Getting ready for the pitch hasn't left much time for hardware / software work on AMOS, but I did get a bit of code written on adding live mapping capability to the BoatCaptainMap app and did 3D-print some parts for mounting a fish finder with its ultrasound transducer to the back plate of AMOS. No, AMOS is not looking for fish, but I read somewhere that using a fish finder was the most economical way to do water depth measurements, so I figured it would be worth a try.
The fish finder uses the +12V from the AMOS battery for power, and has a cable going to an ultrasonic transducer. Normally the transducer would be mounted onto the transom of a boat, but I
3-D printed a part to secure it to the back plate, just to the right of the pH probe in the above picture. The fish finder also has a NMEA-0183 output, which sends out depth readings every second. The NMEA standard is available but it has a ridiculous price, something like $1000 or more, depending on what industry you're in. From all the free information that I could find online, it seemed like the NMEA-0183 output was basically an RS-422 signal. So along with the special NMEA-0183 cable I bought for the fish finder, I bought an RS-422 to USB converter for AMOS. But once I actually got the cable and looked at the instructions, it turns out that the signal is actually RS232, not RS-422. So this evening I just ordered a 3 foot USB to RS232 cable from Amazon which should do the job. Hopefully over the next few days I'll find some time to drill more holes in the AMOS boxes, and solder some wires to connect everything together. I'm looking forward to burning my fingers again, it's been awhile. 😄
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