New MacArthur HAT - Testers Wanted

[Festina.Lente]

Hi,
I love OpenPlotter and the thoughts behind it.
Read some fora and guidelines, install it, solder some electronics and it works. Simple and straight and all of this without the over top marine equipment pricing.

Typically for people like me who love to play and learn with electronics and DIY but don't have the skills like you guys who develop software and electronics things from scratch.
I'm one of the guys following your fora and YouTube channels and copy what you figured out and shared and learn from that.
Thanks for this.

The announcement of the HAT in combination with necessary upgrades in my navigation and communication equipment due to some changes on VDES rules per 2023 here in The Netherlands made me change my plans radical and adding the HAT would simplify that plan a lot, make it even more cost effective and future proof.

So for me the practical question is: Is there some expected time line when this HAT will be launched and available for sale for us?
I know it's IT, I'm professionally working in the IT industry as a project manager manager myself dealing with delays all the time, I know set backs will happen, I know we need to deal with global shortage in chips.  I know, I know,  I know  and so I ask this being very humble.

Having some indication will help me to decide to what extend I will best need to make changes on my SV this season:

• 1) just remove no longer allowed equipment from the boat (in particular VHF and than also Radar as that is related to each other) to avoid conflicts with the rules, terms, law and order and start sailing on pure instinct again. In the meantime wait for the HAT and only than start to work out the full working setup at once not wasting time and resources on partial and temporary solutions. Something that will limit my sailing options and force me to stay basically close to home as i will need to rely on the reach of my mobile phone.
  
• 2) do just what is possible without the HAT including preparations for the HAT to arrive. Accept during this waiting to sail with some removed furniture, removed ceilings and thus exposed cabling and installations for a short time. Consequence will be to avoid heavier weather as the boat and crew would not be save under such conditions; stay close to the home-harbor under light weather conditions. Wait for the HAT to arrive relative soon and complete than the remaining installations upgrades at once in the middle of the season.
  
• 3) open up the entire installation, make the possible changes, complete them and close it all again as soon as possible. Leave the so desired HAT addition/upgrades probably for next winter season. Obvious : for reasons of efficiency, time and overall costs and like to avoid this.
  

Thanks,
Jan-Willem

[Sailoog]

Thanks for your words.

As you say, there are too many variables (little feedback from testers, pending changes, shortage of components...). We are late for this summer so I guess autumn could be a reference (North Hemisphere).

[Festina.Lente]

Clear, thanks for the answer.
When you are ready for an European tester on a more 'user' level but at the same time with a large interest for technolgy and lot's of motivation you know where to find me.
For now I will replace my VHF with an GPS/AIS equipped model :-) and DIY an optocoupler together to interface to interface with the ST instruments.


Jan-Willem

[Sailoog]

OK, thanks. We are trying to redefine the wiring for optocouplers in seatalk1 thta will also work for DIY solutions, please let us know when you are ready to do some tests, more background: https://forum.openmarine.net/showthread.php?tid=4617

[skythediver]

Would love to throw my HAT in the ring for the next round of testing, if there is one. San Francisco Bay Area sailor and software developer. Can test Seatalk and NMEA 0183/2000 with a variety of antiquated and modern devices. Also keen on testing tiller pilots, ST2000+ and similar, with the MacArthur HAT.

[njg001]

Also open to testing if required in the future. Have RPi 4 (OP 3) w. PICAN-M working on board multiplexing ST1, NMEA2000 and STng as well as Digital Yacht AIS. Works mostly flawlessly.

[Polonioli]

hello im have open to testing the hat im have two raspbi 4 and p400 with systems nmea 0183 and seatalk form raymarine and nmea2000 for raymarine axiom plotter in my boat all working with pican hat M and actisense systems , raymarine autopilot type 400 computer with sailboat 65 feets. thank so much

[Redonwight]

After a first failed attempt to design a board with multiple functionalities, we realized that we had fallen into the classic trap of trying to fit everything into an overloaded, expensive and impossible-to-manufacture board with the current global shortage of components.

Now we are pleased to announce that Wegmatt (dAISy developers) and OpenMarine have joined forces to design and distribute the perfect hardware gateway for OpenPlotter!

The first 18 units for testing are ready and waiting to be mistreated. Development is expensive and to recover a little of the investment, we offer you these prototypes for more or less half of the final price when it is in production and the promise to send you the final model for the other half. This way you get 2 boards for the price of one, lots of fun and enter the hall of fame. We have already tested the current design quite a bit and we do not expect major changes so these prototypes may already work for you and you do not need the final design.

MacArhur HAT v1.0 - $35 / €33
Optional power module - $23 / €22
+ shipping cost (we ship from USA and EU).
+ VAT tax if you are in EU.

Edited: All prototypes have already been assigned, thanks!

The MacArthur HAT is open source and once it is in production and we have fully recovered our development investment we will publish the board design files so anyone can adapt it to their needs. Below is a description of the HAT and the links to the documentation and sources.

• Sources
  
• Manual in low resolution
  
• Schematic
  

After a few years of developing software for OpenPlotter, we have identified exactly what we need in terms of hardware to achieve our goals and the result is the MacArthur HAT (Hardware Attached on Top), an add-on board for Raspberry Pi 4 running OpenPlotter v3. With this HAT we want to get the fully open-source boat to free ourselves from dependence on big companies and make our boats more respectful with the environment.

This name is not accidental, we want to honor Ellen MacArthur who is not only known for being an exceptional sailor but also for her commitment to the circular economy. The MacArthur HAT is an electronic circuit that is as difficult to recycle and has an environmental cost to manufacture as any modern circuit, but it is designed to last and stay in your boat forever.

Its main function is to be able to communicate with any old or new marine electronic device using the proprietary and closed protocols Seatalk1, NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 and the free and open protocol Signal K. This means that when an on-board device dies, we are not forced to buy another of the same brand, that uses the same technology or even uses the same protocol because we can mix different devices. We will be able to recycle and reuse old devices giving them a second life or we will be able to gradually replace our old closed and proprietary models with new, cheaper, free and open ones.

You can also power the Raspberry Pi directly from the ship's batteries and it has a smart power management system to turn it on and off automatically and protect the SD card. Power can be taken directly from the CAN or Seatalk1 bus to simplify installation. This HAT is stackable and can be used with other HATs such as the Moitessier HAT or the dAISy HAT. It can also be connected directly to the MAIANA AIS transponder without the need for an adapter.

Some of the MacArthur HAT features, such as the power management, the AIS receiver/transponder, the 1-Wire sensors or the I2C internal and external sensors, are optional. In this way you only buy what you need saving money and we do not have to manufacture things that will never be used saving natural resources.

MacArthur HAT is fully supported by OpenPlotter v3 and all of its features can be easily configured with just a few clicks. No drivers needed. If you are not using OpenPlotter, you can still access all its features, but you have to enable all interfaces and configure the system manually.

Features

• Only Raspberry Pi 4 is fully supported. If you use a Raspberry Pi 3, the NMEA 0183 inputs and outputs will not work, and you will need extra separation between the Raspberry Pi and the MacArthur HAT.
  
• 1x NMEA 2000 non-isolated input and output. Data connection by SPI0-1. Optional 120Ω termination resistor included. Compatible with any CAN bus.
  
• 2x NMEA 0183 opto-isolated inputs and 2x NMEA 0183 non-isolated outputs. Data connection by UART3 and UART5.
  
• 1x Seatalk1 opto-isolated input. This connector can be also used as an isolated general-purpose input.
  
• 1x Connector for multiple 1-Wire temperature sensors such as the DS18B20 (exhaust, engine, fridge...). A 4.7KΩ pull-up resistor is included. This connector can be also used as a non-isolated general-purpose input/output.
  
• 1x STEMMA QT/Qwiic connector for multiple I2C sensors (IMU, temperature, pressure, humidity, gas...). Compatible with most Adafruit and SparkFun sensors.
  
• Optional 12V to 5V DC/DC converter via add-on module to power the Raspberry Pi and its peripherals (including touch screens up to 10 inches). When you turn off the main switch of your ship, OpenPlotter will shut down safely. OpenPlotter will start cleanly when the main switch is turned on again.
  
• Optional GPS reception and AIS reception/transmission with the MAIANA AIS base kit. The MacArthur HAT has all the features of all MAIANA AIS adapters in one. Data connection by UART0.
  
• Optional compass, heel, and trim via internal or external add-on module (IMU 9DOF).
  
• Compatible with dAISy HAT, Moitessier HAT (hacked) and Pypilot motor controllers. Not compatible with Pypilot HAT.
  
• Detachable screw connectors for easy mounting and maximum compatibility.
  
• Includes input and output LEDs to check activity at any time.
  
• No drivers needed.
  

Hi there are you still looking for testers for this?

[daidalos]

Hello,

are there any rough dates for the final product?

I'm currently looking for a board like this for next easter, but I would love to test it on a boat in about two months, and I'm deciding if I want to wait for this HAT or go with the PICAN-M or something else.

This HAT definitely has a lot going for it, but if I can't get my hands on it...

[xsashox]

Any word on this HAT? My Moitissier has died (i think) and i would need some GNSS replacement... :S