I have an ActiSense NGT-1-ISO the output from it is serial RS-232. The ActiSense is connected to a Serial Port to Ethernet converter which allows me to talk to it over my onboard network using WiFi or a hard network connection. However OpenPlotter does not allow for network connections like OpenCPN does. I like this arrangement because this allows me to move the the computer around without restrictions that a NMEA 2000-USB dongle has.
Is there any possibility of adding a network connected serial option to OpenPlotter?
TIA
I have never dealt with network connected serial. Is it a tcp server? Can you give an example on how one does it in OpenCpn?
Signal K server support input over UDP and TCP, so probably the support is already there.
I have attached a block diagram of my hardware. The Antisense NGT-1-ISO (SN 148893) converts the CAN data to the appropriate PGNs.
The Antisense is connected to an ESR904
Ethernet Serial Server (https://www.advantech.com/products/gf-5t...4170949d45) on physical port 2..
The ESR904 physical port 2 is configured to be addressed on my system as 192.168.2.96:4002. It is a TCP connection.
The IP address, port number, baud rate, etc. are set in the ESR904.
Also attached is an example of how I connect to NMEA 0183 data from OpenCPN on physical port 1 of the ESR904.
In theory I can connect to the ESR904 physical port 2 which has the NMEA 2000 PGNs with OpenCPN, but of course OpenCPN does not recognize it.
There already be the ability to make this connection with OpenPlotter but I haven't found it.
One of the advantages of the serial ports being on the network is that I don't have any wired connections to the laptop allowing much more portability. I can also make several connections to the same ESR904 physical port simultaneously with different systems.
I.e. I could connect multiple laptops and Raspberry Pis to the same ESR904 physical port simultaneously.
Note: The Com xx ports listed on the wires on the Block Diagram is for use with Windows where I have assigned the Ethernet addresses to virtual com ports. Ignore those references.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this I was in the hospital.
Regards,
Rich Findley