FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.

Attention: All Furuno Distributors Date: April 2, 2003

SB No: FSB02-0002 Number of Pages: 5

Brief installation guide for FA-100 Universal AIS

The purpose of this document is to provide and highlight important installation considerations. It includes
explanations and descriptions of a basic system, sensor inputs, connections with other display equipment, an
explanation of the “pilot plug,” power requirements and VHF antenna location tips.

1. Basic Block Diagram showing mandatory and voluntary sensor inputs

GPS/VHF combined antenna

L/L
SOG
COG
External GPS
Heading
GYRO Compass

ROT
R.O.T. Indicator

AIS Information
RADAR/ECDIS/PC
Junction
Box
Display Mandatory

Voluntary

2. Explanation of Dynamic Sensor Inputs

2.1 Connecting Heading, L/L, SOG, COG, ROT to the FA-100

2.2 The IMO allows heading to be input to the FA-100 via two means: Either from a Gyro, or from the SC-
60 / SC-120 under the IMO’s THD approval rules. If using a gyro that does not have a NMEA IEC-
61162 output, an AD-100 converter may be used. The FA-100 will accept AD-10 data or IEC-61162
NMEA HDT sentence.

OR
AD-10 In port on the FA-100 Junction Box,
back of the FA-100 terminals 10 /11
transceiver

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2.3 L / L (Position)

Position input for the FA-100 must come from an IMO compliant GPS receiver (GP-80 or GP-500MK2). The
sentences needed are GNS and GLL. GGA and RMC may also be voluntarily input.

2.4 Speed over ground (SOG), Course over ground (COG)

SOG input for the FA-100 must come from an IMO compliant GPS receiver, (GP-80 or GP-500MK2) or an
IMO SDME Speed log (DS-30 or DS-50.) Course over ground (COG) must come from an IMO compliant
GPS receiver (GP-80 or GP-500MK2.) The required sentences are VBW for speed over ground (VTG, OSD
and RMC are voluntary) and RMC for course over ground (VTG and OSD are voluntary.)

Note: Speed logs are not practical means for obtaining SOG in deep water due to deep-water limitations.

OR
2.5 Rate of Turn ROT

Rate of turn input to the FA-100 is voluntary. ROT may come from either a rate of turn indicator / or from a
gyro. ROT signals fed by equipment not in compliance with IMO A.526 are used for direction of turn only,
instead of rate of turn. AIS uses ROT signals from Rate of Turn indicator with a talker prefix of “TI”. If there
is no input available from an ROT device, the FA-100 calculates ROT based on heading.

3. Displaying AIS data on other systems / displays (not required by the IMO)

3.1 The FA-100 is capable of being interfaced with RADAR, ECDIS and other displays.

Radar - Current AIS capable FURUNO RADAR include: FAR-2805 series displays when used with the
optional RP-340 plotter board, FR-2105 series displays with the optional RP-250 plotter board and FR-
1500MK3 series displays when used with the RP-180 optional plotter board (under development).

ECDIS – The FA-100 is compatible with the FEA-2105 ECDIS. The software version of the FEA-2105 must
be: Ver 03.06 or later.

PC – The FA-100 will work with a PC running dedicated AIS software from FURUNO (under development.)
Connect with PC I/O port (selectable RS-232C or RS-485).

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Other Equipment – Other manufacturer’s AIS capable equipment which support the sentences below may
be connected to the FA-100.

FA-100 ABM, ACA, ACK, AIR, BBM, LRF, LRI

Junction Box
ABK, ACA, ALR, LRF, TXT, VDM, LR1, LR2, LR3

4. Long range communications

*Long-range communications are intended to broadcast AIS information to VTS over VHF coverage by
using Inmarsat or MF / HF (System specifications is not fixed and being considered by Authority). The
sentences accepted by the FA-100 from an Inmarsat C are IEC 61162-2, LRF, LRI and the sentences sent
out from the FA-100 to the INMARSAT C are LRF, LR1, LR2, LR3.

5. Pilot plug

The Pilot port is a receptacle at the conning station for a PC brought onboard the vessel by a pilot. A 9-pin
connector and a cable to the FA-100 junction box are arranged locally, and connections are made to the FA-
100 per the diagram below. Pilot ports are not regulated by IEC, but the PANAMA CANAL AUTHORITY is
requesting that vessels passing through the PANAMA Canal have a port available on their respective AIS
systems.

The sentences which are output from the FA-100 to the PC are: ABM, ACA, ACK, AIR, BBM, LRF, LRI and
the sentences output from the PC to the FA-100 are ABK, ACA, ALR, LRF, TXT, VDM, LR1, LR2, LR3.

FURUNO have a pilot plug receptacle kit in optional line-up. Please refer to the reference drawings
attached.

FA-100 Junction box Pilot plug

(AMP 20486-1/2, Refer to attached
L/R or EXTRA I/O PC I/O drawing)
ECDIS/ RADAR
TD4-A TD6-A TD8-A Pin 1
TD4-B TD6-B TD8-B Pin 4
RD4-A RD6-A RD8-A Pin 5
RD4-B RD6-B RD8-B Pin 6
GND ISO GND ISO GND ISO Pin 9

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6. Beacon receiver

Beacon receiver (GR-80) is connected if authority requires a back up by differential GPS for the AIS. The
FA-100 can transmit corrected GPS data on its back up functions if the external GPS fails.

7. Power Source

The FA-100 requires 24VDC. The IMO requires that the U-AIS transponder should be connected with ship’s
emergency power source, then suitable converter such as the PR-240 is necessary. IMO is also considering
recommending back up from battery source.

PR-240 Emergency Power Source

100/110/210/220VAC

12-24 VDC from Battery

FA-100 OR (Back up power supply)

Emergency Power Source

12-24VDC

8. VHF antenna arrangement

Since AIS communication is digital, it is very susceptible to interference from analogue communication. To
avoid interference, at least 2.8m meters or more of vertical separation distance and at least 10m of
horizontal separation are recommended.

AIS VHF Antenna

2.8m
AIS VHF Antenna Other VHF antenna

Other VHF antenna 10m

Reference:
IMO NAV 48 (2002/4): Guideline for installation of shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS)

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Cut-out size Terminal

Connector Cable port

Pilot Plug