Airmar WeatherCaster Software Guide
WeatherCaster
WeatherStation® Instrument
Compass
™
Software Guide
with GPS Receiver
Heading Sensor
Smart™ Sensor
GPS Receiver
Compass
Record the version number found on the Airmar Sensor Support CD.
Version No.______________Date of Purchase_________________
17-460-01 rev. 05 02/20/12
Copyright © 2007 - 2012 Airmar Technology Corp. All rights reserved.
All Rights Reserved. Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this manual may be
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Information in this manual is subject to change without notice. Airmar reserves the right to
change or improve its products and to make changes in the content without obligation to
notify any person or organization of such changes. Visit the Airmar website at
www.airmar.com for current updates and supplemental information concerning the use and
operation of this and other Airmar products.
Table of Contents
Introduction and Sensor Functions.................................................. 4
Installing WeatherCaster™ Software...............................................5
Installing the Application..............................................................5
Installing the Drivers.....................................................................8
Setting Up WeatherCaster™ Software...........................................14
NMEA 0183 Interface.................................................................15
NMEA 2000® Interface.............................................................. 17
Using WeatherCaster™ Software.................................................. 23
Large Compass & Digital Readout Screen................................. 29
Advanced Setup—Firmware Settings............................................32
Sensor Hardware.........................................................................32
Enable/Disable Functionality............................................... 34
Sensor Orientation................................................................ 37
Sensor Options...................................................................... 40
Calibrate Compass................................................................ 44
Calibrate Paddlewheel.......................................................... 47
NMEA 2000® Settings..........................................................49
Restore Factory Defaults.......................................................50
Communications/Diagnostics.....................................................51
NMEA 0183 Interface...........................................................52
NMEA 2000
® Interface........................................................ 54
Alarms.........................................................................................56
Names......................................................................................... 58
Update Flash............................................................................... 60
Running Multiple Copies of WeatherCaster™ Software...............62
Updates & Troubleshooting...........................................................54
Appendix—Technical Information................................................ 68
3
Introduction
WARNING
Navigation Aid Only—The WeatherCaster™ software is a
means to display weather and navigation data. It is an aid to
navigation only and should never be solely relied upon. It is
not a replacement for traditional navigation aids and
techniques. Only official government charts contain all the
information needed for safe navigation. As always, the enduser is responsible for their prudent use.
The WeatherCaster™ software allows you to communicate with your sensor(s)
through a personal computer when your installation includes a Converter or a
Combiner. Weather and navigation information is conveniently displayed on your
PC in both analog and digital formats. WeatherCaster software is designed to work
with the Microsoft
®
Windows® XP operating system.
Sensor Functions
The information displayed on the WeatherCaster screens will depend upon the
sensor(s) that is installed and selected. Your WeatherCaster software may display
some or all of the information below.
• Air temperature
• Apparent-wind direction
• Barometric pressure
•Dewpoint
• GPS satellites
• Heading
• Heat-index temperature
• Pitch and roll angle
• Relative humidity
•Time
• True-wind direction
• True-wind speed relative to speed through water
• Water depth
• Water speed
• Water temperature
• Wind-chill temperature
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Installing WeatherCaster™ Software
Figure 1. Sensor Support CD Browser window
Figure 2. Sensor Support CD Browser install window
CAUTION: The screen resolution must be set at 1024 x 768 pixels for the
WeatherCaster software to operate properly.
Installing the Application
1. Power your PC.
2. Insert the Airmar Sensor Support CD into the CD-ROM drive on your PC. The
Sensor Support CD Browser window will appear (see Figure 1).
Click the Install Software button.
3. A second Sensor Support CD Browser window will appear (see Figure 2).
Click the Install Application button.
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4. The WeatherCaster Installation Wizard window will appear (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. WeatherCaster Installation Wizard window
Figure 4. WeatherCaster License Agreement window
Click Next to continue.
5. The WeatherCaster License Agreement window will appear (see Figure 4).
Click the “I accept the terms of the license agreement” button to accept the
agreement, then click Next to continue.
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6. The Choose Destination Location window will appear (see Figure 5). Follow the
Figure 5. Choose Destination Location window
Figure 6. Ready to Install and Setup Status windows
screen prompts. Click Next to continue.
7. The Ready to Install window will appear (see Figure 6). Click Install. The Setup
Status window will be displayed while the WeatherCaster software is being
installed.
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8. The Installation Complete window will appear when the WeatherCaster
Figure 7. Installation Complete window
software has been successfully installed (see Figure 7). Click Finish. The
Sensor Support CD Browser window will appear (see Figure 2).
NOTE: If you are replacing an older version of the WeatherCaster software with a
new one, you can begin using it now. Do NOT install the device drivers again.
Installing the Drivers
IMPORTANT: Be sure the Airmar Sensor Support CD is inserted into the CDROM drive on your PC before the Combiner or Converter hardware is connected.
CAUTION: The driver installation is in TWO parts. Both drivers must be
installed for the sensor to communicate with the WeatherCaster software.
CAUTION: If you are replacing an older version of the WeatherCaster software with
a new one, you can begin using it now. Do NOT install the device drivers again.
The first driver is the USB Controller Driver. It is needed to convert the USB data
packets to a serial data stream. The second driver, the USB Communications Port
Driver, makes the USB connection appear as a communications port in the
Windows Device Manager. Note that you must choose the set of drivers that are
compatible with the bit size of your operating system.
Choose 64 or 32-Bit Drivers
To determine the bit size of your operating system, go to Start\Settings\Control
Panel\System and view the General tab. If the operating system is 32 bits, it may
not be identified. However, if the operating system is 64 bits, it is probably identified.
If you are unable to determine the bit size of your operating system, choose Install
32-Bit Drivers first. If you see an error message saying your system requires the
64-bit version of DPInst.exe, then choose Install 64-Bit Drivers.
8
Copying the Device Drivers to the PC
Figure 8. Driver Installer and End User License Agreement windows
1. The Sensor Support CD Browser window will appear (see Figure 2). Click the
appropriate Install Drivers button to begin the process of copying the Airmar
device drivers to your PC.
2. The Driver Installer window will appear (see Figure 8). Click Next to continue.
3. The End User License Agreement window will follow (see Figure 8). Click the
I accept this EULA button to accept the agreement. Click Next to continue.
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4. The Please Wait window followed by the Software Installation caution window
Figure 9. Please Wait and Software Installation caution windows
Figure 10. Congratulations window
will appear (see Figure 9). The drivers are not Microsoft Windows
®
certified.
However, they have been tested for stable and reliable operation. Click
Continue Anyway to proceed with the installation.
5. When the Language File Replace window appears, click No To All.
6. The Please Wait and the Software Installation caution windows will appear
again (see Figure 9). Click Continue Anyway to proceed with the installation.
7. Please wait while the copying takes place. When it is complete, the
Congratulations window will appear (see Figure 10). Click Finish.
10
Installing the USB Controller Driver
Figure 11. Found New Hardware Wizard window
Figure 12. Found New Hardware Wizard window continued
1. Power the Converter or Combiner.
2. Plug the USB cable into an open USB port on your PC.
3. The Found New Hardware Wizard window will appear (see Figure 11).
Click NO, not this time to allow the driver installation. Click Next to continue.
4. Another Found New Hardware Wizard window will appear (see Figure 12).
Click Install the software automatically. Click Next to continue.
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5. The Please Wait window followed by the Hardware Installation caution window
Figure 13. Please Wait window and Hardware Installation Caution window
Figure 14. Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard window
will appear (see Figure 13). The USB Controller Driver is not Microsoft
Windows® certified, however, it has been tested for stable and reliable
operation. Click Continue Anyway to proceed with the installation.
6. When the Language File Replace window appears, click the No To All button.
7. Another Found New Hardware Wizard window will appear (see Figure 14).
Click Finish to install the USB Controller Driver. Then wait for the Found New
Hardware Wizard window to appear again so that the second driver can be
installed.
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IMPORTANT: The new hardware wizard must run TWICE
Figure 15. “Your new hardware is installed and ready to use” icon
for a complete installation.
Installing the USB Communications Port Driver
1. When the Found New Hardware Wizard window appears again, it will guide you
through the USB Communications Port Driver installation, repeating steps 3 and
6 beginning on page 11. When the installation is complete, some computers will
display the Your new hardware is installed and ready to use icon in the bottom
right of the taskbar (see Figure 15).
2. Close the browser window. Eject the Airmar Sensor Support CD and store it in a
safe place.
NOTE: A new communications port will be assigned:
• If a different Converter/Combiner is connected
• If an existing Converter/Combiner is connected to a different
communications port
The New Hardware Wizard will need to run twice again. The Found New
Hardware Wizard window will appear. Follow the prompts until both the USB
Controller Driver and the USB Communications Port Driver are installed. When
completed, some computers will display the Your new hardware is installed and
ready to use icon in the bottom right of the taskbar (see Figure 15).
13
Setting Up WeatherCaster™ Software
Figure 16. WeatherCaster icon
Figure 17. Warning: Navigation Aid Only window
Figure 18. Sensor Communications Interface Setup window
NMEA 0183 interface
Searching for NMEA 2000
®
Gateway
After the WeatherCaster software is successfully installed, click the WeatherCaster
icon on your PC’s desktop or Start>Program>Airmar>WeatherCaster (see Figure 16).
A window with the following warning will appear (see Figure 17). Click OK to continue.
When the WeatherCaster software starts for the first time, a Communications
Interface Setup window will appear, similar to one of those shown below
(see Figure 18). In the Select Interface dialogue box, chose either an NMEA 0183 or
an NMEA 2000
button to the left of your choice.
NOTE: For the WeatherStation Instrument to communicate with WeatherCaster
software, one of the following devices must be installed.
• NMEA 0183/RS485 to USB Data Converter
• NMEA 0183 Combiner
• NMEA 2000® CAN to USB Gateway
®
interface based upon the communication device installed. Click the
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NMEA 0183 Interface
Figure 19. Identify the communications port
Auto Detect
If Auto Detect is chosen, all available communications ports and baud rates, starting
with the selected port and baud rate, will be checked for a sensor response.
1. Click the Auto Detect button.
2. Click the Refresh Comm. Ports button.
3. Click Apply.
NOTE: The WeatherCaster software may not auto-detect the sensor if more than
one NMEA 0183 device is connected to the computer. You may need to manually
select the communications port.
Manually Select
If Manually Select is chosen, only the selected communications port and baud
rate will be checked for a sensor response.
1. Click the Manually Select button.
2. Click the Refresh Comm. Ports button.
3. Using the drop-down menus, select the communications port that the Converter
or Combiner is connected to and the corresponding baud rate.
• Converter: 4800
• Combiner: 38400
• Combiner purchased before Sept. 9, 2006: 57600
4. Click Apply. When the sensor is detected, the WeatherCaster screen will
appear automatically.
NOTE: If you do not know to which communications port the Converter or
Combiner is connected, click the PC’s Start button or right click My Computer. Go
to Control Panel>System. On some computers, go to Settings>Control
Panel>Printers and Other Hardware, then click System. In the System Properties
window, click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager (see Figure 19). In the
Device manager window, expand Ports by clicking the “+” button. Identify the
communications port. In the Figure below, it is communications port 7 (com7).
15
No Sensor Detected
Figure 20. Communications and No Sensor Detected windows
If no sensor is found using the previously selected communication settings, the
Communications Interface Setup window will appear with the message, No
sensor detected with current communication settings. Then the No Sensor
Detected window will ask for a decision (see Figure 20).
Choose Abort, Retry, or Ignore.
• If Abort is selected, none of the previously modified setting will be saved, and
the Communications window will be re-displayed.
• If Retry is selected, another attempt to establish communication will be made.
• If Ignore is selected, the modified settings will be saved even though no
communication has been established. On start-up, the WeatherCaster screen
will appear.
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NMEA 2000® Interface
Figure 21. Choose Gateway from drop-down menu
Figure 22. Select a sensor to perform each function
Communications Setup
When the NMEA 2000 Interface is selected, the WeatherCaster software will
search for all recognized NMEA 2000 Gateways. Any located Gateways will be
listed in the drop-down menu (see Figure 21). Select a Gateway. Click Refresh.
The NMEA 2000 connection will search for sensors that can perform any one or
more of the functions recognized by the WeatherCaster software. The functions are
listed in the Select Sources dialogue box (see Figure 22). If more than one sensor
can perform a function, they will be listed on a drop-down menu to the right. Select a
sensor for each function. If no sensor is found or desired, select none.
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After all the selections have been made, click Apply (see Figure 23).
Figure 23. Apply sensor selections
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Setup Screen
Figure 24. Setup Screen
SE 10
10 8
MPH
Knots
KPH
MPS
When the WeatherCaster software opens, you will see a Setup screen with
gauges and dials (see Figure 24). The gauges display the data being sent from
the sensor in both analog and digital format. The dials along the left side are
settings that can be changed by the user. This screen is for setting up the display
only.
NOTE: Your screen may look different, depending upon the sensor(s) that is installed
Setting Dials
Wind Speed Setting Dial
This dial allows you to display wind speed in the
following units of measure:
• MPH—Miles Per Hour
• Knots—1 Knot = 1.15 Miles Per Hour
• KPH—Kilometers Per Hour
• MPS—Meters Per Second
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
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Background Color Dial
Steel
Blue
Night
Fahrenheit
Celsius
North Up
Course Up
Front/Bow Up
True
Magnetic
This dial allows you to choose the screen
background.
•Steel
•Blue
• Night
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
Temperature Setting Dial
This dial allows you to display all of the
temperature readings in the following units of
measure:
• Fahrenheit
• Celsius
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
Compass Orientation Dial
This dial allows you to orient the compass
display one of three ways.
• North Up—The traditional orientation in
which north is displayed at the top of the
compass. This orientation will provide true
wind readings relative to North.
• Course Up—The orientation in which the direction of travel is displayed at the
top of the compass. This orientation will provide true wind readings relative to
the course of the vehicle/ vessel.
• Front/Bow Up—The top of the compass will display the direction that the
vehicle/bow is pointing. This orientation will provide wind readings relative to
the front of the vehicle or bow of the boat. The compass will display 0 – 180° on
the left/port side from front to back. And it will display 0 – 180° on the right/
starboard side from front to back. This setting is useful when the vehicle / vessel
is underway, as it helps determine how the wind will affect the direction and
speed.
To change the setting, click the text to the right of the dial.
True or Magnetic North Dial
This dial allows you to set the compass using
either true or magnetic north.
• True North—The direction to the geographic
North Pole
• Magnetic North—The direction to the
magnetic North Pole
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
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Barometric Pressure Setting Dial
inHg
mBars
hPa
Apparent Chill
True Chill
Feet
Meters
This dial allows you to display the barometric
pressure in the following units of measure:
• inHg—Inches of Mercury
• mBars—Millibars
• hPa—HectoPascal
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
Wind Chill Setting Dial
This dial allows the sensor to calculate the wind
chill temperature based on either apparent or
true wind data.
• Apparent wind
•True wind
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
GMT Offset Dial
The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Offset Dial
allows you to change the time clock, so it
displays the time in your current location. After
identifying your current Time Zone, change the
setting by clicking on the number that
corresponds to your Time Zone.
Log Time Interval Dial
The sensor saves data for a set period of time,
72 hours. This dial allows you to choose the
length of time that data will be displayed. The
log time can be adjusted in six-hour intervals
from 6 – 72 hours. To change the setting, click
the number that corresponds to the length of
time that you would like data to be displayed.
Water Depth Setting Dial
This dial allows you to display the water depth
reading in the following units of measure:
•Feet
•Meters
To change the setting, click the text to the right
of the dial.
Exit Button
To exit WeatherCaster, click Exit.
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