DIY GPS Speed Control Project

[seabass2020]

Small update:

I was able to adjust the Cruise Assist using an arduino with a relay. I also was able to hook the arduino up to a GPS and get the current GPS speed, and input that into a PID controller to specify the cruise setting. Now, I'm just waiting on another relay so I can adjust it up and down. That, and I have to get back to the lake to actually test it.

At this point, I'm curious what the patent was all about. I've looked up that number a few different ways and I can't find anything about it.

I know of the two aftermarket solutions, and Yamaha has GPS speed control built in to their X boats. So i'm not sure what the patent is actually for.

 

[Mainah]

I recommend getting your own legal counsel if your intent is other than personal use only. My opinion is that implementations automating the built in rpm cruise are unique in comparison to what is out there regardless of what the other overly broad patents cover and wether or not they have expired.

No doubt you will get it to work. I am curious of how smooth you can get it for both the rider and those in a boat hearing the engine jump up and down.

 

[seabass2020]

I recommend getting your own legal counsel if your intent is other than personal use only. My opinion is that implementations automating the built in rpm cruise are unique in comparison to what is out there regardless of what the other overly broad patents cover and wether or not they have expired.

No doubt you will get it to work. I am curious of how smooth you can get it for both the rider and those in a boat hearing the engine jump up and down.

Yeah, I will likely run into the same thing you did. The 200 RPM is a big gap. I'm just hoping the PID controller and a slower refresh rate will smooth it out.

However, i'm wondering if that will sacrifice the ability to maintain a constant speed - which is what the whole point of the project is....

 

[0627Devildog]

So, on a serious note. . . . . (as I haven't made a serious contribution to this thread yet) . . . . I have a 2014 AR240HO with the "Cruise Assist" Rocker switch. I have only ever used it in no wake mode as I was not aware of any other functionality.

Is there only additional functionality on newer models with the Connext system, or is there something I have that I am not aware of?

 

[scokill]

Perfect Pass and Ride Steady are off the shelf solutions. Both $1200+

I was being facetious somewhat. I reinvented the wheel by building my own surfing wedge. With all the time, effort, and investment I put into 2 devices I could have just bought them and be done with it. It seems this is reinventing the wheel buts some may find some sense of accomplishment by doing this.

 

[0627Devildog]

some may find some sense of accomplishment by doing this.

Especially if you could do it for <$1200+

 

[seabass2020]

So, on a serious note. . . . . (as I haven't made a serious contribution to this thread yet) . . . . I have a 2014 AR240HO with the "Cruise Assist" Rocker switch. I have only ever used it in no wake mode as I was not aware of any other functionality.

Is there only additional functionality on newer models with the Connext system, or is there something I have that I am not aware of?

Not sure about your model. But on my 2017 AR210, when the throttle is in the forward idle position, the rocker switch increases or decreases speed in No Wake mode. When it's all the way forward, the rocker switch increases or decreases RPM by 200.

 

[seabass2020]

I was being facetious somewhat. I reinvented the wheel by building my own surfing wedge. With all the time, effort, and investment I put into 2 devices I could have just bought them and be done with it. It seems this is reinventing the wheel buts some may find some sense of accomplishment by doing this.

I think you're missing the point. The other two systems are between 1200-1500 dollars. I've got about $22 in this project so far - and about 2-3 hours.

Money is the motivating factor here. I'd much rather have an off the shelf solution that's been tried and proven.

That being said, I also enjoy tinkering when i can see a benefit.

 

[0627Devildog]

When it's all the way forward, the rocker switch increases or decreases RPM by 200.

Hmmmm. . . .and holds the RPM steady, just not necessarily the speed?

 

[seabass2020]

Hmmmm. . . .and holds the RPM steady, just not necessarily the speed?

Yes. That's the problem. It holds the RPM steady, but the speed can vary quite a bit from this. Depending on all kinds of conditions. It's still a nice feature, because it can let you slightly bump throttle up or down without messing with both levers.

 

[0627Devildog]

Yes. That's the problem. It holds the RPM steady, but the speed can vary quite a bit from this. Depending on all kinds of conditions. It's still a nice feature, because it can let you slightly bump throttle up or down without messing with both levers.

Hmmm. . . .I need to try that. . . . We surf by RPM generally around 5700-6100.

 

[Mainah]

So I had some time to look into PID controllers and an Arduio PID library. To be candid I was not well versed on either. When I tried this last year I coded my own rudimentary PID type library called it with my sketch after calling the speed from the gps module sending in the set speed that was previously called from my custom n2k library then took the ouput and called my custom n2k library to ouput for connext rpm up down key adjustment. After my reading up on PID I can see some spots for improvement in what I did.

Not knowing what I did not know led to me creating something subpar and over complicated compared to what was already out there. I still belive 200 rpm steps will not be as smooth as off the shelf options but that I could improve on my results should I attempt it again.

@seabass2020 Please do update as I think you will achieve better results than I did. I would also be interested to know if the switch acts as a simple switch or if there is resistance involved. I have a feeling that there could be a way to do this on connext models with the joystick rpm buttons that does not require n2k communication.

 

[seabass2020]

It does seem to be a simple switch. It's 6.4 volts open, and 0 volts closed. I'm not sure why, but it takes just under a second for it to drop all the way down to 0 volts when the arduino trips it (via a relay). I'm trying a new 4066 chip to see if that works any differently.

The switch actually goes into another board, which then goes into the connext screen. I'm wondering if that board reads the switch, then translates it into the (n2k?) communication.

I think even if you could grab the joystick buttons, if you are successful in n2k communication that's the better way to go.

I am curious how you were able to physically hook in to the connext to read the n2k. Is there an open terminal port you were able to tie in to? Also, I don't think my boat has a built in GPS that i'm able to read from, so i'm using a GPS hooked to my arduino.

I do think that the PID controller is the way to go to get the right set value for the boat, based on your target speed vs current speed.

 

[seabass2020]

All that being said, what would be best would be to override the signal being sent to the engines - which is i'm sure what the off the shelf solutions are doing. Then we wouldn't be limited by the 200 RPM interval, or the function of the buttons. This would also allow me to have a single lever mode. And keep both my engines always in sync with each other.

That project would be way over my head. And also, I'd be worried about the liability of that as well. I could just see my program telling both engines to go WOT when I'm trying to dock.......

 

[Mainah]

@seabass2020 6.4v open leads me to believe there are resistors in the mix. Our boats are 12v nominal and most other things that work off of a stepped down reference voltage are 5v. What is the voltage when the switch is closed in the other direction (I am assuming it has both up and down for the rpms). My guess on the other direction will be +12vdc nominal. My thinking here is that 6.4*2 = 12.8 which is would repeesent the surface charge voltage of a fully charged 12v nominal battery. One or more resistors in the mix would cause this.

Reading and writing n2k is rather complex and not something I recommend unless one has canbus programming experience. I accessed the n2k behind the helm on the 4 wire plug that was left for diagnostics. Everything Connext is just a user interface on top of the existing engine computers which leads me to believe there may be another way. Can you take a photo of the board that the switch goes into?

 

[seabass2020]

@seabass2020 6.4v open leads me to believe there are resistors in the mix. Our boats are 12v nominal and most other things that work off of a stepped down reference voltage are 5v. What is the voltage when the switch is closed in the other direction (I am assuming it has both up and down for the rpms). My guess on the other direction will be +12vdc nominal. My thinking here is that 6.4*2 = 12.8 which is would repeesent the surface charge voltage of a fully charged 12v nominal battery. One or more resistors in the mix would cause this.

Reading and writing n2k is rather complex and not something I recommend unless one has canbus programming experience. I accessed the n2k behind the helm on the 4 wire plug that was left for diagnostics. Everything Connext is just a user interface on top of the existing engine computers which leads me to believe there may be another way. Can you take a photo of the board that the switch goes into?

As far as i can tell, it's actually two switches. It's a common ground, then each side has the 6.4 volts. Pushing up trips one circuit, while down trips the other. I'm not an electronics expert, so I'm not sure where the 6.4 volts comes from (actually it might be more like 6.65).
I'll try to get a picture of the little board the switch plugs in to, before it goes into the touch screen. I can't remember if it had a label or not, but it was basically a small 3" x 1.5" (approx) board wrapped in heat shrink.

 

[seabass2020]

Here's the video of the arduino tripping the relay once per second. You can see that it takes the entire second for the voltage to drop to zero. Not sure why that is.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Small update:

I was able to adjust the Cruise Assist using an arduino with a relay. I also was able to hook the arduino up to a GPS and get the current GPS speed, and input that into a PID controller to specify the cruise setting. Now, I'm just waiting on another relay so I can adjust it up and down. That, and I have to get back to the lake to actually test it.

At this point, I'm curious what the patent was all about. I've looked up that number a few different ways and I can't find anything about it.

I know of the two aftermarket solutions, and Yamaha has GPS speed control built in to their X boats. So i'm not sure what the patent is actually for.

The X boats are a little more complicated then just GPS speed control. Yes they have RPM speed control ( cruise assist ) with the ability to adjust 8 positions up or down ( probably like yours ) and then they have the Drive control ( which is like perfect pass / hydro pahse ). Where it gets different is it also has launch control. I can set the launch control to be manual, slow, medium , or fast. All I have to do is set which one I want and put the hammer down. The boat takes care of the launch and throttle up to speed.

Interesting project you got here and by no means am I discounting anything that you are doing, just explaining how the X might be different and maybe what the patent that you are looking up might be for.

 

[seabass2020]

The X boats are a little more complicated then just GPS speed control. Yes they have RPM speed control ( cruise assist ) with the ability to adjust 8 positions up or down ( probably like yours ) and then they have the Drive control ( which is like perfect pass / hydro pahse ). Where it gets different is it also has launch control. I can set the launch control to be manual, slow, medium , or fast. All I have to do is set which one I want and put the hammer down. The boat takes care of the launch and throttle up to speed.

Interesting project you got here and by no means am I discounting anything that you are doing, just explaining how the X might be different and maybe what the patent that you are looking up might be for.

Yep, and those X boats also have the rider presets where you can also control the amount of ballast and where the ballast goes....

 

[jcyamaharider]

Yep, and those X boats also have the rider presets where you can also control the amount of ballast and where the ballast goes....

Yes it does. But that is easy to control. I did a Bluetooth ballast control systems that I could start and stop my ballast ( 1 pumps and 3 bags ). I could have added timers and such but I wasn't one to just fill up a bag some of the way, I made sure they were all the way full!! LOL