Raspberry Pi as both Media Player and Navigation Hub?

[andyp]

Before I start wiring things up onboard, I have a question about the processing capacity (or perhaps more accurately the OS/memory capacity) of the latest Raspberry Pi.

I can see all of the benefits stemming from OpenPlotter together with SignalK and remote web monitoring, and I know the Pi can operate in headless mode displaying on tablets/iPhones etc via VNC. By chance, the optimum location to mount the Pi & associated router on my boat is directly behind the TV/DVD in the saloon. This means that adding an HDMI output is simple, but it got me wondering whether the device has enough capacity to switch between OpenPlotter and Media Player functionality if I can find a way to squeeze OpenELEC or Kodi onto the SD card as well.

I could just purchase another Pi, dedicated to Media Player, but the TV only has the one HDMI input and I would rather not add yet another black box as an HDMI switcher.

Anybody tried this?

 

[davethedog]

How are you planning to power the Pi? As thinking of adding a Pi to my boat and want to run it from the 12v supply but cant seem to find an easy way to do that?

 

[PaulRainbow]

How are you planning to power the Pi? As thinking of adding a Pi to my boat and want to run it from the 12v supply but cant seem to find an easy way to do that?

To run it from 12v, fit a DC-DC converter.

 

[GHA]

Anybody tried this?

Yes. Just now
But all in openplotter. On a Pi3 (not B+) with all the signalk/openplotter stuff going on in the background - saving data to a database with ais & gps coming in & monitoring voltage/current/various temperature the sending it over wifi as nmea/signalk. Very powerful little box the Pi

Downloaded VLC player and it plays back a 800Mb AVI file perfectly. Some stutter if watching wireless with VNC but on a VGA monitor with a hdmi/VGA adapter it works just fine.

OK, what's the film

What works just fantastic is one of these -

https://www.hifiberry.com/products/ampplus/

A quality hifi amp which plugs on top of the Pi, provides power as well so just plug in 12v from batteries and a coupe of speakers and off you go. Then Clementine is an excellent music player. https://www.clementine-player.org/
Put all you music/video on a sd stick and play from anywhere, there's an android remote plus easy to control the Pi headless with VNC. Clentine is also very good for web radio and podcasts, syncs with gpodder so all you favorite podcast are kept in sync. For web radio I use clementine plus chromium web browser for any not in there like radio 4, though stutters a bit with youtube but OK if you minimize the browser.

But overall it's fantastic, I have web radio on all day most days (cheap data sims in Portugal )

Good film this, there goes this mornings boat work

 

[GHA]

How are you planning to power the Pi? As thinking of adding a Pi to my boat and want to run it from the 12v supply but cant seem to find an easy way to do that?

Buck converter with a few amps output works well. Plenty on ebay. Set to about 5.1 / 5.2v , the Pi is picky about power.

I've just received one of these but haven't checked it out yet, outputs just a fraction over 5v so might struggle a bit will report back after giving it a go >

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waterpro...654869193:m:mYCzvufJ1v9Akgw9_Ogm9bw:rk:3:pf:0

 

[PaulRainbow]

I've used several of this type of converter for various things, gives a nice stable output and seems well made. Available from several Ebay sellers, including the usual ones from China for peanuts ;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300W-12A...c:g:o6QAAOSwY7pZqPit:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

 

[dolabriform]

I've used several of this type of converter for various things, gives a nice stable output and seems well made. Available from several Ebay sellers, including the usual ones from China for peanuts ;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300W-12A...c:g:o6QAAOSwY7pZqPit:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Thanks Paul, just what I was looking for

 

[JohnGC]

I've used several of this type of converter for various things, gives a nice stable output and seems well made. Available from several Ebay sellers, including the usual ones from China for peanuts ;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300W-12A...c:g:o6QAAOSwY7pZqPit:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

A DC-DC is a good idea, but;

That particular device looks dodgy.

It can't be 300W or 12A and use an LM2596. The LM2596 is a 3A output device. So something in the description/spec/photo doesn't add up.

The PCB layout looks poor as does the choice of output capacitor. From what I can see, I would expect poor transient performance and significant noise.

I believe you where commenting on Chinese AIS's recently (Sorry - couldn't resist).

 

[Elemental]

It can't be 300W or 12A and use an LM2596. The LM2596 is a 3A output device. So something in the description/spec/photo doesn't add up.

The spec does say Output current: 3A (Max) so it's probably just the page title that's incorrect... Have to say, I've used a couple of those with no issues I can detect

 

[PaulRainbow]

A DC-DC is a good idea, but;

That particular device looks dodgy.

It can't be 300W or 12A and use an LM2596. The LM2596 is a 3A output device. So something in the description/spec/photo doesn't add up.

I imagine if you read through the Ebay listings John there's all sorts of odd descriptions for the same device

The PCB layout looks poor as does the choice of output capacitor. From what I can see, I would expect poor transient performance and significant noise.

I've got two on the boat, they are powering USB chargers and have not been switched off for two years, not had any problems with noise.

I believe you where commenting on Chinese AIS's recently (Sorry - couldn't resist).

Nice that you remembered my post John

 

[GHA]

& associated router on my boat

Out of interest, what are you using the router for?

 

[andyp]

GHA - the router sits between the Ubiquiti bullet that will link to Marina Wi-fi and the other wired and wireless devices onboard.

The Pi will be connected by LAN cable and the MiniPlex will connect wirelessly.

I have been trying it at home tonight and realise how easy it is to add media players such as VLC to the Open Plotter installation.

Thanks to you and Paul for the tips on powering. I have a number of step-up and step-down buck converters on order from Amazon.

 

[GHA]

GHA - the router sits between the Ubiquiti bullet that will link to Marina Wi-fi and the other wired and wireless devices onboard.
.

If you want to save a bit of power then openplotter acts as a router as well sharing either wireless or ethernet web access with the openplotter network it creates. The pi3 b (not the plus) can share wifi just using the onboard wifi adaptor but seems to throttle the throughput a bit.
https://docs.sailoog.com/openplotter-v1-x-x/network

For a tablet, i just got a "dont touch, boat nav only" original Sony Xperia z 16Gb off ebay for 130 quid, waterproof with a bright screen which works well in the cockpit running opencpn on android. Still seem to be quite a few around. All the routes/way points etc are stored in one file so not that difficult to do all your planning on a laptop then copy the navobj file to tablet /Rpi. Filezila let's you copy files across wirelessly.