The core of autonomous ships is data exchange and communication technologies. Seamless communication connectivity with remote monitoring systems, collision and accident prevention systems through situational awareness, and integrated autonomous navigation and engine room control systems are very important for the operation of international voyage vessels, including autonomous ships, onshore control centers, and smart maritime services.
However, international voyages take ships between countries, so they need to switch between expensive satellite communications and relatively inexpensive LTE communications, depending on the ship's location and environment. That’s the reason why DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway is essential infrastructure in autonomous surface ship.
The core of autonomous surface ship’s broadband communication system is a DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway and DX-Ocean LTE/5G Terminal. DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway allows to automatically select VDES, VSAT, and LTE environments based on the ship's route and corresponding communication environment. If the autonomous surface ship is sailing domestically, LTE communication is used. If the ship loses LTE signal as it changes route from nearshore to offshore, it will connect to VSAT satellites to ensure a continuous and seamless communication. When an autonomous surface ship enters a foreign port, VSAT satellite communication is automatically switched to LTE via DX-Ocean LTE/5G Terminal when it enters the nearshore of the country.
SyncTechno DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway is a core hub solution to connect VSAT terminal, LTE/5G terminal, VDES gateway as well as digital bridges. It connects satellite communications via VSAT terminals and also LTE/5G communications via LTE/5G terminal and automatically switches between satellite and based on vessel location and shaded areas to ensure seamless communications.
DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway provides intelligent selection by collecting satellite channel status provided by VSAT terminals and LTE channel status measured by DX-Ocean LTE/5G Terminal. The dashboard provides real-time status on satellite and LTE/5G communication channels.
The key feature of SyncTechno DX-Ocean LTE/5G Terminal is the collection of LTE channel status for intelligent communication terminal selection. It provides RTT(round-trip time) information to DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway about whether LTE communication is available. The collected LTE channel status can be delivered to various systems for real-time monitoring.
SyncTechno DX-Ocean Administrative Tool validates the communication status collected from SyncTechno DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway. SyncTechno DX-Ocean Administrative Tool queries communication status provided by the SyncTechno DX-Ocean Multi-RAT Gateway via API, and interfaces with the Digital Bridge MQTT Broker to deliver AIS messages into core systems. The collected data is visualized in charts and data lists via dedicated gauges. It’s also available out of the box as a plugin in various systems.