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Decoding AIS files (batch AIS files processing)

Problem:

I frequently need to decode AIVDO/VDM messages from VDRs in order to investigate marine accidents. Your online AIS decoder can do it for few rows, but I need a software to extract the necessary information from thousands of NMEA rows at once and get one text file containing all the extracted and decoded data.

Preliminary requirements:

  1. Advanced NMEA Data Logger Enterprise, or a trial version (download).
  2. File Import plugin.

Solution:

Configuring the NMEA data logger

1. Install the File Import plugin. The new menu item should appear in the "File" main menu in the main window.

Menu item

Fig. 1: Menu item

2. Create a new configuration to decode AIS data as described in another tutorial. You should select an unused COM or TCP port in the configuration. In this case, real-time incoming data will not mix with imported data.

3. You should select to decode VDO and VDM sentences in the parser settings.

Selecting AIS sentences

Fig. 2: Parser plugin

Selecting AIS sentences

Fig. 3: Selecting AIS sentences

4. Configure data view mode to display parsed data.

Selecting AIS sentences

Fig. 4: Data view mode

5. Configure logging to a file of screen content.

Selecting AIS sentences

Fig. 4: Log file settings

6. Go to the "File → Import files with data" menu and select the necessary files with AIS data.

7. Wait while the logger processes all records from the file. It may take a while.

8. Check the decoded log file at the folder from step #5.

FAQ

Can I change the format of the log file to the CSV format?

  1. 1. Disable the regular log file.
  2. 2. Enable and configure the Local database plugin instead.

I cannot find the MMSI number in decoded data. Where is it?

Our logger decodes this value as the "SOURCE_ID" value

Related articles: Decoding AIS files (batch AIS files processing)

Related topics: Advanced NMEA Data Logger

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