Operating Manual BCx-1135 Ed1 D ENG

ELMAN S.r.l.

Via di Valle Caia, 37 - 00071 Pomezia (Rome, Italy) Certified Quality System ISO 9001
Ph: +39 06 91 94 405 Fax: +39 06 91 94 306 P.I. (VAT Number) 01003631007
[email protected] www.elmansrl.it C.F. (Registration Number) 01518520588

Operating Manual
AIS Base Station Controller
Mod. BCx-1135
BCx-1135 Operating Manual - INTRODUCTION

COPYRIGHT © 2015 – ELMAN SRL, ITALY – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in

any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission
of the Elman S.r.l.
WARNING: Even though Elman S.r.l. is extremely careful when

producing its publications, this document may contain errors or
omissions, and may be changed without notice. Elman S.r.l. cannot be
held responsible for any damages resulting from the use of this manual.
2
AIS Base Station Controller

Mod. BCx-1135
Revision History
Ed. Rev. Date Change description Action Pages
(*)
I A 14/01/2013 First issue C
I B 04/09/2015 Updated to latest firmware version U
I C 19/02/2016 GSM Modem configuration added I
I D 18/04/2016 Added description of Receiver Manager function I
Action (*): C= Creation, I=Insert, U=Update, R=Replace, D=Delete
Approval
Owner: Verified by: Approved by:
Michele Cianella Michele Cianella Pierluigi Fiori
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 13
1.1 MANUAL LAYOUT .................................................................................................................... 13
2 BCx-1135 OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 14
2.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 BCS-1135 .................................................................................................................................. 14
2.3 BCD-1135 ................................................................................................................................. 14
2.4 BLOCK DIAGRAM ..................................................................................................................... 16
2.5 PRODUCT BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (PBS) ............................................................................. 17
3 BCx-1135 CONFIGURATION AND MONITORING ............................................................................. 19
3.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 19
3.2 INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................... 20
3.3 SERIAL PORTS........................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.1 PORT TYPES ...................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.2 PORT ROLES ...................................................................................................................... 22
3.3.2.1 Simple........................................................................................................................ 22
3.3.2.2 AIS Station ................................................................................................................. 23
3.3.2.3 CSU - AIS Main/Backup ............................................................................................. 23
3.3.2.4 CSU Remote .............................................................................................................. 24
3.3.3 GPS PPS OUT .................................................................................................................... 25
3.4 TCP CONNECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 27
3.4.1 REMOTE CLIENT................................................................................................................ 28
3.4.2 REMOTE SERVER .............................................................................................................. 29
3.4.3 REMOTE SSL SERVER ........................................................................................................ 29
3.5 GSM MODEM........................................................................................................................... 30
3.5.1 GSM MODEM ................................................................................................................... 31
3.5.2 REMOTE CONNECTION SETTINGS .................................................................................... 31

4
3.5.3 PDP CONTEXT SETTINGS................................................................................................... 32
3.5.4 DATA USERS SETTINGS ..................................................................................................... 33
3.5.5 COMMENT BLOCK SETTINGS............................................................................................ 34
3.5.6 W-AIS SETTINGS ............................................................................................................... 34
3.5.7 GPS DATA SETTINGS ......................................................................................................... 35
3.5.8 RTCM SETTINGS................................................................................................................ 35
3.5.9 NMEA MESSAGE FILTERS ................................................................................................. 36
3.5.10 REPEATER SETTINGS ......................................................................................................... 37
3.5.11 LOCAL STORAGE SETTINGS............................................................................................... 37
3.6 AIS DATA/REPEATER/DATA LINK FILTERS ................................................................................ 39
3.6.1 REPEATER/DATA LINK SETTINGS ...................................................................................... 39
3.6.2 ITU MESSAGE FILTERS ...................................................................................................... 39
3.6.3 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SKIPPING ......................................................................................... 40
3.6.4 MMSI FILTERS ................................................................................................................... 40
3.6.5 REPEAT INDICATOR FILTERS ............................................................................................. 41
3.6.6 AREA FILTERS .................................................................................................................... 41
3.6.7 SHIP TYPE FILTERS ............................................................................................................ 43
3.7 SNMP ....................................................................................................................................... 45
3.8 SYNC......................................................................................................................................... 46
3.9 WEB USERS .............................................................................................................................. 47
3.10 OFFLINE STORAGE ................................................................................................................... 49
3.11 ALARMS ................................................................................................................................... 50
3.12 IMPORT/EXPORT ..................................................................................................................... 51
3.13 EXPLORER ................................................................................................................................ 52
3.14 UPGRADE ................................................................................................................................. 53
3.15 STATUS ..................................................................................................................................... 55
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3.16 LOGS ........................................................................................................................................ 57
3.17 RECEIVED AIS TARGET LIST ...................................................................................................... 58
4 BASE STATION MONITORING/CONFIGURATION ............................................................................. 59
4.1 MONITOR PAGE ....................................................................................................................... 59
4.2 DEVICE MONITOR PAGE .......................................................................................................... 61
4.2.1 STATUS ............................................................................................................................. 61
4.2.2 STATISTICS ........................................................................................................................ 62
4.2.3 MEASUREMENTS .............................................................................................................. 63
4.3 DEVICE CONFIGURATION PAGE ............................................................................................... 64
4.3.1 FACTORY SETTINGS .......................................................................................................... 64
4.3.2 INSTALLATION .................................................................................................................. 64
4.3.3 ID ...................................................................................................................................... 65
4.3.4 GENERAL ........................................................................................................................... 65
4.3.5 FATDMA............................................................................................................................ 66
4.3.6 CHANNEL MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................ 66
4.3.7 DGNSS (ONLY FOR ABT-1103) .......................................................................................... 66
4.3.8 SPO ................................................................................................................................... 66
4.3.9 ALR/TXT ............................................................................................................................ 67
4.3.10 RECEIVER MANAGER (ONLY FOR ABT-1103).................................................................... 67
4.3.11 W-AIS ................................................................................................................................ 68
5 SUPPORTED IEC-61162 SENTENCES ................................................................................................ 69
5.1 IO PORTS .................................................................................................................................. 69
5.1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 69
5.1.2 STANDARD SENTENCES .................................................................................................... 71
5.1.2.1 Queries ...................................................................................................................... 71
5.1.2.2 ACA - UAIS Regional Channel Assigment Message ................................................... 71
6
5.1.2.3 ACK – Acknowledge alarm ........................................................................................ 71
5.1.2.4 ADS – AIS Device Status ............................................................................................ 71
5.1.2.5 AGA - AIS Base Station group assignment message ................................................. 71
5.1.2.6 ALR – Alarm State ..................................................................................................... 71
5.1.2.7 BCE – Extended general Base Station configuration ................................................ 72
5.1.2.8 BCF – General Base Station configuration ................................................................ 72
5.1.2.9 CAB – Control AIS Base Station ................................................................................. 72
5.1.2.10 DLM – Data link management slot allocations for Base Station .............................. 72
5.1.2.11 ECB – Broadcast rates for Base Station messages .................................................... 72
5.1.2.12 FSR – Frame summary of AIS reception.................................................................... 72
5.1.2.13 SID – Installation of a station’s identification ........................................................... 72
5.1.2.14 SPO – Select AIS device’s processing and output ..................................................... 72
5.1.2.15 SSD – Ship static data ................................................................................................ 73
5.1.2.16 TXT – Text transmission ............................................................................................ 73
5.1.2.17 VDM – VHF data link message .................................................................................. 73
5.1.2.18 VER – Version ............................................................................................................ 73
5.1.2.19 ZDA – Time and date ................................................................................................. 73
5.1.3 PROPRIETARY SENTENCES ................................................................................................ 73
5.1.3.1 QUERIES .................................................................................................................... 73
5.1.3.2 PELMAFS – AIS Factory Settings................................................................................ 73
5.1.3.3 PELMAIS – AIS Installation Settings .......................................................................... 73
5.1.3.4 PELMATE – Alarm/Text sentence enable/disable .................................................... 74
5.1.3.5 PELMDBG – Debug/service functionalities ............................................................... 74
5.1.3.6 PELMDGC – DGNSS service configuration ................................................................ 74
5.1.3.7 PELMEKS – Encryption Key Status ............................................................................ 74
5.1.3.8 PELMENK – Encryption Key ....................................................................................... 74
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5.1.3.9 PELMENS – Encryption Settings ................................................................................ 74
5.1.3.10 PELMMEA – Measurements ..................................................................................... 74
5.1.3.11 PELMRXM - Receiver Manager ................................................................................. 74
5.1.3.12 PELMSEC – Secure mode status................................................................................ 74
5.1.3.13 PELMWAS – WAIS Settings ....................................................................................... 75
5.1.4 GPS SENTENCES ................................................................................................................ 75
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 : BCx-1135 block diagram ......................................................................................................... 16
Figure 2 : PBS of BCS-1135 ..................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 3 : PBS of BCD-1135..................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 4: BCx-1135 serial ports configuration ........................................................................................ 21
Figure 5: Simple port configuration ....................................................................................................... 22
Figure 6: Simple port monitoring ........................................................................................................... 22
Figure 7: AIS Station port configuration ................................................................................................. 23
Figure 8: AIS Station port monitoring .................................................................................................... 23
Figure 9: CSU - AIS Main/Backup port configuration ............................................................................. 24
Figure 10: AIS Main/Backup port monitoring ........................................................................................ 24
Figure 11: CSU - Remote port configuration .......................................................................................... 25
Figure 12: CSU - Remote port monitoring.............................................................................................. 25
Figure 13GPS PPS Out configuration ...................................................................................................... 26
Figure 14: BCx-1135 TCP Connections configuration ............................................................................. 27
Figure 15: Remote Client configuration ................................................................................................. 28
Figure 16: Remote Server configuration ................................................................................................ 29
Figure 17 : BCx-1135 GSM Modem configuration ................................................................................. 30
Figure 18: GSM Modem configuration................................................................................................... 31
Figure 19: Remote Connection Settings................................................................................................. 31
Figure 20: PDP Context Settings ............................................................................................................. 32
Figure 21 : Data Filters configuration ..................................................................................................... 33
Figure 22: Data User Settings ................................................................................................................. 34
Figure 23: Comment Block Settings ....................................................................................................... 34
Figure 24: W-AIS Settings ....................................................................................................................... 35
Figure 25: GPS Data Settings .................................................................................................................. 35
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Figure 26: RTCM Settings ....................................................................................................................... 35
Figure 27: NMEA Message Filters .......................................................................................................... 36
Figure 28: "Add Messages" box ............................................................................................................. 37
Figure 29: Repeater Settings .................................................................................................................. 37
Figure 30: Local Storage Settings ........................................................................................................... 38
Figure 31 : Repeater/Data Link settings ................................................................................................. 39
Figure 32I: ITU Message Filters .............................................................................................................. 40
Figure 33: Dynamic Message Skipping ................................................................................................... 40
Figure 34: MMSI Filters .......................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 35: Repeat Indicator Filters ......................................................................................................... 41
Figure 36: Circular area filter.................................................................................................................. 42
Figure 37: Mercator area filter ............................................................................................................... 42
Figure 38: Polygonal area filter .............................................................................................................. 42
Figure 39: Area Filters ............................................................................................................................ 43
Figure 40: Ship Tpe Filter Configuration ................................................................................................ 44
Figure 41: BCx-1135 SNMP configuration .............................................................................................. 45
Figure 42: BCx-1135 synchronization configuration .............................................................................. 46
Figure 43: BCx-1135 Web users configuration ....................................................................................... 47
Figure 44: Web administrator editing .................................................................................................... 47
Figure 45: Web user editing ................................................................................................................... 48
Figure 46 : BCx-1135 offline storage configuration ............................................................................... 49
Figure 47: BCx-1135 alarms configuration ............................................................................................. 50
Figure 48: BCx-1135 import/export configuration................................................................................. 51
Figure 49 : BCx-1135 file explorer .......................................................................................................... 52
Figure 50: BCx-1135 firmware upgrade page ........................................................................................ 53
Figure 51: BCx-1135 status page ............................................................................................................ 55
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Figure 52: BCx-1135 mate board status ................................................................................................. 56
Figure 53: BCx-1135 system logs............................................................................................................ 57
Figure 54 : BCx-1135 targets page ......................................................................................................... 58
Figure 55 : AIS targets on Google Earth™ .............................................................................................. 58
Figure 56: BCx-1135 monitor page......................................................................................................... 59
Figure 57: BCx-1135 device monitor page ............................................................................................. 61
Figure 58: Device status page ................................................................................................................ 62
Figure 59: Device statistics page ............................................................................................................ 62
Figure 60: Device measurements page .................................................................................................. 63
Figure 61: Device configuration page .................................................................................................... 64
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 : Configuration access modes .................................................................................................... 15
Table 2 : Sentences used on IO ports ..................................................................................................... 70
Table 3: Supported GPS sentences ........................................................................................................ 75
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1 INTRODUCTION
This OPERATING MANUAL, supplied with the BCx-1135 AIS Base Station Controller, was written to
provide operators with all the useful and essential information and indications needed, in particular
to correctly configure and operate the BCx-1135.
Read this manual thoroughly before using the device.
A Technical Manual of the BCx-1135 is also available including all the instructions needed for a
correct installation and maintenance of the unit.
Warning:
Even though our company is extremely careful when producing its publications, this manual may
contain errors or omissions, and may be changed without warning. Elman S.r.l. cannot be held
responsible for any damages resulting from the use of this manual.
1.1 MANUAL LAYOUT

The manual has been split into chapters to make it easier to consult. The chapters respectively
contain the following information:
 An overview of the BCx-1135;
 Detailed configuration instructions;
 Monitoring and configuration instructions for the connected AIS base stations;
 A list of all supported IEC sentences with content description.
Each page (with the exception of the title page) includes a header and a footer sections featuring:
 the title of the manual;
 the title of the chapter
 the current page.
13
BCx-1135 Operating Manual - BCx-1135 OVERVIEW
2 BCx-1135 OVERVIEW
2.1 OVERVIEW
BCx-1135 implements a controller unit for AIS shore stations; all AIS Base Stations compliant with the
IEC 62320-1 standard can be directly connected to the BCx-1135 using the provided RS-232, RS-422
and Ethernet ports. In addition, the BCx-1135 supports the extended functionalities of the Elman
ABT-1103 Base Station.
The BCx-1135 can interface multiple AIS Base stations at the same time, acting as a Physical Shore
Station Control Unit (PCU), as defined in the IALA Recommendation A-124. The PCU is the AIS service
interface to the VHF Data Link (VDL), encapsulating the technology dependent functions of the AIS
Service and providing technology independent AIS functionalities to the AIS Logical Shore Stations
(AIS- LSS).
The main features of BCx-1135 are:
 Serial to IP conversion;
 Multiple IP users (data sources, consumers or both) with authentication;
 Configuration via Web interface;
 Multiple AIS base station configuration via WEB interface;
 Multiple AIS base station monitoring via WEB interface;
 Embedded SNMP agent;
 SNTP.
BCx-1135 is available in two versions: BCS-1135 and BCD-1135.
2.2 BCS-1135
BCS-1135: this is a single base station controller, made up of one server board, up to 5 serial cards,
one optional DGPS module, one optional GSM/GPRS module and one optional VHF antenna relay
switch.
2.3 BCD-1135
BCD-1135 is a dual base station controller, made up of two server boards, up to 5 serial cards, one
optional DGPS module, one optional GSM/GPRS module and one optional VHF antenna relay. The
two boards are designated as Master and Slave: the master board can control serial ports directly.
14
According to installation settings (see 3.2) the slave board can be configured in two modes, Backup
and Secondary:
 Backup: this is a redundant mode; the slave switches into working mode when a failure occurs
on the master. The slave board inherits all configurations (except its own IP address and
Unique ID) from the master.
 Secondary: this mode is useful when, for instance, two different networks must be interfaced.
The two boards can be configured separately (except for serial ports settings).
The following table shows access modes to the different kinds of configurations for master and slave
boards1.
CONFIGURATION MASTER SLAVE/SECONDARY SLAVE/BACKUP
Installation2 RW RW RW
Serial Ports RW RO RO
TCP Connections RW RW RO
GSM Modem RW RO RO
Data Filters3 RW RW RO
SNMP RW RW RO4
Sync RW RW RO
Web Administrator RW RO RO
Web Operators RW RW RO
Offline Storage RW RW RO
Alarms RW RW RO
Upgrade RW RW RO
Table 1 : Configuration access modes
Refer to chapter 3 for detailed configuration instructions.
1
RW=Read/Write, RO= Read only
2
Slave Working Mode is RO for slave board.
3
Data Filters are RW for Slave/Secondary board only for TCP connections
4 Only Hostname is editable
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2.4 BLOCK DIAGRAM

The following picture shows the main functional blocks of the BCx-1135.
Figure 1 : BCx-1135 block diagram
BCx-1135 is made up of the following modules:
 one (BCS-1135) or two (BCD-1135) server boards (SVA-135), which process and forward AIS
data, and manage the embedded IP interface; each board includes a two-port Ethernet
switch;
 one motherboard (MBD-135), which interfaces the server board(s) with other optional
modules;
 up to 5 serial cards (P1 ÷ P5), each of which can typically interface an AIS device (e.g.: a base
station); a serial connection can also be used to forward AIS data to a consumer;
 one optional DGPS receiver (GRB-135), which provides the internal synchronization source;
the GPS receiver can also be used as a synchronization source for the connected devices;
 one optional GSM/GPRS module (CTB-145), which can be typically used as a backup
connection when the main link fails;
 one optional VHF antenna relay, which is useful to switch VHF antenna signal when the BCx-
1135 is configured as a switching unit for two AIS base stations.
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2.5 PRODUCT BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (PBS)

The following pictures show the complete structure of the BCS-1135 and BCD-1135.
BASE STATION CONTROLLER BCS-1135
SYSTEM SUBSYSTEMS MODULES ACCESSORIES
BCS-1135
SVA-135
Firmware
MBD-135
P1 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P2 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P3 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P4 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P5 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
GRB-135
(optional)
CTB-145
(optional,
alternative to P5)
Cabling
VHF antenna
relay (optional)
AC power cord
Optional DC
power cord
Optional VHF
antenna
Optional GPS
antenna
Optional GSM
antenna
Optional data
cables
Figure 2 : PBS of BCS-1135
17
BASE STATION CONTROLLER BCD-1135
SYSTEM SUBSYSTEMS MODULES ACCESSORIES
BCD-1135
SVA-135
SVA-135 Firmware
MBD-135
P1 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P2 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P3 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P4 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
P5 (optional)
SCB/SCM-135
GRB-135
(optional)
CTB-145
(optional,
alternative to P5)
Cabling
VHF antenna
relay (optional)
AC power cord
Optional DC
power cord
Optional VHF
antenna
Optional GPS
antenna
Optional GSM
antenna
Optional data
cables
Figure 3 : PBS of BCD-1135
As described above in 2.4, BCS-1135 and BCD-1135 differ by the number of server boards SVA-135.
Ports P1 ÷ P5 can be of 3 types; refer to section 3.3.1 for a detailed description of the different port
types.
18
BCx-1135 Operating Manual - BCx-1135 CONFIGURATION AND MONITORING
3 BCx-1135 CONFIGURATION AND MONITORING

3.1 OVERVIEW
In order to edit the BCx-1135 configuration, it is sufficient to connect, via Web-browser, to the device
IP address and enter the administrator credentials. Factory default settings are the following:
 IP address: 192.168.1.135
 Administrator username: admin
 Administrator password: admin
The configuration pages described in the following sections will be accessible only if the login has
been performed as administrator. Note that performing the login on the BCx-1135 web interface
with user credentials will limit access only to the pages related to monitoring.
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3.2 INSTALLATION
The Installation menu allows to edit BCx-1135 general parameters, such as network parameters (IP
address, Netmask and Gateway), TCP port for incoming connections, Unique ID and slave-mode
(BCD-1135 version).
Bear in mind that the IP Address and the Unique ID identify each BCx-1135 server board on the
network; assigning the same Unique ID or IP Address to more than one device may result in system
misbehaviours.
After clicking on the Save button, inserted parameters will be stored on a non volatile memory, and
will be loaded at the next device reboot.
Refer to the BCx-1135 Technical Manual for detailed description of typical configurations for different
installation scenarios.
20
3.3 SERIAL PORTS

From the Serial Ports menu it is possible to enable each serial port and to edit its parameters.
Figure 4: BCx-1135 serial ports configuration
For each serial port, after it has been enabled, it is possible to configure the following parameters:
 Baudrate;
 Role (see section 3.3.2);
 Manual settings for I/O pins (see section 3.3.2).
3.3.1 PORT TYPES

Depending upon factory settings, each BCx-1135 slot supports 3 types of ports:
 SCM-135:
o RS-232 DTE serial communication;
o Management of RTS, DTR, DSR, DCD.
 SCB-135:
o Suited for AIS base stations;
o RS-232 serial communication;
o Management of ABT-1103 I/O pins (BITE, INHIBIT and PGM for firmware upgrade
mode);
21
o PPS output (when a GPS module is installed).
 SCB-135 422:
o Similar to SCB-135 but with RS-422 serial communication.
3.3.2 PORT ROLES

Each serial port can be configured in different ways, according to port type and to system installation.
3.3.2.1 Simple
Port role Simple should be selected when the connected device is standard RS-232 equipment. This
port type also allows manual control of two output pins and reading two input pins status. The port
can be either SCM or SCB type. When this port role is selected, it is possible to set the initial status of
the two output pins.
Figure 5: Simple port configuration
From the monitoring table, the status of the output and input pins can be read and the status of the
two output pins can be manually toggled.
Figure 6: Simple port monitoring
If the port is SCB type, only the status of one input pin is readable.
22
3.3.2.2 AIS Station

Port role AIS Station should be selected when the connected device is an ABT-1103 or similar. The
port should be SCB type. When this port role is selected, it is possible to set the initial status of the
INHIBIT pin.
Figure 7: AIS Station port configuration
From the monitoring table, it is possible to read the status of the BITE, INHIBIT and PGM pins and it is
possible to manually toggle the INHIBIT and PGM pins.
Figure 8: AIS Station port monitoring
3.3.2.3 CSU - AIS Main/Backup

Port role CSU – AIS Main should be selected when two AIS stations (ABT-1103 or similar) must be
connected in redundant mode. The port should be SCB type. This port role allows the following
settings:
 a coupled port (CSU – AIS Backup);
 enabling the forwarding of NMEA messages to data users from stand-by port;
 automatic switchover: when enabled, BCx-1135 automatically selects between the AIS
Stations connected to the Main and the Backup Ports the better one available for
transmission by setting the INHIBIT pins accordingly;
23
 antenna relay switch: when enabled, the signal from the VHF antenna is automatically
switched to the active Base Station.
Figure 9: CSU - AIS Main/Backup port configuration
Note that, for the CSU – AIS Backup port, only the baudrate is editable, while other parameters are
inherited from the configuration of the coupled main port.
From the monitoring table, it is possible to read the status of the BITE, INHIBIT and PGM pins of the
two ports; it is also possible to manually toggle the PGM pin for both ports (main and backup).
Moreover, if Automatic Switchover is not enabled, it is possible to select the active Base Station by
manually toggling the INHIBIT pins, otherwise BCx-1135 automatically selects the active Base Station
by processing the alarm messages received from both ports.
Figure 10: AIS Main/Backup port monitoring
3.3.2.4 CSU Remote

Port role CSU – Remote should be selected when the equipment is connected to the remote control
port of a switching unit (e.g.: CSU-1103). This kind of installation is required, for instance, when the
BCx-1135 is installed in a control centre and two AIS base stations are installed in redundant mode in
a remote site and directly connected to the switching unit. The connection between the BCx-1135
and the switching unit can be achieved, for instance, via radio link.
24
This port should be SCM type. When this port role is selected, it is possible to set the initial status of
the Master/Slave select pin.
Figure 11: CSU - Remote port configuration
On the monitoring table, it is possible to read the status of the BITE, M/S select and PGM pins; it is
also possible to manually toggle the M/S select and the PGM pins. Notice that toggling the PGM pin
will affect the active base station only.
Figure 12: CSU - Remote port monitoring
3.3.3 GPS PPS OUT

When a GPS module is installed, it is possible to configure the PPS (Pulse-Per-Second) settings for the
serial ports. The PPS out pin is only provided by SCB type ports.
There are 3 possible settings for the PPS output:
 Disabled;
 Enabled;
 Enabled – Inverted.
25
Figure 13GPS PPS Out configuration
The PPS output should be enabled when the internal GPS module is intended to be used as an
external synchronization source for the Base Stations.
26
3.4 TCP CONNECTIONS

From the Tcp Connections menu, it is possible to add, edit or delete TCP users which will
send/receive data to/from the BCx-1135.
Each user can be configured as a remote client (the BCx-1135 accepts incoming connections) or as a
remote server (the BCx-1135 connects to the user).
Figure 14: BCx-1135 TCP Connections configuration
27
3.4.1 REMOTE CLIENT

Each TCP Client connection shall be authenticated by the BCx-1135. Therefore, the system
administrator shall specify Username and Password and/or the IP address of the client application.
The BCx-1135 will accept incoming connections on the TCP port specified in section 3.2.
Figure 15: Remote Client configuration
It is possible to decide if the TCP user connection is enabled or it will start as disabled by the
Connection Enabled checkbox. It is possible to manually enable/disable the connection from the
Monitor page (see section 4.1).
If a username and a password are set for the TCP client, the authentication string format accepted by
BCx-1135 is %01%un%00%pw%00 where:
 %un is the username;
 %pw is the password;
 %xx represents the ASCII character of hexadecimal code xx.
For example, if username is user1 and password is password1, authentication string must be
%01user1%00password1%00.
28
3.4.2 REMOTE SERVER

The system administrator shall specify the IP address and the TCP port for each TCP server. If
authentication on the Remote TCP Server is required, it is possible to specify Username, Password
and the authentication string format.
It is possible to decide if the TCP user connection is enabled or it will start as disabled by the
Connection Enabled checkbox. It is possible to manually enable/disable the connection from the
Monitor page (see section 4.1).
Authentication string format follows the same rules described in section 3.4.1. Refer to the TCP
Server application manual for supported authentication strings, if any.
The BCx-1135 automatically and periodically attempts to connect to each configured TCP server.
Figure 16: Remote Server configuration
3.4.3 REMOTE SSL SERVER

This setting is used when BCx-1135 must perform an encrypted connection towards a TCP Server.
BCx-1135 implements an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) client without any certificate: the TCP Server
application should be configured accordingly (e.g.: if using stunnel, the parameter verify should be set
to 1).
The settings are the same of a Remote Server (see 3.4.2).
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3.5 GSM MODEM

From the GSM Modem menu, available only when a GSM module is installed, it is possible to
configure an additional connection which will send/receive data to/from the BCx-1135.
This connection can be configured as a persistent connection (i.e.: BCx-1135 will establish the
connection and keep it active persistently) or as a backup connection, when the related TCP remote
server connection is lost (e.g.: due to LAN/WAN connectivity issues).
Figure 17 : BCx-1135 GSM Modem configuration
Configurable parameters for the GSM Modem are described in the following sections.
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3.5.1 GSM MODEM

This section allows to configure basic GSM connection parameters.
Figure 18: GSM Modem configuration
 Connection Enabled: this option enables/disables
 Connection Type: this option allows to specify if the connection shall be persistent or backup
 Connection to Backup: if the previous parameter is set to "Backup", it is possible to specify

which connection shall be backed-up. It is possible to chose among the Remote Server or
Remote SSL Server connections configured in the Tcp Connections section (see. 3.4).
3.5.2 REMOTE CONNECTION SETTINGS

From this section, it is possible to specify the remote connection settings.
Figure 19: Remote Connection Settings
For the remote connection settings, the same rules described in sections 3.4.2 and 3.4.3 shall apply.
As for the Data Filters, clicking on the Edit link allows to configure Data Filters for the GSM
connection (see section 0).
The Copy link is only available when the Connection Type parameter described in 3.5.1 is set to
Backup. Clicking on this link allows to copy Data Filters from the TCP connection to backup.
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3.5.3 PDP CONTEXT SETTINGS

From this section, it is possible to configure GSM modem packet data protocol settings, like APN,
username and password, etc.
Figure 20: PDP Context Settings
Note that it is necessary to get these parameters from the GSM network provider.
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DATA FILTERS
Both for serial ports and TCP connections, it is possible to configure Data Filters. By configuring the
data filters, the system administrator can exactly specify the input and output data to be filtered out
on each serial and TCP connection.
Figure 21 : Data Filters configuration
Each AIS data user can be configured as:
 Source: typically a base station or other device/system that provides AIS data.
 Consumer: typically an application which processes AIS data from Physical Shore Stations (e.g.
VTS servers, GIS workstations).
 Core: similar to consumer, but the Core is also enabled to send commands to BCx-1135 and
AIS data to other consumers. Core users are typically dedicated AIS software applications like
the Logical Shore Stations (LSS) of the AIS Service (refer to IALA Recommendation A-124).
BCx-1135 does not forward data coming from a data user to other data users of the same type. By
default, all the users connected to serial ports are sources while all the TCP users are consumers and
filtering is disabled. Therefore, if no special configuration is needed, BCx-1135 will connect all the TCP
users to all the serial connections (sources) so that consumers will receive AIS data coming from the
PSS(s) and will be allowed to send commands to them like settings and transmission requests.
Configurable parameters for data users are described in the following sections.
3.5.4 DATA USERS SETTINGS

 Data User Type: Source, Destination or Core.
 Static Unique ID (optional): BCx-1135 automatically identifies users by the Unique ID

specified in the source parameter of comment blocks (refer to IEC 62320-1 standard) and/or
in the VER sentence; optionally the system administrator can specify the Static Unique ID
which may be useful for data users that do not support comment blocks and, more in general,
do not send their own Unique ID.
33
 Use Static as Virtual Unique ID: this option is useful when there are multiple AIS data sources
and/or devices which must be identified as a single source by the consumers (e.g.: redundant
Physical Shore Stations). In this case, BCx-1135 will force the Static Unique ID to be the source
parameter for all messages coming from the connection.
 Notification Type (if disconnected): this option is only available for TCP connections and can
be used to specify how BCx-1135 should behave when the selected TCP connection is not
established. Possible values for this option are: No notifications, Display on interface and Send
SNMP trap. When Display on interface is selected, the connection status is always highlighted
in the Monitor page (see section 3.1). In addition, when Send SNMP trap is selected, BCx-1135
will send an SNMP notification to the configured SNMP manager(s), if any.
Figure 22: Data User Settings
3.5.5 COMMENT BLOCK SETTINGS

 Send Comment Blocks to User: if this option is enabled, messages sent or forwarded by BCx-
1135 to this user will be always linked to comment blocks (refer to IEC 62320-1), otherwise all
the comment blocks will be removed before sending any message to the user.
 Comment Blocks Required from User: if this option is enabled, any message sent from the
data user without comment blocks will be discarded.
Figure 23: Comment Block Settings
3.5.6 W-AIS SETTINGS

BCx-1135 identifies as W-AIS data all the messages with the <C>D</C> tag in the information
parameter of the linked comment block. Refer to the W-AIS annex of the ABT-1103 manual for
additional information on W-AIS.
 Send W-AIS Data to User: if this option is enabled, W-AIS data will be forwarded to user;
34
 Accept W-AIS Data from User: if this option is enabled, W-AIS data sent from user will be
accepted, processed and forwarded to other users.
Figure 24: W-AIS Settings
3.5.7 GPS DATA SETTINGS

This setting is only available with GPS module installed.
 Send GPS Data to User: if this option is enabled, data coming from the internal GPS module
will be forwarded to the user.
 Tag GPS Data: if this option is enabled, GPS data will be forwarded to user with the <G>I</G>
tag in the information field of the comment block. This option is useful in installations
including multiple AIS stations where the GPS module of BCx-1135 is used instead of the AIS
devices internal GPS. AIS devices manufactured by Elman (ABT-1103, AMT-1103, AMW-1103,
etc) regard any message with the <G>I</G> tag as if generated by their internal GPS.
Figure 25: GPS Data Settings
3.5.8 RTCM SETTINGS

BCx-1135 can process messages coming from RTCM stations, if configured, and forward them to
enabled users.
 Send RTCM Data to User: if this option is enabled, RTCM messages will be sent to user;
 Accept RTCM Data from User: if this option is enabled, RTCM messages sent from user will be
accepted, processed and forwarded to other users.
Figure 26: RTCM Settings
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3.5.9 NMEA MESSAGE FILTERS

This section allows the system administrator to configure which NMEA sentences should be enabled
on the connection. It is possible to configure different filters for sentences generated from the user
and for those to be forwarded to the user.
 Select Action: Reject or Accept messages displayed in the Filtered Messages box; select Reject
displayed msgs and leave the lists empty to disable the filters (all sentences will be allowed in
both directions).
 Message Age Filter: this parameter allows to specify the maximum age (in seconds) for
messages to be forwarded to the user. This filtering is performed basing upon the Time
parameter of the comment block. This filter is particularly useful if the data user is not
capable of managing the Time parameter in the comment block. If the parameter is set to 0
this filter is disabled.
 Filtered Messages: it is possible to add message formatters in the From User and To User lists.
The behaviour will be that specified in the Select Action menu.
Figure 27: NMEA Message Filters
By clicking on the Show ‘Add Messages’ button a box will be displayed allowing the system
administrator to add NMEA formatters from the predefined list to the From User and To User lists. If
needed, it is possible to add up to 10 new formatters to the list of predefined formatters.
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Figure 28: "Add Messages" box
3.5.10 REPEATER SETTINGS

This setting is only available for Source user types (see section 3.5.4).
This section allows to configure repeater settings for the user:
 Repeater Settings: possible values for this option are Disabled, Repeater Enabled and Data
Link Enabled. If Repeater Enabled or Data Link Enabled is selected, AIS data received from
remote targets are forwarded to the user for retransmission, according to the filters specified
in section 3.6. The Data Link function works in the same way as the repeater function, except
that it enforces encryption on the forwarded data and/or transmission on a dedicated
fequency (ABT-1103-W or ABT-1103-WR3 is required for the Data Link capability).
Figure 29: Repeater Settings
3.5.11 LOCAL STORAGE SETTINGS

This setting is only available for TCP connections configured as Consumer/Core (see section 3.5.4)
and only if offline storage has been enabled (see section 3.10).
This section allows to configure local storage settings for the user:
 Enable Local Data Storage: if this option is enabled, AIS data that should be sent to the user
are stored on the media if the user is not connected. When the connection is established,
stored data are sent to the user, marked as "offline" data by appropriate comment block
tagging.
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 Keep Sent Stored Data: if this option is not enabled, once an offline message has been sent to
the user, it is deleted from the storage media.
 Local Data Storage Retention Days: this option allows to specify for how many days stored
data should be retained before automatic deletion occurs
Figure 30: Local Storage Settings
Note that offline AIS data are stored according to the user specified AIS data filters (see section 3.6).
38
3.6 AIS DATA/REPEATER/DATA LINK FILTERS

This section allows configuring AIS data filters.
The configuration of these filters is only allowed if Repeater/Data Link is enabled for the user (see
section 3.5.10), or if the user is a Consumer/Core (see section 3.5.4).
3.6.1 REPEATER/DATA LINK SETTINGS

This section is only available if Repeater/Data Link is enabled (see section 3.5.10).
 Source Selection: this option allows to specify which AIS data to forward to the user for
retransmission, basing upon the originating source(s). Possible values for this option are All,
All, except own and Only own. When All is selected, AIS data coming from all the AIS data
sources connected to the BCx-1135 will be forwarded for retransmission. When All, except
own is selected, AIS data coming from all the AIS data sources, except the user itself acting as
a repeater, will be forwarded for retransmission. When Only own is selected, only AIS data
coming from the user itself will be forwarded for retransmission.
 W-AIS Filter: possible values for this option are Repeat all msgs, Repeat clear msgs only and
Repeat crypted msgs only. When Repeat all msgs is selected, both clear and encrypted
messaged containing AIS data will be forwarded to the user for retransmission. Note that, in
order to retransmit encrypted messages, first the Accept W-AIS Data from User option must
be enabled (see section 3.5.6).
Figure 31 : Repeater/Data Link settings
3.6.2 ITU MESSAGE FILTERS

 Send to User Newer Data Only: if this option is enabled, for each target only newer AIS data
will be sent to the user. This is particularly useful if the data user is not capable of managing
the Time parameter in the comment block.
 Downsampling Interval: it is possible to set the downsampling interval for all periodic ITU
message types (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 18, 19, 21, 24A and 24B). The downsampling is performed on a
target basis and it is particularly useful to limit the bandwidth and/or processing
requirements when needed.
 Msg. Enable: it is possible to selectively enable/disable ITU message types.
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Figure 32I: ITU Message Filters
3.6.3 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SKIPPING

It is possible to limit the number of messages per minute forwarded to each data user.
 Enable Dynamic Message Skipping: if this option is enabled, once reached the number of
messages per minute specified in the next point, no more messages will be forwarded to user
within the current minute.
 Maximum Message Rate: this option specifies the maximum number of messages per minute
that can be forwarded to user.
Figure 33: Dynamic Message Skipping
3.6.4 MMSI FILTERS

It is possible to specify up to three ranges of MMSI for each user. AIS data from an MMSI inside one
of these ranges will be treated according to the Filter Control setting.
40
 Filter Control: for each range, this option specifies if AIS data message from an MMSI inside
the range should be forwarded or not to the user. Possible values for this option are Disabled
(no filtering), Include (message is forwarded) and Exclude (message is not forwarded).
Figure 34: MMSI Filters
3.6.5 REPEAT INDICATOR FILTERS

This setting is only available for Source data users (see section 3.5.4) and only if Repeater/Data Link
function has been enabled (see section 3.5.10).
It is possible to filter AIS data messages basing upon their Repeat Indicator value. If the Repeat
Indicator Filter is enabled, it is possible to specify if the Repeat Indicator of each message must be
equal or less than the desired value.
 Repeat Indicator Filter Settings: this option specifies if the Repeat Indicator filter is enabled
and, if so, how the Repeat Indicator value should be considered with respect to the value of
the next point. Possible values for this option are Disabled, Matching (repeat indicator must
be equal to the Repeat Indicator Filter value) and Range (repeat indicator must be less to the
Repeat Indicator Filter value).
 Repeat Indicator Filter: this option specifies the value of the repeat indicator filter. Possible
values for this option are 0, 1, 2 (Repeat Indicator Filter Settings parameter set to Matching)
and <1, <2, <3 (Repeat Indicator Filter Settings parameter set to Range).
Figure 35: Repeat Indicator Filters
3.6.6 AREA FILTERS

It is possible to configure up to 3 areas for each data user. For each area there are 3 possible shapes:
 Circular: Centre position and Radius (NM) must be specified.
41
Figure 36: Circular area filter
 Mercator: Area is a rectangle in Mercator projection, with two sides directed NS and two EW.
For this area, NE and SW corner positions must be specified.
Figure 37: Mercator area filter
 Polygonal: Number of vertices (3 - 10) and position of each vertex must be specified.
Figure 38: Polygonal area filter
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ITU messages from targets with position inside at least one of configured areas will be forwarded to
the user. If no area is configured, the area filter is disabled (all the messages will be forwarded to the
user).
Figure 39: Area Filters
3.6.7 SHIP TYPE FILTERS

If the Enable Ship Type Filter option is enabled, it will be possible to configure a filter based upon the
ship-type of the received targets.
The user interface allows to configure in detail which messages are forwarded to user according to
the selected ship type categories. Ship type classification is based upon ITU-R M.1371
recommendation.
43
Figure 40: Ship Tpe Filter Configuration
44
3.7 SNMP
BCx-1135 features an embedded SNMP agent which allows Network Managers to retrieve status
information from the BCx-1135 itself and from the connected AIS Base Stations. Moreover, BCx-1135
supports SNMP traps for asynchronous notifications upon relevant events. Network Managers should
be loaded with manufacturer MIBs in order to correctly decode the agent variables and traps.
Contact Elman if you need MIBs.
This menu allows to modify SNMP protocol settings.
Figure 41: BCx-1135 SNMP configuration
SNMP SETTINGS section allows to modify basic parameters such as Hostname, System Location and
System Contact.
SNMP TRAP SETTINGS section allows to enable trap notifications and to specify the IP addresses of
up to two Network Managers which will receive the notifications.
Clicking on the Save button, the parameters will be stored on the non volatile memory and loaded at
the next device reboot.
BCx-1135 normally supports SNMP V1. Upon customer request, it is possible to factory configure the
device in order to support V2c protocol version.
45
3.8 SYNC
It is highly recommended to provide BCx-1135 with a reliable synchronization source as time
information is needed to perform several tasks including data time tagging and filtering.
This menu allows to modify synchronization settings.
Figure 42: BCx-1135 synchronization configuration
It is possible to enable synchronization from internal GPS (if installed), connected AIS base station(s)
and SNTP.
If SNTP is enabled, it is possible to configure the IP of the SNTP Server and SNTP Refresh Time
(expressed in seconds).
All the available synchronization sources can be enabled at the same time and they will be used with
the following priority:
 Internal GPS first;
 Connected AIS Base Station;
 SNTP, last.
Clicking on the Save button, the parameters will be stored on the non volatile memory and loaded at
the next device reboot.
46
3.9 WEB USERS

From the Web Users page it is possible to edit access credentials for the system administrator, and
also to configure up to 5 Web users.
Figure 43: BCx-1135 Web users configuration
Figure 44: Web administrator editing
47
The Web user has reduced privileges and can only access the following pages, each of which can be
singularly enabled:
 Monitor;
 Targets;
 Status;
 Reset.
Figure 45: Web user editing
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3.10 OFFLINE STORAGE

BCx-1135 can support a micro SD media type, with capacity up to 32 GB, for local storage of AIS data
if the connection to one or more TCP users is not available.
Once the connection is available, AIS data previously stored will be forwarded to the user with an
appropriate tag in the comment block, that will mark the AIS data message as an offline message.
From this menu it is possible to globally enable/disable local storage for TCP consumers/cores (see
sections 3.5.4 and 3.5.11) and to specify global settings for the local storage feature.
Figure 46 : BCx-1135 offline storage configuration
Once offline storage has been enabled, it is possible to specify the Directory Name, the File Name
and the Maximum File Size (in MB). Once the maximum file size has been reached, the current file
will be closed and a new one will be created. If free space on the media goes below 10%, or if storage
media is disconnected, BCx-1135 will issue an alarm.
If the Force BITE if Media is Full/Disconnected option is enabled, BCx-1135 will activate BITE
signalling upon one of the above mentioned events. This option can be useful in the BCD-1135
version, so that if a failure occurs on the media of the main board, the backup board will become
active for offline storage, thus avoiding data loss.
From the Explorer menu it is possible to browse files and folders and perform basic file operations
(see section 3.13).
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3.11 ALARMS
From this menu it is possible to selectively enable/disable alarm messages generated by BCx-1135.
Figure 47: BCx-1135 alarms configuration
 general failure: this alarm is generated when an IP address conflict is detected or device
internal measurements are out of range.
 UTC clock lost: this alarm is generated when clock synchronization from internal GPS is lost
(only when internal GPS is installed).
 internal GNSS failure: this alarm is generated when a failure occurs on the internal GPS (e.g.:
antenna connector is open/shorted, only when internal GPS is installed).
 IO fifo status: this alarm is generated when the message fifo associated to each data user is
full (e.g.: limited bandwidth for a TCP connection).
 mate board failure: this alarm is generated in the BCD-1135 version when a failure occurs on
the mate board.
 SD card status: this alarm is generated when local storage media is full (free space less than
10%) or disconnected.
When one of the above alarms is enabled, upon the occurrence of the relevant event, BCx-1135 will
send notifications via both SNMP traps (if enabled) and ALR NMEA sentences to data users
(consumers and cores).
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3.12 IMPORT/EXPORT
From the Import/Export page it is possible to:
 Import a configuration file.
 Export a text file containing one or more configurations.
Figure 48: BCx-1135 import/export configuration
After the configuration file has been imported, the device should be rebooted.
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3.13 EXPLORER
From the Explorer page it is possible to browse files and folders on the storage media, and perform
basic file operations, such as exporting and deletion.
Figure 49 : BCx-1135 file explorer
By clicking on a directory name, the content of the directory will be displayed.
By clicking on a file name, the file will be exported. It is possible to delete a file by clicking on the
related icon.
By clicking on the name of the current offline storage file in use, the file will be closed and
exported and a new file will be opened for offline storage.
The system does not allow deleting a file that is in use.
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3.14 UPGRADE
From the Upgrade menu it is possible to edit automatic firmware upgrade settings, as well as to
perform a manual upgrade.
Figure 50: BCx-1135 firmware upgrade page
It is possible to perform a manual upgrade via HTTP by clicking on the Browse button, selecting an
appropriate image file and clicking on the Send File button. After file transfer has completed, BCx-
1135 will perform a flash memory upgrade (the BITE LED will flash). Note that on the BCD-1135
version, manual firmware upgrade should be performed on both the server boards.
Alternatively, it is possible to upgrade the BCx-1135 firmware via TFTP server.
TFTP Settings section allows to modify upgrade settings:
 Server IP;
 Filename;
 Timeout: it is possible to specify the per-packet timeout;
 Blocksize: it is possible to specify the size of each packet.
After clicking on the Save button, parameters will be stored on the non volatile memory. At each
reboot the device will check on the specified TFTP Server for a newer firmware version.
Clicking on the Submit button, parameters will be used immediately for a manual upgrade and will
NOT be stored on the non volatile memory.
53
We advise you not to switch off the device while it is programming (the BITE LED will flash),
otherwise the flash memory may become corrupted.
54
3.15 STATUS
From the Status menu it is possible to monitor Active Alarms, information messages, internal
measurements, I/O fifo status and SD card status of the main board.
Figure 51: BCx-1135 status page
In the BCD-1135 version, it is also possible to monitor active alarms and information messages of the
mate board.
55
Figure 52: BCx-1135 mate board status
56
3.16 LOGS
From the Logs page it is possible to view and export system logs.
Figure 53: BCx-1135 system logs
System logs may be useful to report unlikely system issues to the manufacturer.
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3.17 RECEIVED AIS TARGET LIST

From the “Targets” menu it is possible to display the table of the AIS Targets received from the Base
Stations. Own station is displayed in yellow colour.
Targets older than 9 minutes are automatically removed from the table.
Figure 54 : BCx-1135 targets page
By clicking on the “KML Service” link, it is also possible to download the KML service file which can
then be loaded on a KML Viewer (e.g. Google Earth ™) to see live AIS Targets.
Figure 55 : AIS targets on Google Earth™
By clicking on the “KML Targets” link, it is possible to download a KML file which can then be loaded
on a KML Viewer (e.g. Google Earth ™) to see a “snapshot” of the current AIS Targets scenario.
58
BCx-1135 Operating Manual - BASE STATION MONITORING/CONFIGURATION
4 BASE STATION MONITORING/CONFIGURATION

In order to display the status of AIS Base Stations connected to the BCx-1135, it is sufficient to
connect, via Web-browser, to the device IP address and enter the operator credentials. When the
administrator credentials are entered, it is also possible to configure the settings of the AIS Base
Stations.
4.1 MONITOR PAGE

The monitor page allows verifying the status of all the serial and TCP connections managed by the
BCx-1135. The monitor page displays a separate table for each communication channel.
An overall status for the channel is highlighted by the colour of the LED in the headings row and that
of the row itself:
 Green row, green LED: active connection, sending/receiving data;
 Green row, yellow LED: active connection, not sending/receiving data;
 Grey row: unestablished connection.
Figure 56: BCx-1135 monitor page
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Clicking on the icon on the headings row, it is possible to momentarily disable the related
communication channel, without losing its settings/data filters. By clicking on the icon, the
communication channel will be enabled again.
Clicking on the connection name (e.g.: SPxx or TCPxx) it is possible to edit the configuration of the
related communication channel (serial port or TCP connection).
For serial ports, as specified in section 3.3, it is possible to monitor the IO pins status and modify the
available output pins status by clicking on the relative link.
Each device recognized by the BCx-1135 is listed in a row in the table of the related communication
channel. More than one device may share the same communication channel. The device status is
highlighted by the colour of the LED in the device row:
 Green LED : device working;
 Red LED : device with unacknowledged alarms;
 Yellow LED : device with acknowledged alarms;
 Grey LED : device sending data, but not responding to queries
 Black LED : device not responding and not sending data.
When a Base Station is detected, its basic information is displayed in the same row of the table
including Unique ID, type of station, Vendor ID, Model code, Hardware and Software revisions and
serial number.
When a device is displayed with a black coloured LED, it can be deleted from the list by clicking on
the related button on the Delete column.
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4.2 DEVICE MONITOR PAGE

From the Monitor page, by clicking on the device status LED, the Device Monitor page is opened.
BCx-1135 allows 3 types of monitoring: Status, Statistics and Measurements (only for ABT-1103).
Figure 57: BCx-1135 device monitor page
4.2.1 STATUS
The Status page displays:
 Status (i.e.: alarm status, synchronization state, position source, and UTC source);
 Active Alarms (including acknowledge status and the possibility to acknowledge new alarms);
 Information messages (e.g.: software version, internal GNSS version, etc).
61
Figure 58: Device status page
4.2.2 STATISTICS
In the statistics page the utilisation status of each channel is displayed. In order to display the
statistical information, the additional FSR sentence must be enabled and properly configured in the
Device SPO menu (see section 4.3.8). For detailed information about the meaning of the reported
values, refer to the IEC 62320-1 standard.
Figure 59: Device statistics page
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4.2.3 MEASUREMENTS
This page displays ABT-1103 internal measurements. In addition to this, it is possible to perform
transmission tests on the AIS channels and verify radiated and reflected power. Note that values of
noise level (SGNx) on the channels constantly above -117 dBm are typically due to strong
interference on the VHF antenna.
Figure 60: Device measurements page
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4.3 DEVICE CONFIGURATION PAGE
Figure 61: Device configuration page
From the Monitor page, by clicking on the underlined device Unique ID, the Device Configuration
page is opened.
The Device Configuration page allows to access several pages, each related to a different aspect of
AIS base station configuration.
The Restart button commands the software reset of the AIS Base Station; the Reset Configuration
button commands the Base Station to reset all configuration information to undefined, with
exception of receive only on AIS1 and AIS2 frequencies.
4.3.1 FACTORY SETTINGS

The factory settings page shows factory configured settings and installed options of Elman AIS
devices (e.g. ABT-1103).
4.3.2 INSTALLATION
The Installation page can be used to read and configure installation related parameters of Elman AIS
devices. These include:
 baud rates of the serial ports;
 functions assigned to the DGNSS ports;
 forwarding of internal AIS GPS data on the PI port;
 Pulse Per Second (PPS) In and Out setting;
 VDM out filter level.
Refer to the operating manual of the AIS device for additional details.
64
4.3.3 ID
The ID page can be used to read and configure AIS base station identifiers (i.e. Unique ID, MMSI and
Name).
Take into consideration the following issues:
 The Unique ID identifies the AIS device on the network; assigning the same Unique ID to more
than one device may result in system misbehaviours.
 The Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) is equivalent to a radio license. It should always
be assigned by a National Competent Authority. Setting the MMSI to 000000000 (9 zeroes)
disables all the transmissions from the device. In addition, further restrictions apply to the
MMSI format depending on the station type (vessel, base station, etc). Refer to device
manuals and to ITU-R M.585 Recommendation for additional details.
 The name shall be maximum 20 characters long, including upper case letters, digits, spaces
and a few other characters. Refer to the ITU-R M.1371 Recommendation for a comprehensive
table of allowed characters. Note that the ABT-1103 transmits the station name using ITU
message 24A and that this functionality may not be supported by other manufacturers.
4.3.4 GENERAL
The General configuration page allows to read and set the basic configuration of the AIS base station.
The configurable parameters are the following:
 Position source;
 UTC source;
 VHF channels;
 Transmitted power;
 RATDMA control;
 VDL message retries;
 Message repeat indicator;
 ADS interval;
 Comment block enabling.
Refer to the operating manual of the AIS device and to the IEC 62320-1 standard for additional
details. It is recommended to enable comment blocks on the AIS device when used with the BCx-
1135.
65
4.3.5 FATDMA
The FATDMA page allows to read and set the FATDMA reservations and the scheduled transmissions
for the AIS base station.
Always consider that AIS is a safety related system and that an AIS Base Station has an important
role in the AIS system. A wrong configuration of Base Station transmissions may locally disrupt the
AIS service, hence affecting the safety of navigation. Therefore the AIS Base Station should only be
used and configured by trained personnel of authorized administrations.
Refer to the AIS base station manual for detailed instructions on FATDMA configuration.
4.3.6 CHANNEL MANAGEMENT

The Channel Management page allows to read and set the channel settings assigned by local
authorities to mobile AIS stations in specific regions and/or to specific types of AIS stations and/or
vessels.
Note that a Base Station should always use the standard AIS channels (2087 and 2088) for both
receptions and transmissions and should avoid changing other stations’ frequencies, unless
explicitly authorized by a competent authority. Failing to do so may disrupt safety services
managed on VHF channels, thus impacting on the safety of navigation.
Refer to the ABT-1103 Operating Manual for detailed instructions on regional channels configuration.
4.3.7 DGNSS (ONLY FOR ABT-1103)

The DGNSS page allows to read and set the parameters for the DGNSS broadcasting service.
Refer to the ABT-1103 Operating Manual for detailed instructions on DGNSS configuration.
4.3.8 SPO
The SPO page allows to read and set the parameters for additional output from the AIS base station.
The system administrator can enable the generation of a linked VSI sentence for each VDM sentence
generated after the reception of a message from the VDL. The VSI can be configured to include:
 UTC time of transmission;
 number of first slot of transmitted message in the TDMA frame;
 received signal strength (RSSI)
The measurement of Signal to Noise ratio is not supported by the ABT-1103.
The system administrator can enable the generation of a linked VSI sentence for each VDO sentence
generated after the transmission of a message on the VDL. The VSI can be configured to include:
66
 UTC time of reception;
 number of first slot of received message in the TDMA frame.
The system administrator can enable the generation of FSR sentences at the start of a TDMA frame
for each channel. The FSR can be configured to include a user-specified set of statistics on the VDL
usage including:
 the number of slots occupied by valid received messages in the previous frame;
 the number of slots occupied by own transmission in the previous frame;
 the number of slots with CRC failures in the previous frame;
 the number of slots with received signal strength (at least 10 dB above the average noise) in
the previous frame;
 average noise in the previous frame;
 the number of slots reserved with transmissions from other stations in current frame;
 the number of slots reserved with own transmissions in current frame.
The content of the latest generated FSR sentences may be displayed on the device statistics page
(see section 4.2.2).
The additional information can be enabled for any or both of the VHF channels, only for a single
frame or continuously. Refer to the section on IEC data sentences for detailed information on the
content of VSI and FSR sentences.
The bandwidth requirements on PI ports may substantially increase when VSI are enabled; therefore
an increase of the baud rate should be considered for BSs covering highly populated areas.
Refer to the operating manual of the AIS device and to the IEC 62320-1 standard for additional
details.
4.3.9 ALR/TXT
The ALR/TXT page allows to selectively enable/disable ALR and TXT sentences generated by Elman
AIS devices.
4.3.10 RECEIVER MANAGER

The Receiver Manager page allows to change the associations between hardware receivers and
receiver tasks.
67
Refer to the operating manual of the Elman AIS device for detailed instructions on Receiver Manager
configuration.
4.3.11 W-AIS
The W-AIS page allows to read and set the parameters for the secure functionalities. These settings
have effect only if W-AIS features have been installed on the ABT-1103 or other W-AIS capable device
manufactured by Elman.
Refer to the relevant annexes of the device operating manual for detailed instructions on W-AIS
configuration.
68
BCx-1135 Operating Manual - SUPPORTED IEC-61162 SENTENCES
5 SUPPORTED IEC-61162 SENTENCES

5.1 IO PORTS
5.1.1 INTRODUCTION
IO ports (i.e.: serial ports P1 ÷ P5 and TCP connections) enable BCx-1135 to exchange data with
connected devices. Usually, in a shore based AIS implementation, BCx-1135 will exchange data with
AIS data providers, such as Physical Shore Stations (PSS), and AIS data consumers.
The format of data exchanged on IO ports is as defined by the IEC 61162-1 standard. By
consequence, all the data packets are organized in sentences which have well defined structure. The
content of each sentence is defined by its type which is identified by 3 alphanumeric codes, called
formatter. BCx-1135 supports all the standard formatters which have been defined for AIS devices,
allowing for easy interoperability with external devices and software which support AIS standards.
Standard sentences have the following structure:
$<aa><ccc>,...,...,...*hh<CR><LF>
where <aa> are two alpha characters identifying the talker, <ccc> are three alphanumeric characters
identifying the formatter; after the formatter several data fields may follow; whose number and
content depend on the formatter. The ‘*’ char precedes the checksum field (2 hex digits) and the
carriage return plus line feed terminators.
In addition to this, in order to access some advanced features of AIS devices manufactured by Elman,
proprietary Elman sentences are used. Elman proprietary sentences respect the standard IEC 61162
format for proprietary messages and have the following structure:
$PELM<ccc>,...,...,...*hh<CR><LF>
where <ccc> identify the Elman proprietary formatter code and the other fields have the same
meaning they have in non proprietary sentences.
Comment block extension to the IEC 61162 standard is supported over all the IO ports and can be
forced as described in the basic configuration section. Refer to that section for additional details on
how Comment Blocks and their parameters are generated and processed by the BCx-1135.
The following table lists all the sentences processed and/or generated by BCx-1135, specifying if:
69
P – the sentences are processed by BCx-1135;
O – the sentences are autonomously output or generated upon user action;
QI – the BCx-1135 can generate the sentence(s) if queried;
QO – the sentences are queried autonomously or upon user request by BCx-1135.
Sentence
P O QI QO Description
formatter
ACA X X X UAIS Regional Channel Assigment Message
ACK X Acknowledge alarm
ADS X AIS device status
AGA X X X AIS Base Station group assignment message
ALR X X X X Alarm state
BCE X X X Extended general Base Station configuration
BCF X X X General Base Station configuration
CAB X X X Control AIS Base Station
DLM X X X Data link management slot allocations for Base Station
ECB X X X Broadcast rates for Base Station messages
FSR X Frame summary of AIS reception
SID X X Installation of a station’s identification
SPO X X X Select AIS device’s processing and output
SSD X X X Ship static data
TXT X X X X Text transmission
VDM X VHF data link message
VER X X X Version
ZDA X X Time and Date
PELMAFS X X AIS Factory Settings
PELMAIS X X AIS Installation Settings
PELMATE X X X Alarm/Text sentence enable/disable
PELMDBG X Debug/service functionalities
PELMDGC X X X DGNSS service configuration
PELMEKS X X Encryption Key Status
PELMENK X Encryption Key
PELMENS X X Encryption Settings
PELMMEA X X X Measurements
PELMRXM X X Receiver Manager
PELMSEC X Secure mode status
PELMWAS X X X W-AIS settings
Table 2 : Sentences used on IO ports
Note that if Comment Blocks are used, BCx-1135 does not process any sentence and does not
respond to queries if the Unique ID in the destination parameter (if present) of the comment block is
different from that assigned to the BCx-1135 itself.
70
In addition to the sentences listed in the table, all sentences respecting the IEC 61162-1 standard are
accepted by BCx-1135 and forwarded to data users, if not explicitly filtered (see section 3.5.9).
5.1.2 STANDARD SENTENCES

In this section, the utilisation of the sentences defined in the IEC 61162-1, 61993-2 and 62320-1
standards is described.
5.1.2.1 Queries
IEC standard sentences may be queried using the IEC standard query format:
$<aa><aa>Q,<ccc>*hh<CR><LF>
where <aa><aa> are talker identifiers of the talker and recipient respectively and <ccc> is the
formatter identifying the requested sentence. Note that the BCx-1135 talker identifier is “SV”. BCx-
1135 does not respond to queries if its talker identifier is not addressed correctly.
BCx-1135 automatically acquires talker IDs from the received sentences; in addition, BCx-1135
continuously queries for devices using typical AIS talker IDs (AB, AI, etc).
5.1.2.2 ACA - UAIS Regional Channel Assigment Message

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to configure regional channel settings on the AIS devices (see section
4.3.6).
5.1.2.3 ACK – Acknowledge alarm

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to acknowledge an alarm condition reported by a device upon user
request (see section 4.2.1).
5.1.2.4 ADS – AIS Device Status

BCx-1135 processes this sentence to read the current AIS devices status condition (see section 4.2.1).
5.1.2.5 AGA - AIS Base Station group assignment message

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to configure group channel settings on the AIS devices (see section
4.3.6).
5.1.2.6 ALR – Alarm State

This sentence is used to report an alarm condition on a device and its current state of
acknowledgement.
BCx-1135 uses this sentence to report its alarm condition (see section 3.15) and processes ALR
sentences for reading alarm condition of AIS devices (see section 4.2.1).
71
5.1.2.7 BCE – Extended general Base Station configuration

BCx-1135 uses this sentence and the BCF sentence to read/configure AIS Base Stations parameters
when they are initially installed, and later in order to make changes to the way they operate. This
sentence is also used to monitor the UTC synchronisation source being used by AIS Base Stations (see
section 4.3.4).
5.1.2.8 BCF – General Base Station configuration

BCx-1135 uses this sentence and the BCE sentence to read/configure static AIS Base Stations
parameters when they are initially installed, and later in order to make changes in the way they
operate (see section 4.3.4).
5.1.2.9 CAB – Control AIS Base Station

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to turn on or off the transmission of Channels A and B on AIS Base
Stations and to read their status (see section 4.3.4). This sentence may also command a restart or a
reset of the configuration of the Base Station (see section 4.3).
5.1.2.10 DLM – Data link management slot allocations for Base Station
BCx-1135 uses this sentence to provide AIS Base Stations with the slot allocations to be reserved for
FATDMA Base Station broadcasts. This sentence is also used to read the allocated slots on AIS Base
Stations (see section 4.3.5).
5.1.2.11 ECB – Broadcast rates for Base Station messages

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to assign the schedule of slots that will be used to broadcast the
specified Message 4, 17, 20, 22, and 23 to AIS Base Stations. ECB sentence provides the start slot and
interval between the slots used for consecutive transmissions for the message. This sentence is also
used to read these parameters (see section 4.3.5).
5.1.2.12 FSR – Frame summary of AIS reception

BCx-1135 processes this sentence to display AIS devices statistics for the AIS channel specified by the
user (see section 4.2.2). This sentence is enabled and its field are configured via the SPO sentence.
5.1.2.13 SID – Installation of a station’s identification

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure the AIS Base Stations unique identifier and MMSI (see
section 4.3.3).
5.1.2.14 SPO – Select AIS device’s processing and output

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure the content and output for measurements made on
selected channels during operation of AIS Base Stations (see section 4.3.8).
72
5.1.2.15 SSD – Ship static data

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure the AIS Base Stations name (see section 4.3.3). Note
that Base Stations other than ABT-1103 might not support the SSD sentence.
5.1.2.16 TXT – Text transmission

TXT are used for the transmission of short text messages related to status changes.
BCx-1135 uses this sentence to report its status changes (see section 3.15) and processes TXT
sentences for reading status changes of AIS devices (see section 4.2.1).
5.1.2.17 VDM – VHF data link message

This sentence is processed by BCx-1135 to build the received AIS targets table (see section 3.17) and
perform the specified filters on AIS data (see section 3.6).
Data for each target is retrieved from message IDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 18, 19, 21, 24A and 24B.
5.1.2.18 VER – Version

This sentence is used to provide identification and version information about the BCx-1135. This
information is obtained by the use of a query sentence. All data fields, except the unique identifier,
are built into the station. The unique identifier may be changed using the BCx-1135 Web Interface
(see section 3.2).
BCx-1135 processes this sentence to read AIS devices identification and version information (see
section 4.1).
5.1.2.19 ZDA – Time and date

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to obtain full UTC time and date from the ABT-1103 AIS Base Stations if
they are enabled as synchronization source (see section 3.8).
5.1.3 PROPRIETARY SENTENCES

5.1.3.1 QUERIES
As proprietary sentences cannot be queried using the standard query mechanism, unless otherwise
noted, they are queried sending the same proprietary sentence with all the fields empty.
5.1.3.2 PELMAFS – AIS Factory Settings

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read Elman AIS devices factory settings and installed options (see
section 4.3.1).
5.1.3.3 PELMAIS – AIS Installation Settings

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure Elman AIS devices parameters which are typically
related to the installation layout (see section 4.3.2).
73
5.1.3.4 PELMATE – Alarm/Text sentence enable/disable

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure which ALR/TXT sentences are enabled for being
output by Elman AIS devices (see section 4.3.9).
5.1.3.5 PELMDBG – Debug/service functionalities

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to instruct Elman AIS devices to perform a transmission test on AIS
channels, in order to verify radiated and reflected power (see section 4.2.3).
5.1.3.6 PELMDGC – DGNSS service configuration

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read from/write to ABT-1103 AIS Base Stations the configuration of
the service which manages the transmissions of DGNSS correction messages received from the ITU-R
M.823 compliant DGNSS IN port (see section 4.3.7).
5.1.3.7 PELMEKS – Encryption Key Status

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read encryption key status of W-AIS capable device manufactured by
Elman (see section 4.3.11).
5.1.3.8 PELMENK – Encryption Key

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to configure the encryption key on W-AIS capable device manufactured
by Elman (see section 4.3.11).
5.1.3.9 PELMENS – Encryption Settings

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to configure encryption settings on W-AIS capable device manufactured
by Elman (see section 4.3.11). These settings include, for example, encryption algorithm and
encryption key length.
5.1.3.10 PELMMEA – Measurements

This sentence may be used to read the internal measurements performed by Elman AIS devices. The
sentence also includes a status field for the performed measurement (ok, warning or error).
BCx-1135 uses this sentence to report its internal measurements, when queried, and processes this
sentence to display the local measurements of Elman AIS devices (see section 4.2.3).
5.1.3.11 PELMRXM - Receiver Manager

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure Receiver Manager settings on Elman AIS devices (see
section 4.3.10).
5.1.3.12 PELMSEC – Secure mode status

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure secure mode functionalities status of W-AIS capable
device manufactured by Elman (see section 4.3.11).
74
5.1.3.13 PELMWAS – WAIS Settings

BCx-1135 uses this sentence to read/configure general W-AIS settings of W-AIS capable device
manufactured by Elman (see section 4.3.11). These settings include, for example, 3rd channel
configuration and the time period after which PELMSEC sentences are spontaneously generated by
Elman W-AIS devices.
5.1.4 GPS SENTENCES

Sentences generated by the internal GPS module, if installed, are forwarded by BCx-1135 to data
users, if enabled (see section 3.5.7).
The following table lists all the supported sentences which can be forwarded to data users.
Sentence
Description
formatter
DTM* Datum Reference
GBS* GNSS Satellite Fault Detection
GGA Global Positioning System Fix Data
GLL Geographic Position – Latitude/Longitude
GRS* GNSS Range Residuals
GSA GNSS DOP and Active Satellites
GST* GNSS Pseudorange Error Statistics
GSV GNSS Satellites in View
RMC Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS Data
VTG Course Over Ground and Ground Speed
ZDA* Time and Date
Table 3: Supported GPS sentences
Sentences marked with an asterisk (*) are factory disabled; customers may contact Elman to update
the configuration according to their needs.
75

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ELMAN S.r.l.

COPYRIGHT © 2015 – ELMAN SRL, ITALY – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in

WARNING: Even though Elman S.r.l. is extremely careful when

AIS Base Station Controller

Michele Cianella Michele Cianella Pierluigi Fiori

1.1 MANUAL LAYOUT .................................................................................................................... 13

2 BCx-1135 OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 14

2.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 14

2.2 BCS-1135 .................................................................................................................................. 14

2.3 BCD-1135 ................................................................................................................................. 14

2.4 BLOCK DIAGRAM ..................................................................................................................... 16

2.5 PRODUCT BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (PBS) ............................................................................. 17

3 BCx-1135 CONFIGURATION AND MONITORING ............................................................................. 19

3.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 19

3.3 SERIAL PORTS........................................................................................................................... 21

3.3.1 PORT TYPES ...................................................................................................................... 21

3.3.2 PORT ROLES ...................................................................................................................... 22

3.3.2.2 AIS Station ................................................................................................................. 23

3.3.2.3 CSU - AIS Main/Backup ............................................................................................. 23

3.3.2.4 CSU Remote .............................................................................................................. 24

3.3.3 GPS PPS OUT .................................................................................................................... 25

3.4 TCP CONNECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 27

3.4.1 REMOTE CLIENT................................................................................................................ 28

3.4.2 REMOTE SERVER .............................................................................................................. 29

3.4.3 REMOTE SSL SERVER ........................................................................................................ 29

3.5 GSM MODEM........................................................................................................................... 30

3.5.1 GSM MODEM ................................................................................................................... 31

3.5.2 REMOTE CONNECTION SETTINGS .................................................................................... 31

3.5.3 PDP CONTEXT SETTINGS................................................................................................... 32

3.5.4 DATA USERS SETTINGS ..................................................................................................... 33

3.5.5 COMMENT BLOCK SETTINGS............................................................................................ 34

3.5.6 W-AIS SETTINGS ............................................................................................................... 34

3.5.7 GPS DATA SETTINGS ......................................................................................................... 35

3.5.8 RTCM SETTINGS................................................................................................................ 35

3.5.9 NMEA MESSAGE FILTERS ................................................................................................. 36

3.5.10 REPEATER SETTINGS ......................................................................................................... 37

3.5.11 LOCAL STORAGE SETTINGS............................................................................................... 37

3.6 AIS DATA/REPEATER/DATA LINK FILTERS ................................................................................ 39

3.6.1 REPEATER/DATA LINK SETTINGS ...................................................................................... 39

3.6.2 ITU MESSAGE FILTERS ...................................................................................................... 39

3.6.3 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SKIPPING ......................................................................................... 40

3.6.4 MMSI FILTERS ................................................................................................................... 40

3.6.5 REPEAT INDICATOR FILTERS ............................................................................................. 41

3.6.6 AREA FILTERS .................................................................................................................... 41

3.6.7 SHIP TYPE FILTERS ............................................................................................................ 43

3.7 SNMP ....................................................................................................................................... 45

3.9 WEB USERS .............................................................................................................................. 47

3.10 OFFLINE STORAGE ................................................................................................................... 49

3.11 ALARMS ................................................................................................................................... 50

3.12 IMPORT/EXPORT ..................................................................................................................... 51

3.13 EXPLORER ................................................................................................................................ 52

3.14 UPGRADE ................................................................................................................................. 53

3.15 STATUS ..................................................................................................................................... 55

3.16 LOGS ........................................................................................................................................ 57

3.17 RECEIVED AIS TARGET LIST ...................................................................................................... 58

4 BASE STATION MONITORING/CONFIGURATION ............................................................................. 59

4.1 MONITOR PAGE ....................................................................................................................... 59

4.2 DEVICE MONITOR PAGE .......................................................................................................... 61