[LW] [LW11] Axiom Pro 12 external display via USB to HDMI connection

[John2344]

Hallo,

My old plotter was not longer repairable, so I needed to switch to the new Axiom Pro.
I have several issues with my autopilot not longer working with the new MFD, the eS127 cannot be on the same StHS network, so I cannot see the radar on the nav station any more, the Raymarine apps via WiFi are unreliable too, there are frequent freezes or dropouts, they need to reconnect, so Miracast is also not a viable option to mirror the display under way because it uses the same p2p WiFi frequencies and has the same issues.

The new shiny MFD lacks the connectivity of the older generation regarding video out, but it is now Android based and has a USB and LAN connection.

Recent Android systems incorporate MHL and HDMI Alt mode, allowing to connect HDMI, Display Port, DVI and even VGA displays on USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB-C connectors by plug and play converters. I wonder if this could be a viable path for a reliable wired second display.

Also Raymarine unfortunately discontinued the PC software allowing to get the screen on a PC wired to StHS or WLAN, but maybe there is a path for a VNC or Terminal Server connection to access remotely the MFD by the onboard computer.

It would be at least a great step forward to have the raymarine 4kw radar as an overlay on the opencpn plotter wired to the StHS backbone, what is possible now with other brands like B&G, FURUNO etc.

[Louise - Raymarine - Moderator]

Dear John2344,

Have you got an eS and an Axiom on your vessel that you want to network together? What software are you running on each of these MFDs?

Only our Evolution pilots can be controlled by the Axiom range. Any pilot prior to this can only share waypoint and route data. All pilot functions will need to carried out via the pilot control head. What pilot have you installed?

When connecting wirelessly to the Axiom Pro with the Raymarine apps, how many other devices have you got connected wirelessly at the time? You should be able to connect Miracast and a mobile device simultaneously.

I can put your suggestions forward to the product manager to review regarding the video connectivity. This also includes computer connectivity over opencpn for things like the radar.

Many Thanks
Louise

[John2344]

I had a eS127 and a e125 on the same network, my autopilot is a SPx30 (v. 3.0) connected by StNG and also a remote control unit for it plus the p70, AIS 650 transceiver, DST800 transducer, 2 StNG SeaTalk converter, 4kW 18" color radar, windvane on a iTC5, RS130 GPS, 3x i70, raymarine VHF, VHF splitter, StHS switch, and some other N2K devices from other brands (YDGW-02 WiFi gateway, B&G V7 display with forward scan) .

Unfortunately the touchscreen of the eS127 ceased to work and was not repairable due to lack of parts supply, so I've got a new Axiom Pro 12 as replacement on the helm and still have the e125 as backup on the nav station, also have OpenCPN on my tablets, windows notebook and Raspberry Pi onboard PC, all receive N2K wirelessly.

I had to remove the e125 from the HS backbone and have it now only on standby or to show AIS and nav data, since it cannot share the chart any more with the Axiom. This also makes it useless for radar dispay inside the salon and forces me to look for alternatives.

Checked the Raymarine apps with 2 different tablets (Samsung Tab A, Huawei M5 media pad), they work for a while, but drop the connection, the navstation is 3..4m away from the helm. Same for miracast, it works for a while, then stops.Tried even with shutting down all other wireless devices on board including the MiFi 4G router for internet access.

Miracast is working not too bad when I have the 2nd display in direct proximity of the Axiom (1m away) or with extension cabling for the HDMI and usb power, having the receiver nearby. I had to trick the Axiom to connect, because the Miracast adapter requires a secure password protected WPA2 connection, but the axiom does not offer entering a password. I could circumvent that by connecting the Axiom to the dongle as infrastructure router first to enter the password and then connect to my real WiFi router without deleting the first connection credentials. The Axiom then uses the cached password to connect to the miracast display. Axiom definitely needs some improvements on the software so.

I may have to wire HDMI cables across the vessel and a USB power source near the Axiom to locate the miracast dongle there instead on the display, not an elegant solution. BTW it is not the dongle that has range problems, I can cast HD videos from my devices at the helm to the dongle and display inside flawlessly.

Another option could be to add a wireless repeater at the HS switch to have this network accessible to PC, notebook and tablets as well as create a miracast connection inside, but I doubt the Axiom would use the private HS network for video sharing.

It would be all not necessary if the e125 was nicely treated by the Axiom Pro and could share charts and radar as it does with the eS127, all this problems come from lack of backward compatibility. I would even accept the old e125 as master and the Axiom as slave on the StHS not using the fancy features and apps, but having a reliable integrated system. I am not willing to throw a lot of money for another new plotter and autopilot, replacing working devices, just because one replacement component is not backward compatible.

[Louise - Raymarine - Moderator]

Dear John2344,

Thank you for your post.

I thought it was an eS you had on the network but you it is the e125, this is cannot be upgraded to Lighthouse 3 to be able to network with the Axiom. It will have to be a standalone unit. The e125 will continue to allow pilot control with the SPX30 but the Axiom is next generation and can only share routes, tracks and waypoints.

What software are you running on the Axiom? Have you got Lighthouse 3.11.42 installed? We are currently developing apps to be launched in the late part of 2020.

What miracast dongle are you using? We can only recommend the Microsoft v2 for performance, it is also an idea to ensure this is also up to date. When the miracast requires a pin to be entered the Axiom does have the ability to enter this, I have not come across needing to trick the Axiom to connect this before. This could be related to your wireless network you have on the vessel, when the miracast is connected P2P with the axiom this is not an issue.

If you are still experiencing these issues even when the rest of the wireless network is powered down, I suggest performing a factory reset to clear the Axiom.

I will will forward your suggestions to the product manager.

To look into this further, send a schematic to [email protected] and we can look at the network to see if improvements can be made.

Many Thanks
Louise