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A Raspberry Pi Makes a Perfect Sailing Computer for Your Boat

You have many sailing computer options, but you may want to consider building your own using a raspberry pi..

If you’re lucky enough to own a boat, then congratulations; you’re better than the rest of us. While we’re stuck self-isolating in our distressingly land-based apartments, you’re out sailing the seas with a smile on your face. If you’re serious about sailing and do more than just stick to the coast fishing, then you’ll probably want a sailing computer. A sailing computer can serve a variety of purposes, but the most important are navigation and communication. You have many sailing computer options, but you may want to consider building your own using a Raspberry Pi .

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is a small single-board computer (SBC) that fits in the palm of your hand. Unlike microcontroller development boards, the Raspberry Pi is a full-fledged computer capable of running a real desktop operating system — specifically the Debian-based Raspbian OS. The small size makes it perfect for the constrained confines of a boat. But, with the right software and hardware components, it can be a powerful sailing computer. The Bareboat Necessities Project is a collection of hardware and software guides that can help you accomplish that. The resulting sailing computer is capable of providing essentially any function you can imagine, up to and including autopilot integration.

The specifics of your build will depend on the capabilities you require, but the basics include a Raspberry Pi 4, a customizable enclosure, heat sinks and cooling fan, an SSD flash drive, an SD card, an RTL-SDR, a BNC adapter, BerryGPS module that includes a handful of additional sensors, and a real time clock. With the proper software, which includes OpenPlotter 2.0 and Signal K, you’ll be able to chart a course and navigate along it. This is only brushing the surface of the features that you can add if you like. You can even monitor your boat’s various systems, such as the engine, power distribution, and more. Setting up a Bareboat Necessities sailing computer will require quite a bit a technical prowess, but the results should be worth the effort.

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Rebuilding a yacht’s navigation system using Raspberry Pi

• February 15, 2023

When David Bishop bought a 30-year-old boat, the batteries were dying and the wiring was a mess. He decided to rebuild the nav system using several Raspberry Pis

Back in May 2021, my wife Lydia and I purchased our first boat, a 1994 Dehler 34 called Troppo Bella , and spent the summer exploring the beautiful waters around Conwy. Planning to venture further afield the following year, I decided it was time to rebuild the somewhat vintage navigation station.

With much of the wiring 30 years old and a scant complement of switches, the navigation station hadn’t kept pace with the numerous navigational devices, lights and living comforts that had been added over the years. Unfortunately, half of these additions had since been decommissioned due to faults, including the Navtex receiver, SSB weather fax receiver and autopilot. Sat at anchor using camping lights in the saloon to preserve our fading batteries, it was also clear we had to be able to control power consumption if we wanted to spend more than a night away.

We set a couple of aims for the revamp. Firstly, we wanted to make full use of the existing equipment that was still functional. This included the Furuno GP32 Navigator GPS at the navigation station and the Raymarine C80 multi-function display that was mounted on the binnacle. These devices are robust, waterproof and adventure-ready. Budget was also limited so upcycling what we had, rather than installing the latest navigational tech, was essential.

Secondly, we wanted to use the navigation station to plan and plot a route on screen, push it to the GPS, chartplotter and Navionics on our tablet, and be able to view our progress while sailing. While a laptop could do this job, space at the chart table was tight, plus recharging a laptop would be a hefty draw on house batteries during extended trips. We’d need something small and low power for the job.

Lydia at the old and very cluttered nav station.

But before any of this could be achieved I had to take out the moulded switch panel and instrument board and remove all of the old switch wiring. I was then left with a simple set of power and data wires coming in from instruments around the boat, which I carefully labelled. Realising I had now effectively made the boat unusable, the project suddenly felt epic: there would be no sailing until this project was complete!

The original layout had 10 switches and I calculated that I would ideally like around 30 to give complete control of our power usage. There was no room for ready-made switch panels, so I opted for a collection of individual Blue Sea Systems Contura switches that I could group and mount easily as space allowed.

Having decided we wanted an integrated computer for route plotting, the next step was to decide which one to use, how to fit it into the small space available and where to mount the display.

Two of the Raspberry Pis hidden in the old Navtex box

Raspberry ripple

My daughters and I had already been tinkering with Raspberry Pis, a cheap computer no bigger than a pack of cards, designed to encourage children to learn about technology. These computers are easy to set up and well documented with many free books available from the Raspberry Pi Foundation .

Since their invention, Raspberry Pis have been used by sailors in boat computers for a range of purposes including navigation and autopilot systems, to monitor engines, bilges and tank levels, as well as manage solar power generation. This miniature computer was ideally suited to power our new navigation solution.

To plot a course, display our position on a digital chart and see AIS Targets, I wanted to use OpenCPN chartplotting software with licensed charts from o-charts.org and was delighted to discover OpenPlotter to get me started. This software bundle provided everything I needed, including the Raspberry Pi operating system, OpenCPN and Signal K. This last bit of software can be used to connect up the boat’s instruments (wind, speed, depth, GPS, routing, AIS) and make the data available over WiFi and so was going to be vital in pushing information to our Raspberry Pi-powered chartplotter and Navionics.

I realised that the decommissioned Navtex box would make the perfect, protected place to hide two little Raspberry Pis; I would use one of the mini computers for getting the instruments to talk to each other via Signal K and another to power my OpenCPN chartplotter.

David at work at the new nav station using the inbuilt computers and touch-screen display

Like a couple of hermit crabs they were soon installed in their new home. Moving things around on the instrument board I was also able to find a space for a 7-inch LCD touchscreen which could be used for our route plotting as well as reviewing weather information or as an instrument panel.

I hadn’t fully realised how much extra wiring three times the number of switches would create but, armed with many cable ties, I managed to fit it all in and the system was ready for its first sea trial in May 2022 when we set off for the Isle of Man.

The OpenCPN chartplotter and screen proved an immediate hit and we settled into a routine of creating the route on OpenCPN and then loading it via a GPX file into Navionics. In this way all our devices followed the same route and displayed the same data.

Updating the logbook became a quick and easy task, plus both helm and navigator had a real-time view of our progress. We were also really pleased to have the Raymarine C80 we’d inherited fully integrated into our navigation. While we like the portability of the iPad and the clarity of Navionics charts when on deck, in bad weather or when the helm wants to view a simple feed of boat data, the C80 comes into its own. So far so good!

The new nav station, complete with a red night light and three times as many switches

Power savers

Our onboard power consumption was also back under control thanks to the additional switches I had fitted and we could now keep the depth and wind instruments on while at anchor without the drain of other electronic devices hanging off the same wires.

This switch-per-device approach which was one of the main objectives of the upgrade has had some other unexpected benefits too – if AIS targets stop being received, for example, being able to reboot the AIS receiver without turning everything off and on is a real plus.

I’ve a few more plans for the navigation system, mainly to improve our access to weather forecasts when at sea or in anchorages off the Welsh coast that 4G can’t penetrate. Top of this list is to use it to receive and display in-depth weather information via WeatherFax and Navtex. I think I could squeeze another Raspberry Pi in there somewhere if I needed to!

Lessons learned

Reduce the drain

Managing power consumption is key. Modern tablets and phones use a lot more power than you think, especially compared to older purpose-built marine technology. Removing your dependency on them for long trips will give you greater sailing range.

Legacy backup

Make intelligent use of your navigation aids. In a storm, tablets and smart phones are not reliable and you may be unable to escape the helm to consult paper charts. Legacy marine navigational equipment was designed for the sea so make sure you have loaded your route in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Know your electrics

Most sailors know how to bleed their engine, but few have a working knowledge of the boat electrics. However, depth and wind speed/direction are vital for sailing. Gaining a basic understanding of your boat’s electrics and boat data is a sensible skill for modern seamanship.

Prepare for frustration

Rebuilding my navigation station was a hugely rewarding and exciting project. However, I had never tinkered with boat electrics or boat data before and the process required a lot of learning, dead-ends and frustration along the way as I tried to get devices to talk to each other.

Add extra time

Don’t underestimate the effort and time required to rebuild or rewire your switch panels. This project was only just completed in an off-season and it took many hours of effort.

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BAREBOAT NECESSITIES

Custom open source marine Linux OS for your boat computer

Waterproof marine touch screen HDMI display

GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo) receiver

Sensors for orientation (gyroscope, accelerometer, compass via IMU)

Environment temperature, barometric pressure, humidity sensors

Connections to the boat instruments such as wind, depth, speed, AIS via NMEA 0183 serial ports

Boat LTE / 4G Gateway, network storage

Boat WiFi hotspot and a router with WiFi extender and a long range waterproof WiFi antenna

Optional autopilot integration, rudder angle sensor

Other NMEA devices, engine/battery status, bilge pump monitoring, etc

Optional air mouse with a wireless keyboard and a touchpad

Lightning EMI sensor and alarm

RTL-SDR for weather fax, NavTex, satellite weather, AIS, RTL 433, morse code decoder, etc

Boat IoT Integration via MQTT

Music Player

Can be used with Iridium Satellite Modems

Can be used for processing transmissions received from SSB radio via audio interface

Variety of options of using wireless handheld devices such as smart phones and tablets to connect to boat systems via WiFi and bluetooth. There are many marine applications available for smart phones and tablets.

The Catalina 320 Yacht's Log

Greg and Sandi's Catalina 320 (and our older Catalina 22) yacht: n. a vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purposes.

Installing the Raspberry Pi and Using Saillogger

A new addition to our boat is the ability to log all of our travels. To do so, we added a Raspberry Pi powered by the boat's 12V system, connected to the NMEA 2000 backbone, and running a program called Saillogger. See our article on boat networking .

We started by buying a Raspberry Pi . This is a single-board small computer. It has most of the functionality of a large desktop on a tiny board. The specs: 1.5 GHz 64-bit quad core ARM Cortex-A72 processor, on-board 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, full gigabit Ethernet (throughput not limited), two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, 8 GB of RAM, and dual-monitor support via a pair of micro HDMI (HDMI Type D) ports for up to 4K resolution. It runs a version of Linux.

The Raspberry Pi then has added the PICAN-M hat board . This plugs into it and provides NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 connections, as well as providing power from the NMEA 2000 connection. It takes in 12V and steps it down to 5V.

This entire setup is then enclosed into a nifty little case. It is about the same size and somewhat thicker than a pack of playing cards.

You can test the whole setup by using a micro HDMI cable , monitor, USB keyboard, USB mouse, and either a wired or wireless Ethernet connection. The Pi will need a micro SD card . If you want to power the board at home for testing purposes, you will need a 120V to 12V converter to power the NMEA 2000 backbone. You may also need a USB adapter for your computer to transfer the operating system onto the card. We did all our initial setup at home, then moved to the boat where we remotely log in using a laptop via WiFi with both devices connected to a phone hotspot.

Our setup required that we pull a NMEA 2000 backbone cable from the "garage" lazerette where our existing backbone was located to the panel to the right of where the AC/DC distribution is located in the cabin of the Catalina 320. The boat's existing cables feed above and behind the cabinets in the galley. We unscrewed the wood panel on the rightmost cabinet, then easily used an electrical fish wire to pull it from the garage. (Make sure to disconnect from shore power before doing this as there is live AC back there.) This is then fed down behind the AC/DC panel. Power is provided by the 12V on the NMEA 2000. We already have a Garmin 17X GPS antenna on the boat hooked to the backbone to feed GPS info to the chart plotter. We put a "T" on the backbone and installed the terminator. Then we attached a drop cable to the PICAN-M NMEA 2000 socket. This kit will provide all the basic NMEA 2000 hardware.

We installed the Debian and SignalK software onto the Pi. We found this page provided really excellent instructions on the install. If you are not familiar with Linux, you may need a friend to help you. We then installed Saillogger.

Sailogger is a program written by a friend of ours. It consists of two parts: a program installed on the Raspberry Pi through SignalK and a web site to which it uploads the information. It automatically records every time you leave a marina and where you have gone, pulling the info from the GPS (and other devices) on the NMEA 2000 network. The next time the Pi gets an internet connection either through a marina wifi or a phone hotspot, it uploads it to the Saillogger web site. There is very little configuration necessary and virtually no information that needs to be added to the logs. You don't need to remember to start something or end it...it is all automatic as long as the NMEA 2000 backbone is powered.

After installing it, we went out for a day sail on Lake Washington.

Raspberry Pi Marine Computer Build a marine navigational computer with the low-power and low-cost Raspberry Pi.

Note: Please use the affiliate links below to purchase any components you need for your project – doing so will help us continue development of this project at no additional cost to you!

You’ll Need:

• Raspberry Pi 2 Model B
• A case to protect the rPi board
• EDIMAX Wifi USB Dongle
• Logitech Mini 2.4ghz wireless keyboard with trackpad
• HDMI or composite video cable
• MicroSDHC Memory card (8GB+) Class 10 or better ( I use a SanDisk Ultra Plus 64GB U1 Class MicroSDXC+ Card)
• A Mac or PC computer to download the OS Image and write it to the SD card

This was last updated June 27, 2016 with Raspbian Jessie, Kplex 1.3.4, and OpenCPN 4.2.1

The following links take you on to further steps for a fully fledged boat computer:

Step 1: Install Raspbian Linux on the Raspberry Pi

Step 2: Configure Raspbian OS on the Raspberry Pi

Step 3: Configure WiFi Access Point and Internet Gateway

Step 4: Install kPlex NMEA Multiplexer

             Extra: Verify NMEA data is being processed by kPlex  (coming soon)

Step 5: Install OpenCPN Chartplotting Software

            Extra: Install OpenCPN optional plugins  (coming soon)

Step 6: Optimize Performance  (coming soon)

Optional Features:

   Option 1: Media Server with automatic sync from home  (coming soon)

   Option 2: Wikipedia Server for research without Internet  (coming soon)

   Option 3: Minecraft PE Server for multi-user LAN play  (coming soon)

   Option 4: Kahn Academy Lite to support Boat School  (coming soon)

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How can I use the Raspberry Pi microcomputer on a yacht?

A pair of straight arms works wonders! The yachtsman re-equipped the entire navigation system of the yacht with the help of a Raspberry Pi microcomputer - we tell how it was done!

One used boat and two pairs of straight arms

Yachtsman David Bishop recently bought a used Dehler 34. The yacht was launched in 1994, but has survived to this day in relatively good condition. Dehler 34 was the first boat for David and his wife Lydia. Together they managed to spend the summer on board the boat. However, after some time, a number of problems with electronics were revealed.

David's next cruise should be an order of magnitude longer and more difficult, so the yachtsman decided to repair the wiring and re-equip the electronics on board. The main problem was outdated navigation equipment, some of which can no longer work properly. The Navtex receiver, SSB fax and the old autopilot went to the scrap. 

After some brainstorming, Bishop decided that the ideal option would be to completely redesign the system using a Raspberry PI microcomputer, new hardware, and some old but working electronics.

First important step

As David says, in the beginning, the couple set several main goals for themselves. To begin with, they planned to go through all the electrical equipment and determine what else can be used and what should be irrevocably disposed of. Among the serviceable devices were a Furuno GP32 Navigator GPS navigator, as well as a Raymarine C80 display. David notes that these devices are waterproof and reliable - they could be used without any problems.

Next, the couple wanted to transform the navigation system, update it and improve it (the photo above shows the old version of the chart table). The goal was to create a full-fledged modernized navigation station. David wanted to be able to plot a route, feed it to GPS, chartplotter and Navionics on a tablet, and track swim progress in real time.

From the very beginning, David wanted to use a laptop as such a station. The idea was abandoned due to the fact that the chart table could not also accommodate a laptop, and charging the device would consume too much precious electricity. The search began for a small, compact device that would not consume a lot of electricity.

Working with wiring

Before starting to search for the "brain" for the navigation system, David decided to deal with the wiring. First, he removed the switch panel and dashboard. All the old wiring had to be dismantled.

New wires, given the upcoming work on installing a navigation system, David prudently marked. At some point, the yachtsman realized that the project was gaining momentum - because now the boat is temporarily unseaworthy. At that moment, there was no turning back and David was obliged to finish the work he had begun.

About 30 switches were required to fully control the electricity. Since the original panels couldn't accommodate that many switches, David purchased a set of Blue Sea Systems Contura switches. 

With the wiring updated and the switches installed, it was time to select an integrated computer to control the boat's entire navigation system. There was also the question of the place of installation of the computer itself and the display to it.

Raspberry Pi - a universal solution for the yachtsman

David said that he has already worked with Raspberry Pi when he was doing small projects with his daughters. For the uninitiated, the Raspberry Pi is a microcomputer the size of a deck of cards. 

It is a full-fledged low-power computer that can be used for a very wide range of tasks: a yacht autopilot can operate on its basis, you can make an automated plant care system, create a full-fledged smart home - the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi are practically unlimited and it all depends on your imagination. .

The advantage of the Raspberry Pi over other microcomputers is ease of learning, extensive tools for work, compatibility with a large number of electronics and a lot of various free and available documentation.

Almost from the moment the Raspberry Pi was released, the microcomputer has been actively used by yachtsmen for various purposes. In addition to the already mentioned autopilot, Raspberry Pi can be used to monitor engines, liquid levels in tanks, control solar panels, etc.

David wanted to use the OpenCPN program with licensed charts from o-charts.org. Also, David was going to use the OpenPlotter program, which is compatible with the Raspberry Pi operating system. As a result, he found all the necessary software for free on the Internet. A separate item was the Signal K program, which is used to synchronize and connect the boat's instruments with each other using a WiFi network.

As a result, David needed two Raspberry Pis. One connected all the devices together so that they could transmit data to each other. The second one was used as a base for OpenCPN.

Installing and configuring the system

Both Raspberry Pis were installed in place of the Navtex receiver. A 7-inch touch screen for controlling microcomputers was installed above the chart table. 

The new wiring took up an order of magnitude more space than the old one. But, as David says, a dozen or two cable ties solve the problem. Soon David and Lydia went on sea trials.

OpenCPN did a great job in routing. Also, routes laid in OpenCPN are loaded without problems via a GPX file in Navionics. As a result, all parts of the updated navigation system worked stably.

Thanks to the Raspberry Pi, it was possible to simplify and speed up the maintenance of the ship's log, as well as the ability to track the progress of the cruise in real time.

Lessons David Learned

David draws attention to what needs to be monitored and, if possible, reduce electricity consumption. Modern tablets, phones and monitors use more power than before. Reduce power consumption in order not to be in a situation with a dead battery in the middle of the sea.

It's also worth having a few spare devices for storing routes, weather forecasts, etc. Anything can happen at sea, and electronics, especially modern ones, do not always work flawlessly. 

As a separate point, David highlights the need to know the electronics of his boat. Even a basic understanding of exactly how a boat's wiring works is a necessary skill for the modern yachtsman.

Any upgrade is inevitably associated with some degree of disappointment. Somewhere more, somewhere less - but with a high probability in the process of improving the yacht you will come across the fact that you don’t know something or need to learn something. The result of seemingly hard work can also leave much to be desired. But even in this case, you should not fall into despair. Remember that experience does not come by itself, it takes time.

And speaking of time, David says the most dangerous thing to do is to underestimate the time and effort it takes to improve the boat. Such projects may require a lot of effort and time, but the experience gained will be invaluable.

Source: yachtingmontly.com

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• Adding a NMEA 2000 powered Raspberry Pi to your boat

Easy to install Raspberry Pi computer that gets its power from the NMEA 2000 bus — Great for SignalK, OpenCPN, and OpenPlotter.

Running a Raspberry Pi aboard a boat has been a popular thing to do for a number of years. I’ve had them on every boat since the Pi first came out. Connecting them to a NMEA 2000 network, and powering them off a DC battery bank has required a bit more work up until now.

There are many reasons to have a Raspberry Pi connected to your boat network that I can think of. My main reason is to run a  Signal K  server on it, have it connected to my NMEA 2000 network, and leverage the hundreds of plugins and pieces of software that you can install to create dashboards, gather data, set alarms and alerts, and so much more.

In addition, you can run  OpenCPN  or  OpenPlotter  and have a fully functioning boat control, autopilot, chart, etc. system that has features just like the big vendors.

On sailboats in particular, I loved having a Pi on board because I could have an always-on computer that didn’t take a ton of power, had a decent amount of CPU power, and use it to monitor things while I was away.

The old way…

The first step in connecting a Pi to the boat was to find a proper power supply. Raspberry Pi’s run off of USB power which is 5V, and not generally available on the boat in a permanent way. I always wanted mine to run off of the 12v DC battery bank without any connection to an AC outlet, inverter, or USB converter that isn’t hard wired. I have had good luck with  this 12v-5v converter from Tobsun , and I particularly like it because it has four screw down terminals on it, making it easy to connect cabling.

Once the power problem is solved, connecting the Pi to the boat network involved either an  Actisense NGT-1 USB adapter  ($) or a  canable.io  adapter to get it on the NMEA 2000 network. Both have pros and cons and require connecting to a USB port on the Pi, plus some configuration.

An easier way….

Steve Mitchell

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Raspberry Pi Boat Monitoring

• Thread starter Davidasailor26
• Start date Jul 23, 2022
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Davidasailor26

GitHub - davidasailor/PiForBoat

• Bilge pump monitoring
• Sensors to read things like battery voltages, battery current, cabin and engine temperatures, engine RPM’s, cabin VOC’s and heel angle
• Logging all NMEA and sensor data for later review
• Making all of the data available in dashboards to view from anywhere
• Sending email alerts if parameters go out of tolerances
• Making the sensor data available on the boat’s NMEA network for display on the chartplotter

Over my head. but I know just enough to be impressed! I am curious about the sample rate you are doing for the current measurement. I have a now more than 10 year old battery monitor and Im pretty sure it samples current from a shunt considerably faster than 1Khz, maybe at least 10Khz.  

Fantastic! I was planning to make a similar system for our new boat, but perhaps I'll just leverage yours? What's involved in tying into the NMEA bus? [Ah, I see it's basically an implementation of CANbus. So, connecting is similar to connecting to a CANbus network?]  

walt said: I am curious about the sample rate you are doing for the current measurement. I have a now more than 10 year old battery monitor and Im pretty sure it samples current from a shunt considerably faster than 1Khz, maybe at least 10Khz. Click to expand

Tedd said: What's involved in tying into the NMEA bus? Click to expand

Thanks, @Davidasailor26 ! I have a little bit of experience working with CANbus networks that I hope will help in learning NMEA.  

Tedd said: Thanks, @Davidasailor26 ! I have a little bit of experience working with CANbus networks that I hope will help in learning NMEA. Click to expand

Victron Smart Shunt. Click to expand

Bareboat Necessities OS Documentation

mgrouch said: You can give a try to BBN Marine OS. There are more options for monitoring dashboards. Via NodeRed, SignalK, Grafana, or HomeAssistant. Bareboat Necessities OS Documentation BBN Marine OS is a free open source Linux for Raspberry Pi on boats. With BBN OS you can build a chartplotter, marine data computer including OpenCPN, SignalK, NMEA similar to openplotter bareboat-necessities.github.io There are plenty of articles on integrating Victron with HomeAssistant Thanks Click to expand

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olewsaa/Yacht-computer

Folders and files, repository files navigation, yacht-computer project, yacht-server background.

Every yacht need to have a server (or servers) on board. There are many need to be fulfilled, of which OpenPlotter cover a significant fraction, OpenCPN and SignalK are prime examples. There are still gaps to be filled. Monitoring of equipment like engine, tank levels, temperatures, voltage and current etc etc. The list is long. In addition comes the need to a server to handle the comunication and a file server on board. A central place to dump all pictures and video from cameras and modiles and to stock up these with audiobooks and videos.

The Raspberry Pi or similar types are ideal suited for this purpose, very small and affordable which mean that severel servers can be deployed without high cost og power cunsumption.

The goal is to replace as much as possible of the yacht instruments with servers (Raspberry Pi etc) and laptops, pads and mobile phones. This part her focuses on interfacing sensors and such with the Rasperry Pi. I keep a web page about this project .

OpenPlotter and OpenCPN

The server part is running OpenPlotter which takes care of almost all the server related functions and services. The server hosts SignalK which provide web server that allow display of data on web pages both local and for any client that want to connect.

The server also run OpenCPN as a chart plotter on board. The OpenCPN accept various signals from OpenPlotter and display GPS positions to update the boats position and accept AIS NMEA signals again to be plotted. All of this is nicely run on a Raspberry Pi.

HF/SSB radio control

The pat directory contain software used to control the HF/SSB radio, including winlink email which uses the pat software.

Wifi gateway - wifi2wifi

This project is to use a Pi as a gateway to the internet. A high gain wifi antenna that usually connect using USB connect to a remote access point. Then the gateway provieds a local network onboard to which all client on board can connect to.

Communication server

Another Raspberry Pi is set up to handle communication as this might prove to much for the one runnng both Openplotter and OpenCPN. This is a separate project . I have taken some ideas from the famous RedBox, which can do very much more than my litte project.

File server

A little file server with Bluetooth interface ta facilitate easy transfer of pictures and video from the mobiles, teenagers are happy to dump selected files onto a file server, but refuse to let a cable enter their phones. In addtion the file server can host autobooks, music and films. A large USB attached SSD is a good way to get high storage capacity.

Server and IoT sensors

Files and documents related to the Yacht computer project. This git repository contain only the actual files used, the project is described here and for the versions installed or in process of being installed here .

The Internet of Things directory contains files for the IoT approach to the project. Which has become the major part of this project.

Development of data systems and IoT sensors

Some of this might find its way into the Openploter project (but already it provides a platform for collection of information from the networked(wifi) sensors on board, SignalK server end associated web server. Some are demo files showing how to use a type of sensor or other feature. However, this project it basically to show how you instrument the boat with simple and cost effective solutions.

Personally I have opted for a Internet of Things on Board (ioToB) where the sensors are autonomous units that sends off the data to the central server over wifi (SignalK server that comes with the OpenPlotter distro).

Learning to use chips and sensors

Some subproject underway with inital testing include:

• PCF8574 is a digital input output chip. Used to measure water in tanks.
• MCP3008 is a 10 bit Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). Has many uses like voltage and current.
• ADS1115 is a 16 bit ADC, a high precision ADC for usage where more than 10 bit is needed.
• DS18B20 is a one wire temperature device, a nice device for monitoring temperatures.
• ESP-8622 is the IoToB chip/board of choice. Small, simple, almost costless.
• ESP-32 is one step up, far more connections and still small and very cost effective.
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Due to its diminutive size and minimal power needs, the Raspberry Pi works well as a multimedia center on boats or in RVs.

Some people claim that boat trips are the most expensive and uncomfortable way to travel. Boating enthusiasts believe just the opposite. I am a confirmed boating enthusiast. After moving from Vienna to Berlin, I discovered the wonders of the many lakes surrounding the capital city of Germany and made it a priority to purchase a boat. Once I had sufficient money in hand, I settled on the compact and popular Ypton 22 sailing yacht ( Figure 1 ).

The previous owner of this boat had tricked it out with assorted gadgets. But now it was in the hands of a confirmed nerd who wanted to implement various ideas for electronic gadgets. After all, it is important to make weekend excursions comfortable, and that comfort requires conveniences such as TV and the ability to play multimedia content. I quickly discovered that the Rasp Pi was ideally suited for the role of bringing multimedia to my boat.

Limited Resources

There are always two limiting factors on a sport boat, namely space and electrical power. Although my boat – christened the "Coup de Coeur" – has three batteries available, the batteries only deliver 200 Amp under ideal conditions. This is just enough power to run a 1 Amp device for 200 hours.

Thus, during boat trips lasting several days, you face the danger of losing electrical power if you don't have access to a land-based electrical connection. As a result, any electronics carried on board need to take up as little space and consume as little power as possible. The Rasp Pi fulfills these two requirements perfectly. The Pi can run satisfactorily with so little power that the ship batteries have enough for many hours of operation.

Additionally, OpenELEC offers a handy and fully functioning multimedia center for the mini computer that can play DVB-T and almost any other video format.

The Hardware

To use the Raspberry Pi as a DVB receiver, you need some additional hardware. The list of hardware includes at least a compatible DVB dongle and a compatible antenna. Because the Rasp Pi hardware already supports MPEG-2, the Rasp Pi is almost perfect for use as a DVB-T receiver. (See the box called "Rasp Pi and DVB-T2.") However, you will need to get a license key to use MPEG-2. This license costs 10 Euro. You can buy the license directly from Raspberrypi.com for 2.40 British pounds [1] .

Rasp Pi and DVB-T2

Unfortunately, the setup described here for DVB-T has an expiration date. Although the DVB-T-stick from PCTV can also handle DVB-T2, this really doesn't matter. It is just transmitting those frequencies to the Rasp Pi that DVB-T2 is supposed to use beginning in Fall 2016. It is up to the receiver that is connected to figure out what to do with this.

Here is where the problems start. MPEG2 is used to code DVB-T. Rasp Pi has its own chip set for decoding the videos. (DVB-T2 uses Video-Codec H.265 in Germany.) The mini computer doesn't handle this well because it has to accomplish the decoding on the software side. This, in turn, places too much demand on the CPU even for the Rasp Pi 2.

Thus, it becomes clear that the Rasp Pi will no longer be suitable for watching DVB-T TV starting in Fall 2016. But, that won't herald the end of watching TV on my boat. There is already an alternative in the form of the Rasp Pi competitor Odroid C1+ [8] , which implements the codec in hardware. OpenELEC is currently available for the device so the transition can be accomplished easily. It will be interesting to see whether the Raspberry Pi Foundation replaces the MPEG2 chip in the device with an H.265 chip. Then, the Rasp Pi would once again be in the running.

Given the limited amount of space on a boat, large video displays like those found in a living room are simply not an option. Moreover, a large display screen would cause the batteries to empty in record time. Although small TVs are available in practically every electronics store, the selection of small TVs that also come with more sophisticated equipment is limited. For example, the TV must have two HDMI ports because I will connect two Rasp Pis. The TV will also need to handle full HD; additionally, it needs to operate with a 12-volt power supply.

Not many small TVs fulfill all of these requirements. The 12-volt power supply is a particularly difficult obstacle. I went with a Grundig 22 VLE 5520 BG [2] . This model has all of the necessary functions and is also reasonably priced on Amazon at 220 Euro. With the addition of an adapter cable for 15 Euro, the device can operate directly from the 12-volt power supply of the boat. The adapter does away with the need for an expensive inverter, which would only achieve 90 percent efficiency anyway with a full load.

It is a good idea to have a movable TV arm, because inside the small cabin ( Figure 2 ), you might need to turn the TV on its side to do something like use the hatch to get below deck.

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The Raspberry Pi is ideally suited to serve as the basis for a low-cost navigation system. OpenCPN software and a GPS receiver are all you need to add.

Thanks to the avNav free software, the Raspberry Pi becomes a control center for electronics on a yacht.

The DVD attached to this issue of Raspberry Pi Geek offers five diverse Pi distributions for a variety of needs:

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The Raspberry Pi is the heart of many different projects, be they navigation devices or flight scanners. When equipped with a suitable keyboard and simple monitor, the little computer can also be put to use for tasks in the great outdoors.

Overclocking the Raspberry Pi CPU improves performance when running the OpenELEC media center.

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How to configure AIS transponder with web interface?

Signal K + OpenCPN + Digital Yacht

The following article explains how to use Signal K on a Windows PC to interface Digital Yacht’s iKonvert (wired) or NavLink2 (wireless) NMEA 2000 gateways to the popular OpenCPN navigation software. Both gateways are NMEA 2000 certified, galvanically isolated and support full Signal K functionality.

Until recently, Signal K had been mostly associated with the Raspberry Pi, providing boaters with the necessary technical expertise, with a cost effective way to read and display NMEA data. The reality is, that Signal K is an Open Marine Data standard that can, in theory, be run on any hardware or operating system.

Last year, OpenCPN the most widely used “open source” marine navigation software, released an important update that supported the Signal K data format. This update allowed OpenCPN users to take all the data they needed from a Signal K server (running on a Raspberry Pi or similar low cost hardware) that in turn was connected to the NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 equipment on the boat.

Purchasing, installing and configuring a Raspberry Pi has got a lot easier of late, but it is still not for everyone and so it was really exciting to learn that the Signal K has recently been ported to Microsoft Windows. Now you can easily download and install the free Signal K Server software on any Windows PC, still the most popular platform for OpenCPN users. If you click on the link above, you will see that the process is well documented and was very straight forward.

Once installed, you will have a couple of new shortcuts on your Windows’ desktop; one to Start the Signal K server and the other to open a browser and display the Signal K server’s web interface.

I also created a third one to Stop the Signal K Service, by making a copy of the Start Signal K Service and then changing the Properties to run the Stop Signal K Service program.

Now whenever you want to run the Signal K Service, just click on the Start Signal K Service shortcut and the server will start running in the background. The following terminal window will be briefly displayed.

After about 10-20 seconds, you should be able to click on the “SignalK-GUI” shortcut and Windows should open a web browser and display the Signal K Server’s web interface (Dashboard).

The next step is to setup whichever Digital Yacht gateway product that you have bought to connect to the NMEA 2000 network; iKonvert (see below) or NavLink2 (skip down to next section).

iKonvert wired (USB) NMEA 2000 gateway

The following procedure takes you through the setup of your iKonvert as a Signal K Data Connection….

• Install the USB drivers which you can download from here .
• Open the iKonvert box and set the four DIP switches inside to the “ON” (Up) position.
• Power cycle the NMEA 2000 network, so that the iKonvert starts in its “RAW” NMEA 2000 mode.
• Plug the iKonvert’s USB cable in to the PC and check in the Windows Device Manager what serial COM Port number the iKonvert has been allocated.
• Start or Restart, if already running, the Signal K Service so that it sees the new COM port
• After logging in to the Signal K server, go to Server>Data Connections and click the “Add” button.
• Select NMEA 2000 as the “Data Type”, enter a meaningful name in the “ID” field and then select iKonvert (canboatjs) in the “NMEA 2000 Source” drop down list.
• You should then select the Serial Port COM number that you found in the Device Manager and make sure you set the Baud Rate to 230400.
• Once everything is setup as shown below, scroll down and click the “Apply” button.

Now Restart the Signal K server and you should see a new Data Connection, called iKonvert or whatever ID you gave it, in the top right corner of the Dashboard. Your setup of the iKonvert USB is now complete and you can skip down to the Setting Up OpenCPN section.

NavLink2 wireless NMEA 2000 Gateway

The following procedure takes you through the setup of your NavLink2 as a Signal K Data Connection….

• Turn on the NMEA 2000 network and ensure the NavLink2 is powered up.
• Scan for wireless networks and either connect to the NavLink2’s Access Point or if you are using it in Station mode, connect to the same wireless network that the NavLink2 is connected to.
• Select NMEA 2000 as the “Data Type”, enter a meaningful name in the “ID” field and then select NavLink2 (canboatjs) in the “NMEA 2000 Source” drop down list.
• You should then enter the IP address of the NavLink2 in to the Host field and set the Port to 2000.

Now Restart the Signal K server and you should see a new Data Connection, called NavLink2 or whatever ID you gave it, in the top right corner of the Dashboard. Your setup of the NavLink2 is now complete and you can proceed to the Setting Up OpenCPN section.

Setting Up OpenCPN

Once the Signal K Server is setup and receiving NMEA 2000 data via one of our gateways, the last step is to setup OpenCPN to use the Signal K server as one of its data connections. Basically, the Signal K server will send data through a special Localhost “Loopback” connection, which is a neat and efficient way for one application to send data to another application both running on the same PC. Localhost connections use a 127.0.0.1 IP address which is not on a physical network, but just an internal “virtual” network on the PC.

To setup OpenCPN to use the Signal K service, go to Settings>Connections in OpenCPN and add a new Network connection.

Enter the Address of your PC and port 3000, which is the default for the Signal K Server and give the connection a meaningful name in the User Comment box. You can also tick the Automatic server discovery and click the “Discover now” button. You should see the message “Signal K server available” appear.

Once setup click “Apply” and you should see the new connection appear in the connection list.

Finally click the “OK” button and you should start to see the NMEA 2000 data being used by OpenCPN. Currently, there is not much additional data that OpenCPN makes use of from the NMEA 2000 network, compared to NMEA 0183, but this will hopefully change in the future.

In the meantime, you can use the very flexible “ Instrument Panel ” web app that is included with the Signal K Server, to add extra displays to supplement those already supported by OpenCPN. The screen shot below, shows a normal OpenCPN display, with the Gauges populated with data from the NMEA 2000 network, plus some extra Instrument Panels below the OpenCPN window, showing the status of a Vetus E-Line 10KW 48v Electric Engine .

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$700 cybercrime software turns Raspberry Pi into an evasive fraud tool

Bill toulas.

• March 26, 2024

Cybercriminals are selling custom Raspberry Pi software called 'GEOBOX' on Telegram, which allows inexperienced hackers to convert the mini-computers into anonymous cyberattack tools.

GEOBOX is sold on Telegram channels for a subscription of $80 per month or $700 for a lifetime license, payable in cryptocurrency.

Analysts at Resecurity discovered the tool during an investigation into a high-profile banking theft impacting a Fortune 100 company.

"This discovery led to the acquisition of GEOBOX for more in-depth analysis. The malicious individuals utilized several GEOBOX devices, each connected to the Internet and strategically placed in various remote locations,"  explained Resecurit y.

"These devices served as proxies, significantly enhancing their anonymity. This approach complicated the investigation and tracking process, especially since, by default, GEOBOX devices do not store any logs."

The researchers acquired the GEOBOX software for analysis and warned in a report today that it is a highly capable tool that can complicate law enforcement tracking and investigation.

GEOBOX capabilities

The Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive yet capable system that can be bought for as little as $35, making it an excellent disposable tool for cyberattacks.

The device is extremely small and light, making it highly portable. This allows cybercriminals to move around in different locations with ease, connect to various internet access points, and obscure their tracks.

The small dimensions also make it easy to conceal, ideal in attack scenarios requiring proximity to the target without raising suspicion.

The GEOBOX Raspberry Pi software discovered by Resecurity acts as a cybercrime application suite focuses on fraud and anonymization, making it a potent tool for illicit online activities.

Resecurity lists the following main capabilities:

• GPS spoofing even on devices without a receiver, allowing users to fake their geographic location and bypass location-based security or engage in location-specific fraud.
• Emulates specific network settings and Wi-Fi access points to disguise illicit activities as legitimate network traffic.
• Anti-fraud circumvention to support activities like financial fraud and identity theft.
• Routing traffic through anonymizing proxies to obfuscate the threat actor's location.
• WebRTC IP masking and Wi-Fi MAC Address masquerading to hide the user's real IP address and mimic Wi-Fi network identifiers, complicating digital footprint tracking.
• Extensive support for VPN protocols, including DNS configurations for specific locations to prevent data leaks.
• Support for LTE modems for mobile internet connectivity, adding another layer of anonymity.

The most enticing part is that the above tools are packaged in a user-friendly environment that is easy to use even by low-skilled threat actors, who are given clear and detailed instructions in the accompanying user manual.

Resecurity believes that GEOBOX can enable a broad spectrum of cybercrimes, primarily helping users remain anonymous and hard to trace.

Examples include cyberattack coordination, darknet market operation or access, financial fraud, credential stuffing, malware distribution, and disinformation campaigns.

Although GEOBOX doesn't introduce any functionality that is not already available in standalone tools or specialized Linux distros, like Kali Linux, its comprehensive and user-friendly suite makes it ideal for users looking to swiftly deploy new, disposable hacking devices.

Furthermore, its accessibility and ease of use make it particularly attractive to novice or low-skilled cybercriminals venturing into the space for the first time.

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Hydranix - 11 hours ago

There's nothing particularly alarming about this toolkit from what I can see. Most of the features it offers are commonly used by privacy-minded normal everyday internet users. Hell, im sure we all used a GPS spoofer(Pokémon?)... This article is making this thing seem.like it can hack ATMs or sniff your debit card at the liquor store. Those last two things do exist and deserve more attention than an overpriced RPi OS marketed.towards unintelligent criminals who can't grasp kali and think this device is their golden ticket.

electrolite - 5 hours ago

The way this article is framed leaves a lot more to be desired. Oh my god, with this $700 and I can be a hacker. Just look at the interface. The user would need to have some knowledge of networking to use it i.e. this is not for neophytes. "WebRTC IP masking and Wi-Fi MAC Address masquerading to hide the user's real IP address and mimic Wi-Fi network identifiers, complicating digital footprint tracking." Oh my god, i am masking my webRTC IP. Any user who gives a hoot about privacy would want to mask that. Wi-Fi MAC address masquerading, you can do that on Windows with most Wifi adapters. This article would have been so much better if this article was about GEOBOX capabilities, and leave the fear mongering and stop trying to frame the Raspberry Pi as criminal accessory. And I thought the article about the Flipper zero was bad.

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Can you load Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi 5?

T here are some very capable operating systems available for the Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer — Raspbian and Ubuntu are two that come to mind — yet some Pi 5 owners may still want to load on Windows 11 for the added utility it can provide.

Common reasons for doing so are many and varied. For example, you may want to tap Windows’ all-around usefulness for working across multiple applications for home automation projects. Or, you may want to undertake Windows-based coding projects, or more easily control hardware you’ve connected to a Raspberry Pi 5 for hobbies or small business projects.

Luckily for such users, it’s possible to load an early ARM-based version of Windows 11 on the Pi 5. Although, there is one caveat: Unlike Windows 10 ARM on Raspberry Pi 4, Windows 11 ARM is currently just a pre-release build, so if you take the plunge now, some things may not work. That said, some talented folks have found creative workarounds to commonly encountered problems, so don’t let any quirks stop you.

Further reading: Raspberry Pi 5 review

Windows 11 on the Raspberry Pi 5

The pre-release version of Windows 11 ARM runs very quickly on the more powerful Raspberry Pi 5, compared to its predecessor the Raspberry Pi 4, thanks to the mini PC’s 3x faster CPU performance.

To give you a sense of the functionality you can access on Windows 11 ARM on Raspberry Pi 5, apps like Steam, VLC, and Spotify, all work. Like Windows 10 on Raspberry Pi 4, the Windows 11 ARM OS is compatible with x32 and x64 bit apps even though the Pi 5 is an ARM-based PC, which somewhat broadens the scope of what you can get working at this early stage.

To be honest, though, the OS is still quite limited. Only a handful of simple games will work. It also doesn’t support sound and there are no Wi-Fi drivers available. Ethernet also is a no-go.

To be sure, there are workarounds for those last two problems. For sound, a USB sound card can provide you with audio. You can also get the internet up and running by USB-tethering your Pi 5 to an Android smartphone. So, you needn’t miss out on surfing the web.

Is the installation difficult?

Installing Windows 11 ARM to run on Raspberry Pi 5 is quite involved. Not only do you need to download and install the latest version of Windows 11 ARM, but you also need to download UEFI drivers and the Windows on Raspberry Pi Imager as well.

The official Windows 11 ARM 64 pre-release is available for download from Microsoft’s website, although to download it you will need to be a member of the company’s Windows Insider Program . You’ll also need to have handy two storage drives to complete the installation.

There are a few too many steps for me to go into in this article, but for a thorough rundown on how to install Windows 11 ARM, I found this tutorial by Lee at leepspvideo helpful.

Installing Windows 11 ARM is a good way to familiarize yourself with Windows 11 ARM on Raspberry Pi 5 while eagerly awaiting an official release of the OS. So, give it a go today!

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¿Es lo suficientemente potente Raspberry Pi 5 para ejecutar juegos?

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• Raspberry Pi 5 ha demostrado que tiene potencial para ejecutar cualquier tipo de proyectos, incluso juegos.
• Sin embargo, la monoplaca sigue estando por debajo de una PC o una consola de juegos tradicional.

La Raspberry Pi 5 ha sido una revolución en el mundo de la informática durante la última década. Esta pequeña placa, del tamaño de una tarjeta de crédito, se ha convertido en la favorita del mercado debido a su bajo precio, su diminuto tamaño y su versátil sistema operativo, Raspberry Pi OS . 

Pero su potencial va mucho más allá de su tamaño. Internamente, alberga un gran potencial. Permite adentrarse en el mundo de la programación, siendo una herramienta esencial en el ámbito educativo . Pero no se queda ahí; también es perfecto para desarrolladores que buscan llevar a cabo proyectos creativos de todo tipo.

Entre los usos más habituales de la Raspberry Pi 5 se encuentra su función como mini PC de escritorio, permitiendo realizar tareas básicas de computación de forma eficiente. 

Además, puede convertirse en un servidor de impresión WiFi , facilitando la gestión de documentos desde cualquier dispositivo conectado a la red. Asimismo, es capaz de configurarse como un servidor web o FTP si deseas alojar tus propios sitios web o compartir archivos de forma remota. 

Incluso puede utilizarse como un potente centro multimedia , permitiendo reproducir contenido multimedia en alta definición en cualquier pantalla con la ayuda de programas como Kodi . Pero, ¿qué hay de los juegos? Muchos usuarios se preguntan si la Raspberry Pi es lo suficientemente potente para ejecutar juegos de forma fluida.

Juegos de Google: todos los juegos que puedes jugar en Google sin instalar nada

Jugar a videojuegos en la Raspberry Pi 5, ¿es posible?

Con el lanzamiento de la Raspberry Pi 5, esta pregunta ha cobrado aún más relevancia. La respuesta es sí, el último modelo de la placa es lo suficientemente potente para ejecutar juegos , aunque con ciertas limitaciones.

Cabe señalar que la quinta generación de esta placa de circuito impreso cuenta con un hardware mejorado en comparación con sus predecesoras , lo que la hace más capaz de manejar aplicaciones y juegos exigentes. 

Raspberrypi

Sin embargo, su rendimiento sigue estando por debajo de una PC o una consola de juegos tradicional. Esto significa que podrás disfrutar de juegos más sencillos y retro de forma fluida , pero es posible que encuentres dificultades al intentar ejecutar juegos más modernos y exigentes.

En cuanto al tipo de juegos que puede ejecutar, la Raspberry Pi 5 es especialmente adecuada para juegos retro y clásicos , así como para títulos independientes y menos exigentes en términos de recursos. Juegos de plataformas, rompecabezas, aventuras gráficas, juegos de rol retro y otros géneros similares suelen funcionar muy bien en esta plataforma.

Además, gracias a la disponibilidad de emuladores, puede correr juegos de consolas retro como NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Atari , entre otras. Estos emuladores permiten a los usuarios revivir los mejores títulos en una plataforma moderna y accesible.

Sin embargo, es importante tener en cuenta que la placa no podrá con juegos con gráficos en 3D intensivos o requerimientos de CPU y GPU altos y, por ende, puedes experimentar problemas de rendimiento o no ejecutarse en absoluto.

¿Qué necesitas para jugar?

Lo primero, por supuesto, es la Raspberry Pi 5. Luego, instalar un sistema operativo capaz para ejecutar los juegos y, para ello, existen diferentes opciones como RetroPie, Android 14 o Ubuntu. Cada uno ofrece una interfaz y configuración diferente.

Después, puedes echar mano de los emuladores de las consolas que deseas jugar. En este punto puedes descargar e instalar PPSSPP , que es la mejor opción si quieres jugar títulos de PSP.

Sin embargo, si lo que quieres es ir más allá, puedes tener uno que otro juego de la PlayStation 2 gracias al emulador AetherSX2 que ofrece un rendimiento realmente bueno. 

Pero si lo tuyo son los títulos de Nintendo, está disponible Dolphin , que es excelente para estos casos. Otra opción es Parsec , que funciona transmitiendo vídeo desde tu PC a la Raspberry Pi 5 en tiempo real. Esto significa que la placa no necesita ejecutar el juego en sí, solo sirve como enlace. 

Si bien la Raspberry Pi 5 es capaz de ejecutar una amplia variedad de juegos , su rendimiento puede variar dependiendo del tipo de juego. Para obtener la mejor experiencia, se recomienda optar por opciones menos exigentes en términos de recursos, así como explorar la amplia variedad de emuladores disponibles.

Otros artículos interesantes:

• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: diferencias y cuál es la mejor opción
• Se presenta Arduino Uno R4, una pequeña bestia con CPU de 32 bits, 16 veces más de RAM y USB-C
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Descubre más sobre Juan Manuel Delgado , autor/a de este artículo.

Conoce cómo trabajamos en Computerhoy.

Etiquetas: juegos , Videojuegos , Raspberry Pi