BRIDGE EQUIPMENT - ECDIS

ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY & INFORMATION SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION :
The International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) includes a requirement for all ships to
carry to up-to-date nautical charts and publications for the intended voyage. This requirement was
satisfied by the ships by maintaining paper charts which was kept updated by weekly corrections.

Progressively from 2012, the chart carriage requirement for certain classes of vessels is to be satisfied by
electronic means using an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). This meant that the
traditional paper charts are to be replaced by electronic charts.

ECDIS, however, includes not only the visualisation of all paper chart information on a computer screen,
but also provides a wide range of other data required for navigational purposes. ECDIS is a highly complex
and sophisticated system, which besides the navigational functions includes components of a computer-
based information system delivering a real-time display of the navigator’s own vessel located with
reference to the surrounding sea area.

In June 2009, vide Amendment to SOLAS chapter V/19, IMO declared Mandatory ECDIS carriage
requirements for all SOLAS vessels. SOLAS requires all ships engaged in international voyages to be fitted
with ECDIS in a phased manner from July 2012 to July 2018.

In June 2010, vide Manila Amendments to STCW, ECDIS competence was made mandatory for
navigational Officers and Masters as from 01/2012.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS:

Electronic Chart System (ECS): In general, ECS is a term for all electronic equipment that is able to display
a ship’s position on a chart image. The term covers a wide range of capabilities and even a smart phone
can be an ECS. An ECS does not meet the mandatory chart carriage requirements set by. An ECS cannot,
therefore, be used as a primary tool for navigation on SOLAS ships, meaning that navigation has to be
performed on paper charts.

Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) means a navigation information system which
with adequate back-up arrangements can be accepted as complying with the up-to-date chart required
by regulation V/20 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, by displaying selected information from a system
electronic navigational chart (SENC) with positional information from navigation sensors to assist the
mariner in route planning and route monitoring, and if required display additional navigation-related
information.

Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) means the database, standardized as to content, structure and
format, issued for use with ECDIS on the authority of government authorized hydrographic offices. The
ENC contains all the chart information necessary for safe navigation and may contain supplementary
information in addition to that contained in the paper chart (e.g. sailing directions) which may be
considered necessary for safe navigation. Vector Charts are an example.

System Electronic Navigational Chart (SENC) means a database resulting from the transformation of the
ENC (a vector chart) by ECDIS for appropriate use, updates to the ENC by appropriate means and other
data added by the mariner. It is this database that is actually accessed by ECDIS for the display generation
and other navigational functions, and is the equivalent to an up-to-date paper chart. The SENC may also
contain information from other sources.

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ECDIS converts each ENC from S-57 ENC format into an internal format called the System Electronic
Navigational Chart (SENC), which is optimized for chart image creation.

BENEFITS OF ECDIS
o Reduced workload for the navigator (charts and nautical publications updating, voyage planning, all
information in “one hand”)
o Navigation in real time increasing situational awareness in combination with proper lookout
o Automatic route monitoring (warnings and indications of hazards to the operator, in time arrivals)
o Automatic track control (reduces bunker costs), if ECDIS is connected to the autopilot
o Prediction of special manoeuvres (predicted path, trial manoeuvre, docking mode)
o Availability of a chart during the night without night vision loss
o Access to additional information resources

POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES OF ECDIS

o Too much information on the screen may cause clutter and can be distracting
o Submenus can be very complex
o The size of chart displayed on the screen monitor is very much reduced compared with the paper
chart
o Some symbols may be misinterpreted due to unfamiliarity
o Automatic plotting of position can lead to complacency concerning the vessel’s position and
proximity to dangers.
o Confusion with ECS, unauthorised use for primary navigation

TYPES OF CHARTS USED IN ECDIS:

Vector Chart:
A vector chart is a digital database of all the objects (points, lines, areas, etc.) represented on a chart.
Vector charts store information, such as isolated dangers, depths, depth contours, coastline features,
cables and pipelines etc in separate layers which can be displayed as per the user’s requirements.
Vector charts are also referred to as intelligent charts as they can be interrogated for information not
displayed but stored in it’s memory.

Raster Chart:
Raster chart data is created by scanning the information on a paper chart and storing this information in
the form of pixels. Many thousands of pixels together make a flat digital image. Each pixel contains all
the data for a particular point; colour, brightness etc. They are also geographically referenced which
makes the raster chart identical in every way to the paper chart on which it is based. Raster charts cannot
be manipulated or queried. Also referred to as the Raster Chart Display System (RCDS), the information is
contained in one single layer only. Information can only be added to this type of chart.

Radar/ARPA information can be overlaid on this type of chart format.

COMPARISION BETWEEN VECTOR AND RASTER CHARTS:

RASTER CHARTS- ADVANTAGES:

 All paper chart information is retained, including every depth sounding, buoy number and
description, and land features such as town names and streets bordering the water.
 Because raster charts perfectly match the paper charts, it is easy when underway to work
back and forth between the wide view of large paper charts and the small section seen on
an electronic screen.

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 There is no learning curve for mariners already familiar with paper charts.

RASTER CHARTS- DISADVANTAGES:

 Charts require significantly more storage room (than vector charts) on electronic devices.
The storage for all raster charts for a single region may exceed the space required by
vector charts for the entire country.
 The type size (font size) is fixed, so that letters and numbers become large when you
zoom in and small when you zoom out, becoming less readable at both extremes.
 Zooming in too far to see your boat's position on a small scale chart may give a
misleading impression - when a larger scale chart would be more accurate (vector charts
automatically change scale).

VECTOR CHARTS- ADVANTAGES:

 Less electronic storage room is required; most apps and programs using vector charts
include all U.S. waters, so you don't have to get more charts when you go to a new area.
(Some chartplotter companies using proprietary versions of vector charts may still charge
you to get more regions.)
 Zooming in and out makes movement between small- and large-scale charts unnoticeable
and seamless.
 Vector charts have a "clean" look because they present less information on any one screen.
 Programs and apps using vector charts often build in additional features or layers including
information about marinas, social features, etc.

VECTOR CHARTS- ADVANTAGES:

 Less information is presented, depending on whose vector version you are using. As in the
chart shown, land features and names are seldom included - this can be disorienting to
mariners used to paper charts and road maps.

 Some specific information (such as descriptive buoy data) does not appear on the screen
unless you select it or move a cursor to it - compared to always being there on a raster
chart.
 It can be confusing to look back and forth between the wide view of large paper charts and
the small section seen on an electronic screen.
 A learning curve is needed to use a vector chart accurately at the appropriate levels of
zoom.

ADVANTAGE OF VECTOR CHART OVER PAPER CHART:

o Continuous monitoring of the vessel’s position.
o Position fixing at desired intervals without the indulgence of the OOW.
o Charts can be corrected automatically electronically.
o Ease of passage planning, with alarms set for various parameters.
o All required publications are incorporated to facilitate passage planning.
o Passage plan can be monitored more effectively.
o If two position fixing systems are used, the discrepancy in positions (if any) can be identified by
ECDIS.
o Cross track limits and alarms can be set.

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o More accurate ETA can be calculated considering the effect of wind, currents and tidal streams.
o Many more features available to reduce the workload of OOW.

DUAL FUEL
RNCs already cover much of the world and the concept of ECDIS operating in an RCDS mode is seen as a
way of letting mariners maximize the use of the system while ENC coverage expands. This is referred to as
the "dual-fuel" mode of operations.

The important benefit of the dual-fuel approach is that electronic chart navigation based entirely on
official and up-to-date charts is available for almost any voyage.

CHART UPDATING
The Chart information to be used in ECDIS should be the latest edition of information originated by a
government authorized hydrographic office and conform to IHO standards. The contents of the SENC
should be adequate and up-to-date for the intended voyage.

The updating methods can be subdivided into two different categories:

Automatic
Manual
Automatic Updating
It consists of an updating process by which the updating information is applied, within the ECDIS, to the
SENC without operator intervention. Automatic updating can be broken down into the following two sub-
classes:

Fully-automatic Updating
Semi-automatic Updating

Fully-automatic Updating
The update data reaches the ECDIS directly from the distributor without any human intervention via a
broadcast transmission, INTERNET, etc.
Semi-automatic Updating
An updating method requiring human intervention to establish a link between the media used for
transferring the update information and the ECDIS, e.g., inserting an updating diskette, or establishing a
telephone communication link.

FEATURES OF ECDIS

Route Planning:

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 Carry out route planning & monitoring in a simple & reliable manner for both straight and curved
segments. It is possible to adjust a planned route alphanumerically, graphically, including :

 Deleting waypoints
 Adding waypoints
 Changing position of a waypoint
 Changing order of waypoints

 It should be possible to plan one or more alternative routes in addition to the selected route &
clearly distinguishable from the current & other routes.

 It should be possible for the mariner to specify a cross track limit of deviation from the planned
route at which an automatic off track alarm should be activated.

 An indication is required if the mariner plans a route across:

 Own ship's safety contour

 Closer than a user specified distance from the boundary of a prohibited area.
 Closer than a user specified distance from a point object, such as a fixed or floating aid to
navigation or isolated danger.

Route Monitoring:

 Real time position of the vessel

 Look ahead view possible
 All type of position lines can be plotted
 Alternative route and selected route can be shown side by side
 Time labels can be put on track
 Alarms as specified
 Alarm / Indication as specified
 OOW can select a safety contour
 ECDIS gives the safety contour more emphasis than other contours on the display
 It is possible for the mariner to select a safety depth
 ECDIS emphasizes soundings equal to or less than the safety depth whenever spot soundings are
selected for display
 For route monitoring the selected route and own ship's position should appear whenever the
display covers that area
 It should be possible to display a sea area that does not have the ship on the display (e.g. for look
ahead, route planning), while route monitoring.
 It should be possible to return to the route monitoring display covering own ship’s position
immediately by single operator action
 ECDIS should give an alarm if, within a specified time set by the mariner, own ship will cross the
safety contour.
 ECDIS should give an alarm or indication, if within a specified time set by the mariner, own ship
will cross the boundary of a prohibited
 An alarm should be given when the specified limit for deviation from the planned route is
exceeded.

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 The ship's position should be derived from a continuous positioning system of accuracy
consistent with the requirements of safe navigation.
 Whenever possible, a second independent positioning method of a different type should be
provided
 ECDIS should be capable of identifying discrepancies between the two systems.
 ECDIS should provide an indication when the input from the position fixing system is lost
 ECDIS should also repeat, but only as an indication, any alarm or indication passed to it from a
position fixing, heading or speed sources.
 An alarm should be given by ECDIS if the ship, within a specified time or distance set by the
mariner, will reach a critical point on the planned route.
 The positioning system and the SENC should be on the same geodetic datum.
 ECDIS should give an alarm if this is not the case.
 It should be possible to display an alternative route in addition to the selected route.
 During the voyage it should be possible to modify the selected sailing route or change to
alternative route.
 The selected route should be clearly distinguishable from the other routes.
 It should be possible to display:
 Time-labels along ships track manually on demand and automatically at intervals
 An adequate number of points, free movable electronic bearing lines, variable and fixed
range markers and other symbols
 ECDIS should provide the capability to enter and plot manually obtained bearing and distance LOP
and calculate the resulting position of own ship.
 ECDIS should indicate discrepancies between the positions obtained by continuous positioning
systems and positions obtained by manual observations.
Voyage Recording
 The following data should be recorded at one minute interval:
1. to ensure a record of own ship’s past track: time, position, heading, and speed.
2. to ensure a record of official data used: ENC source, edition date cell, update and history.

 In addition, ECDIS should record the complete track for the entire voyage, with time marks at
intervals not exceeding 4 hours.
 It should not be possible to manipulate or change the recorded information.
 ECDIS should have a capability to preserve the record of the previous 12 hours and of the voyage
track.
 ECDIS should store and be able to reproduce certain minimum elements required to reconstruct
the navigation and verify the official database used during the previous 12 hours.

Recording Playback
 This feature automatically captures all own and other vessel data without crew action, stores the
data compressed and encrypted in archives and enables voyages to be reconstructed from the
playback function.
Radar Integration Board

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The Radar Integrator board is interfaced with the Radar and converts the Radar video signals into
digital format and stores them. The advantage of this board is that it can track targets that come
within it’s range regardless of the range scale in use. When these targets appear on the selected
range scale, their CPA & TCPA are readily available without any delay.
The Radar Integrator board can track up to 500 targets at any one time including land and clutter
echoes.
Radar/Arpa Integration
Radar/ARPA information and/or AIS information may be transferred from systems compliant with
the relevant standards of organization. Overlay of ARPA information on ECDIS improves
navigational safety in restricted visibility, congested waters, coastal passages, port approaches
and anchorages.
To prevent degradation of the ECDIS when superimposed with Radar picture, the user can
suppress the clutter. If required, only a particular sector of the Radar picture may be
superimposed on the ECDIS so that the other areas on the ECDIS chart appear without the radar
picture.
Integration- Advantages
Tracked targets appear on the chart screen in their correct position.
Radar picture can be recorded and stored for future reference and training purposes.
CAUTION !
 PERIODICAL CHECKS AND LOOKOUT MUST BE PERFORMED AND BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
WATCH KEEPING MUST BE OBSERVED
 ECDIS IS ONLY A NAVIGATION TOOL WHICH HELPS TO PERFORM NAVIGATIONAL
FUNCTIONS
 LIMITATIONS OF ECDIS AND ITS SENSORS MAKE OVER-RELIANCE ON IT DANGEROUS