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AIS message type

AIS message type 20: Data link management message

A base station reserves slots for its own future transmissions. What type 20 carries, who sends it, how often, and how to read it.

What type 20 is

Type 20 lets a base station pre-announce up to four blocks of slots it will use, so that mobile stations leave them free.

How to read it

Radio scheduling only. It carries no vessel data.

Decoding it

The AIS message decoder reads the message type and sender MMSI of any sentence, including this one, but does not unpack the body of type 20.

All message types

TypeName
1Position report, scheduled (Class A)
2Position report, assigned schedule (Class A)
3Position report, response to interrogation (Class A)
4Base station report
5Static and voyage related data (Class A)
6Binary addressed message
7Binary acknowledge
8Binary broadcast message
9Standard SAR aircraft position report
10UTC and date inquiry
11UTC and date response
12Addressed safety related message
13Safety related acknowledgement
14Safety related broadcast message
15Interrogation
16Assignment mode command
17DGNSS broadcast binary message
18Standard Class B equipment position report
19Extended Class B equipment position report
20Data link management message
21Aid-to-navigation report
22Channel management
23Group assignment command
24Static data report (Class B)
25Single slot binary message
26Multiple slot binary message with communications state
27Long-range AIS broadcast message