How to Test: Some initial tests aren't working yet.

[rgleason]

Follow the test examples in the manual

The first test, using a gps sentence to set the boat location, can be very useful. It seems to work.
Put this into the first field and once it is saved pick send every second.

$GPRMC,085437,A,5324.3052,N,00611.5704,E,3.3,68.9,070614,0.3,E,A
For the second test I made a small nmea file nmeaConverter-WIMDA-xxMTA.txt

with this repeated a number of times

$WIMDA,30.1,I,1.0,B,11.3,C,,,,,,,18.6,T,18.5,M,5.8,N,3.0,M*27

which isattached nmeaConverter-WIMDA-xxMTA.txt

I playing VDR_pi with that file. Then put into NmeaConverter_pi edit area

$XXMTA, $WIMDA5, $WIMDA6

and

$XXMTA, 5 / 9 * $WIMDA5 + 32, F to convert from centigrade to fahrenheit

Neither of these seem to be working. See the screen shots. in particular the second one which says "Nodata" and each sentence has empty checksums

[rgleason]

Next from the NmeaConverter Manual, I tried Force True Heading to Cog

The nmea file being run by VDR_pi is vdr2 - copie.xls

Which requires downloading and running the vdr_copie.xls linked in the manual and installing and setting up Tactics_pi which is not a bad thing to do anyway. Then you run the VDR_pi file with Tactics_pi showing, and then go to Options>Plugins>NmeaConverter>Preferences and enter only this:
$XXHDT,$IIVTG1,$IIVTG2
After awhile I think I got it working. For awhile the True heading was way out of whack, but checking the box in NmeaConverter to discard bad sentences without good checksum fixed it.

See the current arrow.

Entering the nmeaconverter sentence.

[rgleason]

Calculate True Wind from Apparent Wind

This test is a little heavier in calculations and is very particular about the sentence you enter. Read the section in the manual.

$XXMWV,$WIMWV1+acos((sqr($WIMWV3)+sqr($GPRMC7)+sqr($WIMWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*$WIMWV3*cos($WIMWV1*3.14159265/180)-sqr($GPRMC7))/(2*sqrt(sqr($GPRMC7)+sqr($WIMWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*cos($WIMWV1*3.14159265/180))*$WIMWV3)),T,sqrt(sqr($GPRMC7)+SQR($WIMWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*$WIMWV3*cos($WIMWV1*3.14159265/180)),N,A

We need to find a good test file that does not have True wind data. Trying the file used above I seem to get "nodata". We're going to have to inspect some files and find one to use.

Well, I am lazy, after thinking about it, I decided to try using the new wildcard characters in this formula with the vdr2 - copie.xls from above, because the formula is assuming a particular manufacturer code, and want it to be more universal anyway. So the formula with the wildcard ? becomes:

$XXMWV,$??MWV1+acos((sqr($??MWV3)+sqr($GPRMC7)+sqr($??MWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*$??MWV3*cos($??MWV1*3.14159265/180)-sqr($GPRMC7))/(2*sqrt(sqr($GPRMC7)+sqr($??MWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*cos($??MWV1*3.14159265/180))*$??MWV3)),T,sqrt(sqr($GPRMC7)+SQR($??MWV3)-2*$GPRMC7*$??MWV3*cos($??MWV1*3.14159265/180)),N,A

Using that formula in nmeaconverter, I start getting values in the Nmea debug window. I will let others confirm that this is correct. One way to do that is use Dashboard and filter all nmea sentences with true wind except the XXMWV sentence, then see what Dashboard and Tactics show. But looking for the XXMWV sentence, I see that values are being calculated, so I believe the wildcard is working.

[rgleason]

Seem to be working now, along with wildcards.