Avia Virtual Instruments for Windows PCs

[DaveJ]

I brought a Asus EEPC as they use solid state HD's, small in Gig's, but you can always increase with SD cards (they make 32 gig ones now). With solid state HD, they basically resistant to every thing but a hammer.

[DaveJ]

Oh, i forgot the mention, i have just the bare bones system on the internal HD, put oziexplorer and the maps on one SD card, and seaclearII and its maps on another SD card. Have velcro pads on the bottom EEPC, with matching velcro pads on my 4WD and when i use use it in the boat, just swap SD card to sea clear II.

[TerryKing]

Davej, that sounds like a workable approach for marine use. Couple questions:

- Does the SD card appear as D: or some removable drive?
- What is the SD interface? Can you have more than one SD card active?

- What OS version are you running? How did you "Strip it down"?? (I have seen scripts that will strip XP down to different degrees depending on what functionality you want to leave.)

- How much do you actively control OziExplorer underway? Zoom, etc? Driving as both pilot and navigator doesn't leave much mouse capability :-)

Does the EEpc have any external display capability? I'm looking at what needs to be done to have a waterproof at-the-helm capability...

..lots of stuff to consider!

It's an amazing era. My Nokia phone has GPS and the free Nokia maps of Saudi Arabia have every little alley in Jeddah. Walking in 105 F 'weather' it was nice not to get lost...

Maretron N2KView, http://www.maretron.com/products/N2KView.php , is down to under $500. Is what you guys are talking about as capable?

[DaveJ]

TerryKing: The SD card appears as a removable drive, but is always call D:, you install the software to that drive, just make sure that the correct SD card is in the drive for the piece of software you want to run, otherwise it just complains it can't find it. the version of EEPC that i have which is the 7" can be obtained with windows XP or Linux, i run the XP version, thinking i should have got the linux version (XP version is slightly dearer).

The sc card slot will take the SDHC cards so up to 32 gig, it also has 3 USB ports, eithernet 100, and 54mhz wifi. It has the standard vga port for a second monitor but due to the limited capablility of the device it only supports 800x600 res. the battery life is 3.5 hrs but does have a DC input, and it all weights 1kg.

In my 4WD i use a mouse ontop of the dash to help with navagating, but the end goal is to use a touch screen monitor and that will be the method of inferface for the boat, that i haven't got yet, but thinking ahead.

[TerryKing]

Thanks, DaveJ..

The 800x600 should be OK for at-the-helm. Maybe actually better for underway visibility.

I don't think OziExplorer runs on Linux??

[DaveJ]

Fonts becomes a issue with higher resolutions, so with you that 800x600 is fine navagating with.

[farjoe]

Originally Posted by DaveJ

TerryKing: The SD card appears as a removable drive, but is always call D:, you install the software to that drive, just make sure that the correct SD card is in the drive for the piece of software you want to run, otherwise it just complains it can't find it. the version of EEPC that i have which is the 7" can be obtained with windows XP or Linux, i run the XP version, thinking i should have got the linux version (XP version is slightly dearer).

The sc card slot will take the SDHC cards so up to 32 gig, it also has 3 USB ports, eithernet 100, and 54mhz wifi. It has the standard vga port for a second monitor but due to the limited capablility of the device it only supports 800x600 res. the battery life is 3.5 hrs but does have a DC input, and it all weights 1kg.

In my 4WD i use a mouse ontop of the dash to help with navagating, but the end goal is to use a touch screen monitor and that will be the method of inferface for the boat, that i haven't got yet, but thinking ahead.

A friend of mine just brought over for me an MSI netbook from Singapore for use on the boat. It has XP, 2gb and a 160Gb hard drive and a 10" screen all for 280Euros.

Together with a Haicom USB GPS (30Euro), a 12V adaptor ( 10Euro) I have installed Garmin mobilePC for land use and SeaClear for sailing. When weekending I can still use the netbook for playing and if a hotspot is available I can surf the net. An SSD drive for robustnesss is in the pipeline.

Compare that to a standard wind instrument at about 250euro at least.

I'm made up!!!

[DaveJ]

There are afew different companies making these sort of notebooks, they are light, compact yet powerfull. My choice in the Asus was based on the fact they where the only ones that where manufacturing (about 1/2 year ago) such a small device with a solid state HD, i feel with all the twisting, bumping and jarring in my 4WD while moving over harsh terrain will damage normal HD.

[yacht371]

The NMEA 2000 software we have devloped for both sail and power boats is nearing final release. A beta version is available for free download and evaluation at www.aviadesign.com/NMEA2000.

We have incorporated engines, tanks, batteries and generators on the power side, and real time polar plots and a race timer on the sailing side.

Many additional functions are planned, but we are keeping quiet about them for now.

Note that while you can download and install the software, it will not connect to the NMEA 2000 network without a hardware "dongle" which we supply. Unlike NMEA 0183, this is a proprietary interface.

The program also works with NMEA 0183 data, or a mix between the two.

[Tim B]

If I might...

NMEA 2000 is not a proprietary network. It is a CAN-based protocol for which the standard is well published. Most engine suppliers adhere to standard codes used in other (typically automotive) engines, and these codes are readily available. Other instruments may have less readily available codes (though there are NMEA2000 standard codes defined, just as with NMEA0183).

Your dongle may be proprietry.

Tim Brocklehurst

[yacht371]

It is true that NMEA 2000 is based on CANbus J1939. The engine PGNs are standard as used in automotive and truck applications. However NMEA uses specially designed water proof connectors. The NMEA 2000 spec has many more PGNs defined for things like GPS, AIS, Wind, depth, radar and many more boat specific items. The data format is not publicly available, you have to buy the documents from NMEA, and they are quite expensive. That is what I meant by proprietary.

The dongle is opto-electrically isolated so no voltage from the computer USB port ever connects to the NMEA bus. It has been approved by the NMEA.

NMEA 0183 standards were openly published, and can be easily connected to a standard RS232 port or a serial to USB adapter. In any case, Avia Onboard software works with either standard, or even both at once, getting some information from each network. For instance you might use an NMEA 0183 GPS with your other data coming from NMEA 2000.

NMEA 2000 is a far more robust standard, easier to configure(on the network end), and faster, allowing more rapid updates.

[Tim B]

yacht371,

There is a lot of FUD surrounding modern technology. It stands us both in good stead to be as accurate as possible in the description of our codes and the technology we use.

This way, the user has a chance of knowing what they're doing.

Tim B.

[powerabout]

I have read one of the problems with the generic NMEA2k software is that the manufactueres of the hardware you want to look at have propriatory setup systems so you still require at least one viewer/controller to set the gear up?
IS this still true?
Set up not being part of the canbus standard.

Originally Posted by powerabout

I have read one of the problems with the generic NMEA2k software is that the manufactueres of the hardware you want to look at have propriatory setup systems so you still require at least one viewer/controller to set the gear up?
IS this still true?
Set up not being part of the canbus standard.

Thats true in several cases.

And NMEA 2000 is based on CAN but not CAN standard (there are thousands)