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First, you need to figure out where you want to display the AIS target data, only on your laptop screen or your laptop screen and your C120 display?

On my boat I decided that I wanted the AIS targets on my laptop screen only, as the helm display shows charts, radar, and sonar.

The output from my SR 161 receiver is serial data to a DB 9 connector. GPS position data output from my Garmin system is also serial data to a DB 9 connector.

New laptops no longer have serial ports, so I use a Keyspan 4 port serial-usb adapter....GPS data to one of the ports and AIS data to another.

On my MacBook I run GPSNavX, the software sees both data streams and I select the correct baud rates and that's it.

Now, the SR 161 actually has a built-in multiplexer so I could have sent GPS position data to the receiver via a homemade Y cord and had only one serial output to send the laptop via a single cable but that wiring allows data "collisions" that could actually slow down the data stream so I decided against it.

If you want to see AIS targets on your C120 display you will need to read that manual and see now Raymarine handles this. Ideally, they may have an AIS input and a combined GPS-AIS output that you could run to your laptop. Then once again you would need a serial-usb adapter for your laptop.

I have tested many different brands of serial-USB adapters and found the Keyspan products to be hands above the rest. I have used their drivers for XP, Vista, and Max OSX and all work perfectly on both their single port and 4 port products.

Good luck!

John # 582
S/V On Assignment
Abaco, The Bahamas