Technical Capabilities

System Assembly & Provisioning

We assemble, configure, test, and document complete onboard computer systems matched to your vessel's equipment.

Hardware Assembly

Each system starts with a Raspberry Pi — a small, reliable computer about the size of a deck of cards — connected to your boat's existing instruments, sensors, and navigation network. Everything is housed in a sealed, waterproof enclosure and powered through a marine-grade voltage regulator that handles the spikes and dips common in 12V and 24V boat electrical systems. We select components based on your specific equipment — there is no one-size-fits-all build.

Software Provisioning

We install and configure the full software stack — typically OpenPlotter for navigation and sensor integration, and VenusOS Large for vessels with Victron electrical systems. Larger setups often run both: one computer for monitoring, configuring, and controlling batteries, solar, digital switches, energy metering, and inverters through Victron, and another handling instruments, sensors, and chart plotting through OpenPlotter. On top of that we configure the SignalK server, plugins matched to your hardware, dashboards, data logging, alert rules, and networking. Everything is configured and tested before it leaves our bench.

Testing & Delivery

Before delivery, every system runs on our bench for an extended period to catch any issues early. We confirm everything is talking to each other and that your instruments, sensors, and devices are showing the right data, set up your WiFi network so you can access dashboards from any phone or tablet on board, and provide full documentation of your system's configuration. If your boat has internet connectivity, we can also configure remote access for troubleshooting and updates. We deliver turnkey to your location with remote support, commission on-site in San Diego, or hand off to your marine electrician.

Software Platforms

We specialize in open-source marine software. Each platform listed here is free, community-supported, and gives you full ownership of your data — no subscriptions.

Core Platforms

• SignalK: The central hub that brings all your boat's data together in one place — regardless of equipment brand or age. It collects data from your instruments, sensors, and electrical systems and makes it available to dashboards, mobile apps, and alerts in real time. Managed through a web interface from any browser.
• OpenPlotter: The most established open-source marine computing platform for Raspberry Pi. A complete Linux operating system with built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and network management — plus prepackaged marine applications including SignalK, OpenCPN, PyPilot, and GPSD. Modular architecture — install only what you need, managed from a single web interface.
• VenusOS Large: The Cerbo GX is Victron's dedicated device for monitoring and controlling their electrical systems — and it runs VenusOS. We install that same OS on a Raspberry Pi, giving you the same Victron integration, the free VRM cloud portal for remote monitoring from anywhere, and more flexibility to add marine applications like SignalK and Node-RED.
• Node-RED: Visual automation tool — no code required. We use it for device integration, data transformation, alarm rules, switching automation, and sending notifications when something needs attention.

Firmware & Custom Hardware

• ESP32 Development: We develop custom firmware for ESP32 microcontrollers using PlatformIO and the Arduino framework — wireless sensors, dedicated instrument displays, and protocol gateways tailored to your boat's needs.
• SensESP: Our primary sensor framework for sending sensor data to SignalK. It runs on ESP32 and handles WiFi connectivity, automatic SignalK server discovery, and over-the-air firmware updates. See our full sensor offerings.

Chartplotters, Instruments & Dashboards

• OpenCPN: Full-featured open-source chart plotter and navigation application. Runs on the onboard computer with support for vector and raster charts, a large plugin ecosystem, and direct integration with SignalK and your vessel's instruments.
• KIP: A marine-specific dashboard that displays live SignalK data as traditional instrument gauges, digital readouts, and wind displays. Where Grafana shows historical trends and data over time, KIP is your real-time instrument panel — designed to look and feel like the gauges at your helm. Runs in any web browser.
• WilhelmSK: Native iOS app that turns your iPhone and iPad into a full marine instrument display over your boat's WiFi. Built specifically for SignalK with gauges, digital readouts, and an anchor alarm. What sets it apart is Apple Push Notification support — your boat can send alerts directly to your phone even when you're away from the dock.
• VenusOS Dashboard: Victron sells the GX Touch as a dedicated display for their systems. VenusOS serves that same interface to any connected screen or web browser — giving you full visibility into batteries, solar, inverters, and tank levels without the dedicated hardware.
• Grafana: Open-source dashboard and visualization platform. We use it to build custom dashboards that display real-time and historical data from your vessel's systems. Accessible from any web browser.

Data & Storage

• InfluxDB: Centralized storage for all your vessel's data. SignalK feeds live readings into InfluxDB, where every data point is recorded over time. This is what powers Grafana's historical dashboards — letting you look back at trends across days, weeks, or months.

Hardware Platforms

We select hardware based on what your vessel needs — not a one-size-fits-all kit. Here's what we work with and when each component is the right choice.

Onboard Computers

• Raspberry Pi 4B (4/8GB): Our standard build. Runs the full software stack comfortably, compatible with all marine HATs, and the most proven and widely supported option.
• Raspberry Pi 5: More processing power for demanding setups, but at the cost of a larger energy footprint.
• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W: For single-purpose builds where space and power are limited. Small enough to fit inside a junction box. Runs one application well — a dedicated SignalK server or VenusOS — but not the full stack.

Marine Interface Boards (HATs)

HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) are expansion boards that plug directly onto the Raspberry Pi, giving it the ability to connect to your boat's equipment. Each one adds a different capability.

• MacArthur HAT: Connects the Pi to NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, temperature sensors, and expansion interfaces on a single board. Powered via USB-C or an optional 12V module. Our go-to for vessels with mixed equipment.
• PiCAN-M: Connects the Pi to NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183. Available with an optional 7-24V power supply module. A simpler option when you don't need the additional expansion interfaces of the MacArthur.
• Waveshare RS485 CAN HAT: Isolated CAN and dual RS485 interface with 8-28V input — powers the Pi directly from your boat's electrical system. A cost-effective option for NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 connectivity.

Power

• Sailor HAT: Marine power management with 9-32V input. Powers the Pi directly from boat voltage or from the NMEA 2000 bus itself — supercapacitors buffer the bus current limit. Protects against power loss and voltage spikes, and ensures a clean shutdown to prevent SD card corruption.

Receivers

• dAISy HAT: Dual-channel AIS receiver. Picks up positions and information from nearby vessels and feeds them into SignalK and OpenCPN. Powered through the Pi.

ESP32 Microcontrollers

The foundation of our custom sensors and displays. We write and maintain the firmware on each board, with updates pushed over WiFi so nothing needs to be physically accessed after installation. Builds are powered by rechargeable battery for portable or temporary installations, or hardwired into your vessel's DC system for permanent ones.

• Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32 (C3, S3, C6): Compact and low-power. Higher cost per unit, but the small footprint and low energy draw make them ideal for tight spaces and battery-powered builds.
• ESP32-WROOM: Larger footprint with more processing power and GPIO at a lower cost. Used when a build needs more connectivity or horsepower than the XIAO provides.

Enclosures & Physical Installation

The marine environment is hard on electronics. Major brands like Garmin and Raymarine build their equipment with sealed, waterproof housings — we hold our builds to the same standard. Every system is housed in an IP67 or IP68 rated enclosure sized to the build, with sealed cable entry points — cable glands for permanent wiring, waterproof connectors where equipment needs to be disconnected.

Data Sources & Sensors

Every device on your boat is a data source. A wind instrument reports speed and direction. A chartplotter calculates time to waypoint and ETA. A battery monitor reports voltage, current, and state of charge. Some devices produce a single reading, others combine multiple data points into a richer picture. SignalK brings all of these sources together into one system — regardless of manufacturer, protocol, or age. Where your vessel has gaps in coverage, we build custom sensors to fill them. See our full custom sensor offerings.

Communication Protocols

We work with marine, industrial, and network protocols — everything gets brought into SignalK.

Serial

• NMEA 0183: Legacy marine protocol still used by many instruments — we bridge it into SignalK alongside NMEA 2000.
• Seatalk: Raymarine proprietary protocol. Converted to NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 for integration with modern systems.
• RS-232 / RS-422 / RS-485: Serial physical layers. RS-232 for older single-ended connections, RS-422 for NMEA 0183, RS-485 for Modbus RTU and multi-point serial networks.
• USB Serial: Physical connection for VE.Direct devices, GPS receivers, AIS receivers, and serial adapters.
• Modbus: Industrial protocol (RTU over RS-485, TCP over Ethernet). Used by some generators, battery management systems, and industrial sensors.
• I2C / 1-Wire: Low-level sensor protocols for temperature probes, environmental sensors, and GPIO expansion. Connected via HAT or direct wiring.
• SPI: How HATs communicate with the Raspberry Pi — CAN controllers, ADCs, and display drivers.

CAN

• NMEA 2000: CAN bus marine standard. We connect via PiCAN-M, MacArthur HAT, or Waveshare CAN HAT and bring data into SignalK.
• J1939: Diesel engine CAN bus protocol. Common on larger vessels with Cummins, Caterpillar, and John Deere engines.

Victron

• VE.Direct: Victron Energy serial protocol for SmartShunt, MPPT controllers, and other Victron devices.
• VE.Can: Victron CAN protocol for inverters, Cerbo GX, and multi-device Victron networks.

Web

• HTTP: The foundation for SignalK's REST API and WebSocket connections. REST serves data on demand, WebSocket streams it in real time to dashboards and apps.
• TCP / UDP: NMEA 0183 data streams and AIS data over the network.
• mDNS: How SensESP devices and SignalK servers discover each other on the network automatically.
• RPC: JSON-RPC, gRPC — remote procedure calls for device APIs and service communication.
• MQTT: Lightweight IoT messaging protocol. Used for sensor-to-server communication and integration with home automation platforms.

Wireless

• WiFi: Primary wireless transport for onboard networking, sensor communication, and dashboard access.
• Bluetooth: Short-range wireless for ESP32 sensors and mobile device connectivity.
• Zigbee / Thread: Mesh networking protocols supported by ESP32-C6 for low-power sensor networks.
• LoRa: Long-range, low-power wireless for remote sensors where WiFi doesn't reach.
• Matter: Smart home interoperability standard built on Thread and WiFi. Supported by ESP32-C6.

Remote Access & Monitoring

Checking on your vessel from anywhere requires getting data off the boat securely. There are several approaches — each with different security trade-offs.

Cloud Services

The boat sends data outbound to a hosted service. Nothing is exposed on your boat's network — the connection is always initiated from the boat. Best when you want simple, always-available dashboards from any device without technical setup. Your data lives on the provider's infrastructure and may involve ongoing subscription costs.

• InfluxDB Cloud + Grafana Cloud: Push sensor data to hosted InfluxDB for storage and Grafana for dashboards. Full remote visualization without any tunnel or VPN setup — both services required.
• WilhelmSK Push Notifications: Apple Push Notifications for alarms and alerts directly to your phone, even when you're away from the boat's WiFi.

Victron VRM

Victron's built-in cloud platform. VenusOS automatically sends battery, solar, and inverter data to VRM for remote dashboards — and also provides a remote console for direct access to the VenusOS interface, all relayed through Victron's servers with no ports opened on your network. If your vessel has Victron equipment, this is already available with no extra setup or cost.

Secure Tunnels

You connect into the boat's network remotely to access local services directly. Your data stays on the boat, and you get full access to everything — dashboards, SignalK, system administration. Best when you want complete control, no ongoing cloud costs, and your data to never leave your hardware. More technical to set up, and requires maintaining a secure connection.

• Tailscale / VPN: Encrypted tunnel between your devices and your boat's network. Access everything as if you were on board — without exposing anything to the public internet.
• Cloudflare Tunnels / ngrok: Secure reverse tunnels that make onboard services accessible from the web without opening ports or configuring firewalls.

AI Integration

We pioneered the connection between AI and marine vessel data. If you already use AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT and have SignalK and InfluxDB on your vessel, we can connect them directly to your boat's live and historical data. Ask your boat questions in plain English — "How are my batteries doing?" "What's been different this week?" "Is anything unusual?" — and get answers drawn from real data, not guesswork.