Commodore 128 Becomes Marine Vessel Tracker
A team has developed a system that allows the vintage Commodore 128 computer to function as a marine vessel tracker using Automatic Identification System data. The project utilizes assembly code for data processing and BASIC for the graphical user interface to plot ship movements on a map. While the setup requires specific hardware expansions like a 512 KiB REU and VDC memory, it serves as an entertaining retrocomputing demonstration rather than a professional navigation tool.
- ▪The AIS4CBM project enables a Commodore 128 to display real-time vessel tracks from AIS maritime radio communications.
- ▪The system uses assembly code to parse serial data and BASIC 8 to render a graphical map of vessel positions.
- ▪Running the software requires a 512 KiB REU RAM expansion, 64 KiB VDC memory, and a SwiftLink compatible serial interface.
- ▪The project is intended as a fun hobbyist build similar to using an NES for ADS-B tracking, not for professional harbor management.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/09/25/commodore-128-becomes-marine-vessel-tracker/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:00:14 +0000 |
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Commodore 128 Becomes Marine Vessel Tracker No comments by: Zoe Skyforest September 25, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a maritime radio communications tool used to allow different vessels to identify each other and communicate their movements and other telemetry. You can readily view a variety of AIS trackers online. Alternatively, you could build your own, and display the data on a retrocomputer from 40-plus years ago. The concept is straightforward enough—it’s a Commodore 128 displaying vessel tracks from AIS data. The team behind AIS4CBM implemented this with assembly code to receive data over serial, parse and decode the AIS reports, and manage vessel data.
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