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SecondWind

Hello!

I am trying to sync my ST2000+ with a NMEA Wifi interface I recently purchased so that I can control my ST2000+ via a 3rd party or navigation iOS application. My understanding was that the ST2000+ could communicate with NMEA, but after speaking with Madman Marine who has a remote control app for the ST2000+, said it requires SeaTalk for the remote control commands. Madman Marine have their own Wifi interface which apparently converts NMEA to Seatalk, but this was not the Wifi interface I purchased.

Any advice as to how I can get my ST2000+ to support remote control commands from an NMEA0183 Wifi interface? After searching the forums, it sounds like a Seatalk1 NMEA0183 converter is required, but looks like it is no longer being produced.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum SecondWind,

Contrary to what you have been told the ST2000+ has a NMEA 0183 communications interface. This is documented within the NMEA 0183 Cabling section of Chapter 4: Installing the Tiller Pilot of the S1000+ / S2000+Tiller Pilots Owners Handbook. In a nutshell, the NMEA 0183 IN+ terminal of the ST2000+ will be interfaced to the NMEA 0183 OUT+ terminal/lead of the NMEA 0183 device. Additionally, the the NMEA 0183 IN- terminal of the ST2000+ will be interfaced to the NMEA 0183 OUT- terminal/lead of the NMEA 0183 device.

prjacobs

I have an ST2000+ connected to my Garmin 76Cx GPS via a wire to pin 6 (NMEA +) on the autopilot, and a wire to pin 5 NMEA-)connected to ground. Using this setup it will GOTO a waypoint, performing as indicated in the ST2000+ manual.

Recently I added wifi to the boat, using a YakBAK NMEA wireless unit from http://yakbitz.com. Using OpenCPN, I've connected, via wireless, to my AIT2000 AIS transceiver and receive AIS and GPS data on my tablet. I connected the YakBAK Tx terminal to the autopilot NMEA+, and there's data flowing to the autopilot, but it's not responding to GOTO commands as it does with the Garmin GPS.

With the Garmin, after entering Auto mode and pressing +10 and -10 together, various data flows across the ST2000+ screen and pressing +10 and -10 together again puts it in track mode. But connected to wireless, entering Auto mode, and pressing +10 and -10 together the ST2000+ flashes a "Z" symbol. Pressing +10 and -10 together again simply returns it to auto mode.

I've done data captures from the YakBAK wireless to Autopilot, and also from the GPS to Autopilot, but don't have the knowledge to interpret this info. Can someone with experience in this help me out?
Thanks!

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum prjacobs,

Should you attach the NMEA 0183 captures (a few seconds directly from the NMEA 0183 output port of the chartplotter and similarly a few second from the NMEA 0183 output the NMEA 0183 to Wi-Fi device), then we may be able to identify any deficiencies / omissions within the NMEA 0183 data stream transmitted by the NMEA 0183 to Wi-Fi device and/or OpenCPN when a GoTo has been commanded.

prjacobs

Chuck,
Thanks for the quick reply and the welcome. I've attached 2 files:
-a successful GOTO with the ST2000+ hardwired to a Garmin GPS 76Cx set to NMEA mode.
-an unsuccessful GOTO with the ST2000+ receiving commands from OpenCPN through my wireless system.
I hope you can shed some light on this for me.
Thanks!

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

prjacobs,

Please click here to view a FAQ addressing the minimum data requirements for a Raymarine autopilot to enter Track mode. As it turns out, there is nothing wrong with the data content of the NMEA 0183 RMB sentences transmitted by OpenCPN to the NMEA 0183 to Wi-Fi device. I have verified this first stimulating the autopilot with the NMEA 0183 RMB sentence transmitted by the Garmin GPS ... the autopilot was commanded into Auto mode and was then able to be commanded into Track mode. I then stimulated the autopilot with the NMEA 0183 RMB sentence transmitted by OpenCPn ... similarly, the autopilot was commanded into Auto mode and was then able to be commanded into Track mode.

I suspect that the reported issue is more likely caused by a problem with the YakBAK NMEA wireless unit or its configuration settings. Raymarine's autopilots having a NMEA 0183 communications interface are exclusively designed to support 4800 BAUD communications. As AIS data is transmitted via NMEA 0183 is transmitted at 38400 BAUD, it is quite possible that the BAUD rate of the YakBAK NMEA wireless unit's NMEA 0183 Output may be 38400 BAUD rather than 4800 BAUD. Should this not be the case, then it would be recommended that the serial NMEA 0183 output of the YakBAK NMEA wireless unit be directed to a PC running HyperTerminal (or other serial port monitoring application (ex. NemaTalker, etc.)) or other device which can verify the BAUD rate and capture the NMEA 0183 output directly from the YakBAK NMEA wireless unit. Should the data rate transmitted to the autopilot be verified to be 4800 BAUD and should it be verified that NMEA 0183 data is indeed being sent, then you may want to try reversing the NMEA 0183+ and NMEA 0183- leads to the autopilot's NMEA 0183 terminals.

prjacobs

Chuck, thanks again for the quick and comprehensive reply. I appreciate your detailed explanation and suggestions.
One thing I neglected to mention was that the YakBAK is connected to a YakMUX http://yakbitz.com/YakMUX.aspx Data is input at 38400 baud, but the output to the autopilot is set to 4800 baud. I'll check this, follow your other suggestions, and keep you posted on the results.
Cheers.

prjacobs

Hi Chuck, I still have not got the wireless-to-autopilot working. I admit it hasn't been a priority, but now I have more time to work on it.
Today I attached my laptop (with terminal program running) and captured the data stream from the hard-wired Garmin GPS to the Autopilot. Then I disconnect the Garmin, re-connected the wireless, and captured that data stream also.
I've attached the file for your perusal, hopefully you may be able to shed some light on this!
Thanks.
Peter.

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

prjacobs,

No file was attached to you most recent post.

prjacobs

Sorry about that. Below is a "cut and paste" instead!
Cheers, Peter.

=====================================================
Using OpenCPN, a point was selected to "goto". All data was read directly from the cockpit Autopilot plug NMEA+ and NMEA- connections wired to the serial port of a laptop running a terminal program.

WORKING SYSTEM: Data Stream from Garmin GPS76C hard wired to Autopilot's NMEA+ and NMEA- connections. The Autopilot can be put into track mode successfully using this system.

$GPRMC,205254,A,4820.8253,N,12334.1983,W,0.0,342.9,180719,18.6,E,D*3B
$GPRMB,A,0.00,R,,001,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,28.826,34.3,,V,D*44
$GPBWC,205254,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,34.3,T,15.6,M,28.826,N,001,D*77
$GPXTE,A,A,0.00,R,N,D*18
$GPAPB,A,A,0.00,R,N,V,V,34.3,T,001,34.3,T,34.3,T,D*51
$GPRMC,205255,A,4820.8253,N,12334.1983,W,0.0,342.9,180719,18.6,E,D*3A
$GPRMB,A,0.00,R,,001,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,28.826,34.3,,V,D*44
$GPBWC,205255,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,34.3,T,15.6,M,28.826,N,001,D*76
$GPXTE,A,A,0.00,R,N,D*18
$GPAPB,A,A,0.00,R,N,V,V,34.3,T,001,34.3,T,34.3,T,D*51
$GPRMC,205256,A,4820.8253,N,12334.1983,W,0.0,342.9,180719,18.6,E,D*39
$GPRMB,A,0.00,R,,001,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,28.826,34.3,,V,D*44
$GPBWC,205256,4844.6013,N,12309.7184,W,34.3,T,15.6,M,28.826,N,001,D*75
$GPXTE,A,A,0.00,R,N,D*18
$GPAPB,A,A,0.00,R,N,V,V,34.3,T,001,34.3,T,34.3,T,D*51

NON-WORKING SYSTEM: Data stream from OpenCPN connected to Autopilot via wireless, output at 4800 Baud. The Autopilot will not go into track mode using this system.

$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062,293.296,0.046,V*0A

$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,1$ECXTE,A,A,0.000,L,N*4F

$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062,293.393,0.179,V*03

$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062$ECRMB,A,0.000,L,001,002,4820.850,N,1$ECXTE,A,A,0.000,L,N*4F

$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062,293.429,0.144,V*15

$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,1$ECXTE,A,A,0.000,R,N*51

$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062,293.462,0.073,V*1F

$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,12334.281,W,0.062$ECRMB,A,0.000,R,001,002,4820.850,N,1$ECXTE,A,A,0.000,R,N*51

=======================================================