Next Project and a Whine

I don’t drink fermented grape juice as it tends to give me heart palpitations.  However Jan likes the odd drop and of course; Australia produces vast quantities of the stuff.  I thought Jan might like a bottle of this well regarded imported drop.  Hope you can read the label!

 

 

The new project I’ve started is the building of a boat navigation system for our oldest grandson and his newly purchased ketch.  The system will be headless (ie; he has to provide the screen) and cheap.  The computing will be achieved using a small Raspberry Pi.  The software will be “OpenPlotter” which happens to be free.

I made a list of the required components which Jan purchased from AliExpress.  The majority of them were delivered today.

This is a list of what is in the photo

A - GPS Puck.  USB cable is only 2m long so I'll need to cut and extend it to 4m

B - Small handheld wifi/bluetooth keyboard and mouse. (not essential)

C - Digital Volt & Amp meter (not essential) 

D - 12V fuses. 

E - 12V fuse holder

F - HDMI port on the case.  Allows HDMI connection to the Raspberry Pi.  Could be used as a monitor connection.

G - Two 12V to 5V USB power sockets.  One to provide power to the Raspberry Pi and the second as redundant backup

H - 12V socket and plug for incoming 12V power supply to the case

I - Weather sensor (temperature, humidity and barometric pressure)

J - Two USB ports for the exterior of the case.  One for the GPS puck and the second for something else!

K - 12V power switch with LED

L - 5pin socket and plug for the lead from the case to the weather sensor

M - Powered USB3.0 4 port extension board.  The Raspberry Pi isn't powerful and using the onboard ports can overload the Pi causing it to overheat or fail.  This board should alleviate the problem

N - Qty of leads for the GPIO pin on the Raspberry Pi.  The GPIO connects the sensors to the RPi

O - 12V to 5V converter.  Will be used to power the USB extension board

P - The case. 

Q - GPIO Test Board for testing the wiring configuration.

The case is actually an electrical junction box purchased from the local hardware store.  I cut the top out of the lid and glued in a piece of 30 year old Perspex I’ve been keeping for some future project (which has arrived)

 

I am now waiting on the following

• A nine axis gyro sensor which will be calibrated to measure the yacht yaw, pitch roll, direction of travel and speed
• A USB TV Tuner stick that will be recalibrated to receive ship Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals
• Ethernet socket
• Some ancillary cables
• A Raspberry Pi4 (currently there is a world-wide shortage)

The plan is to build a system that can be expanded.  Possible future options include incorporating an autopilot self-steering system and a digital weather map capability by receiving weather data from an on board HF radio.