The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships, AIS base stations, and satellites.

AIS products subdevided on two classes:
- Class A products are for ships over 300 tonnes or which are SOLAS vessels and are required to meet the guidelines set out in the Marine Equipment Directive.
- Class B products are for non-SOLAS vessels. They need testing and certification under the R&TTE Directive for the European Union and FCC and Industry Canada certification for North America.

Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position, course, and speed. AIS is intended to assist a vessel's watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. AIS integrates a standardized VHF transceiver with a positioning system such as a GPS or LORAN-C receiver, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass or rate of turn indicator. Vessels fitted with AIS transceivers can be tracked by AIS base stations located along coast lines or, when out of range of terrestrial networks, through a growing number of satellites that are fitted with special AIS receivers which are capable of deconflicting a large number of signatures.

Our company can provide type testing on behalf of AIS equipment manufacturers worldwide to ensure that the products are able to communicate with any other AIS equipment in use and that the system integrates with marine products such as the communications and navigation systems.

Our testing laboratory OMEGA is fully equipped to conduct all the testing required by IEC61993-2 (Class A), IEC62287-1 (Class B), IEC62320-2 (A to N) etc, which includes EMC, Environmental, Safety, RF and Protocol testing.

OMEGA is a Notified Body under the Marine Equipment Directive 96/98/EC. For certification to the Marine Equipment Directive, we can carry out conformity assessment procedures for B, D, E, F, G Modules.

Once a technical file has been compiled, we can certify your products, the assessment consists of Type Examination and Product Control. A successful certification assessment will allows to gain the Marine Equipment Directive Wheel Mark.

AIS Class B devices fall within the scope of the R&TTE Directive (1999/5/EC). There are no harmonised standards available for these devices so manufacturers must consult a Notified Body (NB) to identify a suitable test schedule (this is required by Annex III of the directive). Once a Notified Body has identified the test schedule, the manufacturer has the testing performed and then seeks the Notified Body expert opinion on the product compliance by presenting a Technical Construction File to the NB. The “CE” mark should be affixed to the product and the device can be marketed throughout the EU subject to national licensing considerations.

We can offer a complete test service for AIS Class B devices under the R&TTE Directive.