AIS Interceptor Signal K Plugin

A Signal K webapp plugin to calculate and display real-time interception solutions for AIS targets.

Features

• Real-time Calculations: Displays the required course, time, and distance to intercept a moving AIS target based on your vessel's current speed (SOG).
• Multiple Scenarios: Calculates three different approach scenarios:
  1. Slow Approach: The absolute minimum speed required for an intercept.
  2. Cruise Approach: The solution based on your configured cruising speed.
  3. Max Approach: The solution based on your configured maximum speed.
• Target Selector: Provides a sortable list of all nearby AIS targets to easily select and switch between them.
• Clear Dashboard: Shows your vessel's key data (Position, SOG, COG) and the primary interception solution in a clean, easy-to-read format.
• Movement Simulation: Includes a simple simulation mode to test the plugin's functionality without being underway.

Installation

1. Navigate to the Appstore in your Signal K admin interface.
2. Search for signalk-ais-interceptor.
3. Click Install.
4. Activate the plugin and restart the Signal K server when prompted.

Configuration

After installation, you need to configure the plugin with your vessel's performance data.

1. In the Signal K admin interface, go to Server -> Plugin Config.
2. Find AIS Interceptor in the list and expand it.
3. Enter your vessel's cruising and maximum speeds.

What are the speed settings for?

• Cruising Speed: Set this to your vessel's typical, comfortable, or most fuel-efficient cruising speed (in knots). This value is used to calculate the "Cruise approach" scenario, showing you the interception solution if you travel at your normal speed.
• Max Speed: Set this to the maximum sustainable speed of your vessel (in knots). This value is used to calculate the "Max approach" scenario, showing you the fastest possible interception solution.

4. Click Submit and restart the server when prompted to apply the changes.

How It Works

Once installed and configured, you can access the dashboard from the Webapps section of your Signal K server.

1. Select a Target: Click the "Select an AIS Target" button. A modal window will appear with a list of all AIS targets currently visible to your Signal K server. You can sort the table by clicking on the column headers. Click on a vessel to select it as your target.
2. Analyze the Data:
   • The main display boxes (Intercept Course, Time to Intercept, etc.) show the primary solution based on your vessel's current Speed Over Ground (SOG).
   • The colored text below provides the three pre-calculated scenarios, which are extremely useful for planning:
     • Slow approach: Shows the minimum SOG you must maintain to eventually intercept the target.
     • Cruise approach: Shows the course and time to intercept if you travel at your configured Cruising Speed.
     • Max approach: Shows the course and time to intercept if you travel at your configured Max Speed.

License

ISC