Any interest in an app that shows engine gauges?

[mastreb]

I'm strongly considering putting together a little business that makes a bluetooth to NMEA-2000 interface so you can use an iPhone or Android device to view any gauge data on your boat. I've been watching the market closely and waiting for someone else to do it, but it doesn't appear that anyone is doing it the right way (which is via Bluetooth LE, not WiFi, and with straight NMEA-2000, not converting to NMEA-0183).

For people without an NMEA-2000 network, you would still be able to get data from your EMM on any motor with either an NMEA-2000 connector (2008+ for most MFRs) or a J1939 protocol EMM (many MFRs between 2002 and 2008). This would only require a custom cable to connect and power, which we would provide.

The app would allow you to flip through engine parameters on your phone or iPad without interrupting your Internet connection (as WiFi-based adapters would do). None of the existing WiFi adapters are actually NMEA-2000 either--they convert to NMEA-0183 for compatibility with iNavX and only support a small subset of data types which does not include engine data. We would run true NMEA-2000.

The device would be priced at $200, and the gauge app would be priced around $50. It would come with pre-made gauges you can select, and a "gauge builder" you can use to gauge or graph any NMEA-2000 codes.

I've identified the Bluetooth LE system-on-a-chip necessary, the CAN bus controller necessary, and have two app developers engaged along with a firmware programmer who would handle the development. I would need to sell 100 devices to pay development costs.

On an iPad or Android tablet, it could be used to permanently mount a low-cost tablet in place of a multi-function display in a weatherproof enclosure. There are weatherproof android tablets available in the market now. This would compete against purpose-built NMEA-2000 displays.

How much interest would you have in this sort of thing?

[kadet]

Probably a lot as the only thing I have every found and it was wired not wireless ( before Garmin, Lawrence and the like started WiFi) was the Actisense NGT-1-USB NMEA 2000 pc interface and it costs about $200 without software. It also uses a Actisense Comms Proprietary Protocol so will only work with their software .

[kurz]

Hello
does an outboard has no onboard diagnostic like the actual cars?

If yes, would be easy to install an adapter like this:
http://www.pearl.ch/ch-a-NX3027-5442.shtml

[mastreb]

Hello
does an outboard has no onboard diagnostic like the actual cars?

If yes, would be easy to install an adapter like this:
http://www.pearl.ch/ch-a-NX3027-5442.shtml

It's the same sort of thing, yes.

The problem with using WiFi is it's complicated for the adapter and you can't be on your boat network and on the Internet at the same time. We intend to integrate some cloud services for data logging etc.

[Paulieb]

Sounds cool, but expensive. If you could get the telemetry to work at a reasonable price, I would be interested.

Paulieb

[RobertB]

Is the engine performance and diagnostic output in an industry standard or proprietary output format? Remember when all the automakers had their own proprietary diagnostic codes and the Federal Government decided there was an advantage to have this standardized - result was making OBDII law in 1996. Since then, the whole deal has been kind of defeated in that the complexity of the auto computer controls has gone way past the engine and powertrain arena of early engine controllers/OBDII and now one still needs to spend $$$ to interface their car (as I have done for several of mine).
Now to the boats, do not see any drive for standardization - if it is there, it is a secret as far as my limited attention span goes. I asked the local Evinrude dealer if there was a way for me to interface my engine - they stated the proprietary software was not available for private purchase (either that or it cost waaay too much $$$).
So, is the ETEC set up with a standard NEMA interface - from the tone of the initial description for performance data? Is there any maintenance data covered in this interface?

This is more of an interest to me now since at work we are tying to backwards engineer the maintenance feeds form Army communications gear.

[Russ]

I would need to sell 100 devices to pay development costs.

I doubt you will find enough on this forum, but there is a larger user base out there.
You need to work on marketing the idea better. For example, if the app would tie to GPS speed and provide miles per gallon or some sort of feedback to find the sweetspot for economy.

So are you saying it's about a $250 cost to implement? That's kind of steep for a cool gadget. Unless you could show payback, like fuel economy and other cool stuff like engine temps and diagnostics. What information can you extract from the engine to make this more appealing?

--Russ

[mastreb]

So are you saying it's about a $250 cost to implement? That's kind of steep for a cool gadget. Unless you could show payback, like fuel economy and other cool stuff like engine temps and diagnostics. What information can you extract from the engine to make this more appealing?

--Russ

This is exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for--If $250 is steep, then a lot of the potential market goes away.

Here's what it can receive:

From your engine:
:: Fuel flow rate in real time
:: Engine RPM
:: Engine alerts (low oil, etc.)

From your GPS:
:: GPS heading
:: GPS Speed

From your anenometer:
:: True wind direction and speed
:: Relative wind direction and speed

From your autopilot:
:: Course heading
:: Distance to destination
:: Time to destination

So with that kind of data, we could make gauges that do things like:

1) VMG calculator -- Given the current wind, the course to my destination, and programmed polars for my boat, what is the best heading for fastest arrival time?

2) Range Maximizer -- Given my engine's fuel economy, What speed can I go to reach my destination without refueling?

3) Wind Gauge -- Check the wind from anywhere on the boat

We >could< do things like push new courses to an Autopilot so you could pilot the boat from your phone inside the cockpit, but I'm not sure we'd release something like that.

[Russ]

Here's what it can receive:

From your engine:
:: Fuel flow rate in real time
:: Engine RPM
:: Engine alerts (low oil, etc.)

From your GPS:
:: GPS heading
:: GPS Speed

From your anenometer:
:: True wind direction and speed
:: Relative wind direction and speed

From your autopilot:
:: Course heading
:: Distance to destination
:: Time to destination

So with that kind of data, we could make gauges that do things like:

1) VMG calculator -- Given the current wind, the course to my destination, and programmed polars for my boat, what is the best heading for fastest arrival time?

2) Range Maximizer -- Given my engine's fuel economy, What speed can I go to reach my destination without refueling?

3) Wind Gauge -- Check the wind from anywhere on the boat

We >could< do things like push new courses to an Autopilot so you could pilot the boat from your phone inside the cockpit, but I'm not sure we'd release something like that.

I think there is a market. Especially if you add some logic into it. The calculators would be a huge selling point.
Mac owners may not want to cough up $250 for this, but you have to look at the entire market, not just Mac owners. I have power boat buddies who are looking for the sweet spot to run for maximum fuel economy. I am too. Wish I could crank up the RPMs and see how many gallons it would take to get home. Of course that takes more development dollars. But that's where you start with a small app and sell the "pro" version or some such thing.
I've got a buddy who would buy one of these. He buys all kinds of tech junk for his boat and can't figure it out.

Selling 100 pieces when looking at the entire boating community isn't much. I think where you might find some snags is with technical support. It sounds a bit complex to connect the network. The app should be a piece of cake though. Include a game with candy pieces and make a fortune.

--Russ

[Gazmn]

Count me in

[bscott]

Any chance an existing depth/fish/chart ploter could be used?

Bob

[pula]

I think GO FOR IT, mate, and I'm certainly very interested. However, I agree with RussMT and this forum is a too "niche" to launch this idea, but the wider boating community is MASSIVE. I assume you have considered crowdfunding, for example http://www.kickstarter.com/ ?

[mastreb]

Any chance an existing depth/fish/chart ploter could be used?

Bob

Anything NMEA 2000. If you've got an existing NMEA compatible chartplotter, we will be able to query depth on it and show (for example) a depth histogram ("sonar") over time, for example.

Also, if you're just getting started in NMEA-2000, it's super simple to setup and we'd include instructions with the device or an App that walks you through it.

End-user support is easy for me--I already run a company with a 24/7 staffed support line and could just train my techs to support this very simple network.

[mastreb]

I think GO FOR IT, mate, and I'm certainly very interested. However, I agree with RussMT and this forum is a too "niche" to launch this idea, but the wider boating community is MASSIVE. I assume you have considered crowdfunding, for example http://www.kickstarter.com/ ?

We will definitely be marketing this to the wider boat community. I like the idea of Kickstarter, but if we did it that way it would be for the marketing opportunity more than the money, which we we already have. I'm not sure how much overlap there is in the venn diagrams of "I'm an urban hipster" and "with a boat" (besides me and you, I mean ).

Matt

[innervations]

I love tech. Count me in.