Product support: B200

The data captured in a log file will help us diagnose any fault. Can you please follow the instructions below:

• Connect the unit via USB to a PC or laptop and apply 12-24V
• Open up proAIS2 configuration software
• Connect to the AIS unit
• Go to the Serial Data tab
• Select Log To File
• Save the log to a location
• Select the Diagnostics tab
• Leave the unit transmitting for a duration of 30 minutes.
• Stop logging and then send us the log file via email to support@em-trak.com

If you’re having difficulty displaying AIS data on your chart plotter, please follow the instructions below.

1. Some old Chart plotters do not support AIS so you’ll need to confirm compatibility by checking the manual for reference to AIS and/or VDMs.
2. Check the receiving port can be configured to 38400 baud on the chart plotter.
3. Make sure it’s connected correctly by simply connecting the NMEA 0183 Transmit wires on the B900 Series (Brown is TX+, Blue is TX-) to the corresponding NMEA 0183 Receive wires on your compatible Chart plotter device. You’ll need to connect the positive wires together and the negative wires together. For example:
   • TX+ to RX+
   • TX- to RX –

The user manual details the wires and their functions, but for your reference please see the table below explaining the connections on the B200.

If you need any further assistance, please contact us at support@em-trak.com.

• mceclip0.png (59 KB)

AIS tracking sites get their data from AIS receivers that are installed along coastlines as well as satellites. Satellites receive a very low percentage (<2%) of transmissions from standard AIS transceivers and have many blind spots. Therefore tracking sites do not provide full coverage, at times their reception range is variable, may drop out entirely and their data refresh rate cycles and latencies can be very slow.

The best way to check your AIS is working correctly is to ask a nearby vessel with AIS if they can see you.

The pin-out for the B200 power/data cable is below:

• B900_Series_PinOuts.jpeg (94 KB)

The data captured in a log file will help us diagnose any fault. Can you please follow the instructions below:

• Connect the unit via USB to a PC or laptop and apply 12-24V
• Open up proAIS2 configuration software
• Connect to the AIS unit
• Go to the Serial Data tab
• Select Log To File
• Save the log to a location
• Select the Diagnostics tab
• Leave the unit transmitting for a duration of 30 minutes.
• Stop logging and then send us the log file via email to support@em-trak.com

Provided you have a suitable and serviceable GPS antenna connected to the AIS, lack of GPS signal can be caused by factors such as installation location or even environmental factors.

proAIS2 040300.01.26.01 for Windows and macOS can be downloaded below

Windows – https://em-trak.sharefile.com/public/share/web-s9e498856cdac4c30b528bcf830285008

Mac – https://em-trak.sharefile.com/public/share/web-sf2e8745b20a34795a67ffaf5b220ea25

Establishing a connection

To connect to proAIS2 you will need to select the relevant device (usually ‘AIS Class B Transceiver’ for Windows and ‘AIS Virtual COM port’ for macOS) from the drop down menu at the top of the screen before pressing the ‘Connect’ button. If there is no suitable device to select, please ensure the USB cable is securely connected and that the appropriate LEDs are illuminated to indicate it has initialised. If you are still unable to connect to proAIS2 after verifying the connection please contact support@em-trak.com for assistance.

‘Configuration’ tab

Vessel Details:

You will need to populate these fields using the details from your ship license.

The MMSI number will be the same as the one issued for your VHF radio. If you have not been issued with an MMSI number you will need to contact your local authority. Please contact support@em-trak.com if your MMSI number has already been configured and you need to change it. The remaining vessel data can be edited using proAIS2 once configured. Configuration of the call sign is not required if you do not have one.

Ship’s Dimensions and GNSS Antenna location:

Enter the position of your GPS antenna (in metres) in reference to the four dimensions of your boat. If your unit is using its internal GPS antenna you will need to enter the position of your unit.

Configure Baud Rates:

This setting controls the speed at which data is output from the NMEA 0183 port(s). You will need to ensure it matches the baud rate of the connected equipment (for example, a chartplotter or VHF radio). Typically, chartplotters require 38,400 baud and VHF radios require 4,800 baud. AIS data should not be configured at baud rates lower than 38,400 – this is because messages may be dropped when travelling through areas of high traffic where there is a lot of data to process.

Output GNSS Sentences:

Tick the boxes as required to output the GPS sentences over the NMEA 0183 port(s). This will usually be defined by the external equipment you’re connecting to, but if unknown RMC is typically required to provide position and SOG/COG. If you require GPS data (PGNs) to be output over the NMEA 2000 port you will need to tick the RMC box.

GNSS configuration:

This setting controls the combinations of satellite constellations which are used to get a position fix. It is not supported by the B100, B300, or B330 as they use GPS only.

Long range broadcast:

This setting enables/disables the transmission of Message 27, used for long range detection. It’s transmitted on a different channel (frequency) and typically received by satellites. This proAIS2 feature is supported by Class B SO products only.

Please note that any applied configuration will need to be saved by pressing the ‘Write Configuration’ button.

‘GNSS Status’ tab

Use this tab to check the performance of your GPS antenna. This is particularly useful if you’re unsure where you need to mount your unit if it uses an internal GPS antenna. A good GPS fix is 30-40dBHz, although this may be difficult to achieve if your unit is using an internal GPS antenna and there’s an obstruction interfering with the signal.

‘Other Vessels’ tab

This tab shows the vessels in range. The vessels can be sorted by selecting the appropriate parameter at the top of the field.

‘Diagnostics’ tab

Checklist:

If your unit is fully configured and installed correctly every parameter should have a green tick against it.

Internal Data:

This field displays software versions, serial numbers, and operational/performance data. You may be requested for this information if you contact em-trak customer support for assistance.

‘VSWR’ is Voltage Standing Wave Ratio, and is an indicator of VHF antenna performance. A good VSWR is 3:1 or less, and can be affected by factors such as length or quality of cable and type of VHF antenna connected. If it exceeds the threshold a red cross will appear against AIS Antenna in the checklist field.

‘Power supply voltage’ reports the voltage received at the unit. There may be a small drop in voltage between the battery / power source and the unit, depending on the length of cable. External power (12-24V) is required for the unit to receive and transmit.

Status:

Reflects the LED indicator status on your unit. Select the ‘Silent Mode’ button to enable / disable silent mode, where the blue LED will illuminate if enabled.

Statistics:

Displays the number of messages that have been received and transmitted.

Messages:

Occasionally messages will be output in this field depending on the operational status of your product.

Class B/CS products routinely output ‘CP busy’ or ‘TX attempt failed’ messages; these are normal and relate to the way that Carrier Sense operates, where it needs to listen out for a free slot before it can transmit. You may also see a message relating to RX1 / RX2 and DSC; this is also normal and indicates when one of the receivers is monitoring the DSC channel on a regular, time-shared basis.

Alarms:

This field displays all active alarms. The alarm will be indicated with a corresponding red LED, either flashing (high VSWR) or solid (other hardware-related failure). If the conditions change and the alarm is no longer active, it will disappear from the list and the red LED will stop.

‘Wi-Fi’ tab

Use this tab to configure the W-Fi interface on your unit. The configurable parameters will differ between the B330 / B360 products and the newer B200 / B900 Series products; the specific details are covered in the product manuals. This tab is only available on products that support Wi-Fi.

As with the vessel data configuration, you will need to press the ‘Write Configuration’ button to save any changes.

‘Serial Data’ tab

Raw serial data is output on this tab. It can also be used to log the serial data to a file (which may be requested for diagnostic purposes if you contact em-trak for support), and there’s a field to enter command(s), if you have requested a configuration that isn’t supported directly by proAIS2.

‘VDR’ tab

Your position is automatically logged every time your vessel moves more than 10 meters, and this tab can be used to download that data from a selectable date range. The VDR feature is only supported on Wi-Fi products, and this proAIS2 tab is currently available for the B330 and B360 only.

If you have a question relating to proAIS2, and it isn’t covered in this article, please contact support@em-trak.com

If you’re using the default Wi-Fi configuration on your B200 it will be identified as ’em-trak’ on the latest version of the Navionics Boating app.

Otherwise, please follow the steps below to add the B200 manually:

• Connect to your AIS SSID from your Android or iOS WiFi Settings page
• Enter the password when prompted (the default is emtrakais). This can be checked when connected to proAIS2 on the Wi-Fi tab.
• Once connected, open up the Navionics app
• Next select Menu on the Navionics app
• Select Paired Devices
• At the bottom of the page select ADD DEVICE
• Under TCP enter a name
• Enter your Host (IP address)
• Enter your Port number
• Click Save
  The app should start receiving data

The B200 Bluetooth interface uses the Classic SPP (Serial Port Profile) – this is a standard method of replicating a wired serial connection and is used by many applications including Android, Windows, and Raspberry Pi.

Apple removed support for Bluetooth SPP from iOS, opting for a proprietary authentication method instead, so unfortunately the B200 is not recognised as Bluetooth devices.

The Access Point mode default password for the B200 is emtrakais

This can be changed using the Wi-Fi tab of proAIS2, the configuration tool.

The following LED status modes will be available to assist in the quick diagnosis of issues:

Green LED indicator
Indicates that the AIS transceiver is configured, powered up and operating normally.

Amber LED indicator
Indicates that the AIS transceiver is not transmitting. This can be for a number of reasons:
• The AIS radio channels are exceptionally busy so there are currently no available slots for transmission.
• The unit has been in silent mode and after deactivating silent mode this amber LED indicator will illuminate until the first AIS message has been sent.
• The AIS transceiver has been commanded by the local authority (via an AIS base station) to cease transmissions.

Red LED indicator
Indicates that the AIS transceiver has detected a system error. The likely causes of this are detailed in the troubleshooting guide in the B200 user manual. Alarms displayed in the Diagnostic tab of the em-trak configuration tools will also assist with troubleshooting.

Blue LED indicator
Indicates that silent mode is enabled. Silent mode is a feature of the B200 that ceases the transmissions from your own vessel, whilst the reception of other vessel position reports continue.
You can activate this using the configuration tools or by activating the toggle switch as detailed in the B200 user manual.

Green/Yellow/Red LED indicator
Indicates the AIS transceiver is operating from the internal battery. The colour of the indicator flashes give information on the charge state of the battery:
green – good charge level;
yellow – ok charge level;
red – low charge level.

If you see any different LED status lights displayed, or if you have any questions about the examples shown above, then please contact the Customer Support Team for advice at: support@em-trak.com. Alternatively, connect your B200 to the latest version of ProAIS2 to check the diagnostic status of your unit.

The B200 has 3 modes of operation and a standby mode. When external power is present, the transceiver is in Normal mode. When external power is removed, the B200 enters one of two modes, Normal Back-up or Emergency Back-up, depending on how the transceiver has been configured using proAIS2.

Normal mode
The transceiver transmits and receives normally.

Normal back-up mode
In Normal back-up mode the B200 will continue to operate as a standard AIS Class B SOTDMA device as if external power were present until battery power is exhausted. The battery back-up will last approximately 12 hours.

Emergency back-up mode
In Emergency Back-up mode, the B200 maximises the battery life
to 24 hours by:
•decreasing the AIS transmission rate to every 10 minutes
(messages will be transmitted using the CSTDMA access scheme).
•disabling all other functionality up to 30 seconds before a transmission

Standby mode
In standby mode the transceiver stops transmitting, receiving and
communicating with other equipment.

In normal backup mode the battery back-up will last approximately 12 hours.

The reason this happens is that AIS name messages were added to the NMEA2000 specification relatively recently (2010) as it took some time for the NMEA standards organisation to define the message structure. Prior to this, individual manufacturers (Simrad / Garmin / Raymarine etc) adopted their own proprietary messages for Class B vessel names on an NMEA2000 network. This meant that their own AIS equipment could communicate with their own displays, but created compatibility problems between manufacturers.

The Access Point mode default password for the B200 is emtrakais

If you’re using the default Wi-Fi configuration on your B200 it will be identified as ’Em-trak’ on the latest version of the Navionics Boating app.