Gentlemen,
I would like to chime in on this subject as I'm actually in the design stage of adding analog / digital data onto my OP setup. Last season I started using OP on my 30ft sailboat with great success and this year will start expanding the setup, predominantly to display analog and digital data on gauges.
My idea is to convert analog and digital signals into a (custom) NMEA strings that will be send to the RPI. This is a very common procedure in the commercial marine electronics (my profession), especially in the new integrated bridges / VDR systems. I'm working on a custom board that allows me to get 8 analog and 16 digital signals. On this board, a uP will convert this into a NMEA string. For some data there are NMEA strings (RPM, Rudder) however, to make it adaptable to other signals (temperature, pressure, water levels, voltages, current etc), it could be a possibility to make custom NMEA strings with raw Analog (0-1024) and digital (0,1) data.
In OP, there should then be a decoder that will allow you to define this NMEA data into readable information.
The beauty of this is that you will be able to start adding multiple PI's on a ship network enabling you to monitor multiple functions; ea; one unit at the engine for engine data, one unit in or near your batteries / switch board for battery / voltage info, one near the bilge for bilge sensors etc etc.
I would like to chime in on this subject as I'm actually in the design stage of adding analog / digital data onto my OP setup. Last season I started using OP on my 30ft sailboat with great success and this year will start expanding the setup, predominantly to display analog and digital data on gauges.
My idea is to convert analog and digital signals into a (custom) NMEA strings that will be send to the RPI. This is a very common procedure in the commercial marine electronics (my profession), especially in the new integrated bridges / VDR systems. I'm working on a custom board that allows me to get 8 analog and 16 digital signals. On this board, a uP will convert this into a NMEA string. For some data there are NMEA strings (RPM, Rudder) however, to make it adaptable to other signals (temperature, pressure, water levels, voltages, current etc), it could be a possibility to make custom NMEA strings with raw Analog (0-1024) and digital (0,1) data.
In OP, there should then be a decoder that will allow you to define this NMEA data into readable information.
The beauty of this is that you will be able to start adding multiple PI's on a ship network enabling you to monitor multiple functions; ea; one unit at the engine for engine data, one unit in or near your batteries / switch board for battery / voltage info, one near the bilge for bilge sensors etc etc.