Garmin VESPVAB125 AIS AtoN (Aids-to-Navigation) User Manual
Vesper Marine Limited AIS AtoN (Aids-to-Navigation)
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Virtual AIS Beacon Model: VAB1252 Installation & Configuration Guide Important Information ........................................................................................................... 4 Warnings and Cautions .......................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4 Regulatory Requirements .................................................................................................. 4 Installation and Wiring ........................................................................................................... 5 Virtual AIS Beacon Connectors and Wiring ........................................................................ 5 VHF Antenna Connection (SO239) ........................................................................................................... 5 GPS Antenna Connection (TNC) ............................................................................................................... 6 Coms Connection (10 Pin) ........................................................................................................................ 6 Power Connection (2 Pin) ......................................................................................................................... 7 Mounting the Virtual AIS Beacon....................................................................................... 7 LED Status Lights ................................................................................................................ 8 Ethernet Connection .......................................................................................................... 9 Virtual AIS Beacon Configuration Software ......................................................................... 11 Connecting a PC to the beacon ........................................................................................ 11 The Configuration Screen................................................................................................. 12 Configuration Software Field Descriptions: ..................................................................... 13 Virtual AIS Beacon Firmware Upgrades ............................................................................... 17 NMEA Command Interface .................................................................................................. 19 AtoN Configuration .......................................................................................................... 19 Table 1 – Supported Public NMEA 0183 Sentences ............................................................................... 19 Example Configuration for a Virtual AtoN........................................................................ 19 Valid AtoN Types .............................................................................................................. 20 Table 2 – Valid AtoN Types ..................................................................................................................... 20 Example Binary Broadcast of an Area Special Message .................................................. 21 Decoded Area Special Message.............................................................................................................. 21 Additional NMEA Output Sentences ................................................................................ 22 Table 3 – Additional NMEA Output Sentences ....................................................................................... 22 Extended AtoN Configuration .......................................................................................... 22 Table 4 – Sentences Used For Extended Configuration ......................................................................... 22 SAT – Enable GSA/GSV Output ............................................................................................................... 22 ATON,CLR – Clear all AtoN Configurations ............................................................................................. 23 ATON,PERSIST – Enable Persistence of a Mark Change ......................................................................... 23 MEB,DEL – Delete an MEB Message ...................................................................................................... 23 NWK – Enable Ethernet on Coms Port ................................................................................................... 23 Extended NMEA Outputs ................................................................................................. 24 Table 5 – Extended NMEA Output Sentences ........................................................................................ 24 ATON,CNT – AtoN Count ........................................................................................................................ 24 ATON,ADDR – Binary Message Address ................................................................................................ 24 ATON,STATS – Transmission Statistics ................................................................................................... 25 SYNC – UTC Synchronisation Details ...................................................................................................... 25 AtoN Queries .................................................................................................................... 25 Page 2 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Technical Information .......................................................................................................... 26 System Specifications ....................................................................................................... 26 Technical Accuracy ............................................................................................................... 27 General Warnings................................................................................................................. 27 Obtaining Warranty Service ................................................................................................. 28 Declaration of Conformity ...................................................................................................................... 29 Electronic Waste Recycling..................................................................................................................... 29 Copyright Notice..................................................................................................................................... 29 Page 3 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Important Information Before installing the Virtual AIS Beacon, it is important that you read and fully understand this guide. Warnings and Cautions CAUTION: Never operate this device unless it is connected to a suitable VHF antenna. Transmitting without an antenna may damage this device. WARNING: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Vesper Marine could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment. CAUTION: This device generates and radiates electromagnetic energy. This device must be installed and operated according to the instructions contained in this manual. Failure to do so may result in product malfunction and / or exposure to potentially harmful levels of radio frequency radiation. CAUTION: The system has a Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) radius of 1m from the antenna. This has been determined assuming the maximum power of the transmitter and using a standard half-wave monopole VHF antenna with a maximum gain of 3dBi and termination impedance of 50 ohms. When installing the antenna and operating the equipment consider the following: The antenna should be mounted as high as possible. Higher gain VHF antennas will require a larger MPE radius. Do not operate the unit when anyone is within the MPE radius of the antenna. The VHF antenna should not be collocated or operated in conjunction with any other transmitting antenna. Introduction The Virtual AIS Beacon is a system which transmits information to assist in marking Aids to Navigation (AtoN) at sea. It works by transmitting data as part of the Universal Ship borne Automated Identification Systems (AIS). Regulatory Requirements MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity): At least one MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) is required for the Virtual AIS Beacon to begin transmission of an Aid to Navigation (AtoN). MMSI numbers are allocated by the maritime authority responsible for marine radio spectrum in your region. Each AtoN you intend to transmit requires a unique MMSI. VHF radio license: Various countries have regulations requiring a VHF radio license to operate an AIS transceiver. Check with your local authorities to determine the requirements for your area. Page 4 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Installation and Wiring Virtual AIS Beacon Connectors and Wiring VHF Antenna Connection (SO239) The Virtual AIS Beacon must be connected to a suitable VHF antenna either sourced from Vesper Marine or your local marine equipment supplier. Ensure a VHF antenna is connected to the Virtual AIS Beacon before power is applied to the beacon. The performance of the VHF antenna is also highly dependent on the environment in which the device is mounted. When installing the VHF antenna please take into consideration: Place your antenna as high as possible and at least 2-3 metres (6-10 ft) above the water surface. Place your VHF antenna as far as possible from other antennas and metal structures, especially other VHF, HF and radar antennas. It is not recommended to place the VHF antenna directly alongside another VHF antenna. The type of antenna should be an omnidirectional VHF antenna designed for the marine band (156-162 MHz). Ideally an AIS-frequency adapted antenna should be used however you may also use a standard marine VHF antenna. Page 5 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved GPS Antenna Connection (TNC) The Virtual AIS Beacon is provided with an external GPS antenna. This antenna requires an unobstructed view of the sky. You cannot share this GPS antenna with other equipment. The performance of the GPS antenna is highly dependent on the environment in which the antenna is mounted. The antenna performance may be reduced if the antenna is under or near large metal structures. When installing the external GPS antenna please take into consideration: Ensure the antenna connector is isolated from metal at all times. Do not place the GPS antenna near or in the path of radar or HF antennas. The GPS antenna should be situated so it has an unobstructed view of the sky above. Any damage caused by using an incompatible GPS antenna is not covered under your warranty. Coms Connection (10 Pin) A 2m (6.5') data cable with a female DB9 plug is supplied with the Virtual AIS Beacon to connect to the Coms Port. An additional 2m (6.5’) Ethernet cable with RJ45 plugs is provided to support network connectivity for Ethernet-enabled devices. You may extend these cables as necessary. Firmware upgrades can be carried out using this port. The data cable color code is as follows, Yellow Green Gray RS232 Common Com Port (RS232) Brown Blue Black RS232 data in RS232 data out Ethernet TX+ Com Port (Ethernet) Ethernet TXEthernet RX+ Orange Ethernet RX- Red Do Not Connect (recovery) Pink Do Not Connect (recovery) GPIO Connection (16 Pin) A 2m (6.5') cable with bare wire leads is supplied with the Virtual AIS Beacon to connect to the GPIO Port. You may extend this cable as necessary. The GPIO cable color code is as follows, Blue Brown GPIO Port RS232 data in RS232 data out RS232 Common Page 6 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Power Connection (2 Pin) The Virtual AIS Beacon has a 2 pin plug for 12 VDC, peak 4.5A, nominal 0.25A. Depending on shipping destination a short circuit protected and isolated ground 12VDC 5A AC/DC power pack with a regional IEC power cable may also be supplied. Mounting the Virtual AIS Beacon The Virtual AIS Beacon has footprint dimensions as detailed below and a height of 90mm. The device is mounted by using the fixing lugs. Drill holes in the mounting surface using the lugs as a guide. Fasten with appropriate length screws. Caution: Do not disassemble the unit or remove the screws which hold the Virtual AIS Beacon together. The unit is sealed and disassembly will void the warranty. If you require service or assistance please contact Vesper Marine. Page 7 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved LED Status Lights Once the VHF antenna, GPS antenna and the power is connected the Virtual AIS Beacon can be turned on. The LED lights on the front panel have the following states: POWER Green: The Virtual AIS Beacon has power. GPS STATUS Blue Flashing: GPS acquiring a fix and/or sync to UTC time (can take up to 12mins to get a sync) Blue: GPS fixed and synchronized to UTC time TRANSMIT Green Flash: On an AIS transmission. Red: Built in integrity check error. Typically this would indicate a bad antenna connection. NETWORK Orange: Link established. Green Flashing: Network connection active. (optional – only applies to Ethernet enabled devices) Page 8 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Ethernet Connection An Ethernet enabled (optional) Virtual AIS Beacon is configured to both automatically connect to a Vesper Marine secure server and to accept an incoming TCP connection on port 39150. It will use DHCP by default, so once connected to your network it will be automatically assigned an IP address. Once the IP address is found (by a network query or by checking your router address table) its status can be queried on port 80 using an internet browser. On a successful connection you will see the following web page, Page 9 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved To change the port and protocol used by the accept mode, navigate to the Tunnel Accept Mode page, Telnet and TCP are the only protocols supported in accept mode. The TCP accept mode IP address and port combination can be used to connect to the Virtual AIS Beacon using the configuration software as described in the following section. You must ensure the Virtual AIS Beacon is configured to use the Ethernet port (default) instead of the serial port. To toggle between the two modes of operation use the NWK command as described in the NMEA Command Interface section. Page 10 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Virtual AIS Beacon Configuration Software To use the Virtual AIS Beacon configuration software you will need a connection between the PC and the Virtual AIS Beacon device. Once you are connected the configuration software will allow you to view existing AtoN’s that are configured (if any). Configuring and uploading AtoN’s is carried out by entering information into each of the fields for each individual Virtual or Synthetic AtoN. AtoN’s are added, edited or deleted and then uploaded to the Virtual AIS Beacon by using the Upload button. Connecting a PC to the beacon Before connecting the Virtual AIS Beacon to a PC install the vmBeacon software. Once this process is completed open the vmBeacon program and follow the steps below to connect the PC to the Virtual AIS Beacon. 1. Connect the beacon to your PC using the DB9 plug, connected to a Serial to USB adaptor (not included). If you are using an Ethernet-enabled device to connect to your network, connect the RJ45 plug to your PC. 2. With the vmBeacon program running select the appropriate com and then click the Connect Button. Once connected all currently defined AtoN’s (if any) are displayed. Or, if connecting via Ethernet enter the IP address and Port in these two fields. Page 11 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved The Configuration Screen Adding a new AtoN is done by clicking the Add Button. Deleting a single AtoN is done by selecting an individual AtoN then clicking the Delete Button. Deleting All AtoN’s is done by clicking the Delete All button and confirming this action. Uploading AtoN’s to the beacon is done by clicking the Upload Button. The Help Button can be used to access this documentation. Backing Up the beacon can be carried out by using the Backup Button and saving the configuration to file. Restoring a beacon’s configuration is carried out by clicking the Restore Button and selecting the backup file that you wish to restore the beacon with. The Upload button must be used to load AtoN’s into the beacon once the restore procedure has been completed. Page 12 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Configuration Software Field Descriptions: Beacon Information Fields (Read only) Beacon information is shown for reference in the following fields; Model, H/W Rev, Serial Number, Version, etc. Max Mark Field (Read only) This field shows the maximum number of AtoN’s the beacon can have. The Virtual AIS Beacon requires AtoN Mark Licenses to be purchased, the Max Marks field will show the number of licenses each beacon currently has. Additional AtoN Mark Licenses can be purchased in blocks. It is possible to have up to 65 AtoN marks however this is dependent on the reporting interval and the mode selected for each AtoN. Marks In Use Field (Read only) The number in this field indicates the number of AtoN marks currently configured on the beacon. This field will be updated once the Upload Button is clicked. VDL Load Field (Read only) This is an indication of the VHF Data Link load. This number cannot exceed 0.5%. If you configure AtoN marks and the VDL Load exceeds 0.5% you must change the Mode, increase the Transmission Interval or remove AtoN’s before you are able to Upload to the beacon. MMSI Field An MMSI is a Maritime Mobile Service Identity, used to identify each AtoN. All Virtual AIS Beacon AtoN marks require a unique MMSI. An AtoN will not be updated to the beacon until a valid MMSI is set. Note: MMSI numbers may be allocated by the maritime authority responsible for marine radio spectrum in your region. Page 13 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Type Field This is a list of AtoN types as defined in IALA Recommendation A-126 – the use of the Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) in Marine Aids to Navigation Services. Options are: Type of AtoN is not specified Reference point RACON Fixed structure off shore, Reserved for future use Light, without sectors Light, with sectors Leading Light Front Leading Light Rear Beacon, Cardinal N Beacon, Cardinal E Beacon, Cardinal S Beacon, Cardinal W Beacon, Port hand Beacon, Starboard hand Beacon, Preferred Channel port hand Beacon, Preferred Channel starboard hand Beacon, Isolated danger Beacon, Safe water Beacon, Special mark Cardinal Mark N Cardinal Mark E Cardinal Mark S Cardinal Mark W Port hand Mark Starboard hand Mark Preferred Channel Port hand Preferred Channel Starboard hand Isolated danger Safe Water Special Mark Light Vessel / LANBY/Rigs Name Field You must name each AtoN to facilitate easier identification. This name will be visible to any vessel with AIS receiving equipment in range of the Virtual AIS Beacon. Latitude and Longitude Fields The exact location of the AtoN should be entered in these fields. Mode Field This field allows each AtoN to be configured to use transmission Mode A, B or C. Mode A allows an AtoN message to be sent on both channels with each AtoN message alternating channels. Mode B sends the message on both channels during each interval. It is important to note that although using Mode A allows more AtoN marks to be transmitted from a Virtual AIS Beacon each AtoN message is only transmitted over one channel in each reporting interval not two channels as they are in Mode B. Because Mode B uses both channels for the same message it provides the best probability of reception (see diagram below). Mode C provides an option to send the messages on one channel only. When configuring this mode options are; C1 (channel 1) or C2 (channel 2). This mode is the least likely of the three modes to be used. Page 14 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Reporting Interval 1 Reporting Interval 2 Reporting Interval 3 Mode A Ch 1 ▌ Ch 2 ▌ ▌ Mode B Ch 1 ▌ Ch 2 ▌ ▌ ▌ ▌ ▌ Mode C Ch 1 ▌ Ch 2 ▌ ▌ TDMA Field This field specifies how the slots will be allocated for transmission of AtoN messages. The two allowed Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) schemes are Fixed Access TDMA (FATDMA) and Random Access TDMA (RATDMA). In RATDMA the slots are not pre-announced. The beacon will choose a random slot based on perceived free slots. In FATDMA slots are fixed and pre-announced by a base station. These slots must be retrieved from a Competent Authority for VDL slot management. Note: FATDMA is disabled by default. Contact Vesper Marine if FATDMA is required for your application. TX Interval Field This field is entered as seconds (30sec to 720sec) and sets the time intervals for each AtoN signal (Message 21) to be transmitted. The recommended and default interval is 180 seconds. The reporting interval should be chosen so that vessels receive an appropriate number of signals (Messages 21) before coming into close proximity of the AtoN. Factors to take into account are: Vessels likely speed of approach to the AtoN Topology, for examples vessels approaching from around a headland Importance or critical nature of AtoN Nominal transmission range Page 15 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved UTC Field This field allows configuration of the time schedule the AtoN messages keep. RATDMA does not require UTC time or the start slots to be defined, since they are automatically allocated. For FATDMA, the UTC hour, minute and start slot index must be provided. The valid start slot range is 0 to 2249. The Channel TX Interval can be provided in slot units (2250 slots per minute). It corresponds to the reporting interval for modes B and C. For mode A, the Channel Transmission Interval is double of the Reporting Interval, as depicted in the figure below. Channel Transmission Interval 1 Reporting Interval 1 Mode A Ch 1 Ch 2 Reporting Interval 2 ▌ Channel Transmission Interval 2 Reporting Interval 3 Reporting Interval 4 ▌ ▌ ▌ Information provided in these fields must be consistent to the configured transmission mode. For this reason, some fields for each channel on modes A and B must match. This is enforced automatically. The following figure shows a typical FATDMA configuration for operation on mode A with a 5 minute reporting interval. Each channel is configured with a Channel TX Interval of 10 minutes. A UTC minute offset of 5 minutes is automatically added to allow the alternated transmissions to be spaced 5 minutes apart. Page 16 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Synthetic Field This field provides an option to set the AtoN as a Synthetic or a Virtual Aid to Navigation. A Synthetic Aid to Navigation indicates the position of a physical marker, i.e. channel markers, lateral marker etc. A Virtual Aid to Navigation indicates the position of a location where no physical marker exists such as a submerged rock or virtual shipping lanes. TX Count and Seconds Field These fields are for information purposes and are not editable. The transmission count for each AtoN is displayed for each channel. In addition, the number of seconds that has elapsed since the last transmission is displayed. Virtual AIS Beacon Firmware Upgrades To upgrade the VAB1252 firmware use Vesper Marine’s ‘Status & Firmware Update’ tool. The connection process is the same as described above for the Beacon Configuration software. Connect the device to a PC using the DB9 plug or Ethernet, and select the appropriate com port (or IP address and com port for Ethernet enabled devices) and press connect. The model, serial no., AIS version etc. fields will populate once the device has successfully connected. Page 17 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Once connected, click on the ‘Firmware Upgrade’ tab. From this tab you can browse for the new version of Firmware you wish to upload to the device and load it. Once the new firmware has been loaded your device will automatically reboot. Page 18 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved NMEA Command Interface The Virtual AIS Beacon supports the NMEA-0183 (v4.10) command interface. All commands start with a formatter such as $XXAID or !XXABM. The first two XX characters indicate the talker ID and are ignored by the Virtual AIS Beacon, so can be set to the caller’s preference. AtoN Configuration The Virtual AIS Beacon supports the programming of its virtual AtoN marks using the standard NMEA-0183 (v4.10) sentences. The corresponding legacy sentences as defined in IEC 62320 Appendix A are also supported as indicated in Table 1. Full sentence details can be obtained from the NMEA-0183 v4.10 standard. Note not all the sentences will respond to a query as indicated by the queryable column. Table 1 – Supported Public NMEA 0183 Sentences Formatter AID ACF ACG CBR MEB1 VER BBM ABM Description Queryable AtoN Identification Configuration General AtoN Station Configuration Extended General AtoN Station Configuration Configure Broadcast Rates for AtoN Station Messages Message Input for Broadcast Version details Binary Broadcast Message Addressed Binary Broadcast Message Yes Yes Yes Yes IEC 62320 ACE AAR No Yes No No Note 1: MEB is used to set the message contents. Five MEB payloads may be stored. The corresponding CBR is used to determine the broadcast rates for the stored message. After a command has been issued the Virtual AIS Beacon will respond with an OK or ERR sentence to indicate a success or failure. Examples: $PVSP,OK*2D $PVSP,ERR,NOT FOUND*63 Example Configuration for a Virtual AtoN A Beacon Cardinal N mark named VIRT ATON with an MMSI of 995121006 at position 36° 50.9866 S, 174° 45.1895 E on a mode A reporting interval of 3 minutes would be set on a Virtual AIS Beacon with a serial number of GZ12345 using: $ABAID,GZ12345,1,995121007,V,C*5B $ABACG,995121006,00,,,,0,VIRT ATON,0000000000,C*05 $ABACF,995121006,7,3650.9866,S,17445.1895,E,1,,,,,,09,1,C*06 $ABCBR,995121006,21,0,0,0,1682,13500,1,0,3,1682,13500,C*0F Page 19 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved To configure the same AtoN with mode B timing at an interval of 3 minutes: $ABCBR,995121006,21,0,0,0,1832,6750,1,0,0,1982,6750,C*07 To configure the same AtoN with mode C timing at an interval of 3 minutes: $ABCBR,995121006,21,0,0,0,2132,6750,1,0,0,-1,0,C*27 Valid AtoN Types The AtoN Type is defined in the ACF sentence and can be set to any one of the types shown in Table 2. See ITU-R M.1371.4 Table 71 for additional details. Table 2 – Valid AtoN Types 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Type of AtoN not specified (default) Reference point RACON Fixed structure (eg. oil platforms, wind farms) Reserved for future use Light, without sectors Light, with sectors Leading light front Leading light rear Beacon, Cardinal N Beacon, Cardinal E Beacon, Cardinal S Beacon, Cardinal W Beacon, Port hand Beacon, Starboard hand Beacon, Preferred channel port hand Beacon, Preferred channel starboard hand Beacon, Isolated danger Beacon, Safe water Beacon, Special mark Cardinal mark N Cardinal mark E Cardinal mark S Cardinal mark N Port hand mark Starboard hand mark Preferred channel port hand Preferred channel starboard hand Isolated danger Safe Water Special mark Light vessel / LANBY/ Rigs Page 20 Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved Note the AtoN must be added to the Virtual AIS Beacon using AID before any of the other configuration sentences can be used. The AtoN must have a valid and unique MMSI and must be set as a virtual AtoN. To delete the AtoN use the AID sentence with the delete flag set: $ABAID,GZ12345,0,995121007,V,C*5A Example Binary Broadcast of an Area Special Message To initiate an addressed or broadcast binary message a base MMSI must be loaded into the Virtual AIS Beacon. This MMSI will support the transmission of BBM, ABM, and MEB sentence encapsulated data. There can only be one base MMSI and it cannot be used to transmit a position report. A transmission will return an ABK to acknowledge the message has been sent and a VDO with contents of the transmitted message. For example to add a base MMSI 995121000 to send an ASM BBM (Message 8): $ABAID,GZ12345,1,995121000,R,C*58 !ABBBM,2,1,0,0,8,05H0180iqwwv77t6JAC`e000000pwPHR:O7p0000077ugDAD
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