AIS transceiver on Pylos station
The POSEIDON buoys (wavescan type) can now facilitate for an experimental AIS (Automatic Identification System) transceiver. The device is set up as an AtoN (Aid to Navigation) and can continuously transmit the name and position of the buoy to nearby vessels and ground stations.
In addition, it can interface with the data logger of the system, thus providing the possibility to select up to 20 of the measured parameters (ie Wind (speed, direction, gust), air temperature, air pressure, current speed & direction, waves (height, period, direction), water temperature, salinity etc), that can be encoded in the AIS message ID 8. The message format is fixed as defined by IMO (International Maritime Organization) in order to comply with the receiving equipment onboard any vessel or land station in range. This feature allows the measurements of the buoy to be readily available to any compatible AIS receiver.