Navionics Boating AIS connection

Discussion and support for the Nmea2Wifi multiplexer - a 2-input Nmea 0183 wifi multiplexer.
Baltic Sailor
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Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:00 pm

Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Baltic Sailor » Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:13 am

Hi,
As you might know Navionics has now an AIS function in their Boating App. I understand from the Internet
Two modes can be used
IP addresse 0.0.0.0 port 2000 protocol UDP
Or
IP address 192.168.15.1 port 39150 protocol TCPIP.
These should be the settings according to MARCO Navionics Support.

My multiplexer works fine with the factory set up with Opencpn and AIS Pilot.
What do I have to do to get it working with Navionics?
Frank

Luis Sa
Site Admin
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Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Luis Sa » Mon Aug 19, 2019 5:30 pm

Hello,

You do not need to specify a IP address in UDP mode. As long as you use UDP and port 2000 you will see the AIS targets on the Navionics Boating App.

In the Nmea4Wifi multiplexer there is an hidden mode to specify an IP address different from 192.168.4.1 so that you can use the multiplexer with Boating App in TCP mode. See here.

I will try to implement it for the Nmea2Wifi multiplexer. When it is ready I will post it here.

Regards, Luis

Baltic Sailor
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Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:00 pm

Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Baltic Sailor » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:55 pm

Hi Luis,
I have also been sailing in the last 2 weeks in Germany, which is an Internet dessert...
Also crashed some how the multiplexer firmware. Don't have a PC on board just two Android Tablets. Since I use the ONWA Kp-39A which has a build in AIS Transponder (even SOTDMA), new maps K-Chart 3.0 and it can use C-Map and Navionics Charts. Pretty good unit for less than 400 Euro direct from China including Worldwide K-charts. This unit kept me busy ....
Will be back on the boat in 2 weeks on and this time with a PC to reload firmware.
I prefer the Navionics on the tablet and therefore I like the idea with the Multiplexer. Even Autorouting works very well with Navionics. With your multiplexer is no more need to buy an expensive plotter.
Frank

JohnH
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Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:19 pm

Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by JohnH » Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:47 am

I used the NMEA2WiFi to display depth on the Navionics Boating App (Android tablet) last year, and have now upgraded to the new HD version that supports AIS. The NMEA2WiFi is identified as "Digital Yacht WLN10", presumably because of their partnership with Navionics and use of UDP on port 2000.

Curiously, while it displays targets on the chart which can be queried to show MMSI, SOG and COG, it does not display Boat name or Call-Sign though supposedly this should work. Static data is of course transmitted less frequently, but it doesn't appear even after waiting a long time. It was the same for a colleague running Boating HD on an iPad.

Boat name and Call-Sign do appear for some - but not many - targets on the SeaWi Android app after some delay, so at least some static data is clearly being transmitted correctly by the NMEA2WiFi interface.
My test was on a busy day in the Solent with many AIS targets in range, so I wonder whether some apps are unable to cope with a large volume of data?

Any advice, or feedback from other users of the Navionics Boating app, would be appreciated.

Luis Sa
Site Admin
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Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Luis Sa » Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:42 am

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. Now that the sailing season is over I am in the process of researching why there are UDP packets that not reach Android. When I was in my boat I could try boat OpenCPN in my Windows 10 laptop and SeaWi (and Navionics) in 2 android smartphones that I had aboard. More than half of the packets were not taken by Android. That is why it takes very long to receive the boat name in AIS.

However setting the multiplexer to transmit using UDP and setting OpenCPN (in the laptop) to receive the UDP data, the reception is fluid and the name of the boats do not take long time to appear. As UDP is a "send and forget" I am convinced that Android capturing of the UDP packets is problematic. And that is not related to the strength of the radio signal as I just placed my smartphone close to the multiplexer. So the packets are being sent (I can get them on my laptop) and only some are taken by the Android apps. During the next days I will be looking to this in a more professional way.

If you switch to TCP there is no difference on data fluidity in the OpenCPN/laptop and SeaWi/Navionics. So for the moment I just propose that you use TCP in the case you have the Nmea4Wifi. You need to specify an ip address different from 192.168.4.1 as explained in another topic. I pretend to release a new firmware for Nmea2Wifi where the user can specify a custom ip address as in the case of Nmea4Wifi. I will try to do it ASAP. I will also be looking to the UDP/Android problem.

Best Regards Luis

Luis Sa
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Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Luis Sa » Tue Oct 08, 2019 2:56 pm

Hello,

The post made this morning by JohnH lead me to revise the Nmea2Wifi firmware. I am uploading here version NMEA2WIFI59.bin which allows the specification of a particular IP address as required by the Navionics application when it uses the TCP protocol. If I received feedback that it works well I will make it official and will move the file to the topic where all binary files are listed. Probably it will be listed there as version 60 and will include OTA (Update Over the Air - an easy way to update firmware without cables).

Regards, Luis

JohnH
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Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:19 pm

Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by JohnH » Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:27 pm

I managed to get to the boat and updated the firmware to version 60, then enabled TCP/IP at the address/port for the Navionics app - this seems to work fine, and the static data (boat-name and call-sign) appear after some delay.
In the meantime version 60 seems to have been superseded by version 62 which, according to your release notes, supports simulation (which I welcome!) as well as OTA - is this the only difference?

Use of TCP/IP is OK on your own boat, but on our two club boats we have different skippers and watch-leaders and it would be convenient to allow multiple users; so it would be great if you could resolve the problem with UDP.
I wonder whether the Android system is being overwhelmed by the volume of data in UDP mode, whereas a TCP/IP connection might slow down the update rate because of the necessary handshake/acknowledgement/re-tries?
There is some discussion on Internet forums about loss of UDP packets, which prompts me to wonder whether slowing down the transmission rate by using a smaller packet size or introducing a pause between packets might help?

I appreciate all your efforts to enhance the functionality, and look forward to trying OTA and the simulation mode next time I go to the boat - and perhaps I'll buy another device to test at home! Kind regards, John

Luis Sa
Site Admin
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Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Luis Sa » Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:57 pm

Hello,

Thank you for the feedback. If you have 60 or 61 just get 62. There are always minor changes, even spelling errors, that I correct when I revise the software.

A major improvement, really major, is that after compilation with latest tools, UDP receiving on Android is now as fast as TCP.

TCP is a one to one connection. If there are 2 devices receiving by TCP, the multiplexer would need to send twice the same message, one addressed to one device and another to the other device. With UDP it is broadcasting. Send once and forget. Do not bother if someone received it or not.

So I do not see a need for more than one TCP connection, now that UDP works like a charm.

Regards Luis

Simon
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Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:58 am

Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Simon » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:05 am

Thanks to let me participate in this forum.
I build the NMEA2WIFI a few month ago and have the recent firmware 63 installed.
It was a nice and easy job due to very good documentation.
Now on board I have a NASA AIS receiver with NMEA Output.
The NASA device was originally direct connected to the chartplotter and AIS Targets are shown completely (incl. Name and call sign). (Standard Horizon 175C).
But I wanted to see AIS Targets as well on my NavionicsHD Android Tab.
On the Navionics Boating HD (V 12.0) I can see the AIS targets with MMSI and other information.
Curiously, while it displays targets on the chart which can be queried to show MMSI, SOG and COG,
it does NOT display Boat name or Call-Sign though supposedly this should work.
With information on this forum I changed to TCP vs UDP. But unfortunatelly without luck.
I managed to make the NMEA2WIFI output as well visible on my Windows8 Laptop with OpenCPN.
The list of AIS Targets are also without Name and call sign. (screenshot is attached)

With advise from Luis I forwarded the P2 to P3 and connected the chartplotter to P3.
It works, AIS Targets are shown, but as well without NAME and without CALL SIGN. https://vela-navega.com/forum/posting.p ... &f=6&t=115#
Something fishy is going on and I'm more or less at the end of trouble-shooting.

Any idea, advise or feedback from other users of the NMEA2WIFI and Navionics HD Boating app, would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Simon
Attachments
opencpn_ais_targets.JPG

Luis Sa
Site Admin
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Re: Navionics Boating AIS connection

Post by Luis Sa » Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:29 pm

Hello,

Thank you for your informative post. I have a NASA AIS at home that was replaced in the boat with a Matsutec (spelling?) unit. Both worked. Plrase google dynamic/static AIS. In short, name and call sign are transmitted every 5 or 6 minutes. MMSI with location are transmitted every few seconds depending on the boat velocity. So I wonder if you are waiting enough until the target you see with a MMSI shows it's name and call sign.

Regards, Luis

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