Set up OpenPlotter as a Raspberry Pi-based marine navigation and Signal K hub
domain: openplotter.readthedocs.io · 6 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Flash the prebuilt OpenPlotter image (Raspberry Pi OS plus Signal K Server and OpenCPN preinstalled) to an SD card, or install openplotter-settings on a headless Raspberry Pi OS system
On first boot, connect to the Pi's own WiFi access point and immediately change the default WiFi and login passwords, which ship as known values
Use the OpenPlotter Serial app to identify connected devices (GPS, NMEA 0183 via USB-RS422, or NMEA 2000 via an Actisense NGT-1/CANable adapter) and assign each an alias and data type
In the Connections tab, route each device to Signal K (or to the CAN Bus app for NMEA 2000 devices), setting baud rate as needed
For NMEA 2000 output, explicitly unblock the specific PGNs needed for transmission in the CAN Bus app, since most are firewalled by default, and use the Signal K to NMEA 2000 plugin to map outgoing paths
Verify data flow in the Signal K web UI and confirm OpenCPN or other dashboards (Instrument Panel, KIP, Grafana) are receiving the feed
Known gotchas
Both the WiFi access-point password and the Pi's own login password ship with known defaults that must be changed manually, or the system is openly accessible
NMEA 2000 transmission is firewalled by default on Actisense NGT-1/OpenMarine CAN-USB devices (though not on CANable), so bidirectional integrations like autopilot control require explicitly unblocking PGNs first
Because the system runs off an SD card, unclean shutdowns are a well-known real-world risk for filesystem corruption; use the built-in SD Card Copier for backups
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