Re: Avare + Flight Simulator?

[Rich Freeman]

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 4:12:46 PM UTC-4, David Vancina wrote:

Is there currently any way to have Avare reflect the position of a flight simulator plane? This would require continuously streaming the simulator's GPS coordinates from the PC to the Android device. Are there any other GPS/charting apps on Android that do this?

I've been using this one which works fine:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appropel.xplanegps

Unfortunately it isn't free.  I was going to write one for myself (not really that hard), but honestly for the price I figured it was worth it. That app will only work with X-Plane, but it will set the GPS location on your Android device for any app (aviation or otherwise - you can record your path on mytracks, use any aviation map app, and so on).  The app guides you through it but you do need to set an option in settings to allow the app to spoof your GPS location.  You also need to change some settings in X-Plane to broadcast your location, and your Android device needs to be on the same network as your simulator (ie WiFi).

Works great with Avare and Pilot at least.

Rich

[Zubair Khan]

As Rich mentioned, it is easy to write some SW to quickly connect Avare to X Plane. I think I read somewhere that X plane only transmits signals on WIFI on Windows installation. I have X plane on Linux. If someone can get me Wireshark captures of X plane output on WIFI, I will add it to Avare so it will simulate GPS position updates. Free of course.
Z

[Rich Freeman]

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 8:16:32 PM UTC-4, Zubair Khan wrote:

As Rich mentioned, it is easy to write some SW to quickly connect Avare to X Plane. I think I read somewhere that X plane only transmits signals on WIFI on Windows installation. I have X plane on Linux. If someone can get me Wireshark captures of X plane output on WIFI, I will add it to Avare so it will simulate GPS position updates. Free of course.

As far as I'm aware the data transmission feature is available in all versions of X-Plane, but I haven't tried (I had no idea that X-Plane supported Linux - I haven't tried it but my Linux box lacks a decent GPU).

I couldn't find anything official on the protocol, but this page purports to document it:

http://roust.gotdns.com/instructions/Manual_Files/X-Plane%20UDP_format.html

I'd disregard anything about sending instructions to X-Plane - for this purpose unidirectional communication should be fine.  It is all UDP so the packets go out regardless of whether anybody is listening for them.   

I probably won't get to it for a few days but I should be able to get a network dump.  Actually, it looks like there is an app that will do the job directly from Android (which saves me some ARP spoofing):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kismetwireless.android.pcapcapture

Rich

[David Vancina]

Specifically, I was inquiring regarding Microsoft FS X. If anyone has any recommendations in that direction they will be appreciated.

[Zubair Khan]

MSFS, I am not sure, but in principle, it should be similar (if in fact MSFS has a feature like that). Does anyone have MSFS working with a GPS app?

Rich,
X plane runs good on Linux, maybe faster too. I do not have a Windows machine access, but I will look into this on Linux. Thanks for the pointers. Please do get some data to me when you can in case I cannot get to it earlier.
Thanks

[Scott McCarthy]

I would also be really interested in using Avare with FSX. I downloaded a free program XConn which can stream the NMEA GPS position to a given IP address and Port number over the network. I tried using this with the Avare external I/O plugin. The I/O plugin seemed to connect but Avare did not seem to be aware of the input from the Avare external I/O plugin. It may not take much using XConn to connect with FSX. This may already work but I just did not have something configured properly?

[Zubair Khan]

Hi Scott
We don't have Microsoft setup, but will be able to find the problem if you could help us debug the issue. If you know how to use wireshark, run it on the PC running FSX, then send us the network packet captured file. Would it be possible?
Thanks
Zubair

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[Scott McCarthy]

Sure. I'm not familiar with wireshark, but I program and can probably figure it out (downloading it now). I try to get you something in the next day or two. I'll post if I have any questions. Thanks for the quick response!

[Rich Freeman]

On Sun, Nov 17, 2013 at 8:21 PM, Scott McCarthy <wipeou...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sure. I'm not familiar with wireshark, but I program and can probably figure
> it out (downloading it now). I try to get you something in the next day or
> two. I'll post if I have any questions. Thanks for the quick response!

This seems like an easy solution:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lv.n3o.shark&hl=en

If you have root on your Android device you can record the traffic it
sees, which should be exactly what Avare will be able to see. It also
ensures that the packets are getting to your device in the first
place.

Note that this looks like it just does capture - you'll need
wireshark/etc to actually view the captures. It is actually
considered more secure to do that anyway - running wireshark as root
to be in promiscuous mode potentially exposes your system to
vulnerabilities.

Rich

[Scott McCarthy]

Okay, just to review: On my PC I'm running xConn broadcasting UDP protocol to the IP address and Port listed in the Avare I/O plugin. You can view the NMEA sentences from xConn, below is an example:

$GPGGA,234411.70,4324.6197,N,08056.4404,W,1,12,1,372.2,M,,,,*34

$GPGLL,4324.6197,N,08056.4404,W,234411.70,A*17

$GPRMC,234411.70,A,4324.6197,N,08056.4404,W,0,40.99,181113,9.99,W*71

$GPGSV,3,1,12,04,26,291,92,05,32,062,86,06,05,029,33,09,47,095,98*78

$GPGSV,3,2,12,12,60,224,88,20,21,240,85,22,28,311,93,24,81,037,77*78

$GPGSV,3,3,12,25,160,124,85,26,321,240,90,28,90,200,90,30,181,137,87*65

$GPGSA,A,3,04,05,06,09,12,20,22,24,25,26,28,30,1,1,1,*02

$GPVTG,100.33,T,110.32,M,0,N,0,K*4E

Wireshark is running on my PC, I see the packet but don't know exactly what you need. I can copy the following right clicking the packet > Copy > Summary (Text):

1 0.000000000 192.168.2.11 192.168.2.20 UDP 533 Source port: 58486  Destination port: 49002

On my tablet: The Avare I/O program says "Avare Connected and linked...." I have the tablet GPS disabled. The Listen checkbox is checked and the following text is displayed below: Listening on port 49002, Making socket to listen, Success!, Starting XPlane Listener, Xplane reading data. (from bottom to top)

In Avare a No GPS Signal message is displayed.

Thanks for your help. If everything seems to be okay on the FSX/PC end of things than I guess I will need to read what the tablet is receiving using an app like Rich suggests.

On Sunday, 17 November 2013 20:08:32 UTC-5, Zubair Khan wrote:

[Zubair Khan]

Thanks a bunch for the info Scott.

I think I know what I need to know to make this work.

Please expect a solution soon.

Regards
Zubair

.

--
Zubair Khan
apps4av.com
zk4u.blogspot.com
Sudbury, MA 01776

[Zubair Khan]

I just uploaded a new version of Avare external IO module that has MSFS support. Although I have no way to test it, its based on what Scott provided.
Let me know.
Z

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 4:12:46 PM UTC-4, David Vancina wrote:

Is there currently any way to have Avare reflect the position of a flighhttps://groups.google.com/forum/#!overviewt simulator plane? This would require continuously streaming the simulator's GPS coordinates from the PC to the Android device. Are there any other GPS/charting apps on Android that do this?

[Scott McCarthy]

The IO module is working, nice job! I am seeing the correct long/lat/alt listed. Avare still seems unaware of the input. I have the tablet GPS disabled and a No GPS Signal message is displayed with the map positioned in the last known location. Is there a setting in Avare I am missing?

[Zubair Khan]

Scott
I think there is a bug or two. First you should have version 1.0.8 of plugin. You start Avare first, then you put it in background by pressing the home key. Then you start the plugin, connect and put it in background. Then you switch back to Avare.
Let me know.
Zubair

--

[Scott McCarthy]

Zubair,

I tried these steps even with a fresh reboot of the tablet and Avare still seems unaware of the plugin. 

When I first start Avare a "Turn On GPS" message displays and I say No.

Pressed home and started the plugin.

Pressed Connect then data streams. (screenshot 1)

Pressed home then back to Avare, no joy. (screenshot 2)

I just noticed while running, the plugin is showing up in red in the task manager: RAM:22.98 MB, CPU:21.49% And the RAM keeps climbing as long as it's logging. Hopefully this is helpful in debugging.

Scott

[avco...@gmail.com]

Hello everyone.
Does the Avare to MSFS interface need FSUIPC or just the multi player setting? I got Xplane 10.25 working fine, Alt. Speed and Heading, but not MSFS. TV

[Zubair Khan]

Hi Scott
Did you ever get the MSFS working with Avare. Looks like I missed your last email.

Could you tell TV what Software you used to interface Avare IO module with MSFS?

Thanks
Zubair

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 4:12:46 PM UTC-4, David Vancina wrote:

Is there currently any way to have Avare reflect the position of a flight simulator plane? This would require continuously streaming the simulator's GPS coordinates from the PC to the Android device. Are there any other GPS/charting apps on Android that do this?

[avco...@gmail.com]

Hi David.
See my post on Details on Connecting Avare to MS FSX Flight Simulator, posted on 01-02-2014. TV

[Scott McCarthy]

I used a program called XConn from the site below. It works great. You just need to set the port and IP address in XConn to the one displayed in the Avare I/O plugin. XConn detects when FSX is running and automatically streams the NMEA position.

http://www.pocketfms.com/2-downutility.asp

Regards,

Scott