Raymarine's Micronet

[tty]

You're correct. I thought esp-idf was something else. I use the Arduino IDE. It works well enough that I never looked into other options.
We should probably keep the technical discussion in PMs or on Github. Maybe use the issue tracker? I don't use Github enough to know the proper place for it. Perhaps I can add you to the project so you could set it up?

 

[Booster]

I would prefer github. I could make an new branch and you can cherry picking if you like.
I send you an PM with my github account data.

 

[angryemu]

I finally got mine working thanks to a few tips I saw in Doggy's posts. My Tik Tack operates on 915MHz band, as I had suspected based on my Tik Tack manual but I hadn't figured out how to change base frequency from the 868MHz others seemed to mostly have.

Just a question on NMEA sentence refresh rate, my serial monitor receives a new sentence at very variable timing, sometimes as often as every few seconds, other times as much as maybe 20 or 30 seconds while my MN100-2 display seems to update a little more frequently (maybe 2 to 5 secs). I'm not sure if this is going to be a problem for me or not but just wondered whether anyone else had any experience with this? My signal strength always seems to come back at "very strong" so I don't think that is the issue.

Thanks again to rodemfr and the contributors on this forum for all their help and contributions

 

[Rodemfr]

Hi angryemu,

can you tell me which NMEA sentence is displayed where and at which frequency ? I will tell you if this is normal or not.

 

[angryemu]

I'm only using it for wind speed and direction. My NMEA sentences look like this:

Starting Micronet to NMEA0183 conversion.
Press ESC key at any time to stop conversion and come back to menu.

$INMWV,159.0,R,13.0,N,A*05
$INMWV,155.0,R,11.6,N,A*0d
$INMWV,151.0,R,14.4,N,A*0e
$INMWV,161.0,R,14.3,N,A*0a
$INMWV,152.0,R,13.6,N,A*08
$INMWV,158.0,R,12.5,N,A*00
$INMWV,165.0,R,10.7,N,A*0e
$INMWV,169.0,R,9.6,N,A*3b
$INMWV,167.0,R,12.5,N,A*0c
$INMWV,155.0,R,11.2,N,A*09
$INMWV,151.0,R,10.1,N,A*0f
$INMWV,153.0,R,9.8,N,A*3c
$INMWV,156.0,R,10.6,N,A*0f
$INMWV,161.0,R,10.9,N,A*04
$INMWV,167.0,R,9.6,N,A*35
$INMWV,166.0,R,9.1,N,A*33
$INMWV,163.0,R,9.2,N,A*35
$INMWV,163.0,R,9.8,N,A*3f
$INMWV,160.0,R,11.0,N,A*0d
$INMWV,178.0,R,6.7,N,A*35
$INMWV,153.0,R,9.6,N,A*32

I didn't measure how long it took to produce that number of sentences but probably about 2 mins. The readings seemed to accurately match the MN100-2 display but I suspect skipped some of the output because the display seemed to be updating every 1 or 2 seconds.

If that isn't the info you're after just let me know. I can go back to my boat in a couple of days and repeat it and record the output to a video file?
Thanks

 

[Rodemfr]

Thanks, that's enough.
You should receive these NMEA messages every second since Tack Tick's wind vane is sending them every second. I see several possible explanations to this problem. Let's investigate them.
First of all, all my developments have been tested with my 868MHz devices, so I'm not surprised that 915MHz is not working as well. Thanks to Doggy's tests, we know a bit better what is happening at this frequency range. The first thing to do is to ensure that you are using the latest version of MicronetToNMEA from Github. We made recent changes which could help at 915MHz.
By the way I added in BoardConfig.h a new configuration switch : FREQUENCY_SYSTEM. Set it to 1 and the system will switch to 915MHz.
Now, reading your description of the problem, I also suspect that your wind vane could be at the limit of range. Have you run the "Calibrate RF frequency" menu ?

 

[angryemu]

I'll update to the latest version and retry on the weekend thanks. Yes I did run the calibrate RF frequency.

 

[Rodemfr]

If it is not better, try to move your MicronetToNMEA device closer to your wind vane, outside the cabin. Then, if it works better, it means that reception is at the limit of the sensivity. You will have to either use a better antenna or to change its orientation or to remove conductive objets which could be between your wind vane and the device.

 

[doggy]

You can check received packets using Menu option 5 and also view the RSSI (Signal strength). However, I am sure Rodemfr is correct and that you have a signal problem. I gave up on the little coil antenna supplied with my CC1101 board. I tried it at right angles to the ground plane of the board (probably how it should be installed) and also in line with the board (how it is often depicted in photographs). Then I installed an SMA socket onto the end of the board and attached a quarter wave dipole antenna (actually intended for 868/916 LoRa). That gave a huge improvement and made MicronetToNMEA match or better the range of the Raymarine instruments and transducers. It is probably not a perfect impedance match but did the job. I even tried a half wave dipole and that is so good I can put the instruments inside a sealed stainless steel container and still decode their signals!

 

[angryemu]

Ok, update done on Teensy, set FREQUENCY SYSTEM to 1 and RF calibrated. All worked well.
The sentences were still slow and variable timing but I moved my laptop and Teensy around as close to the windvane as I could without going up the mast and it was far, far better. Perhaps not every second but getting pretty close to that. So looks totally like a range/signal strength issue as you both suggested. I'll switch to a better antenna, like the quarter wave dipole on SMA that Doggy suggests and I think it will then be good to go.
Once I do that and retest, which probably won't happen for a few days depending on how easily I can source the antenna, I'll report back. Thanks.

I'm pretty optimistic now and this will be such a benefit to my openCPN pypilot setup!

 

[angryemu]

Works perfectly with the new antenna I fitted.

Great project. Thanks for the help!

 

[Segel-Schreck]

for anyone interested I have made a PCB for this project, with a waterproof box, it includes switching PSU, the compass, CC1101 module, Teensy, bluetooth, WiFi and RS422 nmea interface. I have a few spares available, PM me if interested.View attachment 131734

for anyone interested I have made a PCB for this project, with a waterproof box, it includes switching PSU, the compass, CC1101 module, Teensy, bluetooth, WiFi and RS422 nmea interface. I have a few spares available, PM me if interested.View attachment 131734

for anyone interested I have made a PCB for this project, with a waterproof box, it includes switching PSU, the compass, CC1101 module, Teensy, bluetooth, WiFi and RS422 nmea interface. I have a few spares available, PM me if interested.View attachment 131734

Hi, I would be interested on a PCB. Do you still have one available, or maybe gerber files to order new ones?
Thanks for Feedback.
Best Regards

 

[mattnj]

Hi, I would be interested on a PCB. Do you still have one available, or maybe gerber files to order new ones?
Thanks for Feedback.
Best Regards

I do, but they have an error on the board, need to find time to fix and re-order some more.

 

[Jlang]

Hi, I would be interested on a PCB. Do you still have one available, or maybe gerber files to order new ones?
Thanks for Feedback.
Best Regards

Have one PCB for MicronetToNMEA, picture here: No Micronet signal receiving with last version · Issue #11 · Rodemfr/MicronetToNMEA
Components: Teensy 4.0, GPS: GPS ublox SAM-M8Q – Matek Systems, other parts from aliexpress.
(Austria)

 

[doggy]

I made my own backplane board to fit into a small box, size 130Wx65Hx42D. It has Teensy 4.0, uBlox GPS with battery back up, magnetometer, UDP WiFi input and output, differential legacy GPS input and output (to legacy systems). I attach a pic showing the major components. The legacy GPS input can be software switched (via WiFi) between the differential input and OpenCPN plus uBlox. Integrated, I also have my own designed 2 channel AIS-B and another uBlox module. So my yacht has three GPS units. Attached is also a circuit diagram of the board. Per my earlier posts, I have installed a small 915MHz antenna. The box is mounted behind my instrument panel and to the underside of the deck. The fibreglass cuts some of the signal but it is not a problem at all. I am using OpenCPN on an Odroid XU-4 running Ubuntu and also OpenCPN on a couple of Samsung tablets.

Software is slightly earlier RodemFR software with some mods I made to improve tuning (since integrated by RodemFR). I also had to increase Teensy serial in and out buffers because of the slow data transfer speed of the legacy GPS (4.8k). All other serial in the system is at 115kbaud. I added code for the differential input and output and also to output one or two other sentences which I wanted.

It is a credit to RodemFR's code that I have had it running non stop for a couple of months with no glitches. I also have several CC1101 modules and I have replaced the crystals on half of them and tested. They all work well with good range. The "good" crystals are much closer to exact centre frequencies than the cheap crystals. The board has a buck regulator good for 10 to 40volts. I can run the whole box and the contents on either USB or from the Buck regulator.

I had three boards made. I made a few small mistakes (the plated holes for the uBlox module were slightly too small so I had to drill them. Also the buck regulator was back to front (I had to mount it 180degrees so there is a SMD capacitor underneath). I should have put the Teensy a little higher so there is room to insert a right angled USB cable. Instead I cut a small slot for an external USB cable. The Teensy is mounted on a socket with a single flying lead to its under side. The Wifi is a small board which I developed for a number of different projects.

 

[Rodemfr]

Thanks a lot for the feedback !
I'm back from one month of holidays with a lot of sailing and MicronetToNMEA did not crash at all. My biggest navigation was 10-12 hours and everything ran smoothly.

 

[Rodemfr]

Works perfectly with the new antenna I fitted.

Great project. Thanks for the help!

Just in case it would help others : I just tested replacing the antenna provided with CC1101 board by a simple electrical wire of half the wavelength (172mm for 869Mhz). It works very well. For the first time I reached the same RF performance as original TackTick devices. I also added a new menu to check connection quality with other devices in real-time. It helps setting up the antenna correctly.

 

[ottow]

Hi,
I have a Micronet-related question which I am hoping the experts here can answer, as I have been unable to find the answer anywhere else:

Is there a limit to the number of Micronet nodes of the same type on the network?
I want to add a secondary MN100-2 display at my nav station ( I already have one in the cockpit), but I am unable to get the new device to register on the existing network. Autonetworking simply completes without the new device registering.

The new MN100-2 is of the same vintage as the existing system, and uses the same frequency according to the label on the back.

 

[Rodemfr]

Hi ottow,
There is a limit of 32 devices in a Micronet network, so it should not be your problem. I personnaly have two dual display and two analog wind diplsay which are working fine.
Best regards.

 

[Daverw]

when We pair ours we had to have the display within 300mm of the sensor head, this meant sending it up the mast to pair with wind head during the pairing process