Quark-Elec QK-A027 User manual

Quark-Elec Manual
https://www.quark-elec.com 1 of 16 2017
V1.0
QK-A027 Wireless AIS+GPS Receiver
With SeaTalk*Converter
Features
Two independent receivers monitoring both AIS channels (161.975MHz &162.025MHz) and
decoding both channels simultaneously
Sensitivity up to -106 dBm@30% PER
Up to 45 nautical miles receiving range
Powered by the SeaTalk bus(<105mA@12.0V)
NMEA0183 message output through Wi-Fi, USB and RS422
Configurable baud rates: (4.8, 9.6, 38.4k input and output)
Simultaneous wireless and USB output.
The internal Wi-Fi access point connects up to 4 devices simultaneously
Ad Hoc and Station operating modes
SeaTalk to NMEA 0183 protocol converter
Built-in GPS to provide positional data
Combines GPS and AIS messages with NMEA 0183 and outputs as a seamless stream of
data
BNC connector for 50 Ohm VHF antenna
Powered SMA connector for 50 Ohm GPS antenna
Plug & Play connectivity with chart plotters and PCs
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS (Initial Configuration must be
completed using Windows software.)
This device connects to NMEA 0183 and is compatible with RS422 output devices. NMEA
0183-RS232 devices can connect to our device by using the Garmin Bridge (QK-AS03)
This device does not come pre-loaded with map data. We advise using openCPN for map
data. Some iOS apps may charge for map use

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* Seatalk™is a family of proprietary maritime communications protocols developed by Raymarine
Limited warranty
Quark-elec warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and manufacture for one
year from the date of purchase. Quark-elec will, at its sole option, repair or replace any
components that fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the
customer for parts and labor. The customer is, however, responsible for any transportation costs
incurred in returning the unit to Quark-elec. This warranty does not cover failures due to abuse,
misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs. A returns number must be given before
any unit is sent back for repair.
The above does not affect the statutory rights of the consumer.
Disclaimer
This product is designed to aid navigation and should be used to augment normal navigational
procedures and practices. It is the user‟s responsibility to use this product prudently. Neither
Quark-elec, nor their distributors or dealers accept responsibility or liability either to the product
user or their estate for any accident, loss, injury or damage whatsoever arising out of the use or
of liability to use this product.
Accuracy of this manual
Quark-elec AIS receivers may be upgraded from time to time and future versions may therefore
not correspond exactly with this manual. The manufacturer of this product disclaims any liability
for consequences arising from omissions or inaccuracies in this manual and any other
documentation provided with this product.

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V1.0
Document history
Issue
Date
Changes / Comments
1.0
31-10-
2017
Initial release
Order Information
Part No
Description
QK-A024
Dual channelAIS wireless receiver without built-in GPS receiver
QK-A026
Dual channel AIS wireless receiver with built-in GPS receiver
QK-A027
Dual channelAIS wireless receiver with built-in GPS receiver with SeaTalk
converter
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................................3
1Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
2Hardware.........................................................................................................................................5
3Installation & Operation...................................................................................................................8
3.1 Mounting ..............................................................................................................................8
3.2 Power up..............................................................................................................................8
3.3 USB connection ...................................................................................................................8
3.4 WiFi connection..................................................................................................................10
3.5 NMEA output connection ...................................................................................................11
3.6 SeaTalk connection............................................................................................................11
4Working with OpenCPN.................................................................................................................13
5Antenna .........................................................................................................................................15
6Specification ..................................................................................................................................15

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1 INTRODUCTION
The marine Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a location and vessel information reporting
system. It allows vessels equipped with AIS to automatically and dynamically share and regularly
update their position, speed, course and other information such as vessel identity with similarly
equipped vessels. Position is derived from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and communication
between vessels is by Very High Frequency (VHF) digital transmissions. There are a number of types
of AIS device, like Class A transceivers, Class B transceivers, AIS base stations, Aids to Navigation
(AtoN) and AIS receivers.
QK-A027 is a compact dual channel, VHF AIS receiver and is able to receive information from both
AIS frequencies simultaneously. It includes an integrated GPS module that can track up to 22
satellites on 66 channels. It can also combine one external Seatalk1data source with GPS and AIS
messages. This single data stream is then transmitted synchronously via Wi-Fi, USB and RS422.
Figure 1 System diagram

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Figure 2 QK-A027 Function diagram
2 HARDWARE
The QK-A027 is aimed at the small-commercial, leisure and fishing boat markets. Connected to an on
board PC running compatible software, or a chart plotter, AIS data transmitted from ships within range
can be displayed on the screen enabling the skipper or navigator to visualize the traffic within VHF
range. Using QK-A027 can enhance safety at sea by providing proximity, size and directional
information from other vessels, improve safety and efficiency in navigation and help protect the
marine environment.
Although QK-A027 comes with an extruded aluminum enclosure to shield it from external RF
interference, it should not be fitted close to generators or compressors (e.g. refrigerators) as they can
generate substantial RF noise. It is designed to be installed in a protected indoor environment. So
generally a suitable placement of QK-A027 is together with other types of navigation equipment and
the PC or chart plotter that will be used to display the output data. The following figure shows an
overview of the QK-A027.

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Figure 3 Overview of QK-A027
QK-A027 has the following electrical connections/indicators:
USB connector. A micro USB connector outputs the NMEA messages. It can also be used for
adjusting parameters using the GUI Configuration software.
NMEA 0183 output connectors.QK-A027 can be connected to other AIS compatible equipment,
like wind/depth or heading sensors, via the NMEA outputs. QK-A027 sends out NMEA 0183
messages via Wi-Fi, USB and NMEA outputs simultaneously.
GPS antenna connector. Standard powered SMA female 50 Ohm connector to connect with an
active GPS antenna.
AIS antennaconnector. Standard BNC female 50 Ohm connector. An active VHF antenna splitter
is required if one VHF antenna is shared by QK-A027 and VHF voice radio.
SeaTalk input connector. TheSeaTalk port has 3-Pin terminals for connection to the SeaTalk bus.
Ensure the connection is correct before powering up. An incorrect connection could damage the
QK-A027 and other devices on the SeaTalk Bus.
LED lights. QK-A027features three LEDs which indicate power, AIS and GPS status
respectively. Three LEDs turn on and then off after initialization. When operating, these
LEDs flash as below:
Power: Top LED flashes at 3 second intervals.
AIS: Middle LED Flashes for each valid AIS message received.
GPS: Bottom LED Flashes every second while receiving a valid message

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Figure 4GPS and AIS antenna connector
POWER
AIS RX
GPS RX

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3 INSTALLATION &OPERATION
3.1 Mounting
QK-A027 is designed to be securely mounted to a suitable bulkhead or shelf in an indoor environment
and needs to be placed where it is well protected from humidity and water.
QK-A027 is not supplied with a VHF antenna as the type of antenna and cable requirements differ
from vessel to vessel. A suitable VHF antenna will need to be connected before the receiver will
operate fully.
3.2 Power up
QK-A027 runs on 12.0V DC and is powered through the SeaTalk interface, this allows a much
cleaner supply and a concomitant improvement in signal reception.
3.3 USB connection
QK-A027 is supplied with a micro USB connector which the NMEA 0183 data can output through.
This USB connector can be linked directly to a USB port on the PC or other mobile devices via the
supplied cable. When the USB cable is connected, the LEDs will light up, this does not mean the
module is sufficiently powered, functional power must come from the SeaTalk bus or the unit will not
work.
To enable the USB data connection of QK-A027 to other devices, related hardware drivers may be
needed dependent on system requirements.
For Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP, the driver can be found on the CD in the packing box or can be
downloaded from the Quark-elec website at:
https://www.quark-elec.com/product/qk-a027-wireless-ais-gps-receiver-with-seatalk-converter/
QK-A027registers itself to the computer as a virtual serial port.
No drivers are required on Windows 10.A new COM port will automatically show up in the device
manager after plug in.
For Mac OS X, QK-A027 will be recognized and shown as a USB modem. The ID can be checked
with the following steps:
--- After plugging QK-A027 into a USB port, launch Terminal.app.
--- Type ls /dev/*usb*
--- Mac system will return a list of USB devices. QK-A027 will display as - “/dev/tty.usbmodemXYZ”
where XYZ is a number. Nothing further needs to be done if it is listed.
No driver is required for Linux. When plugged into the computer, QK-A027 will show up as a USB
CDC device on /dev/ttyACM0.

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The USB connection status can always be checked with a terminal monitor application like Putty or
HyperTerminal. Ensure that the COM port is set at 38400bps, 8, N and 1 as shown below using
HyperTerminal on Windows as an example to illustrate this process. Connect QK-A027 to the
computer; follow the instructions to install the driver if required. After the driver is installed, run the
Hardware Manager and check the COM interface number.
Figure 5 Check COM port
Run HyperTerminal; ensure that the COM port is set at 38400bps, 8, N and 1.
Figure 6 Setting on HyperTerminal
If all the above is set up correctly, similar AIS messages to the examples below should be shown.
QK-A027 is in COM5

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Figure 7 Display on HyperTerminal
3.4 Wi-Fi connection
15 seconds after QK-A027 has been powered up, the operator should be able to scan and find a Wi-
Fi network (SSID) similar to „QK-A027xxxx‟ using Wi-Fi enabled devices such as computers, mobile
phones or tablets.
Connect the device/s to „QK-A027xxxx‟ with „88888888‟ as the default password. Set the protocol as
„TCP‟, IP address as „192.168.1.100‟ and the port number as „2000‟ in the chart software.
Item
Setting
SSID
Similar to „QK-A027xxxx‟
Protocol
TCP
IP address
192.168.1.100
Port
2000
With the above settings, wireless connection should be set and the operator will be able to receive the
AIS messages through the chart software. The operator can always check the wireless connection
with TCP/IP port monitoring software as shown below:

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Figure 8 TCP/IP setting check
Note: In Ad-hoc mode, the IP address should not be changed and the password should
between 8 to 12 characters.
QK-A027 can also be connected in Station Mode by changing these parameters to those of you
Wireless Access Point. The Configuration Software (GUI) can be used to adjust these settings,
including baud rates and Wi-Fi settings. You can download the software here:
https://quark-elec.com/doc/QE_MUX_configTool.zip
Detailed instructions on how to use the Configuration software are available here:
https://www.quark-elec.com/doc/QK-A0xx_GUI_application_note.pdf
3.5 NMEA output connection
The NMEA0183 connector provides the links to a chart plotter and other instruments. It consists of
two differential output connectors. The output operates at a baud rate of 38400bps. The connected
chart plotter should be configured at this rate to receive the proper data.
The built-in multiplexer takes the SeaTalk data together with GPS and AIS messages, and combines
them into a single stream before outputting as NMEA at 38400bps.
3.6 SeaTalk connection
The SeaTalk port has 3-Pin terminals for connection to the SeaTalk bus. Ensure the connection is
correct before powering up. Incorrect connection could damage the QK-A027 and other devices on
the SeaTalk Bus. QK-A027 utilizes the power supply from the SeaTalk bus.

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When a SeaTalk message is received, QK-A027 checks if the message is recognized and should be
processed. When the message is recognized by the SeaTalk messages table, the message is
extracted, stored and converted to an NMEA sentence. Any unknown datagram is ignored. These
converted NMEA messages are then combined with GPS and AIS messages internally. This function
allows a SeaTalk instrument to communicate on an NMEA network. Only one SeaTalk input is
needed since the SeaTalk bus is a single-cable system that connects all the instruments together
through one cable. SeaTalk to NMEA converter in the QK-A027 works in one direction only. No
NMEA sentences are converted into SeaTalk, the multiplexer just listens on the SeaTalk bus.
Supported SeaTalk Datagram‟s
SeaTalk
NMEA
Description
00
DBT
Depth below transducer
10
MWV
Wind angle, (10 and 11 combined)
11
MWV
Wind speed, (10 and 11 combined)
20
VHW
Speed through water, includes heading when
Present
21
VLW
Trip mileage (21 and 22 combined)
22
VLW
Total mileage (21 and 22 combined)
23
MTW
Water temperature
25
VLW
Total and Trip mileage
26
VHW
Speed through water, includes heading when
present
27
MTW
Water temperature
50
---
GPS latitude, value stored
51
---
GPS longitude, value stored
52
---
GPS speed over ground, value stored

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53
RMC
Course over ground. RMC sentence is
generated from stored values from other GPS
Related datagram‟s.
54
---
GPS time, value stored
56
---
GPS date, value stored
58
---
GPS lat/long, values stored
89
HDG
Magnetic heading, including variation (99)
99
---
Magnetic variation, value stored
The table shows that not all datagram‟s result in an NMEA 0183 sentence. Some datagram‟s
are only used to retrieve data, which is combined with data from other datagram‟s to be able to
create one NMEA 0183 sentence.
4 WORKING WITH OPENCPN
OpenCPN is free software that can be used to view concise chart plotter and navigation information, It
is available for use on both Windows and the MAC OSX system from:
http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download
The following is a sample setting for the OpenCPN plotter. COM2 was set as the QK-A027 input and
COM1 is used for other standard serial port, e.g. depth instruction.
Other software is available such as SeaClear, PolarNavy, and PolarView. They all have similar
settings.
http://www.sping.com/seaclear/
http://www.polarnavy.com/
http://www.polarnavy.com/main/prod1

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Figure 10 Serial ports setting on OpenCPN
For Wi-Fi connection, „Network‟ rather than „Serial‟ needs to be selected in „Connections->Properties‟
and the following settings need to be input.
Figure 11 Wi-Fi setting on OpenCPN
AIS input is in COM2
Other boat devices
input

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5 ANTENNA
AIS communication systems use frequencies in the maritime VHF band, which is considered to be
„line of sight‟ radio. This means that if the QK-A027 antenna cannot „see‟the antennas of other
vessels, the AIS signals from vessels will not reach QK-A027. In practice, this is not a strict
requirement, a few buildings and trees between them will be fine. Large obstacles such as hills and
mountains, on the other hand, will significantly degrade the AIS signal
To have the best possible receiving range, the AIS antenna should be placed as high as possible with
a relatively clear view of the horizon. Large obstructions might shade the AIS radio communication
from certain directions, giving uneven coverage.
AIS communication system frequencies are close to the duplex channels used for marine
communication, so the antenna should be separated as much as possible (ideally at least 3.0 meters)
from the voice communication VHF antenna to avoid unnecessary adjacent channel interference.
Best separation is achieved by installing the antennas over each other or on separate sides of the
mast. If an existing VHF transmitting antenna is used to receive AIS signals, proper separation
equipment (e.g., an active VHF antenna splitter) should be applied.
6 SPECIFICATION
Item
Specification
Frequency bands
161.975MHz &162.025MHz
Operating temperature
-25°C to +80°C
Storage temperature
-25°C to +85°C
DC supply
12.0V(+/-0.5V)
Maximum supply current
105mA
AIS receive sensitivity
-105dBm@30%PER
GPS receiver sensitivity
-162dBm
NMEA data format
ITU/ NMEA 0183 format
SeaTalk input data rate
4.8kbps
NMEA output data rate
38.4kbps
Wi-Fi mode
Station mode on 802.11 b/g/n
Security
WPA/WPA2
Network Protocols
TCP.
For more technical information and other enquiries, please go to the Quark-elec forum at:

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For sales and purchasing information, please email us:[email protected]
Quark-elec (UK)
Unit 7, The Quadrant
Newark Close
Royston, UK
SG8 5HL