ACR Electronics AIS-B User Manual Rev C

CAUTION: Before proceeding to install, test or use your new ACR Electronics‟ product, please read this

Product Support Manual in its entirety. If you have questions regarding the contents of the manual, please contact our Technical Service Department at

ACR Electronics, Inc., Telephone +1 (954) 981- 3333. Please be ready to provide the technician with the page number you wish to discuss. If you have a question that is not covered in the manual, please visit our website and access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section for further information or call our Technical Services Department. The website address is www.acrelectronics.com. If in the future you lose this manual, you may access and print a replacement on the ACR website.

In the United States

Commission to input an MMSI that has not been properly assigned to the end user, or to otherwise input any inaccurate data in this device.

WARNING: This product is a supplemental navigation tool only! The user assumes all responsibility

associated with the use of this device and safe navigation. It is important to understand that all vessels may not be equipped with AIS transponders and therefore may not

be visible to this transponder. Likewise, certain conditions, such as equipment failures, the environment, improper use and crowded port scenarios, may exist whereby the vessel equipped with this AIS transponder is not visible to other AIS transponders.

WARNING:

It is a violation of the rules of the Federal Communications

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PLEASE READ ALL WARNINGS,

CAUTIONS AND NOTES CAREFULLY

Table of Contents

SECTION 1 - WHAT IS AIS? ____________________________________________________________ 4

SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION ___________________________________________________________ 6

SECTION 3 - USING THE TRANSPONDER ________________________________________________ 20

SECTION 4 - MAINTENANCE _________________________________________________________ 22

APPENDIX A - SERIAL DATA INTERFACE _________________________________________________ 22

APPENDIX B - SPECIFICATIONS AND WARNINGS __________________________________________ 28

APPENDIX C - SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM ________________________________________________ 29

APPENDIX D - DATA POWER CABLE INFORMATION _______________________________________ 30

APPENDIX E - SUPPORT, WARRANTY, USEFUL LIFE and NOTICES _____________________________ 31

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SECTION 1 - WHAT IS AIS?

1. Overview

AIS is an acronym 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.

According to International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) regulations, AIS is defined as follows: AIS is a broadcast transponder system, operating in the VHF maritime mobile band. It is capable of sending ship information such as identification, position course, speed and more, to other ships and to shore. It can handle multiple reports at rapid update rates and uses Carrier Sense Time Division Multiple Access (CSTDMA) technology to meet these high broadcast rates and ensure reliable and robust ship to ship operation.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) defines the performance standards as follows: Ship to ship working, ship to shore working, including long range application, automatic and continuous operation, provision of information messaging via PC and utilization of maritime VHF channels

The Modules: GPS system, AIS Transponder, VHF Antenna, and the Data Power Cable (appropriate application software connects the individual modules).

AIS are required to function flawlessly in a variety of modes. The regulations require that the system be capable of:

An "autonomous and continuous" mode for operation in all areas. This mode shall be capable of

being switched to/from one of the following alternate modes by a competent authority;

An "assigned" mode for operation in an area subject to a competent authority responsible for traffic

monitoring such that the data transmission interval and/or time slots may be set remotely by that authority;

A "polling or controlled" mode, where the data transfer occurs in response to interrogation from a ship

or competent authority.

This illustration depicts a typical AIS System, where two or more AIS equipped vessels (and shore based systems) are automatically communicating with each other.

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On the bottom, a typical Nauticast™-B AIS installation in a common environment is shown. The Nauticast™-B AIS is connected to the vessel‟s 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. Due to “Time – Synchronization”, they use the same organization of free and allocated windows (slots) in the shared VHF Data Link (this method is called “Carrier Sense Time Division Multiple Access”) to send and receive messages. Without the necessity of any operator interaction, both vessels know exactly who or what is cruising nearby and where the individual object is heading.

The scenario below shows a full AIS coverage area (including all applications and complete shore infrastructure).

2. AIS classes

There are two classes of AIS units fitted to vessels, Class A and Class B. In addition, AIS base stations may be employed by the Coast Guard, port authorities and other authorized bodies. AIS units acting as Aids to Navigation (A to N) can also be fitted to fixed and floating navigation markers such as channel markers and buoys.

Class A units are a mandatory fit under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention to vessels above 300 gross tons, or which carry more than 11 passengers in international waters. Many other commercial vessels and some leisure craft also may be fitted with Class A units.

Class B units are designed for fitting in vessels which do not fall into the mandatory Class A fit category.

ACR Nauticast™-B Automatic Identification System is a Class B AIS unit.

The

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• 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 Vessel

• Position

• Heading

• MMSI Number

• Course (COG)

• Call Sign

NOTE: For information reporting intervals, see Specifications appendix

In order to meet carriage requirements for Class A and Class B AIS systems, dedicated GPS and VHF antennas must be fit to the transponders. ACR has included GPS and VHF antennas that have been specifically designed, tested and approved for use with the Nauticast™-B. ACR Electronics Inc. does not recommend or support using other antennas or sharing data information from existing shipboard installations.

Class B AIS transponders will transmit data to other AIS equipped vessels and shore base stations. Static data typically identifies the vessel and does not change (i.e. MMSI, Vessel Name). Dynamic data is voyage specific and will change during the normal operation of the vessel.(i.e. Speed Over Ground, Position, Heading).

In order to complete the programming of your AIS transponder, documentation of your vessel‟s identity needs to be made available. This would be a good time to update any information that is inaccurate in the MMSI data base or with your ship‟s radio station license. These databases should be reviewed periodically to make sure the information is accurate including your emergency contact information.

Per FCC rules (United States users only) the static data can only be programmed into an AIS Transponder by the vendor or qualified personnel. Once the static data is programmed into an AIS Transponder it can only be corrected by ACR Electronics. Please check that the static data are entered carefully. If the static data are incorrectly programmed the transponder will need to be returned to ACR for factory reset.

Information transmitted from vessels that have a Class A AIS transponders on-board include:

NOTE: The marine AIS system uses position information derived from networks such as the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) or the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) to determine the location of the AIS unit and thus the vessel to which it is fitted. The Nauticast™-B AIS utilizes the GPS satellite network.

It is desirable wherever possible therefore to verify both your vessel‟s AIS derived position data and other

vessels‟ AIS derived position data with visual or radar based observations.

SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION

1. Product contents

Before proceeding with the installation of the Nauticast™-B AIS, please verify that the content of the box includes the following:

Nauticast™-B AIS transponder Data/Power cable Mounting hardware (4 self tapping screws) Strain relief cable straps (3) VHF antenna (dedicated for AIS use only) with connection cable GPS antenna (dedicated for AIS use only) with connection cable Nauticast™-B AIS Product Support Manual

Nauticast™-B Mounting Template

Link2AIS™ Software CD Link2AIS™ Software User Guide Warranty card

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2. Installation overview and prerequisites

In the United States

Commission to input an MMSI that has not been properly assigned to the end user, or to otherwise input any inaccurate data in this device.

The US FCC regulation states that “The entry of static data into a Class B AIS device shall be performed by the vendor of the device or by an appropriately qualified person in the business of installing marine communications equipment on board vessels. In no event shall the entry of static data into a Class B AIS device be performed by the user of the device or the licensee of a ship station using the device. Knowingly programming a Class B AIS device with inaccurate static data, or causing a Class B AIS device to be programmed with inaccurate static data, is prohibited. In the USA, some of the following steps must be performed by your vendor or a professional installer. Outside of the USA, the owner may perform all of these steps. The installation process has four separate steps. Complete each step before proceeding to the next.

Compile ship‟s static data for installation (MMSI, vessel name, call sign, AIS GPS antenna position) Have static data programmed into transponder Install the Link2AIS™ Software onto your PC. Install your AIS hardware to your vessel.

NOTE: In most countries the operation of an AIS unit is included under the vessel‟s marine VHF license

provisions. The vessel onto which the AIS unit is to be installed must therefore possess a current VHF Ship station license which lists the AIS system and the vessel Call Sign and MMSI number.

Please contact the relevant authority in your country for more information.

The application will install and launch automatically. A Start Menu folder and shortcut will be created with the name 'Link2AIS'. This short cut should be used to re-launch the application as required.

Prerequisites

The Link2AIS™ Software is designed to operate with Microsoft Windows® 2000 (SP 3), Windows® XP (SP 2) and above. Recommended minimum system requirements are:

Microsoft Windows® 2000 SP3 or Microsoft Windows® XP SP2 Display resolution of at least 1024 x 768 At least one RS232 serial port (or serial to USB converter already installed)

A pointing device (mouse or equivalent) This software uses the Microsoft .NET® connection software V2.0. The framework will be automatically installed during setup if not already present on the system.

NOTE: In most countries the operation of an AIS unit is included under the vessel‟s marine VHF license

provisions. The vessel onto which the AIS unit is to be installed must therefore possess a current VHF Ship station license which lists the AIS system and the vessel Call Sign and MMSI number.

Please contact the relevant authority in your country for more information.

”

WARNING:

It is a violation of the rules of the Federal Communications

3. Software installation

Before installing a new version it may be necessary to remove any prior version of the Link2AIS™ software from

your PC. When the old version cannot be overwritten, the installation program tells you to uninstall the previous version first. The program can be removed (uninstalled) at any time using the uninstall feature located in the program directory within the start menu (if applicable) or with the “Add or Remove Programs” function within Windows®.

Insert the installation CD.

If the installation does not start automatically, locate the file “setup.exe” on the CD-ROM drive and double-

click on this file to start the installation process.

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Or, when you have downloaded an upgrade:

Unzip the package when necessary and start the installer program as described in “Installation of the

Link2AIS™ Software” (later in this section).

If one of the following dialogs is shown when the installation process is started, the .NET® framework and/or the Windows® Installer needs to be installed. See the following sections for the installation of these required products. If neither of these dialogs is shown, the installation continues as described in “Installation of the Link2AIS™ Software Program” (later in this section).

4. Installation of the .NET® Framework

You may install the .NET® framework from the original CD or you can download it from the Microsoft website. When downloading the .NET® framework or the Windows® Installer manually, you need to look for version 2 of the “dotnetfx.exe” and the required installer, named “WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe”.

From the internet

The Link2AIS™ software will automatically find, download, and install the .NET® framework directly from

the Microsoft website if your computer has an active internet connection. When downloading over a 56k-modem, the .NET® framework will take about one hour to complete: The

size is approx. 23MB.

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When you are not connected to the internet, an error message like the one below will be shown.

From the CD If you do not want to download the .NET® framework from the Microsoft website, terminate the download process by clicking the “Cancel” button in the download dialog box and install the package directly from the CD. Locate the file “dotnetfx.exe” and double-click it to start the installation. Follow the instructions.

5. Installation of the Windows Installer

Locate the file “WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe” and double-click it to start the installation.

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When the installation process has finished, you MUST reboot your computer in order to install the Link2AIS™ Software:

6. Installation of the Link2AIS™ Software

Unzip the downloaded package when necessary. Locate the files “setup.exe” and the accompanying “msi” file, then double-click on “setup.exe” The installation process of the application starts with the Welcome screen:

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