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Newbie! Can two chartplotter be setup on one pi4?
#1
Hello, brand new here, but I've been reading a lot about openplotter, Raspberry pi, pyplotter, etc.
I own a Webbers Cove 34 Down Easter with flybridge and am wondering is it possible to have a touchscreen at each station (pilothouse & flybridge) that share data, route, etc?
I understand that Rpi 4 has ability for dual screen but can't find any info on how or if one could have two chartplotter sharing same info with ability to set course on one device and then be able to adjust, change, reroute on the other device without too much trouble?
Currently have this ability with two Garmin gpsmap units but hate paying Garmin for new charts every year.
Thanks for any/all replies.
John
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#2
I'm doing it with a touch screen at the inside nav station and a tablet running OpenCPN, and connected to OpenPlotter via network, outside. i have been struggling with some NMEA filtering issues, but that shouldn't effect you. Since the tablet outside is another instance of OpenCPN, you'll have to send routes and tracks back and forth to OpenPlotter, but I don't think that's a huge problem.

The other way to do it is to use a VNC client on a tablet at one of the stations. That gives you direct control of the main OpenPlotter/OpenCPN screen. You will lose a little bit of ... call it "intuitiveness", because the VNC client is trying to emulate your other screen.
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#3
(2020-09-01, 10:28 PM)abarrow Wrote: I'm doing it with a touch screen at the inside nav station and a tablet running OpenCPN, and connected to OpenPlotter via network, outside. i have been struggling with some NMEA filtering issues, but that shouldn't effect you. Since the tablet outside is another instance of OpenCPN, you'll have to send routes and tracks back and forth to OpenPlotter, but I don't think that's a huge problem.

The other way to do it is to use a VNC client on a tablet at one of the stations. That gives you direct control of the main OpenPlotter/OpenCPN screen. You will lose a little bit of ... call it "intuitiveness", because the VNC client is trying to emulate your other screen.

abarrow;

Thanks for reply. SO as far as you know there isn't a "seamless" way to set a course say from the pilot house and get underway, then later be on flybridge and decide to alter the same course or the cancel that course and start a new one?

Reason I am looking for this type of setup is due to autopilot. I don't want to have to keep running up and down stairs to modify, change, begin new course and engage autopilot all the time.

Thanks again,

John
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#4
(2020-09-01, 11:05 PM)Jphughes Wrote:
(2020-09-01, 10:28 PM)abarrow Wrote: I'm doing it with a touch screen at the inside nav station and a tablet running OpenCPN, and connected to OpenPlotter via network, outside. i have been struggling with some NMEA filtering issues, but that shouldn't effect you. Since the tablet outside is another instance of OpenCPN, you'll have to send routes and tracks back and forth to OpenPlotter, but I don't think that's a huge problem.

The other way to do it is to use a VNC client on a tablet at one of the stations. That gives you direct control of the main OpenPlotter/OpenCPN screen. You will lose a little bit of ... call it "intuitiveness", because the VNC client is trying to emulate your other screen.

abarrow;

Thanks for reply. SO as far as you know there isn't a "seamless" way to set a course say from the pilot house and get underway, then later be on flybridge and decide to alter the same course or the cancel that course and start a new one?

Reason I am looking for this type of setup is due to autopilot. I don't want to have to keep running up and down stairs to modify, change, begin new course and engage autopilot all the time.

Thanks again,

John
If you use VNC you're effectively screen-sharing the Pi to your tablet, not running a second instance on the tablet.

As long as you don't intend to have one person at the nav station and one at the bridge station both trying to drive it at the same time it should work.
Simon,

Electronic Engineer, Hobbyist Software Writer, Yachtmaster Coastal, Powerboat Instructor...
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#5
If you not need to run OpenCPN but some web based tools there is always the option of having multiple displays (and they will connect to a single server instance).
AvNav is one of the examples. Just search here for this term on how to install on OP.
And all the SignalK stuff works this way too.
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#6
Hi John,

I'm running openplotter, with two screens. One touchscreen outside and another (normal screen) with keyboard and mouse inside in the navigation center. You run one instance of opencpn on the PI4 and use both HDMI0 and HDMI1 port. The only thing which makes live easy is use the same resolution on both screens. 
My outside screen is VGA, inside is Full HDMI, so when we are out I switch to the VGA resolution 1024x768. When in the harbour working on inside screen i'm runnung on 1920x1080. 

hope this helps

G
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#7
Check out x2go.
https://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php.
Gives full featured remote console.
That will give you a new instance. Can set to just start opencpn

Just investigating openplotter so it may already have this but possibly x11vnc.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/X11vnc
Used to use it for support.
If you can have 2 displays with identical resolution and aspect ratio. The second display will mirror the first and have the same functionality as the first.
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#8
I'd love to see an Android client for this. I don't mind using another instance of OpenCPN for Android on the boat, but right now that version is only up to 5.0, so no SignalK support.
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#9
(2020-09-10, 10:35 AM)gniersma Wrote: Hi John,

I'm running openplotter, with two screens. One touchscreen outside and another (normal screen) with keyboard and mouse inside in the navigation center. You run one instance of opencpn on the PI4 and use both HDMI0 and HDMI1 port. The only thing which makes live easy is use the same resolution on both screens. 
My outside screen is VGA, inside is Full HDMI, so when we are out I switch to the VGA resolution 1024x768. When in the harbour working on inside screen i'm runnung on 1920x1080. 

hope this helps

G
gniersma;

Thanks for reply! If I understand you correctly, I would only have one PI4 and one instance of Opencpn on it but have it braodcast to the two (2) monitors...correct? 

So if you set a course at your nav station and then while underway wanted to alter course somewhat, could you do that from outside monitor or would you need to return to nav station to adjust?

Right now I can use both Garmin MFD's, whichever is closer to me at the time.

Thanks again,

John
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#10
[quote pid='16053' dateline='1600541925']

Thanks for reply! If I understand you correctly, I would only have one PI4 and one instance of Opencpn on it but have it braodcast to the two (2) monitors...correct? 

---> Correct, dual screen output

So if you set a course at your nav station and then while underway wanted to alter course somewhat, could you do that from outside monitor or would you need to return to nav station to adjust?

Right now I can use both Garmin MFD's, whichever is closer to me at the time.

--> Works exactly the same you can adjust on whichever is closed to you
[/quote]

G
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