Introduction
HALPI is a pre-built, fully functional boat computer running a custom OpenPlotter 4 installation with pre-configured NMEA 2000 and other settings. It includes pre-configured Signal K server, OpenCPN and other essential open navigation software. Additional packages such as AvNav, InfluxDB and Grafana can be easily installed.
HALPI can be used as a marine plotter platform, a data acquisition and visualization device, a boat automation and control platform, a boat WiFi access point and router, or a million other use cases--it is a generic boat computer, after all!
Features
As embedded computers go, HALPI packs a punch. With the same four-core CPU as in the Raspberry Pi 4B, 8 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD drive, it has plenty of power and room for any use case you might have.
Thanks to the inclusion of a SH-RPi power management board, HALPI integrates perfectly to your boat electronics. You can power it via the NMEA 2000 network and it is guaranteed to not consume more than 0.8 A of current. Alternatively, it can be powered through a dedicated power connector, providing full isolation towards the NMEA 2000 network. And in either case, HALPI will safely shut itself down when the power is cut, allowing it to be turned on and off using a standard electrical panel switch without risking SSD disk corruption.
The default configuration includes power and NMEA 2000 connectors and pre-drilled holes with cable glands or rubber plugs for additional connectors: two 6.5mm, two 13 mm, and two 21 mm.
The Medium enclosure measures 170x140x100 mm and provides an IP65 ingress protection rating. Your electronics won't die on you even if a portlight or a deck fitting would spring a leak!
HALPI-M-CM4 is housed in a plastic enclosure with a transparent lid. The material allows complete weatherproofness, great penetration of WiFi and Bluetooth signals, and easy observation of the enclosure internals. Regardless, thermal performance is not compromised. In our testing, under regular use conditions with an ambient temperature of 21°C, the CM4 CPU temperature remains at 55°C, and the CPU fan wasn't even running. When stress testing in an ambient temperature of about 44°C and at full CPU load on all cores, the CPU temperature reached a maximum of 74°C. As long as your boat inside temperature doesn't reach 50°C, the CPU won't even start throttling!
Contents
HALPI-M-CM4 includes the following components:
Ordering Instructions
HALPI-M-CM4 computers are made to order and the lead time before shipping can be up to 7-14 days.
The default configuration includes an NMEA 2000 and an SP13 Power Connector. Other connectors in the photos are for illustration only! If you include additional components in the order, we will install them for you.
The enclosure can take two 21 mm panel connectors. In particular, two of these:
Additionally, you can add NMEA 0183 connectivity by including this HAT:
NMEA 0183 doesn't have standardized connectors. For bidirection use, add this:
For dual channel input or dual channel output, add two of these:
Finally, if you want to include a GNSS (GPS, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS) receiver, add this HAT:
If you are unsure about what to get, contact us for advice at info@hatlabs.fi!
