WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI INSTALL
WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI SERIAL
WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI DRIVERS

WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI SERIAL

The PB100 serial to USB hardware was not compatible with the Raspberry Pi FTDI driver until a development update in January 2013. The only problem is the complete lack of software for the Airmar to run on the Pi, but I thought РІР‚СљI can fix that!РІР‚СњР”Р„ctually, timing is everything. The perfect device is my Raspberry PiРІР‚вЂњit uses very little energy and is on all the time anyway. Further, her notebook is usually hibernated when not in active use to save energy. BrendaРІР‚в„ўs Windows notebook was not the right device since she routinely has it with her and it is not always hooked in to the boats NMEA/USB wire. My original goal for the Airmar PB100 was to continuously stream the data to storage for later analysis. This time, once installed, Brenda tested the device while I was still trapped in my climbing gear atop the mast, thus ensuring that itРІР‚вЂњfinallyРІР‚вЂњworked as advertised.

Given the required physical contortions I had to go through during the install, I have to admit that was a possibility.

WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI INSTALL

This time Airmar fixed it gratis, but not without saying that the device appeared to have been over-torqued during install at the mast-top.

So, it was time to climb up the mast again. Since the device had been reworked and tested at the Airmar factory, we figured that couldnРІР‚в„ўt be the problem.Р”В®ventually, good support from Airmar helped us to determine that the device needed to go back to the factory.

At this point, there were a lot of potential sources of the problem: new USB isolators, Windows 8, the second source hardware drivers, the Airmar program, or any combination of those due to incompatibilities.

WEATHER DISPLAY RASPBERRY PI DRIVERS

Months went by and eventually we got Windows 8 drivers from a second source and managed to get the Airmar software to run, but only about half of the instrument were working. The new notebook ran Windows 8 and the Airmar software was not compatible with it. As it so happened, at that point we were without a notebook with Windows 7 installed. The device was remounted atop the mast after a few months delay as we waited for better outdoor climbing weather. Eventually, I retrieved the device and we paid a reasonably fee to have Airmar troubleshoot and repair it. The PB100 location is well above all the sail blocks and hard to reach when climbing the mast. When we did get around to it, we found the device inoperative and out of warrantee. None of these included hooking up and testing the PB100. This enabled us to modify the top of the main mast (the spot with winds least affected by sail configuration) to accommodate the PB100 as well as a new OGM LED tricolor and to route the required cables through the mast before it was stepped.Р”Р„fter the boatРІР‚в„ўs relaunch there were many high priority tasks. A PB100 was purchased before the boat was even relaunched. We decided to install one of the mast top Airmar weather stations that use ultra-sound to measure wind speed and directionРІР‚вЂњthus there is no spinner and vane. For an old classic schooner, we couldnРІР‚в„ўt use just any weather device and not adversely impact the aesthetic. During the refit of our boat, one of our many requirements was to have a source of weather data on-boardРІР‚вЂњespecially for sailing in remote places.

Weather display raspberry pi