A few days before the opening of the Paris Boat Show where, I remind you of this, I will be present on the stand iTabNav (Hall 2.1 – D31), An overview is in order. And precisely, in our immediate horizon we shall have, like every year, proximity to marine electronics manufacturers and their representatives.
At the previous edition of the boat show, I had noticed the reluctance – not to say hostility – of manufacturers towards the growing phenomenon of tablets and other smartphones on the navigation market. By dint of promoting these devices and their applications, I probably didn't just make friends in this business. However, Strong pressure from boat buyers, and therefore navigation electronics, has forced those manufacturers to integrate a minimum of interactivity between their own hardware and the mobile devices now owned by a majority of browsers.
This prompts me to take a quick look at the status of the applications provided and the progress of the proposed functions.
The first observation concerns the integration of a WiFi access point on almost all recent models of trackers and multi-function displays. This allows smartphones and tablets to connect to these devices, or for remote display, or better for remote control functions. Let's take a look at this in detail. To avoid offending anyone, the brands are presented in alphabetical order.
FURUNO
NavNet-Remote / NavNet-Viewer (iOS / Android)
NavNet-Viewer displays a remote image of the TZtouch series et NavNet-Remote In addition, tablets can be remotely controlled by these multifunction displays. Used with a smartphone or iPhone/iPod Touch, NavNet-Remote only works in Viewer mode. TZtouch multifunction devices with firmware version TZT9/14 or higher allow connection of up to 5 Simultaneous mobile devices at the WiFi hotspot.
Latest versions at 22/11/2014 :
Version : 1.0.5 (iOS) Update : 25 January 2013
Version : 1.0.5.8 (Android) Update : 2 th, 2014
Languages : English, Japanese
Editor : FURUNO ELECTRIC CO. LTD.
GARMIN
Garmin Helm (iOS / Android)
This app allows you to view and control a compatible Garmin tracker from an iPhone, an iPad, from an Android smartphone or tablet. Compatible with GPSMAP® plotters 527, 721, 820, 1020, 74xx Series, and MFDs series 8000, with built-in Garmin Wi-Fi. When pairing with a serial GPSMAP plotter 8000, use of a Garmin Marine Wi-Fi adapter is required.
Features :
- Display and control of plotter information
- Improved situational awareness
- Seamless integration with SmartMode™ to group plotter thumbnails by station when using a GPSMAP system 8000 Glass Helm
- Easily switch between plotters using thumbnail preview
- Allows you to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously and set the permission level
Latest versions at 22/11/2014 :
Version : 1.2.0 (iOS/Android) Update : 30 June 2014
Languages : French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Editor : Garmin International
NAVICO (B&G / Simrad / Lowrance)
GoFree (iOS / Android)
A single application for the three brands of marine instruments belonging to Navico. Also the same functions. GoFree Controller & Viewer allows mobile phones to be connected to the screens of the company's compatible multifunction displays. Smartphones work as a simple remote screen repeater, Tablets also allow Taking Control of the display multifunction to perform different actions, including seizure waypoints, Parameter adjustment from radar and even control Sonic HUb audio directly from the tablet. However, the app does not allow autopilot control.
The WIFI-1 access point must be integrated into each brand's network to activate the WiFi connection. Compatible devices are :
- B&G – Zeus Touch. Zeus2 W (iOS only).
- Simrad – NSS7, NSS8, NSS12, NSO evo2. NSS7 evo2, NSS9 evo2, NSS12 evo2, NSS16 evo2 (iOS only).
- Lowrance – HDS Gen2 Touch, HDS Gen2 (view mode only).
Simrad devices must be equipped with the latest firmware NSS software V.2.5.42.77 and above.
Latest versions at 22/11/2014 :
Version : 2.1 (iOS) Update : 29 th 2014
Version : 1.3 (Android) Update : 8 November 2013
Tongue : English
Editor : Navico Auckland Ltd
[Update of the 28 November 2014] Navico announced at METS in Amsterdam that the latest MFDs (evo2 Simrad NSO, NSS evo2, B&G Zeus2 et Lowrance HDS Gen2 tactile) Receive one Software update next January that will allow users to d’buy new maps and to make software updates directly since their devices via the Internet. GoFree will become a cloud service, GoFree Shop, accessible to Multifunction devices of the current generation for buy the own maps from Navico and also those of the Partners who will participate in the program.
NKE
NKE Display (iOS / Android) nke Display pro (iOS)
nke display allows you to display all the information of a navigation center from an NMEA interface connected to WiFi, and works on both smartphones and tablets. With this application dedicated to regatta and cruising, the mobile device becomes a repeater offering 8 Predefined pages displaying data. By default, WIFI communication settings are pre-set to work with the NKE interface. However, the user will be able to modify them to work with other NMEA/WIFI interfaces. Pre-programmed sources avoid setting up the iPhone's WIFI connection. Several display settings allow you to customize the application (Choice of units, Display themes, etc).
NKE Display Pro (iPhone / iPad) not only allows you to view all the information about the boat, but also to control the installation and send orders to the autopilot. The app connects to the boat via the on-board WiFi network. The nke WiFi box allows the application to have two-way communication and thus send commands on the Topline bus, to control the pilot for example. Advanced features such as Multi-Function and Driver control require the app to be connected to an up-to-date nke WiFi box.
By working in tandem with the nke WiFi box, we can diagnose the instruments on the Topline bus and check if the instrument software is up to date. Screens can be customized by selecting the data to be displayed. nke Display Pro is a universal app, that is, it works on iPad and iPhone with a dedicated interface. With iCloud sync, In-app preferences and purchases are shared across all devices.
Latest versions at 22/11/2014 :
nke display
Version : 1.1 (iOS) Update : 18 october 2012
Version : 1.0.1 (Android) Update : 5 June 2013
NKE Display Pro
Version : 1.1 (iOS) Update : 8 seven. 2014
Languages : French, English
Editor : NKE Marine Electronics
RAYMARINE
RayControl (iOS / Android)
RayControl allows you to View and control a multi displayfunction Raymarine Series e or C Series from a tablet or smartphone. RayControl imitator Multifunction devices Raymarine with an interaction of the touchscreen and a Virtual keyboard sliding. The Slider allows you to control All functions of the display et l’plain-controller virtual to rotate menus and Settings effortless. Control and display of electronic mapping, sonar, radar, and vision thermal, same at night, from the tablet. The control of the autopilot n’is not possible via a mobile device.
For Use this app with the Raymarine C-series or e-series, The software version of these devices must be updated version 3.15 or later. Compatible devices : e7, e7D, e95, e97, E125, E127, c95, c97, c125, c127.
Latest versions at 22/11/2014 :
Version: 1.3 (iOS) Update : 15 January 2013
Version : 01.06 (Android) Update : 27 august 2013
Tongue: English
Publisher: Raymarine Belgium BVBA
To conclude
As we see in this quick inventory, Manufacturers have simply satisfied their customers' demands by creating a bridge between mobile devices and their multifunction displays. Apart from the nke display which can be used with devices other than those of the brand, All applications remain proprietary, "companions" dedicated only to the instruments of each manufacturer.
It is curious that only Furuno and nke have developed an autopilot control function, a function that seems to me to be major for safety because it allows the boat to avoid an obstacle from anywhere on board, from the bow, in example.
On the positive side, the generalization of application porting in the two most widespread operating systems, iOS and Android, is a great thing for users who can freely choose the mobile devices that suit them.
It seems to me, however, that these small developments, easy to make, only delay an inevitable evolution of marine electronics towards more mobility and universality. I am betting that within five years new players will have produced "black boxes" to which the multiple sensors will be connected (probe, vitesse, wind, AIS, radar, Cameras, etc) that will stream their data wirelessly. With a simple tablet in his sea bag, the browser will be able to connect to it and its multifunction applications will provide much more than the cumbersome and static current MFDs, Internet connectivity through cellular and satellite networks, The weather, security and port information, Protected Area Guidelines, Regulated anchorages, and many other things besides mapping, routing calculations, and I forget some. All of this already exists, but still very dispersed. Once all these services are unified in applications costing only a few dozen euros (or dollars) Installed on general-purpose tablets that are ten times cheaper than current marine MFPs, What will be the choice of boaters ?
I'll let you guess.
—
Furuno's GM has been talking about it for some time. Thank you for this information.
It seems that Furuno/MaxSea is preparing a surprise for next summer. Rumor from METS Amsterdam.
Bonjour,
I need to re-equip my sailboat with electronics and one of the options is to buy a marinized base that can last, Like multifunction player, for the chart table.
After, for outdoor use, a tablet or smartphone, with a more limited lifespan, will do the trick.
The question I ask myself is the following : When we talk about remote displays in wifi, this means that the smartphone retrieves the image from the MF player and there is no need to equip it with digital cards ; just ?
Obviously, the database must be equipped with the appropriate software and the slave with the appropriate application.
I ask you the question, because I heard at one of the electronics stands at the Nautic (maybe B&G ?) that it was also necessary to equip the smartphone with electronic cards for it to work.
Thank you for enlightening me.
Kind regards
Patrice