CANHelm

CANHelm is a combined desktop + mobile app that standardizes how route plans and steering commands move between navigation software and marine autopilots over NMEA 2000 / CAN. Instead of trying to “control” the autopilot (often locked down), it focuses on reliable, auditable integration: importing routes from common formats, validating waypoints, calculating cross-track error targets, and publishing the correct PGNs while logging every message for troubleshooting. It includes a compatibility matrix per autopilot brand/model, a guided setup wizard, and a “safe mode” that only mirrors navigation data until the user explicitly arms control. The app is realistic about limitations: some systems won’t allow external control, and it won’t pretend otherwise—users get clear warnings and fallbacks. The goal is fewer integration headaches, fewer wrong-turn incidents, and faster installs for technicians.