Quark-elec Manual
3 of 14
2018
V2.0
2. Introduction
In the box:
1× AIS class B Transponder
1× USB cable
1×CD (USB driver)
1×power/NMEA cable
1×4 Sets of nuts, bolts and
washers
This manual provides installation procedures, configuration and safety instructions for the A042T
Class B Transponder.
AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. AIS is a location and vessel information reporting
system. It allows vessels equipped with AIS to automatically and dynamically share and regularly
update their position, speed over ground (SOG), course over ground (COG) and other information
such as vessel identity with similarly equipped craft. Position is derived from GPS satellites and
communication between vessels is by Very High Frequency (VHF) digital transmissions. A
sophisticated and automatic method of time sharing the radio channel is used to ensure that even
where a large number of vessels are in one location blocking of individual transmissions is minimized,
any degradation of the expected position reporting interval is indicated to the user and even if the unit
suffers extreme channel overload conditions it will always recover to normal operation.
AIS is defined in a series of formal documents issued by the ITU and IEC.
3. AIS Class A/B
There are two classes of AIS unit fitted to vessels, Class A and Class B. In addition AIS base stations
may be employed by the Coastguard, port authorities and other authorized bodies. AIS units acting as
aids to navigation (AtoNs) 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 fit Class A units. Class B units are currently not a
mandatory fit but authorities in several parts of the world are considering this. Class B units are
designed for fitting in vessels which do not fall into the mandatory Class A fit category. A042T is a
class B transponder.
A Class A unit will transmit its IMO number (if known), MMSI, Call sign and Name, length and beam,
ship type, time, course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), heading, navigational status,
rate of turn, draught, cargo type, destination and safety related messages via a short message service
(SMS) facility. Message lengths are variable with static and voyage related information being
transmitted less often.
Class A ship messages reporting intervals
Ships dynamic conditions
Rate
Ship at anchor or moored
3 min
Ship 0-14 Knots
10 sec
Ship 0-14 Knots and changing course
3.3 sec
Ship 14-23 Knots
6 sec
Ship 14-23 Knots and changing course
2 sec