All AIS Class A Transponders have a special “Pilot Plug” that is intended to allow a Commercial Pilot to quickly and reliably connect their laptop PC to the Class A Transponder when they arrive onboard. Often on larger vessels the normal 1-2m length of the Pilot Plug can make connecting to the vessels Class A transponder difficult. As most Pilot Plug cables use a USB interface, which is limited to 5m, extending the cable can be problematic.

The Digital Yacht extension cable, extends the NMEA0183 wiring and not the USB wiring making it possible to extend up to 10m (or more) plus the length of the existing Pilot Plug cable.