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Looking for tinypilot (computer) how to docs
#1
In my marathon fit out, pypilot is a item I am having a difficult time checking off. I recall a guide that talked about setting up signalK and tinypilot would link to practically automatic. I am not finding this doc nor any other to get beyond "standby" on the nokia screen. Was this doc on the tinypilot computer store page which is now gone? 
I am working my way through the pypilot workbook, but it does not seem to cover the tinypilot computer. It does talk about the individual components, but the tinypilot computer has done all that for you. 
On "Step 10 Installing Tinypilot" now and not connecting to my NUC mint computer. Will try RPI next.

At this point i have rpi 3B+ with Pican-M hat which is seeing the N2K data via signalK. 
I believe I am good to go here.
Any pointers appreciated.
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#2
Did you grant pypilot read/write access in the signalk web configuration?
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#3
No, as I am having trouble finding a guide that tells me this.
Is pypilot workbook the best source to use?
I worked through "Step 13 SignalK connections" and "Signalk zeroconf".
I don't know how to "run pypilot at the prompt" and there is no access request at this point.
I appreciate helping me along with this, but if you could point me to reliant guides so I can download for use if I need to swap out backups on the high seas. I hadn't downloaded anything yet, my bad.
Daylight burning, need to paint now.

Thanks
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#4
Pypilot runs either in the background or at the prompt. You cannot have it both at the same time. When it runs in the background, it runs 'as a service', and to run it at the prompt, you first have to stop the service. To stop the service, under raspbian you type 'sudo systemctl stop pypilot', under tinypilot you say 'sudo sv stop pypilot'. After you have done that, you can run pypilot at the prompt, by typing 'pypilot'. Capture the output any way you can, if even by videoing it with your phone, as a last resort, but I hope you know how to make screendumps or capture text output. That output is the key to effective help on this forum. Without that, everyone here is shooting ducks in the dark.

Don't give up, hey! Pypilot is worth all this. If my boat sinks, the first thing I rescue is my pypilot. I love the thing.

Read this over and over again https://github.com/pypilot/workbook/wiki...the-prompt. Those in the know are cursed with knowledge and it's hard to write for those who aren't. But the key to classical understanding of pypilot should be in there.
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#5
Hi Ironman, 
Going through system configuration:I have rpi 3B+ with Pican-M hat which is seeing the N2K data via signalK.
Over the N2K network, I believe to be sending out NMEA messages on port 20220, which are green in the NMEA debug tool offered by opencpn. The way I am accessing this PI is through VNC viewer(In case this has any influence to how ports are transmitting data). This pi identifies itself as openplotter.

The pypilot is connected to the openplotter wifi, and is on IP address 10.10.10.2. On the configuration page, I have 10.10.10.1:20220 for the NMEA host:port. The way I am accessing the pypilot is by going to 10.10.10.2 on my browser.

From here, back on openplotter, I open an instance of opencpn, and navigate to connections. There I made a TCP connection, to 10.10.10.2 with port 20220. I have it both accepting input and outputs. I selected RMC,APB,MWV first, but that didn't allow the pypilot to select anything other than compass(cant select GPS, Wind, True wind). [I tried adding ECRMB,ECRMC,ECAPB, but this didn't change anything. I also tried using UDP and Signal K, varied inputs off and on, and tried moving over to port 10110, all with no improvement.]

After selecting the current configuration(TCP, 10.10.10.2:20220), I went into opencpn, made a waypoint approx 30 degrees off my centerline and 2kn away, and told opencpn to navigate there. After doing this, in the NMEA debug window under options->connections, I first close the options window(as told in the opencpn wiki(this appears to be old information, NMEA debug window updates just fine now)),and my NMEA messages are appearing green, meaning they are being accepted, but when I look at pypilot, I cannot select GPS, wind, or true wind. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am slowly losing my mind. 

Many thanks in advance. 

https://imgur.com/a/Lgaa2X1
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#6
(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: Hi Ironman, 
Going through system configuration:I have rpi 3B+ with Pican-M hat which is seeing the N2K data via signalK.
Over the N2K network, I believe to be sending out NMEA messages on port 20220, which are green in the NMEA debug tool offered by opencpn. The way I am accessing this PI is through VNC viewer(In case this has any influence to how ports are transmitting data). This pi identifies itself as openplotter.

The pypilot is connected to the openplotter wifi, and is on IP address 10.10.10.2. On the configuration page, I have 10.10.10.1:20220 for the NMEA host:port. The way I am accessing the pypilot is by going to 10.10.10.2 on my browser.
The configuration of opencpn or the configuration page of pypilot?

pypilot acts as nmea server on port 20220 always. The "nmea client" is normally blank. If you enter something here, it will connect as a client. You have potentially created a feedback loop (short circuit) by telling it to connect to itself, or connect another pypilot??

Quote:From here, back on openplotter, I open an instance of opencpn, and navigate to connections. There I made a TCP connection, to 10.10.10.2 with port 20220. I have it both accepting input and outputs. I selected RMC,APB,MWV first, but that didn't allow the pypilot to select anything other than compass(cant select GPS, Wind, True wind). [I tried adding ECRMB,ECRMC,ECAPB, but this didn't change anything. I also tried using UDP and Signal K, varied inputs off and on, and tried moving over to port 10110, all with no improvement.]
port 10110 is something sometimes the signalk server uses for nmea.
Quote:After selecting the current configuration(TCP, 10.10.10.2:20220), I went into opencpn, made a waypoint approx 30 degrees off my centerline and 2kn away, and told opencpn to navigate there. After doing this, in the NMEA debug window under options->connections, I first close the options window(as told in the opencpn wiki(this appears to be old information, NMEA debug window updates just fine now)),and my NMEA messages are appearing green, meaning they are being accepted, but when I look at pypilot, I cannot select GPS, wind, or true wind. 
You cannot follow routes unless pypilot can receive gps.
Quote:Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am slowly losing my mind. 

Many thanks in advance. 

https://imgur.com/a/Lgaa2X1

You probably need to check the opencpn connection and ensure the "output on this port as nmea repeater or autopilot" box is checked.

It is not enabled by default.
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#7
(2022-08-18, 12:02 AM)seandepagnier Wrote:
(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: Hi Ironman, 
Going through system configuration:I have rpi 3B+ with Pican-M hat which is seeing the N2K data via signalK.
Over the N2K network, I believe to be sending out NMEA messages on port 20220, which are green in the NMEA debug tool offered by opencpn. The way I am accessing this PI is through VNC viewer(In case this has any influence to how ports are transmitting data). This pi identifies itself as openplotter.

The pypilot is connected to the openplotter wifi, and is on IP address 10.10.10.2. On the configuration page, I have 10.10.10.1:20220 for the NMEA host:port. The way I am accessing the pypilot is by going to 10.10.10.2 on my browser.
The configuration of opencpn or the configuration page of pypilot?

pypilot acts as nmea server on port 20220 always.   The "nmea client" is normally blank.   If you enter something here, it will connect as a client.  You have potentially created a feedback loop (short circuit) by telling it to connect to itself, or connect another pypilot??  

Quote:From here, back on openplotter, I open an instance of opencpn, and navigate to connections. There I made a TCP connection, to 10.10.10.2 with port 20220. I have it both accepting input and outputs. I selected RMC,APB,MWV first, but that didn't allow the pypilot to select anything other than compass(cant select GPS, Wind, True wind). [I tried adding ECRMB,ECRMC,ECAPB, but this didn't change anything. I also tried using UDP and Signal K, varied inputs off and on, and tried moving over to port 10110, all with no improvement.]
port 10110 is something sometimes the signalk server uses for nmea.
Quote:After selecting the current configuration(TCP, 10.10.10.2:20220), I went into opencpn, made a waypoint approx 30 degrees off my centerline and 2kn away, and told opencpn to navigate there. After doing this, in the NMEA debug window under options->connections, I first close the options window(as told in the opencpn wiki(this appears to be old information, NMEA debug window updates just fine now)),and my NMEA messages are appearing green, meaning they are being accepted, but when I look at pypilot, I cannot select GPS, wind, or true wind. 
You cannot follow routes unless pypilot can receive gps.
Quote:Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am slowly losing my mind. 

Many thanks in advance. 

https://imgur.com/a/Lgaa2X1

You probably need to check the opencpn connection and ensure the "output on this port as nmea repeater or autopilot" box is checked.


It is not enabled by default.
The last two screen caps show the above box being checked.
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#8
You also mention you are filtering the messages. Why?

Does the debugger console of opencpn show the relevant sentences are being sent to pypilot?
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#9
(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: Hi Ironman, 
Going through system configuration:I have rpi 3B+ with Pican-M hat which is seeing the N2K data via signalK.

If the data flows into opencpn through signalk, you are an ace. Can you see in opencpn the green bars in the upper right corner, and an updated position of your boat? Then you are on top of a really nice piece of concerted system integration. However ;-) signalk messages are not nmea messages, and you cannot forward signalk messages to pypilot on port 10.10.10.2:20220. You can only send nmea messages that are received by opencpn, and thus forwarded, or nmea messages that are generated by opencpn.

(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: Over the N2K network, I believe to be sending out NMEA messages on port 20220, which are green in the NMEA debug tool offered by opencpn.

What I see in the second image is nmea0183 sentences from pypilot coming back to opencpn. This happens because you have a check in the Receive box in your connection settings (third image). You see pypilot sending pitch, roll and heading information back. Nothing really wrong with that, and it shows that the connection with pypilot is working, so it's good to keep it on because you see a 'pulse'. I'm just telling you this to get a better understanding of what you see. BTW, this is not N2K - it's nmea0183.

(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: From here, back on openplotter, I open an instance of opencpn, and navigate to connections. There I made a TCP connection, to 10.10.10.2 with port 20220. I have it both accepting input and outputs. I selected RMC,APB,MWV first, but that didn't allow the pypilot to select anything other than compass(cant select GPS, Wind, True wind).

This is all fine, and I think you did select the right messages, but as Sean said, I'd skip the filter for now. Let's start simple.

It's important to understand that because opencpn is not receiving nmea messages, no nmea messages are being forwarded to pypilot. So pypilot does not receive gps or wind data so it won't enable gps or wind modes. Of course I know what you could be thinking right now, but hang on...

(2022-08-17, 11:38 PM)Les Noble Wrote: After selecting the current configuration(TCP, 10.10.10.2:20220), I went into opencpn, made a waypoint approx 30 degrees off my centerline and 2kn away, and told opencpn to navigate there. [...] and my NMEA messages are appearing green, meaning they are being accepted, but when I look at pypilot, I cannot select GPS, wind, or true wind.

When you have an active route, opencpn should generate nmea messages, as described here. In fact, the link says that only RMB and APB messages are sent out, but also RMC and XTE messages are issued. These sentences should appear in the debug window, and they should be green. Can you confirm that these specific messages are seen there, and they are green?

It's the RMC message that should enable the GPS option in pypilot. So I would have expected that to happen. Just skip the output filter and confirm the green status of outgoing RMC messages and we'll take it from there.

Now if you want to know how to always enable gps and wind modes, and not only enable gps mode when a route is active, that's another chapter, and you might tune in to Getting wind data into Pypilot.
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#10
Please leave the NMEA client in the web interface blank. This is for pypilot to act as a client to a few specific nmea gateways. It is not useful for general use.

All I can see in the debugger window is receiving messages from pypilot. OpenCPN is not sending gps, apb (route following) or anything else. You will want to see these in the debugger.

As for "losing your mind" just imagine you are in the doldrums for 7 days... yes you can lose your mind, but its also possible not to. I am sorry it is complicated. If you find the issue and post about it here, I will do what I can to improve things for the future. Please be patient!
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