Share AIS over network

[petero]

Hi,

How do I get AIS data from my master opencpn  device to a clone pi4? They talk to each other when exporting routes.

Do I connect to the main device signalK on port 3000? One issue is that both boot up with a default openplotter IP of 10.42.0.1

Should I change the IP on the second device so it does not connect to itself and only to the master signalK?

Thanks,
Peter

[sebba]

It is a little bit unclear what are you need...
You say "they talk to each other", then "default OP IP"... you have 2 RPi in the same network with same IP? both are AP? or how?
send more details, we need a clear picture of what you want, even drawings of what you want to do

[vesselsense]

Let's start with the IP issue:

You have two devices with the same host IP and are configured as access points? Please confirm.

If so then you need a primary host and a secondary client configuration. You don't need two access points. Turn one off and connect to the other. This way both devices are on the same network. 

For sharing AIS, what app do you want on the second computer to use the AIS data? Personally I would use Signalk on the host device for persisting all of your instrument data, then any client can use it via a websocket connection or TCP connection to receive the data.

[petero]

Let's start with the IP issue:

You have two devices with the same host IP and are configured as access points? Please confirm.

If so then you need a primary host and a secondary client configuration. You don't need two access points. Turn one off and connect to the other. This way both devices are on the same network. 

For sharing AIS, what app do you want on the second computer to use the AIS data? Personally I would use Signalk on the host device for persisting all of your instrument data, then any client can use it via a websocket connection or TCP connection to receive the data.

That's right - I  set up two opencpn instances and each has a hotspot access point  with the default 10.42.0.1 address, plus a wifi connection that both use to connect to pypilot  via wifi on a another device. That way each device can control the autopilot. You can understand why I do this - the chartplotter - route planner, is in the cabin , but I spend most of my time at the helm so I have the secondary handheld device there. At present I can send to peer, routes created on the cabin device (so the two are networked, must be).  What I need is the AIS data from the master device to be accessed by the secondary device.
So if you could help me understand how to connect the second device onto the one network - by changing  the hotspot to a client wifi? I tried to do something like this and ended up with only one wifi connection not two. One is needed to connect to the pypilot on the pi Zero.

[vesselsense]

Let's start with the IP issue:

You have two devices with the same host IP and are configured as access points? Please confirm.

If so then you need a primary host and a secondary client configuration. You don't need two access points. Turn one off and connect to the other. This way both devices are on the same network. 

For sharing AIS, what app do you want on the second computer to use the AIS data? Personally I would use Signalk on the host device for persisting all of your instrument data, then any client can use it via a websocket connection or TCP connection to receive the data.

That's right - I  set up two opencpn instances and each has a hotspot access point  with the default 10.42.0.1 address, plus a wifi connection that both use to connect to pypilot  via wifi on a another device. That way each device can control the autopilot. You can understand why I do this - the chartplotter - route planner, is in the cabin , but I spend most of my time at the helm so I have the secondary handheld device there. At present I can send to peer, routes created on the cabin device (so the two are networked, must be).  What I need is the AIS data from the master device to be accessed by the secondary device.
So if you could help me understand how to connect the second device onto the one network - by changing  the hotspot to a client wifi? I tried to do something like this and ended up with only one wifi connection not two. One is needed to connect to the pypilot on the pi Zero.

A hotspot provides internet. An access point provides a wifi network. You have two access points but really should only have one network for your boat. Either pi can be the source of this but not at the same time without adding complications. To simplify this, you need to choose one device as the primary access point, and all others connect to it as clients. Remove the access point config on one of the pi computers and change to connect to the one providing the wifi network for the boat. Then all devices connect to one access point and your network will make it possible for every device to find the others. 

Cabin is the AP, cockpit and pypilot are clients and connect to it for data.  Everything is still networked, but only one provides the host AP, all others connect to it as clients. Once you do this, each computer has a hostname and IP. Then your cockpit device connects to the cabin Signalk via the hostname and port (cabin-pi.local:3000 for example) to receive data that is coming from that computer. Assuming AIS is on that cabin computer and the cockpit connects to it via OpenCPN config you have the setup you need.

[petero]

Let's start with the IP issue:

You have two devices with the same host IP and are configured as access points? Please confirm.

If so then you need a primary host and a secondary client configuration. You don't need two access points. Turn one off and connect to the other. This way both devices are on the same network. 

For sharing AIS, what app do you want on the second computer to use the AIS data? Personally I would use Signalk on the host device for persisting all of your instrument data, then any client can use it via a websocket connection or TCP connection to receive the data.

That's right - I  set up two opencpn instances and each has a hotspot access point  with the default 10.42.0.1 address, plus a wifi connection that both use to connect to pypilot  via wifi on a another device. That way each device can control the autopilot. You can understand why I do this - the chartplotter - route planner, is in the cabin , but I spend most of my time at the helm so I have the secondary handheld device there. At present I can send to peer, routes created on the cabin device (so the two are networked, must be).  What I need is the AIS data from the master device to be accessed by the secondary device.
So if you could help me understand how to connect the second device onto the one network - by changing  the hotspot to a client wifi? I tried to do something like this and ended up with only one wifi connection not two. One is needed to connect to the pypilot on the pi Zero.

A hotspot provides internet. An access point provides a wifi network. You have two access points but really should only have one network for your boat. Either pi can be the source of this but not at the same time without adding complications. To simplify this, you need to choose one device as the primary access point, and all others connect to it as clients. Remove the access point config on one of the pi computers and change to connect to the one providing the wifi network for the boat. Then all devices connect to one access point and your network will make it possible for every device to find the others. 

Cabin is the AP, cockpit and pypilot are clients and connect to it for data.  Everything is still networked, but only one provides the host AP, all others connect to it as clients. Once you do this, each computer has a hostname and IP. Then your cockpit device connects to the cabin Signalk via the hostname and port (cabin-pi.local:3000 for example) to receive data that is coming from that computer. Assuming AIS is on that cabin computer and the cockpit connects to it via OpenCPN config you have the setup you need.

Thank you.. Yes, the cabin opencpn has AIS from a DaiSy Hat. How do I rename the cabin access point into a more specific address like cabin.local:3000 that can be accessed by the client cockpit device? Just rename it in the edit connections tab? And, to change second device AP to be a client, or is it Ad Hoc? -just edit connection again?

[vesselsense]

Let's start with the IP issue:

You have two devices with the same host IP and are configured as access points? Please confirm.

If so then you need a primary host and a secondary client configuration. You don't need two access points. Turn one off and connect to the other. This way both devices are on the same network. 

For sharing AIS, what app do you want on the second computer to use the AIS data? Personally I would use Signalk on the host device for persisting all of your instrument data, then any client can use it via a websocket connection or TCP connection to receive the data.

That's right - I  set up two opencpn instances and each has a hotspot access point  with the default 10.42.0.1 address, plus a wifi connection that both use to connect to pypilot  via wifi on a another device. That way each device can control the autopilot. You can understand why I do this - the chartplotter - route planner, is in the cabin , but I spend most of my time at the helm so I have the secondary handheld device there. At present I can send to peer, routes created on the cabin device (so the two are networked, must be).  What I need is the AIS data from the master device to be accessed by the secondary device.
So if you could help me understand how to connect the second device onto the one network - by changing  the hotspot to a client wifi? I tried to do something like this and ended up with only one wifi connection not two. One is needed to connect to the pypilot on the pi Zero.

A hotspot provides internet. An access point provides a wifi network. You have two access points but really should only have one network for your boat. Either pi can be the source of this but not at the same time without adding complications. To simplify this, you need to choose one device as the primary access point, and all others connect to it as clients. Remove the access point config on one of the pi computers and change to connect to the one providing the wifi network for the boat. Then all devices connect to one access point and your network will make it possible for every device to find the others. 

Cabin is the AP, cockpit and pypilot are clients and connect to it for data.  Everything is still networked, but only one provides the host AP, all others connect to it as clients. Once you do this, each computer has a hostname and IP. Then your cockpit device connects to the cabin Signalk via the hostname and port (cabin-pi.local:3000 for example) to receive data that is coming from that computer. Assuming AIS is on that cabin computer and the cockpit connects to it via OpenCPN config you have the setup you need.

Thank you.. Yes, the cabin opencpn has AIS from a DaiSy Hat. How do I rename the cabin access point into a more specific address like cabin.local:3000 that can be accessed by the client cockpit device? Just rename it in the edit connections tab? And, to change second device AP to be a client, or is it Ad Hoc? -just edit connection again?

I understand where you got "hotspot". The docs actually use this term, which think it confusing. It really should say Access Point.

Anyways, from the docs I think you just remove the AP/hotspot setting and just connect to the other device: https://openplotter.readthedocs.io/lates...k_app.html

Under Raspberry Pi there is a button "edit hostname" https://openplotter.readthedocs.io/lates...steps.html

The port is not used for hostname. It's to map to applications under that network name. Signalk: 3000, InfluxDB when installed: 8086, etc. These ports are used to connect directly from another client (your phone for example when using WilhelmSK, or OpenCPN on another computer). Whichever client is connected to the network can use hostname instead of IP to eliminate the IP reservation configuration. Each device is registered by hostname, and you use that + port to connect to your data sources or web clients.