Poor mans Ipilot

I cant afford to drop that kind of money on a trolling motor, so I'm building my own, LOL! Bought me all the little gadgets I'm gonna need and I'm using my humminbird gps unit as a control head. Turns out that this is gonna be pretty awesome because it will navigate to as many way points as your GPS will handle, it navigates unlimited courses, it'll hold me on a way point and with the addition of another program will run creek channels and any pattern I want it too! Most of the software is finished, now I'm actually hooking it up to my foot controller motor, a tiller control would be soooo much easier, but I still want to be able to use my foot pedal. I'll keep anyone interested posted. Here is a video of what I have so far! And thanks to my buddy Brad Chappell for not letting me get discouraged when the electronics and programming was making me insane!

Blackland1 - YouTube

I like. What pic controller are u using? You writing the program and what language? You get the control board from Carl's Electronics?

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Originally Posted by Blacklandlure

I cant afford to drop that kind of money on a trolling motor, so I'm building my own, LOL! Bought me all the little gadgets I'm gonna need and I'm using my humminbird gps unit as a control head. Turns out that this is gonna be pretty awesome because it will navigate to as many way points as your GPS will handle, it navigates unlimited courses, it'll hold me on a way point and with the addition of another program will run creek channels and any pattern I want it too! Most of the software is finished, now I'm actually hooking it up to my foot controller motor, a tiller control would be soooo much easier, but I still want to be able to use my foot pedal. I'll keep anyone interested posted. Here is a video of what I have so far! And thanks to my buddy Brad Chappell for not letting me get discouraged when the electronics and programming was making me insane!

Blackland1 - YouTube

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Man that is cool.:Hands Clapping

Love to see some more videos when you get it on the water.

That's awesome, Wayne. Can't wait to see the finished product.

The board and processor are from Microchip, the program is written in C. Loading it all up with a PX200. I just hooked into the NEMA out of the HB and its using the GPS sentences from the HB. I'm installing up a drocker switch as a over ride to make adjustments or to just run in manual. So far the bracket for the pedal attaches with a single pin so it can all be disabled quick. I'm fishing by myself so I needed something to make the trolling motor run itself, so I researched the store bought models, laughed at the small amount of way points they will hold, invested under $75. and here we are. The cool thing is I can load what routes I want to troll in the HB before I leave the house, when I get on the water, flip the switch and let her roll.

Newest Video: Designing and testing the motion control actuator hardware http://youtu.be/shAui_yBJng

That is so cool. Its better than I pilot. You got something figured out for speed? You are an Electrical Genius. I cant say enough that is way out there. Very nice job. Where did you learn all that stuff?

Speed should be the easy part, for starters I'll probably put a latching relay in there somewhere, and I'm far from a genius, I've just done ALOT of research. When you dont make very much $ and you need something, you just have to figure out another way around the problem. I may even have figured out a way to make the GPS super accurate. But, keep in mind this is still in the design stage and it may not be what I'd like for it to be, but I'm still gonna try. Where did I learn all that stuff?? I've had a whole bunch of jobs in my life, LOL!

You are one sharp dude, on electronics anyway. I am impressed.

Yes Wayne is a mad man.. this guy can build anything!!
Can't wait to see the finished product in action!!

THATS tooo cool. I want one for my hds7 lowrance minkota terrova. i have not bought the ipilot yet.

Once I get the bugs worked out of the "brain" I'll see what I can do about making it actually "talk" to the 'kota, as far as linking to the Lowrance, thats a done deal already. I can link to any GPS with a NEMA out and has the "GO TO" function. It has some potential but there is still ALOT of work to do and time is a precious commodity for me right now. Oddly enough the only free time I have to work on the programming is at work! THANKS BOSS! Today I welded Dub-L-Seats, then while the parts cooled I'd work on the trolling motor, LOL.

Very nice. Keep at it.

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Originally Posted by Blacklandlure

Once I get the bugs worked out of the "brain" I'll see what I can do about making it actually "talk" to the 'kota, as far as linking to the Lowrance, thats a done deal already. I can link to any GPS with a NEMA out and has the "GO TO" function. It has some potential but there is still ALOT of work to do and time is a precious commodity for me right now. Oddly enough the only free time I have to work on the programming is at work! THANKS BOSS! Today I welded Dub-L-Seats, then while the parts cooled I'd work on the trolling motor, LOL.

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since that control board has 4 optocoupler inputs, you could use a binary switch and get up to 16 speeds. Your rs232 output is not being used, so you could use it to send serial data to a serial to pwm converter, with the pwm output equal to the settings of the binary speed switch. Just a thought since a lot of the hardware is already there on the control board.

OR, you could use the opto inputs for left/right hand overide of gps control and spotlock off/on. Not many options with this board as it stands. BUT!

This is true, there are so many possibilities its mind boggling, but like you said the memory situation is pretty sad on that chip (2k) and the crystal oscillator circuit....20 MHz. I guess right now I'm just going to have to do it as easy and inexpensive as possible. I'm really kind of worried about electromagnetic interference, I just need this thing to run for me so I can fish. ;) I wish I would've known you were so knowledgeable in this stuff, I about pulled all my hair out several times trying to get things right. Jeff told me one of yall liked to build gadgets as much as me, I just didnt know who it was.

Jeff White? Yep. I heard he had motorcycle butt now. He is a fine feller.

You are right, 2k aint much, but we went to the moon on 64k. ha Try writing your code in assembly. Saves some memory. C is confusing to an old assembly man.

Don't worry about rf. That is what BUD boxes are for. Have fun.

I just finished off a "broke wire" brake circuit for a local motor winding company. Piece of cake.

When you get the circuit totally functional (if there is such a thing), I can tell you how to apply the circuit to the minn kota v2. The v2 has everything you need in its conrol circuit to steer and speed control. Cakewalk. You could breathe life into a lot of old electric steer minn kotas. Just takes time and patience.

that is very cool im am impressed thats got to be one of biggest break through s for 2011 you may have minn kota and motor guide beating your door to buy it to keep off the market if i was you i would keep quit about it till i had all the bug worked and patent number for it you may just have had your ship sale in to port congrats $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$

You can opt to use the minn kota control board for speed control. Why reinvent the wheel when you can change a spoke. It is proven and is weatherproof. The board has to be heatsinked when you mount it. MK uses the frame of the TM for a heat sink. You have to modify the control somewhat, but it saves a lot of aggrevation.

I am in awe of the genius of these gentlemen...of course,,flashlights still amaze me...but still, its awesome that we have this kind of talent,,fishing...lol

Man Blackland and CP together now that is scary. You two together are liable to take over the world. I have no idea what you guys are talkin about,but you got me impressed. Keep up the good work boyz.

Trust me guys, if there's any genius here, its gonna be canepole. This little project shouldve been easy but it took 2 weeks just to get where I am now, with no promise of the accuracy of the unit. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a challenge and technology, but I'm much better with my hands than with my brain. Heck 2 weeks ago I didnt know what optocoupler isolated inputs, Quartz crystal oscillators, or PIC/ICSP connectors were! Oh and Mr. Canepole, I only wrote in C but I used a compiler so the actual program is loaded in Hex. At one time I was very good in Visual Basic so it was fairly easy to figure out the program in C, and actually I cheated some, I dissected other programs and used the parts I needed, but I do agree with you, a few small changes and retrofits can be made to make a very wicked trolling unit, I noticed that while looking into what made the Ipilot and the old electric steer motors work. Oh, and Jimmy, trust me...the big boys in the trolling motor game know all about this stuff, but they really need to save something back for next years models. :) I dont have the time or money to wait for them to unveil all the newest/old technology, Example: look at the 2012 Lowrance units with the 3-D and real-time StructureScan overlay, the ability to do that and more has been out for years.

you could just take the 1 off JW boat he wont miss it for a few yeras by then he would have had a brain fart and just thought he had 1

I don't remember the sentence outs from GPS, except the $ sign...ha. You will probably need a compass input to keep from zigzaging too much when enroute. I don't know if the gps sentences have compass headings or not. Brain dead from old age.

The GPS must output the "GPRMB" sentence, which contains the "cross-track error" info. Luckily the HB also gives the APB (auto Pilot B) sentence which contains the $GPAPB,A,A,0.10,R,N,V,V,011,M,DEST,011,M,011,M*3C. The first 011 is the magnetic bearing, origin to destination, the second is the magnetic bearing, present position to destination and the last is magnetic heading to steer. I'm truely hoping I have all those programmed to communicate accurately with each other, if not theres gonna be a few more sleepless nights and a few more times having Jeff (my boss) walk by laughing at me while I run endless amounts of code through a GPS simulator on my laptop. Not to mention me calling everyone I've ever known who knows anything about coding, LOL! Brain dead from birth!!

Don't forget to add a data logger so you can log tracks so to backtrack and retrack. haha

Sounds like Geek to me.

The HB already has that covered, I've also got a few more little toys I've been playing with that I've only let a few other guys in on that really covers that, in unbelievable detail. I've been a busy boy, trying to gain a edge every way possible.

I knew the HB had a data logger, but I didn't know you could save multiple tracks and play back an active log on demand or a later date. I know you can log data and save to a separate file on the HDS. I ain't fooled with any of the newer HBs. So, I am antiquated in HB architect.

COME ON GUYS....ITS JUST FISHING !!! WE AINT BUILDING A ROCKET TO THE MOON ! :fish Lol.....just kidding......that is a neat thing ya come up with there !! ........and I got room to talk after first posting this I see this pic thats with my post......banghead

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Originally Posted by rockmike

Sounds like Geek to me.

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I hear ya, we need to make crappie.com an English language only site. LOL. Is there an Electronics Building For Dummy's Book so we could understand what these fellows are talking about?
I know it wouldn't be a Poor Man's I-pilot for me. I'd have 2 or 3 trash cans filled with my mistakes trying to build something.

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Originally Posted by Shellback

I hear ya, we need to make crappie.com an English language only site. LOL. Is there an Electronics Building For Dummy's Book so we could understand what these fellows are talking about?
I know it wouldn't be a Poor Man's I-pilot for me. I'd have 2 or 3 trash cans filled with my mistakes trying to build something.

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Ron, I have no problem understanding this stuff....I visit Tom frequently for "show & tell".Thumbs Up

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

I knew the HB had a data logger, but I didn't know you could save multiple tracks and play back an active log on demand or a later date. I know you can log data and save to a separate file on the HDS. I ain't fooled with any of the newer HBs. So, I am antiquated in HB architect.

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dat a logger= one that cuts down trees...Rofl

If they touch they talk.......

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Originally Posted by Don G

dat a logger= one that cuts down trees...Rofl

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Yeah....and "compiler" aint that short for one who piles compost ?
and "optocoupler"...well thats that new boat coupler I think thats in Bass Pros new catalog.
Dang......I think I`m figuring this stuff out....:highfive

I've just read every post here and understood about Zero :Doh: But I'm very impressed with what you've done so far and looking forward to the results.:Hands Clapping:Hands Clapping

Yea, I'm just in awe listening to you guys talking about all this high tech electronic jargon. I know I picked the right profession for me cause I dont have a clue what all you guys are talking about.:rolleyes::p

Very interesting project and it sounds like it's all coming together very nicely. Keep us posted with the progress.Thumbs Up

I'll stick to my dynamite, haven't had a game warden yet who didn't fish with me when I lit the fuse.....lol

That sharp and I dont know. Anything about it

There's not too much a redneck like myself can't build given the will power and Internet access :)

Hello,
Any update on this project, very interesting stuff?

Thanks,
Jim