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Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:06 pm
by Michael Furminger
I have successfully installed the NMEA2WiFi - its easy and a great little box of tricks.
I have linked the AIS output NASA Engine3 to port 2 . All is going well and can read data strings with UDP terminal on an Android phone. The Standard Horizon CP is working fine. I believe the CP is RS232 input. The issues are I would like to use port 1 to listen to the CP and port 3 to talk to the CP. I have linked the signal gnd to all the ports A2 B2 and GND --- is this OK?
I want to be able to set Way points on a tablet and send them to the CP. Also I want to overlay AIS on the tablets Chart app.
Which app do you recommend for the android tablet?

Re: Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 10:15 pm
by Luis Sa
Hello Michael,

I just read the CP180 manual. The information about Nmea183 ports is scarce. But looking to examples and because each port (be it input or output) has only one line, I assume that the CP180 Nmea outputs and inputs are single ended (like RS232). And your post confirms that, since you had to connect the common Nmea (ground) to B1 (not A2, are you sure?) and B2. That is for the CP180 transmitting and the multiplexer receiving.

For the other direction, that is to say multiplexer transmitting (on P#3) and CP180 receiving, you connect A3 to pin4 (blue) in the case you want to receive on CP180 port 1 or you connect A3 to pin 6 (gray) in the case you want to receive on CP180 port 2. That will probably be enough as both the CP180 and the multiplexer share the same power supply ground. But I would also connect the CP180 common Nmea (pin 3 green) to the GND of the P#3 connector. Do not use B3! B3 is an output (it is the inverse of A3). If you connect B3 to another instrument "ground", you will destroy the MAX485 integrated circuit on the multiplexer.

If are able to transmit data from the multiplexer to the CP180, it would be nice to post here as it could help other people.

I am not able to give advice on an App to send waypoints to the CP180. With regard to show data (instrument and AIS) on an Android tablet, I like SeaWi but there are more applications.

Regards, Luis

Re: Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:14 pm
by Michael Furminger
Your reading of the CP180 manual was the same as mine. I have asked SH directly but with no reply so far.
You are correct I meant B1, B2 and GND all bonded together. The boat signal ground is the negative battery.

The CP180 will act as a terminal - this shows HEX data strings - not that useful. If I send data from a terminal program then I am as yet unconvinced it get through - I'll keep you posted.

Re: Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:34 am
by Michael Furminger
Well testing has gone well. Using an Android tablet running Up Terminal I can see AIS strings from the NASA AIS engine3 and can send an allowable NMEA string to the chart plotter NMEA display screen. The WiFi link is bi-directional with the NMEA2WIFRI port 3 connected to port 1 input on the CP180 . The AIS is connected to port 2 . I have set port 1 as an input to the CP180 on port 1 input - this doesn't give much as the CP180 will only allow limited NMEA sentences .
I am fairly certain that the CP 180 is RS232 compatable so have stayed with the port 1 B1, port 2 B2, port 3 GND connected together on signal gnd.

I am able to see AIS targets on the tablet using SeaWi so sucess

Re: Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 12:21 pm
by Luis Sa
Michael Furminger wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:34 am
I have set port 1 as an input to the CP180 on port 1 input - this doesn't give much as the CP180 will only allow limited NMEA sentences.
Hello,

I am a bit confused on what you mean. You said before that your aim was to send way points to the CP180. Before you got the multiplexer, were you able to do that using wires from a PC (?) to the CP180?

Now with the present setup with the multiplexer, are you still getting AIS targets on the CP180 display?

When you say that the CP180 only accepts limited NMEA sentences, are you referring to receiving way points or to decoding AIS targets?

I am sorry for asking but I do not know the CP180. I know the Nasa engine as I have one on board. If you are satisfied with your present setup, please ignore this post.

Regards, Luis

Re: Interface with Standard Horizon CP180

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:37 am
by Michael Furminger
Sorry for being confusing - I was excited I got it to work!
In answer to your questions:
Q - Before you got the multiplexer, were you able to do that using wires from a PC (?) to the CP180?
A - Yes I could send and receive data but using a serial interface via a usb converter - this was too cumbersome to be of any real use so I never used it.

Q- Now with the present setup with the multiplexer, are you still getting AIS targets on the CP180 display?
A- Yes the NASA seems able to drive both the WiFI2NMEA input and the CP180. Wired as a single ended RS232 type. Curiously the system worked perfectly when testing but I now cant see AIS targets on the SeaWi program - not sure why as data is definitely getting to the Android tablet (Asus Zenpad3). I can see the AIS sentences on the tablet

Q - When you say that the CP180 only accepts limited NMEA sentences, are you referring to receiving way points or to decoding AIS targets?
A - The CP180 appears to only show certain NMEA sentences (those relating to Marks, waypoints and routes) all other data is ignored. Its a bit basic so I may well just limit the system to AIS data relay. On the boat I have a policy of any system that is not 100% gets disconnected.