shortage most of the time there were only half a dozen or so available - and then not the model I wanted.

No RPi 5s though although the prognosis is good.
A few months ago, I posted this video from Jeff Geerling on the South Wales plant that makes them
Amazing - I love watching this kind of thing.