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How can I record the data from my (raymarine) instruments onto a pc?


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Hey all

We have recently bought a new boat with heaps of nice interconnected raymarine gear. As far as I've been able to sus out it runs seatalk1 for log and wind, seatalk ng for autopilot, and I have just added an ethernet network for the new fusion stereo. All of this is linked through the a series MFD. Do you know if there is a way that we can pull the data off of it to review after a race? Maybe some way to download it onto a pc and then review it? I know its a bit over the top but I like my gadgets and thought it could be helpful with learning how to sail the new boat well. 

 

Does anyone know anything about opencpn? Ive heard that you can do some cool stuff with it.

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The data collector can run on a Raspberry Pi or something similar: 

https://www.raspberrypi.org/ 

 

You can get the data out from the Seatalk NG bus with one of these:

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1%7C344%7C2028705%7C2028879&id=2395703

 

I'm looking at writing another version which will run on an Android phone and use the built in 3G to upload data. Unfortunately paying work comes first :(

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Thanks. Could i use the nmea 0183 gateway to connect via usb serial adapter to a laptop running your software? I assume that i would just need to put a db9 connector on the un-terminated end to make it work?

 

If so then what would be the advantage of using the raspberry pi?

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I wrote some software that logs instrument/gps data and then uploads it to a web service. It also extracts video from a GoPro so that you can view it alongside the data:

Shame about the crew, pay peanuts and get monkeys :)

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Thanks. Could i use the nmea 0183 gateway to connect via usb serial adapter to a laptop running your software? I assume that i would just need to put a db9 connector on the un-terminated end to make it work?

 

If so then what would be the advantage of using the raspberry pi?

 

My software only runs on linux at this stage so not much good to you on a Windows laptop.

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Opencpn will do this for you. Serial connector to usb, feed it the nmea0183 data. Use the Vdr plugin, and push record when you start a race. This will record all your instrument data that is in the stream, and can be used to play back later as you wish. It can also be used to make polar data, and pretty much anything else you wish to do.

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Sweet as. Do u sell the seatalk to nmea0183 converter? Will the gps data be available over the nmea0183 network or would i need to buy a usb gps receiver to make a chart overlay work?

 

The software is not ready for general use at this stage... I've built some custom hardware as prototype but v2.0 will probably just require you to have an NMEA multiplexer of some sort on the instrument network. The datalogger itself can work with a USB gps or pull the data from the instrument network if you're chartplotter is connected via  NMEA-2000 / Seatalk ng.

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No sorry. The best unit for seatalk to nmea0183 is the Raymaine E85001.it converts seatalk classic (not NG! ) to NMEA 0183. Try eBay. These units are no longer in production iirc.

The gps data won't be available unless the gps is already interfaced with the seatalk - it probably isn't. What is the GPS unit? Does it have nmea0183 output? If it does, this can go straight to the PC via a use to serial converter, no need to by a usb gps.

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Ok, cool. If the gps and instrument data is available via nmea0183 with the converter installed, then you can get everything from the one pc connection,using a usb to serial adapter. Make certain that the adapter you buy supports the operating system you are using - windows, Linux, version number. The adapters are available on trademe or jaycar Electronics etc, pretty cheap.

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I spent a bit of time trying to get seatalk into my pc and finally found that my Raymarine E7D could output nmea0183 without any convertors in the system. Just had to go into the menu and turn on the nmea 0183 function. Then I used a $30 serial to usb convertor and bingo i had the info in opencpn

I think your A series uses similar soft ware so it probably does the same thing.

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Absolutely right CraigF,

 

IF you have a plotter capable of NMEA0183 out then that is the easiest way - BUT it will only give out the data that it knows about - so if the plotter cannot see the wind data, for example you may not get that out of the system. Any device connected to the system that has NMEA0183 out is worth looking at. They must be capable of being an NMEA repeater though - so what they hear from the system, they can repeat. The ST60+ Raymarine Combi instrument is another that can work - look on the back and see if the version you have has two additional ports bottom rear, left and right side, one marked NMEA out, one marked NMEA in. If it does, that would work too!

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Raymarine Aseries doesnt output nmea0183, and I have a really good usb-serial converter from work that should be reliable. I have been playing with opencpn and just bought willows spare converter. Hopefully we will be all up and running for the next race! Thanks heaps for all the help :)

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