Product Support Manual Nauticast-B Class B AIS Transceiver Product No. 2680 Model: AIS-300 Y1-03-0222 Rev.T4 Automatic Identification System ACR Electronics, Inc. 5757 Ravenswood Road Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33312 Tel : +1(954) 981-3333 Fax: +1 (954) 983-5087 www.acrelectronics.com Email: Info@acrelectronics.
Manual Revision Status ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 General Warnings ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 1. WHAT IS AIS?.......................................................................................................................................
General Warnings All marine Automatic Identification System (AIS) units utilize a satellite based system such as the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) network or the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) network to determine position. The accuracy of these networks is variable and is affected by factors such as the antenna positioning, how many satellites are used to determine a position and how long satellite information has been received for.
1. WHAT IS AIS? AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. AIS increases navigational safety and collision avoidance by transmitting vessel identification, helping to reduce the difficulty of identifying ships when not in sight (e.g. at night, in radar blind arcs or shadows or at distance) by broadcasting navigational intentions to other vessels by providing ID, position, course, speed and other ship data with all other nearby ships and land based stations.
On the bottom, a typical NAUTICAST-B installation in a common environment is shown. The NAUTICAST-B is connected to the vessels power supply, and in connection with the VHF, and GPS-Antennas, the minimal requirements for Transponder operation are fulfilled. Both vessels in the above illustration are equipped with an AIS transceiver.
Information transmitted from vessels that have a CLASS A AIS transponders on-board include: • Name of Vessel • Destination • Size of Vessel • Vessel Dimensions • Speed (SOG) • Call Sign • ETA • Draft • Position • Course (COG) • Type of Vessel • Status • MMSI Number • Navigational Status • Heading • Cargo • Rate of Turn • IMO Number Information transmitted from vessels that have a CLASS B AIS transponders on-board include: • Name of Vessel • Vessel Dimensions • Speed (SOG) • Type of Vess
Step 3 - installing your AIS hardware to your boat. 2.1 Software Installation 2.1.1 Prerequisites The Link2AIS application is designed to operate with Microsoft Windows 200, XP and above. Recommended minimum system requirements are: • • • Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (Windows 2000 and earlier require Microsoft .NET Framework V2.
2.2 Programming NOTE: To program your NAUTICAST-B you will need to connect the AIS to a personal computer and supply the NAUTICAST-B with 12V of power. ACR recommends you connect the AIS to your boat’s power and connect it to a laptop in order to easily program your AIS before physically mounting the transceiver. 2.2.1 Connect the RS232 (9-Pin Connector) to your laptop, this connects between the supplied data lead and the PC.
2.2.5 Select the serial port from the drop down menu, then click 'Connect': 2.2.6 Once a connection is established the application is ready to use. Connection status is indicated at the bottom left of the application window: Help There is a context based Help file which explains what each data entry field means and what sort of data is expected. 2.2.7 The functions of Link2AIS are arranged in a series of tabs.
2.2.
2.3 Hardware Installation L WARNING: Do not connect the NAUTICAST-B unit to a main (line) AC electrical supply, as an electric shock or fire hazard could result. Length of Data/Power Cable connection not to exceed 3 meters. CAUTION: Do not connect the NAUTICAST-B unit to a DC supply exceeding 15.6 V or reverse the supply polarity. Damage to the unit may result.
2.4 Antenna Installation 2.4.1 Antenna connections GPS Antenna This is a TNC female bulkhead connector that mounts to the back of the case. This port provides the 5V DC feed for the active GPS antenna required by the NAUTICAST-B unit. VHF Antenna This is a UHF female bulkhead connector that mounts to the back of the case. 2.4.2 Antennas and Antenna Mounting GPS Antenna The GPS antenna used must be of the active type (i.e.
3. USING THE TRANSPONDER 3.1 Switching On When the 12V supply is switched on all four LEDs visible on the front panel of the unit will illuminate twice for a period of one second on each illumination.
3.
3.6 Led Indicators 3.6.1. Power This is a green LED which indicates, when lit, that power has been connected correctly to the transponder, that the transponder hardware has been configured, that the operating software is present, that the CPU has booted up and the application software is running. 3.6.2 TX Timeout This is a yellow LED which indicates when lit that the CSTDMA transmitter is prevented from transmitting.
The NAUTICAST-B contains no user serviceable parts. Contact your Service Agent for repair for replacing the fuse fails to make the equipment serviceable. NOTE: 5. SERIAL DATA INTERFACE 5.1 Power Connection / Data Connection There is a 15-pin D-Sub female connector mounted on the back of the transponder cover. The standard data or power and data cable assembly provided mates with this connector. 5.1.1 Power 12V DC (9.6-15.6V) is connected to the transponder power supply input via the data/power cable.
5.4.1 VDM Message Format !--VDM,x1,x2,x3,a,s--s,x*hh field 1 2 3 4 5 6 Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 Format x x x a s---s x Description Total number of sentences needed to transfer the message1, 1 to 9 1 Sentence number , 1 to 9 2 Sequential message identifier , 0 to 9 3 AIS Channel, "A" or "B" Encapsulated ITU-R M.1371 radio message4 5 Number of fill-bits , 0 to 5 NOTE 1 The length of an ITU-R M.1371 message may require the transmission of multiple sentences.
VDL Message number VDM Message description System control 7 binary acknowledge (INFO) 10 UTC and data inquiry (INFO) 11 UTC and data response (INFO) 13 safety related ack (INFO) 15 interrogation (INFO) 16 assignment mode command (INFO) 17 DGNSS corrections (INFO) 20 data link management (INFO) 22 channel management (INFO) *Note that messages 5 and 19 may be sent as multi part messages. 5.5 VHF data link own vessel messages (NMEA 0183 VDO) This message describes your own vessel message being sent. 5.5.
VDO Message number VDO Message description AIS Target Display Information 13 Safety Related Acknowledgement Standard Class B position report (Includes MMSI, SOG, position accuracy, lat, 18 long, COG, true heading,) 24a Class B “CS” Static data Part A (Includes MMSI and vessel name) Class B “CS” Static data Part B (MMSI, ship type, cargo type, call sign, ship 24b dimensions) 5.
5.7.1. ACS Message Format !-- ACS,x,xxxxxxxxx, hhmmss.ss,xx,xx,xxxx*hh field 1 2 3 4 5 6 Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 Format x xxxxxxxxx hhmmss.ss xx xx xxxx Description Sequence Number , 0 to 9 MMSI of originator UTC of receipt of channel management information UTC Day, 01 -31 UTC Month, 01 -12 UTC Year 5.8 AIS Alarm Messages (NMEA 0183 ALR, Text) Local alarm condition and status. This sentence is used to report an alarm condition on a device and its current state of acknowledgement. 5.8.
6. STANDARDS This product complies to all the necessary standards under the European R&TTE directive for Article 3.1(a), 3.1(b), 3.2 and 3.3(e).
Parameter Value 1200 b/s ± 30 ppm (FSK) RX Sensitivity Sensitivity – 107dBm 25kHz (Message Error Rate 20%) Co-Channel 10dB Adjacent Channel 70dB IMD 65dB Blocking 84dB Environmental IEC 60945 Operating Temperature: -25ºC to +55ºC IEC 62287, IP65 Protected Indicators Power, TX timeout, status, pre-set SRM sent or Silent Mode Operator Controls Optional pre-set safety related message (SRM) transmit button or Silent Mode -No Transmit (user Configured). 6.2 Warnings 6.2.1.
APPENDIX A 23 of 25 Y1-03-0222 Rev T4T4
APPENDIX B 24 of 25 Y1-03-0222 Rev T4T4
APPENDIX C 25 of 25 Y1-03-0222 Rev T4T4