Maiana connection

[JaredGil]

Same problem.

[aitonos]

Help! I need somebody...

[Adrian]

I'm not familiar with the OpenPlotter/Signal K side of MAIANA, but you could check the low-level serial connection to MAIANA with the following steps:

1) start with a fresh SD card and install Raspberry Pi OS on it
2) on the Pi, open a terminal and run sudo raspi-config
3) navigate to Interface Options -> Serial Port, select <No> (no login shell on serial), then <Yes> (enable serial hardware), then <Ok>, <Finish>, <Yes> (reboot).
4) after the Pi restarted, open a terminal and run: sudo apt-get install screen
5) after that completed, run: screen /dev/ttyAMA0 38400

If everything works, you should start seeing AIS messages (if you're near traffic). I don't know if MAIANA sends GPS data back to the Pi, if it does, you should see that too. You can also try sending MAIANA commands, for example: sending the string station? and pressing ENTER should return some response.

If that all checks out, then your issue is with the configuration of OpenPlotter and/or Signal K. If none of this works, either MAIANA or the MacArthur HAT are defective.

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Looking at the source code of MAIANA, I'm not sure if station? responds if nothing is configure. Another command to send to MAIANA is sys?, which should return serial number, firmware version and other info.

[aitonos]

I'm not familiar with the OpenPlotter/Signal K side of MAIANA, but you could check the low-level serial connection to MAIANA with the following steps:

1) start with a fresh SD card and install Raspberry Pi OS on it
2) on the Pi, open a terminal and run sudo raspi-config
3) navigate to Interface Options -> Serial Port, select <No> (no login shell on serial), then <Yes> (enable serial hardware), then <Ok>, <Finish>, <Yes> (reboot).
4) after the Pi restarted, open a terminal and run: sudo apt-get install screen
5) after that completed, run: screen /dev/ttyAMA0 38400

If everything works, you should start seeing AIS messages (if you're near traffic). I don't know if MAIANA sends GPS data back to the Pi, if it does, you should see that too. You can also try sending MAIANA commands, for example: sending the string station? and pressing ENTER should return some response.

If that all checks out, then your issue is with the configuration of OpenPlotter and/or Signal K. If none of this works, either MAIANA or the MacArthur HAT are defective.

---

Looking at the source code of MAIANA, I'm not sure if station? responds if nothing is configure. Another command to send to MAIANA is sys?, which should return serial number, firmware version and other info.

Thanks Adrián, I'll do. My install is still fresh, just configured maiana. However I'll start again from the scratch for this trial. 
Maiana provides GPS fix to the Mac Arthur leds and blinks slowly (very slowly) in the ais rx led too. Let's see if through terminal I can get some clues. I think you were showing managed too make it work with terminal commands, right? 


Thanks

[Sailoog]

If you have a GPS LED fix and intermittent AIS RX LED then you have data coming in. If OpenPlotter is configured OK but still no data in Signal k or it is not possible to connect using the openplotter-maiana app, it could be a connection issue with the UART0 interface, maybe a hardware issue with the HAT connector or the cable. Try to use the breakout board included with the maiana to check if you get data. If that works try the HAT again using the same cable.

[aitonos]

If you have a GPS LED fix and intermittent AIS RX LED then you have data coming in. If OpenPlotter is configured OK but still no data in Signal k or it is not possible to connect using the openplotter-maiana app, it could be a connection issue with the UART0 interface, maybe a hardware issue with the HAT connector or the cable. Try to use the breakout board included with the maiana to check if you get data. If that works try the HAT again using the same cable.

Thanks, Sailoog, I'll do all the tests from you first, then from Adrian this afternoon and let you know. 

Regards

[Sailoog]

If I am not wrong you also have a USB adapter. You can also try with the adapter instead of the breakout board. If everything works then try using the same cable and the MacArthur HAT. If it does not work this time, check the RJ45 connector soldering in the HAT using a magnifier or your phone.

[JaredGil]

If you have a GPS LED fix and intermittent AIS RX LED then you have data coming in. If OpenPlotter is configured OK but still no data in Signal k or it is not possible to connect using the openplotter-maiana app, it could be a connection issue with the UART0 interface, maybe a hardware issue with the HAT connector or the cable. Try to use the breakout board included with the maiana to check if you get data. If that works try the HAT again using the same cable.

Thanks, Sailoog, I'll do all the tests from you first, then from Adrian this afternoon and let you know. 

Regards

I finally fixed my problem with a fresh OP4 and a new SD card.

[aitonos]

Hi!

I have done all the tests as you both advised and all remains the same. 

The Maiana antenna is still  locking GPS and Receiving AIS, as per the leds in the MAc Arthur, but it is not communicating in any manner towards the Raspbi (Even Mac Arthur knows it's getting data).

I did the Advice from Adrian: Fresh install and Run Screen of device, : no activity in the window.

Then, with just a plain OP4 Headless image, and not yet updating any module, and configuring the Maiana TTY device as per the manual, (Signal K still didnt get any data); 

Even when I guessed that it wouldn't help, I installed Maiana App, and couldn't connect,  as the device is not emitting anything to SignalK

I tried also  with the breakboard which comes with Maiana  feeding it with 12V and connecting the board by USB to the Raspi. The board was not detected by Raspi serial, so  I couldn't get anything from Maiana. (FYI, the board had no lighting led ( incase there should have some)

I am desperated, I think it is a hardware issue, as nothing solves it.

[Adrian]

Sounds like a hardware issue. If you haven't already, take a close look at the RJ45 connector, and check that none of the contacts are bent or missing.

Unfortunately, the LEDs are controlled by MAIANA and don't tell whether the RX and TX lines are connected. So they only confirm that MAIANA is running and that the wires for the LEDs are intact.

Where are you located? EU or North America?

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I tried also  with the breakboard which comes with Maiana  feeding it with 12V and connecting the board by USB to the Raspi. The board was not detected by Raspi serial, so  I couldn't get anything from Maiana. (FYI, the board had no lighting led ( incase there should have some)

When plugged in, the USB breakout will likely show up as /dev/ttyUSBx or /dev/ttyACMx, where x is a number. The OpenPlotter serial app should list it as documented here starting with step "After enabling UART or just plugging in the USB and clicking refresh":
https://openplotter.readthedocs.io/lates...uring.html

If you are able to configure the serial connection via USB, including the documented steps for Signal K and OpenCPN, but still don't get data, then the defect is on the MAIANA side.