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  • Author Author: fmilburn
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AIS Alarm - Everything Working

fmilburn

Project Objective: Develop an open source AIS Alarm that alerts sailors that a new marine vessel with AIS is within range

 

May 11, 2018 Update:  Added video demonstration and added update on future plans

 

It has been a while since I have worked on this project - had to do my submission for the Open Arduino contest and the Portable Electronics Kit image.  But today I went back through the code and implemented the remaining features and did preliminary testing.  Everything seems to be working now so here is a photograph of the working AIS alarm itself as well as a screen shot of the display when connected to OpenCPN ship plotting software on my laptop.

image

image

AIS Alarm Operation and UI:

The alarm itself is loud enough that I have a piece of tape over the buzzer to attenuate it while working on it.  The LED isn't as bright as I might like but is satisfactory.  It can run off of a small LiPo battery for an extended time thus saving power on a small boat with a limited power budget.  The operation and user interface is very simple:

  • The ALARM starts immediately upon being powered.
  • AIS messages from ships are stored in  non-volatile FRAM as they are received and are not lost if battery power is removed and the alarm unit is then connected to a computer.
  • Up to 16 AIS messages are stored, with older messages dropped.
  • When a ship is detected the alarm sounds and the LED toggles
  • Pushing the SNOOZE button will turn the buzzer off but the LED will continue to toggle with AIS signals.
  • Pushing the REPLAY button will cause the latest messages to be sent over serial to a computer if connected where they can be displayed on software such as OpenCPN as shown above.
  • Pushing the REPLAY button and holding it for 3 seconds will turn the alarm off but allow the AIS receiver to continue operating and sending messages over serial if connected to a computer.  This is useful when operating in an area with busy ship traffic where otherwise the alarm would be sounding continuously.  It also clears the buffer of any messages held in FRAM.

 

Video Demonstration

This is a late add demonstrating the alarm.  It starts out in SNOOZE mode and the dAISy module can be seen sending AIS messages to the serial window.  The SNOOZE button is pressed again which sets the alarm again.  When the next AIS message comes in it moves to ALARM mode and the buzzer sounds.  The LED toggles with every AIS message.  When SNOOZE is pressed again it returns to SNOOZE again and the buzzer turns off.  I then press REPLAY which causes the most recent 16 AIS messages to spill quickly to the debug window of OpenCPN.  When REPLAY (ON/OFF) is held for 3 seconds the alarm turns off and the buffer is cleared.  Link is below...

 

 

Concept Phase Working:

I plan to build another alarm and put it in the wild to get some feedback but concept is working!  I still plan to make some firmware modifications and possibly some changes to the User Interface in the next few months.

 

Past Posts from this Project:

AIS Alarm

AIS Alarm - The Process

AIS Alarm - Prototype Hardware

AIS Alarm - Timers and GPIO

AIS Alarm - Prototype Code Outline

AIS Alarm - UART

AIS Alarm - First AIS Messages

AIS Alarm - First FRAM Storage

AIS Alarm - Debouncing Momentary Button Switches

AIS Alarm - FRAM Ring Buffer

AIS Alarm - Schematic

AIS Alarm - PCB Version 0.1

AIS Alarm - PCB Version 0.1 Arrived

AIS Alarm - PCB Version 0.2

AIS Alarm - PCB Version 0.2 Populated

AIS Alarm - PCB Version 0.2 Tested

AIS Alarm - Faceplates Received

 

References and Links:

WEGMATT LLC - dAISy AIS Receiver - low cost AIS receiver

Texas Instruments MSP430FR2xx FRAM Microcontrollers - Post No. 4

TI MSP430FR2111

Maximize the Sound from a Buzzer

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  • Do you have any photos or videos showing it working?

     

    DAB

  • in reply to DAB

    Hmmm...  had another look and for whatever reason the insert video button doesn't seem to be there.  I have been adding them directly to element14.  Maybe I have used up my allotted video space or something.

  • in reply to fmilburn

    I have a feeling you upload the video to element14. These are publicly visible.

     

     

    I'm guessing here ... I haven't tried it

    If you open the video in a new tab, and highlight the address bar (the url where that links is) and then paste that as a link in the body of the blog, just as you would linking any other website.

     

    Mark

  • in reply to fmilburn

    I see where I can upload a video to different places now but don't see how to upload to a blog.  I believe the workaround might work for adding a video to an interest group or contest but that isn't what this really is.  It won't accept my blog name in "In A Place" image

    I am going to have to come back to this later....

  • in reply to fmilburn

    Yes it is strange that you can't add a video to your own blog space.

     

    I even tried the complete url for my blog area and it didn't work, but as you say you can add it to other places.

     

    I wonder if this is part of the issue ... oh Dudley does this help

    Cheers

     

    mark

  • in reply to mcb1

    Hi ,

     

    Unfortunately you've hit a bug, one we've fixed for the next release, but that release isn't going to be released soon enough to help you with this.

     

    There is a (albeit faffy) workaround:

    • Create a new video record (i.e. select Create, then video)
    • If it asks you where to put it, decide where you want it. If you can't decide, put it into the all purpose video bucket that the system will occasionally use here: User Uploads
    • upload / embed your video and save it. The video should play fine within the video record.
    • Check the URL bar to find the video of the record, you'll need this for later. It's the only part of the url that is a number.
    • Now go back to your blog and edit it
    • Once editing, click the <html> button to go to html mode
    • If you don't know your way around html, the best thing to do is to paste the code you want right at the start
    • If you do know your way around html, paste the code in the right place image
    • The code you want to paste follows, but you will need to change the videoid from changeMe to whatever id you took note of earlier:

     

    <p><img class="jive_macro jive_macro_videomacro" width="740" jivemacro="videomacro" _src="//files1.element14.com/community/9.0.2.8500fd4/images/tiny_mce3/plugins/jiveemoticons/images/spacer.gif" _videoid="changeMe" /></p>

     

    • Once pasted, Click "Show Full Editor", and you'll be taken back to the edit view you're used to working with, only now your video should be within your post.
    • You can now move it around, or cut and paste it into the right place.

     

    If this is all too much for you, then alternatively, if you upload the video to User Uploads and ping me, I'll edit your blog and pop it into the post.

     

    Thanks image

    Dudley

  • in reply to Dudley

    Dudley

    Sounds like a right pain.

     

    The alternative is to upload it to youtube or some other locations.

    Does element14 then copy onto it's own servers?

     

    Cheers

    Mark

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