Enhanced Signal Analysis Package (ESP)

The Shine Micro proprietary Enhanced Signal Analysis Package (ESP) is a valuable diagnostic tool for site selection and performance optimization.

Why do I need ESP?

Quiet sites, i.e. sites with low levels of RF interference, are necessary to achieve maximum range from an AIS receiver. Allowing the user to evaluate the existing noise levels of a location, the Enhanced Signal Analysis Package (ESP) can ensure appropriateness of an installation site - saving time and money.

Do I need ESP at an established site?

Yes. In addition to assisting with initial site selection, the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and Noise Floor Monitor features of the Shine Micro ESP are diagnostic tools for analyzing site performance. The ability to monitor changes in noise floor and signal strength received can indicate success or failure of altering conditions to reduce interference, or to ensure all equipment is functioning properly.

For example:
an AIS receiver co-located with several other devices at a single site has abruptly gone from a 100 NM reception radius to 25 NM. Checking the Noise Floor Monitor, the user notices a substantial increase in interference, and attributes it to a potential malfunction in a piece of co-located equipment. By watching the Noise Floor Monitor while checking the other pieces of equipment the user is able to ascertain which piece of equipment is causing the interference and disable it.

Is ESP only relevant to AIS Receivers?

No. The RSSI monitor can also be useful for assessing transponder performance.

For example:
a user at a shore station is monitoring a vessel as it travels within range of the AIS receiver. The vessel being monitored leaves a clearly definable track across the navigational software display. Half way across the screen the track becomes intermittent. After checking that the conditions of the AIS receiver have not changed (i.e. the noise floor has not increased) the user rules out receiver failure. The intermittent track of the vessel on screen could indicate a malfunction of the transponder, so the user inputs the MMSI number into the search box of the RSSI Monitor to check the strength of the signal received from that vessel. Noticing that the signal level has dropped below the level of the noise floor, the user can contact the vessel's radioman to evaluate the transponder.

The RSSI monitor is also a powerful anti-spoofing tool, allowing the user to compare the location that an AIS transponder is broadcasting against the strength of the signal received, thereby validating position. This is particularly powerful in networked applications where multiple AIS receivers are tracking the same vessel.

Take a video tour of the RSSI Monitor!

Where can I get an AIS Receiver with ESP?

Praised by the United States Navy (USN) and United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Enhanced Signal Analysis Package (ESP) is exclusive to Shine Micro, Inc.

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Click here to download our Order Form to purchase via fax or email!

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Once a signal has been detected, the MMSI number will appear in the MMSI field and the dbm levels will register on the Signal Strength Indication bars according to channel (AIS1 or AIS2). The colored bars at the top of the signal strength indicators signify the age of the packet received.

Additional information about the operation of the RSSI Monitor and other ESP features is included in the Operation Manual included with purchase.

The Shine Micro Enhanced Signal Analysis Package (ESP) is included in the following models:
RadarPlus SM161RGESP-2
RadarPlus SM161RGESPN-2
RadarPlus SM1610-2
RadarPlus SM1610-2A
RadarPlus SM1680 "Octopus"