AngusMcDoon
Well-known member
Time for a new YAPPP - YAPP in production, although I am still having a bit of plastics bother as usual (see later). This time it is an anchor watcher - a device you switch on when at anchor and it watches over various things electronically and lets you know if anything is amiss. Now I know people are going to say "My chartplotter does that". Well, so does mine, but this one is better. Here's why...
- My chartplotter consumes 650mA even with the screen turned right down low. My device uses just 28mA at 12V.
- A chartplotter is often mounted in the cockpit and has a weedy little alarm beep. How's that going to wake you up when you are inside asleep? This device can be wired to anywhere you want; it's small and discrete. You could put it under you pillow if you wanted.
- My chartplotter will only monitor position and change from it. My device watches 5 parameters. Although some instrument heads can be set for things like shallow alarm, again - they are usually in the cockpit.
Here's the box and the board...
This is what it has on it...
A Seatalk cable connector for data in
A push button to start or stop watching
A USB connection for configuring it
An audible beeper for the alarm sound
A red status LED
This is what it can watch for...
1) Position moved away from datum
2) Depth below a minimum
3) SOG above a maximum
4) Windspeed above a maximum
5) Heading changed from datum
6) Loss of data connection
All the values that will cause an alarm are configurable and any of those 6 parameters to watch can be switched on and off via the configuration (apart from 6). Configuration is done via a Windows application over USB. Plug the device in and it appears as a COM port. Discovering them will show the device's COM port in the app (but not non-YAPP COM port devices), connect and update the settings. Here's the app...
Current relevant Seatalk data is shown coming in. The alarm beep can be tested, alarms switched on and off and alarm threshold values set. The re-arm time can also be set (if the condition triggers again after you've accepted it how long before you get another alarm). These are all remembered on the device so you don't have to configure it every time you use it.
Once configured, press the button (real on the device or checkbox in the app) and it will take the current position and heading as datum points and start watching. While watching the LED flashes every second for reassurance. A long press on the device switches watching off, and if an alarm goes off a button press will accept it and silence the beeper. If the data connection is lost an intermittent audible alarm goes off.
The plastics story - I have drilling round holes sussed now. However, the USB is a square hole. I can either drill an oversized round hole with a normal USB connector on the board or I can solder in a USB cable as in the picture. I haven't cracked neat square holes in ABS yet although I have some ideas to dry. Any suggestions would be welcome. I may also get the next size up box as it's a bit if a squeeeeze to get it all in.
This has been the biggest software effort so far of all the YAPPP's, although not up to the AIS repeater or big mast display yet. It's the first with 2 parts on different hardware. The hardware schematic and layout is just an extension of previous YAPPP's although it was a squeeze again to get it all in on a 50mmx50mm board.
I have 12 boards so if anyone wants one let me know, although I will see what I can do to solve the square hole problem. This is also my first venture into a .net app, so that may require a few updates! Source will go on the website in due course. If anyone wants it before then I can send it.
- My chartplotter consumes 650mA even with the screen turned right down low. My device uses just 28mA at 12V.
- A chartplotter is often mounted in the cockpit and has a weedy little alarm beep. How's that going to wake you up when you are inside asleep? This device can be wired to anywhere you want; it's small and discrete. You could put it under you pillow if you wanted.
- My chartplotter will only monitor position and change from it. My device watches 5 parameters. Although some instrument heads can be set for things like shallow alarm, again - they are usually in the cockpit.
Here's the box and the board...
This is what it has on it...
A Seatalk cable connector for data in
A push button to start or stop watching
A USB connection for configuring it
An audible beeper for the alarm sound
A red status LED
This is what it can watch for...
1) Position moved away from datum
2) Depth below a minimum
3) SOG above a maximum
4) Windspeed above a maximum
5) Heading changed from datum
6) Loss of data connection
All the values that will cause an alarm are configurable and any of those 6 parameters to watch can be switched on and off via the configuration (apart from 6). Configuration is done via a Windows application over USB. Plug the device in and it appears as a COM port. Discovering them will show the device's COM port in the app (but not non-YAPP COM port devices), connect and update the settings. Here's the app...
Current relevant Seatalk data is shown coming in. The alarm beep can be tested, alarms switched on and off and alarm threshold values set. The re-arm time can also be set (if the condition triggers again after you've accepted it how long before you get another alarm). These are all remembered on the device so you don't have to configure it every time you use it.
Once configured, press the button (real on the device or checkbox in the app) and it will take the current position and heading as datum points and start watching. While watching the LED flashes every second for reassurance. A long press on the device switches watching off, and if an alarm goes off a button press will accept it and silence the beeper. If the data connection is lost an intermittent audible alarm goes off.
The plastics story - I have drilling round holes sussed now. However, the USB is a square hole. I can either drill an oversized round hole with a normal USB connector on the board or I can solder in a USB cable as in the picture. I haven't cracked neat square holes in ABS yet although I have some ideas to dry. Any suggestions would be welcome. I may also get the next size up box as it's a bit if a squeeeeze to get it all in.
This has been the biggest software effort so far of all the YAPPP's, although not up to the AIS repeater or big mast display yet. It's the first with 2 parts on different hardware. The hardware schematic and layout is just an extension of previous YAPPP's although it was a squeeze again to get it all in on a 50mmx50mm board.
I have 12 boards so if anyone wants one let me know, although I will see what I can do to solve the square hole problem. This is also my first venture into a .net app, so that may require a few updates! Source will go on the website in due course. If anyone wants it before then I can send it.
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