Chetco Digital Instruments for Ethernet/Wifi, NMEA2000, Gateway

Pop over to Chetco and have a look at their product range. I've only included a small fraction of what their stuff can do. Intergration of NMEA2000 and 0183 data and streamed wirelessly to your iThing. And a range of after market sensors. Here is a little of what they say and have available. Do go to their web site to get a bigger picture.

{ capture all of your engine data and control your switches }

SeaGauge™ Remote Sensor Interface Units (analog-to-digital converter box): Convert any engine data not provided by your standard ECM (engine control module) to digital NMEA 2000 and/or NMEA 0183 compatible network data.  View and control your data from any SeaGauge touch screen display unit, PC/Laptop, NMEA 2000 displays such as Garmin, Lowrance and Raymarine and iPad, iPhone, Tablet PC’s and a wide range of Smartphones {more}.

SeaSwitch™ Remote Switch Units: Our Remote Switch Units allow touch screen activation of a variety of equipment including NAV Lights, Bilge Pumps, Blowers, Running Light, Spots Lights, Cabin Lights, and much more.  Switch Units provide reliable switching operation via any of the SeaGauge color touch panels or an attached PC/Laptop {more}.

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{ view your live engine data in real-time, from any device }

SeaSmart.NET™ Wireless Modules: Our SeaSmart.NET modules allow all digital and analog data streaming through the NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 serial network to be sent to the onboard computer and routed over a local wireless internet server, or built in local intranet, where it can be accessed by multiple, authorized users, through any browser for real-time data display (with no additional apps needed).  All data can be accessed locally (anywhere on the vessel with no outside connection to the internet needed) and/or remotely (for data sharing and logging data via the World Wide Web) from device, such as any smart phone, iPad, or laptop computer {more}.

{ manage from a single, ultra-bright, all weather LCD touch display }

SeaGauge™ All Weather Touch Screen Displays: Display and control your data with one of our high quality display units or with any existing NMEA 2000™ displays (such as Garmin, Lowrance and Raymarine). The user can view multiple instances of 16 function gauge clusters while controlling all of their switches, all from a single, ultra-bright, weather resistant, touch screen display unit {more}.

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{ do it all, and much more }

The SeaPC™: A fanless and solid state PC computer with built in NMEA 2000™ and serial/USB adapters, and a 12V output in order to power your display using the PC.  The SeaPC is optimized to run all of your gauges, switches, and engine log, while controlling your entire music and media center and browsing the Web, all from a single touch screen display.  The SeaPC also allows the user to set-up a wireless network and view all of their digital NMEA 2000 data from multiple devices on the vessel, such as any smart phone, iPad, or laptop computer (without additional licensing fees or third party applications) {more}.

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{ additional: Senders and Adapters }

Senders:  We support a wide range of senders which measure every engine output from temperature to fuel flow using unique calibration tables that make it possible to match any desired range and unit of measure.  Each unit is capable of measuring voltage, resistance, and pulses dependent on chosen sender type. Multiple pulse inputs allow a single gauge to be used for tachometer, speed, and fuel flow - all in one unit. Dual engine tachometers are standard on SeaGauge Sensor Interface Units.  Senders are available in many different thread sizes and termination styles.

Adapters:  Our adapters provided a range of networking options for all SeaGauge products.  Most units have built-in Serial (RS232) and USB interfaces for direct connection to host PC/Laptops to allow configuration and display of instrumentation data, but our adapters allow for Bluetooth, WiFi or Ethernet options for all of your NMEA 0183, Serial or NMEA 2000 data.

New iAIS Receiver and Wireless Mulitiplexer for your iPad

I have shown elsewhere on this blog site, how a wireless multiplexer from Brookhouse, call an iMux, can be used to serve data to your iPad etc. Here is another similar device by Digital Yacht along with a couple of video's to help explain.

Digital Yacht's Description
The world’s first wireless AIS receiver that links wirelessly with the latest iPhone, iPad and iTouch devices. Consisting of a high performance dual channel AIS receiver, an integrated 802.11b+g wireless access point plus a free app downloadable from the Apple App Store, the iAIS brings AIS data to a whole new generation of mobile devices.

iAIS also multiplexes any other NMEA data that is available on board the boat - for instance GPS, depth, speed and wind etc. All of this data is combined with the AIS data into a single wireless feed, that becomes available on any compatible application. By using the boat’s own GPS, even an iTouch or iPad that does not have an internal GPS can now be used for navigation and superior performance will also be seen on an iPhone, which some users have complained suffers from jitter or poor lock-on with its internal GPS.

As well as sending data wirelessly, the iAIS also has an NMEA0183 and USB interface so that you can output data to a PC (via USB) and a dedicated plotter (via NMEA) for larger installations.

The free iAIS app is available from the App store and is a simple AIS display program. For more advanced use, Digital Yacht recommends the iNavX app (www.inavx.com). Compatible with Navionic’s charts, iNavX provides a complete set of navigation functions that turns your Apple device into a full function electronic chart plotter. It supports waypoints, routes and tidal data and is beautifully simple to use. It even overlays GRIB weather data. iNAVx sell and support this app directly and the cost is just $49.95 (click here).

Features;
World’s first wireless AIS and NMEA Data server
Tri-output; WiFi, NMEA 0183 and USB
Multiplexed NMEA input for wireless NMEA data feed of boat’s instrument and GPS data
Free iAIS App for iPhone, iTouch or iPad
Integrated 802.11b+g wireless access point
Fully compatible with popular iNavX navigation application for Apple mobile devices
Rugged IPX5 aluminium housing
Requires VHF antenna or dedicated AIS antenna (available as optional accessory) or splitter
Simple “fit and forget” black box solution

* NOTE - AIS target range, like VHF range is dependent upon a number of installation factors such as; antenna gain, antenna height and size of ground plane. Ranges in excess of 20-30 miles should be possible if all of these factors are perfect.

iNavX, A Fresh Look at an Affordable Chartplotter

There is a multitude of sites through Google search which give excellent reviews and information about iNavX. Search and see for yourselves; but I'll place a few here; and there are links in the following information.
Try iNavX Review which has some great video tutorials.
Take a look at i-Marine Apps for their "Getting Started with iNavX.
And then take a look at the iPad holders from Zacor. And this waterproof casing here.
Finally link it all together with your electronics with an iMux as alluded to in a former blog or have it as a stand alone product with its own GPS from Badelf.

Here is a snopsis from iNavX themselves.......
iNavX™ brings the freely available, official and up to date NOAA RNC raster United States waters marine charts to your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Included detailed chart coverage: West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands.
One app for all your devices with access to thousands of charts and maps: official CHS Canada charts, Navionics Gold charts, Fish'N'Chip charts, HotMaps, NV. Verlag charts, Hilton's Fishing charts, TRAK Canada lakes fishing maps and Solteknik European waters charts may be purchased separately from X-Traverse.
With iNavX™ you can use the built in location services (i.e. GPS, cell tower, WiFi) to plot your position in real-time on the multi-touch scrolling and zooming and rotating (including course up) marine chart.
Using the iPhone's, iPod touch's and iPad's WiFi connection, iNavX™ can act as a repeater for popular marine navigation software that supports NMEA data over TCP/IP such as MacENC and Coastal Explorer. This includes GPS, AIS receivers & transponders, and Instruments (Depth, Speed, Wind, etc.)
In addition to real-time chart plotting and printing, iNavX™ supports waypoints & routes including KML (Google Earth) and GPX import/export, track log, measuring bearing/distance, GRIB weather forecast, tides/currents, anchor alarm, graphic instrumentation display and port/navaid search.
The power of a color chartplotter for a fraction of the cost.

And Boaters.Com has this to say.....
In fact, the iNavX web site now boasts "The power of a color chartplotter for a fraction of the cost" and, while I'll stay out of that argument for the time being, developer Rich Ray does make a good case for how far he's taken the software, and how able it looks on the bigger iPad.  Note, for instance, the series of screen shots comparing iNavX iPhone and iPad versions.  Ray has also gotten his program to play nicely with a Digi Connect WI-SP WiFi serial server, which means you can get AIS and other NMEA 0183 data flowing to your iThing without any other computer involved (and he even added a Digi Connect guide to his extensive help files).

And if you want to use your spiffy iNavX/iPad combo with anything but free NOAA raster charts, you'll be pleased to know that X-Traverse keeps growing its already giant cartography portfolio, and adding to what the service can do (new Facebook integration, for instance, plus integration with Navionics NavPlanner 2).  When you purchase charts via X-Traverse you get two activations, so if you're already using them on, say, an iPhone but haven't activated them with a PC or Mac, you're probably good to go if you get an iPad.  The exception:  Navionics is pricing its iPad charts differently -- understandable, I think, given how inexpensive their iPhone charts are, and their many partnerships with companies that manufacture those old time chartplotter things -- though $50 for the new U.S. super region is not bad.  That region includes the Northern Bahamas, by the way, but below is a sample of alternate NV charts of the same area, also offered by X-Traverse.  Choices are good.  And I'm not done...
Navimatics has not only adapted its Charts & Tides program for the iPad, but expanded the included regions of NOAA ENC charts, lowered the price, and is just about to add support for ActiveCaptain!  The implementation looks good on an iPad, too, as you can see below.  As with MaxSea TimeZero 1.9 (just about to release!) and the Coastal Explorer 2010 beta, the ActiveCaptain data is cached so you still have it when not connected to the Internet.  And we know Active Captain itself is also working on an iPad app.  Damn.


i-Marine Apps tells us how to get additional charts through X-Traverse

If you want additional charts other than the free NOAA charts you can purchase these through X-Traverse. This process is complicated, so follow below.

You will need an X-Traverse account to purchase and access your charts. This account will cost you $10.00 per year and allows you access to your charts through the iNavX app. Access to Grib weather files and transfer of waypoints and tracks can also be done through your account. 

Once you have your X-Traverse account you can then purchase additional charts. Make sure you purchase the iPad charts for download. They offer a wide range of Navionics, CHS Canadian Charts, Fish"N"Chips, HotMaps, NV Verlag and Hilton fishing charts.

To access and download your purchased charts in your iNavX app you need to add your X-Traverse account information to the app. Go to "Preferences" and select "X-Traverse Account". This is where you will add your email and password for your account.

Next select "Show Account Information" this will retrieve your account info showing you what products you have activated for use by the iNavX app.

You will next need to go back to the Charts list and select "Add More Charts to Menu". The next menu should show you the list of charts. The charts you purchased should show up as bolded. I purchased Navionics Gold Marine Charts 2011.  Select this and another display will show the charts in that package. Turn "ON" the charts you purchased.

Go back to the iNavX menu and select the chart you turned on to view you charts. Select your chart title and download you your iPad.