Transponder Mania

For safe ocean navigation, you need to know where everything is—that's the job of maritime AIS transponders. Hackaday reports that peterantypas has built MANIA, apparently the first open-source Automatic Identification System transponder. Unlike commercial systems that are bulky, expensive, and power-hungry, MANIA packs itself entirely into the antenna assembly, using a simple Ethernet cable to send data down the mast instead of multiple shielded cables. Built around an STM32 microcontroller, a Si Labs RF chip, and integrated GPS, the design has proved reliable enough to reach hundreds of deployments, demonstrating that open-source hardware can make maritime safety more accessible.

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