More recently, electronic mapping systems were complex and very expensive computer-based systems. Such systems (ECDIS - electronic cartographic and information navigation system; EKS - electronic cartographic system) are used on large sea vessels. For small ships, it would be possible to use laptops with simplified software, but ordinary laptops have poor water and moisture resistance, and special protected, very expensive ones are not available to everyone.

Over the past 10–15 years, compact, affordable, stationary and portable electronic cartographic devices have appeared - chart plotters, the smallest of which are not inferior in size to a regular GPS receiver, which can be carried in a pocket or backpack, installed in the wheelhouse of a boat, in an inflatable boat, on a kayak. Moreover, devices have appeared that are both a fish finder and a chart plotter.

A modern chartplotter consists of two main parts - the cartographic information carrier and the plotter. The chartplotter can receive the data necessary to obtain the location from the built-in GPS receiver or from any external receiver.

Cartographic information media

The carriers of cartographic information for navigation systems of small vessels (chartplotters) are laser CDs and mini-cartridges ( rice. 60 ). Mini-cartridges are used in stationary chartplotters, and CDs are used to load maps into handheld devices that are too small to accommodate a cartridge slot.

If the world database of electronic maps is usually recorded on laser CDs, then a set of maps of different scales of individual areas is recorded on mini-cartridges, the volume of which depends on the capacity of the cartridge. There are several electronic mapping systems used for recording maps onto cartridges - C-Mar NT+, C-MAX, Blue Chart, Navionics Nav-Charts™, Furuno MiniChart and some others. The largest coverage of domestic water areas - Lakes Ladoga and Onega, the Gulf of Finland, the Barents, White, Azov, Black and Caspian Seas - is provided by the S-Mar and Blue Chart map collections.

The sources of data for electronic maps C-MAP and Blue Chart are official maps produced by hydrographic services, in-house production of data under contracts with hydrographic services, digitization of survey materials of small harbors in the absence of official paper maps (by order of local authorities).

Rice. 60. Electronic card carriers

Chartplotters

Chartplotter ( rice. 61, 62 ) is a functionally complete device containing in its waterproof case a satellite navigation receiver (in some models the receiver may be remote), a computer with a factory-installed program, a monochrome or color display, a keyboard for control, a cartridge input slot or port to download maps. A mandatory element is a port for input/output of information in the international maritime format NMEA 0183.

Screen sizes can be very different - from very small ones, measuring 40? 60 mm, color and monochrome screens of Garmin GPS MAP 60 and 76 wearable chart plotters, up to large 10-15 inch screens on stationary marine plotters.

Rice. 61. Wearable chartplotter

All chartplotters have common principles of operation and control using a cursor and menus, which we will get acquainted with using a popular model, for example, ChartMaster v6 with a 6-inch color display.

The chartplotter has a 12-channel parallel GPS receiver. It has all the functions required for it - determining coordinates, displaying on the screen of an electronic map the position of the vessel and the route of its movement, movement parameters, routes, waypoints, etc. For navigation in water areas for which there are no charts, chart plotters usually have pages with appropriate graphics , similar to that found in conventional GPS receivers. For this purpose, this device has a graphic “road” indicator; others, in particular Garmin devices, use a “compass” indicator.

Work withchartplotter

Almost all chartplotters are controlled, as in a computer, through a menu system using keys - arrows, joystick and function keys. Using the menu, the necessary settings for the display, route, units of measurement, security zones, etc., etc. are set, various functions are selected, routes and waypoints are created.

Rice. 62. Stationary chartplotter

The first switching on of the device, like a GPS receiver, begins with the initialization process. Since this process has already been discussed in the previous chapter, we will not dwell on it, but will immediately move on to working with the chartplotter.

After turning on the device, as soon as its GPS receiver captures satellite signals, a map of the vessel’s location will be displayed on the screen, the image of which will be located in the center. If there is a cartridge for this area, then a detailed map of the specific area will be displayed on the screen.

Typically, maps of various scales are recorded on cartridges - from general to large-scale for ports, or areas difficult to navigate. The chartplotter's ZOOM function allows you to select the desired scale. In some models, it is possible to increase the scale beyond that specified by the map by stretching the map image. This creates certain convenience for navigation, but does not increase the detail of the image on the screen.

The ship's movement is shown on the display in one of two ways. In the first case, its mark remains stationary in the center of the screen against the background of a moving map; in the second case, the mark moves from the center to the edge of the screen and, upon reaching it, returns back simultaneously with the map shift. If necessary, the vessel's trajectory, velocity vector and its current coordinates can be displayed.

Using the cursor

The cursor plays an important role in working with a chartplotter. This is the main tool with which many tasks are solved - measuring the distance and azimuth to objects, determining their coordinates, calculating distances between objects, creating waypoints and routes, obtaining information and much more. Let's look at several cursor functions as an example.

If during the voyage there is a need to determine the distance to some object on the map (to the shore or a pole), just move the cursor crosshairs over this point, and its coordinates will appear in the information window, as well as the distance and direction relative to the ship. In a similar way, information is obtained about the names of islands, settlements, ports marked on the map, navigational conditions, depths, etc.

If you hover the cursor over any object, for example, a navigation buoy or beacon, complete information about this object will appear in the information window that appears - height, color, color and visibility sectors of lights, etc. Using the cursor you can get the names of islands and settlements not indicated on maps.

Using a cursor makes creating waypoints and routes much easier. Unlike a GPS receiver, where this task is solved using a paper map with further input of the received coordinates through the menu, in a chartplotter this is simply and quickly accomplished using a cursor - just place it at the desired location on the electronic map and press the desired key. The resulting waypoint can then be easily edited, assigned a symbol or name, moved to another location, or deleted.

The resulting routes and their constituent points are placed on special pages in the form of tables with coordinates. They can be renamed, assigned symbols (for example, anchor, cross, fish, etc.), changed coordinates, deleted, and this can be done not only while swimming, but also at home, using the simulation mode for this.

After creating waypoints and forming a route, it is necessary to check for the presence of navigation hazards along all its segments. To do this, the recorded route is displayed on a map, where it will be represented as waypoints connected by lines, and then viewed along its entire length. If it turns out that in some section the line passes through a dangerous place (an island, a rock ridge, a shoal), any point in this segment is dragged with the cursor until this line leaves the dangerous place, after which they continue checking the subsequent ones again. plots.

Sailing routes

By “sailing along the route” we mean the sequential movement from point to point of a pre-planned and stored in memory route using the technical and software capabilities of devices that allow you to control the deviations of the vessel from a given direction.

In modern chart plotters, when sailing along a route, deviation control is carried out in two ways - either by the position of the vessel mark on the laid route, or using special graphic indicators, usually used in GPS receivers. Some chartplotter models can combine both modes on one screen, which makes navigation more convenient in difficult navigation conditions.

A very useful function for controlling the direction of a vessel's movement along a route is the velocity vector. This is a very sensitive and fast-acting tool that allows you to quickly respond to deviations from the general course.

If the route has been created in advance and is stored in the device’s memory, then through the menu it is selected from the list and activated in one of the available ways, after which a section of the map with the route will be displayed on the screen and the chartplotter will switch to navigation mode. At the same time, the direction to the first waypoint, distance to it, travel time and arrival time will appear in the data window, and graphic displays will show deviations from the true course.

When approaching an active point at a specified distance, the device will sound a sound signal and a message in the information window on the screen about this event.

Upon arrival at the first point, the device will automatically switch to movement mode to the next point, etc., until arriving at the final navigation point.

Navigating to waypoints

Waypoint navigation is a special case of route navigation, so the principles of using a chartplotter and navigation are the same.

Waypoints can be created in advance and stored in the device's memory, from where they can be retrieved, activated using the GO TO function and used for navigation. Creating waypoints while sailing is very effective using the cursor - just point the crosshairs at the desired location and press the "GO TO" key - and the chartplotter will navigate to the selected point.

You should stop at one special waypoint “MOV” (Man Over Board) – “Man Overboard”. This waypoint is usually set by pressing a special key, after which the chartplotter automatically proceeds to navigate to the MOB point.

Service functions

Information Database

Each chartplotter contains a set of information data, the content and volume of which may vary in different models. Part of the information base is introduced during the production of devices, and the main part comes along with the electronic map of the area.

The main part of the database is navigation information, which is necessarily present in every chartplotter. This includes information about depths, navigational hazards, navigational conditions, names of islands, bays, ports, etc. Such data is usually displayed automatically in the information window when the cursor is placed over a given object or, in some models, when the vessel's mark falls into a specified area near the object.

Each chartplotter contains tide information for each specific area. They are contained on a separate page, selectable through the main menu.

The second block of data may contain a list of ports and shelters for a given map with distances to the ship and directions to them, their characteristics (presence of telephone and telegraph, hospitals, oil depots, features of the water area). Often the list of ports is arranged in order of increasing distance to the ship, which allows you to quickly select the nearest shelter if necessary.

Custom Functions

By this not very correct name we mean a set of a wide variety of functions that make it easier for the user to work with the chartplotter. Each device model has its own set of functions, so we will focus only on the most common ones.

MOU("Man overboard").

This is one of the most important functions that allows you to remember the location of a person who has fallen overboard with one keystroke and switch the chartplotter to navigation mode to the point of impact. After pressing the key, the MOB point is automatically remembered and remains active until it is deleted by the operator.

Return to ship function

When plotting a route or viewing a map using a cursor, you can get lost and lose the mark of the vessel. To quickly return to the ship’s place, there is a function that can be called “HOME”, “Find ship”, “Ship” or something else in different models. By pressing this function key, a section of the map is quickly displayed on the screen, in the center of which there is a ship and a cursor.

Recording traces

As the vessel moves, any chartplotter can record and save, at the user’s discretion, the route traveled. The route is recorded in the form of points. On short routes, these points merge into a line, but as the distance traveled increases, the interval between points, due to their limited number, automatically increases.

The most complex and expensive instruments can store several routes along with their characteristic features and, if necessary, reproduce them, correct them and use them for navigation.

Navigationalalarms

This function allows you to generate alarms (warnings) in cases of entering a specified zone, when approaching a route waypoint, when approaching a navigational hazard, when passing over a place where the depth is less than a specified one, when the vessel is drifting at anchor.

Map catalogs

Some expensive chart plotters often contain map catalogs, making it easy to find the right cartridge or order it while sailing. The map catalog can be either regional or global.

"Echo sounder"

This feature, available on some chartplotters, allows you to read the current depth readings from the map and display them simultaneously with the map on the screen in digital or graphical form. In addition, the device can receive NMEA 0183 depth readings from the ship's echo sounder and display them.

"CCTV"

Some models of chart plotters have the ability to work with a television camera to monitor the surface and underwater space or premises of the vessel. Such video cameras are usually supplied as options.

In conclusion about the paper map. A chartplotter is undoubtedly more convenient than a paper map - it does not wrinkle, tear, or get wet, it is easy to use, and it has richer information capabilities. However, the paper chart remains to this day, along with the logbook, the main document of the boatmaster, which will be used by the competent authorities in case of any accidents. Remember this!

In the last two decades of the 20th century, another revolution (after radar) took place in navigation technology.

The impetus for the creation of new technology was the rapid development of electronics, computing and communications, on the one hand, and the urgent need to improve the level of safety of navigation, the protection of human life, expensive cargo, and environmental protection, on the other.

A paper marine navigation chart, a navigator's compass, a protractor, and a parallel ruler move from the category of primary to secondary, spare.

Having supplanted them, electronic navigation is confidently making its way.

The pinnacle of modern navigation and computer technologies was the creation of an electronic directory for a modern ship - the electronic chart navigation information system ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System). ECDIS displays maps and the location of the vessel, allows you to plot a route and monitor deviations from a given route, calculates safe courses, warns the navigator about danger, maintains a ship's log, controls the autopilot, etc.

ECDIS are an extremely effective means of information in navigation, significantly reducing the load on the officer of the watch and allowing him to devote maximum time to monitoring the environment and making informed decisions on the management of the ship.

The entire variety of existing electronic cartographic systems is usually divided into three groups:

ECDIS - electronic cartographic navigation information systems;

ECS - electronic cartographic systems;

RCDS - raster map display systems.

Only ECDIS is officially recognized by the International Maritime Organization.

It is understood that, from a legal point of view, ECDIS is the equivalent of modern paper navigational charts within the framework of the requirements of Regulation V/20 of the SOLAS Convention. The informational nature of ECDIS means its ability to provide the navigator, upon his request, with the characteristics and parameters of cartographic objects, such as landmarks, hazards, dangerous contours, prohibited and restricted areas for navigation, as well as data on navigation conditions along the entire route of the vessel, etc.

The navigational nature is determined both by traditional ECDIS tasks (preliminary and executive routing, correction of the current position), and new tasks of assessing the navigational safety of navigation, updating electronic charts, organizing early warnings, etc.

ECDIS displays accurate nautical chart data on the display screen in real time, i.e. in combination with the current position of the vessel obtained from DGPS, GPS. The system processes and presents information from other navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass, log, echo sounder, radar, ARPA. The figure shows the main elements of ECDIS.

Electronic cartographic navigation information systems are designed to solve the following navigation tasks:

outputting data from receiver position indicators of the vessel, as well as log and gyrocompass to an electronic map and continuous monitoring of as-built plotting;

recording the trajectory of the path traveled;

maintaining an electronic ship's log and printing its data;

restoration of the display of the vessel's path and log entries of any voyage;

drawing up a preliminary electronic plan for the upcoming voyage with calculations of speed, distances, and sailing time;

selective control of the composition of displayed cartographic information;

monitoring the executive electronic laying and parameters of the vessel’s movement along the route;

measurement of geographic coordinates, distances and bearings of any map objects;

signaling of approach to a waypoint turning point, deviations from the established parameters of the vessel's movement and malfunctions of the system itself;

displaying the map at a convenient scale (zoom) and inserting an electronic map;

display of an electronic map in the “North up” and “Course up” orientation modes;

obtaining additional reference information about cartographic objects, navigation equipment, as well as hydrographic and other information from the electronic map database;

the ability to monitor changes in the location of captured stationary objects relative to the movement of one’s own ship;

displaying map images in various formats, including the ECDIS standard approved by IMO;

automatic, semi-automatic and manual correction of electronic maps;

selection of screen color depending on the illumination of the cabin room;

instant recording of the vessel's position (man overboard);

displaying targets captured on ARPA/radar on an electronic map;

recording (archiving) of target trajectories on disk and the ability to display them along with the corresponding trajectory of one’s own ship and ship’s log entries.

Electronic Cartographic Navigation Information System, – ECDIS “OCEAN3D”, –

Basic Basic Concepts

Eng: ECDIS: Electronic Chart Display & Information System

is based on the use and display of digital cartographic and navigational-hydrographic information in the form of electronic maps. They are promising integrated information systems designed to solve a complex of navigation problems, automate the work of the navigator and improve the navigational safety of navigation.

The integration of ECDIS means that they combine information about the location of the vessel based on dead reckoning based on log and gyrocompass data, observations from satellite navigation systems, in conjunction with cartographic and radar information about the navigation situation.

The informational purpose of ECDIS is determined by its ability to present to the navigator the parameters of cartographic objects (landmarks, hazards, fairways, depths, etc.) and data on navigation conditions along the entire navigation route.

Navigation purpose is determined by solving both traditional problems (dead reckoning, plotting, introducing corrections to dead reckoning coordinates, assistance in keeping the vessel on a given course, etc.), and new tasks of assessing the navigational safety of navigation, developing recommendations for safe maneuvering, automating processes and procedures with an electronic chart (EC) and its use for navigation.

Electronic navigation maps are divided into raster and vector.

Raster maps have found wider use in video plotters of various companies to meet the needs of navigation.

Today, national hydrographic services produce such systems and confirm the feasibility of their use.

Raster navigation maps are exact copies of paper maps.

They are obtained by high-resolution scanning of paper maps or their plastic counterparts with subsequent processing, including reducing the file size using information compression methods, adding data to describe it, projection, etc.

Subsequent processing allows modern software to perform automatic routing, plan a passage route, provide automated alarms to attract the attention of the boatmaster when deviating from the planned path, or monitor the vessel's position. When playing a raster map, you can change its location in various ways: orientation “North”, “Course” or any other at the request of the navigator. When you change the orientation of the map, all labels rotate along with the image. This feature of vector map supporters is interpreted not as a disadvantage, but rather as an advantage that allows one to avoid possible operator errors, naturally reminding him that the map is located non-standardly. At the same time, performing a turn makes it possible to combine the map with the radar image.

All labels on raster maps increase or decrease in proportion to the increase or decrease in the size of the reproduced map. If a significant portion is reproduced, it may appear crowded with explanatory notes that will make it difficult to read. When the size of the reproduced area decreases, the explanatory inscriptions increase, becoming excessive in size, and also interfere with reading the map. Therefore, when performing preliminary routing on ECDIS, it is recommended to reduce the map load (for example, cancel the display of all depths except the minimum permissible ones).

A significant advantage of raster systems over paper charts is the ability to conduct automatic navigation, displaying the position of the vessel relative to the surrounding environment in real time. Existing navigation software interfaces with ship location systems.

Production of vector maps is the most labor-intensive. It consists of initially scanning the map and then vectorizing this map, i.e. converting various linear, area and point objects into digital code. Such items are: shores, isobaths, isolated hazards (underwater, surface, drying rocks, sunken ships), buoys, lighthouses, various boundary lines, etc.

Some companies use mixed digitization technology: the most complex objects are scanned and then vectorized, and point objects are digitized simultaneously with vectorization.

When working with such a map, ECDIS has the ability to react to any object, since it has its own code. This allows the navigator to unload the map, that is, remove additional and not particularly important information from the screen. For example, for a vessel with a draft of 10 meters, all depths greater than 20 m can be removed.

It is obvious that in terms of information content, vector maps are better than raster maps and allow solving a wider range of problems related to navigation safety.

The basic concept of ECDIS is that the accuracy and completeness of the EC should be equivalent to (or at least equal to) the accuracy and completeness of a paper map.

Planning a vessel's conversion to ECDIS is generally the same as doing it without digital technology, but before you start working with ECDIS, you need to be familiar with its functionality and limitations.

The main functionality of ECDIS boils down to the following capabilities:

* change of scale;

* performing proofreading;

Ability to change the composition of the displayed cartographic information;

Obtaining additional background information about cartographic objects;

Planning and carrying out preliminary plotting of the passage route, checking for the presence of navigational hazards in the lane of the vessel’s given movement and carrying out calculations of speed, distances, sailing time, etc.

Vessel position control:

Display of observed (numerable) geographical coordinates of the vessel's location;

Automatic maintenance of dead reckoning and current laying with display of the vessel's trajectory;

Measuring bearings and distances both from the location of your own ship to any object, and from any location on the map to any object;

Displaying the vectors of movement of the vessel relative to the ground and relative to the water (according to gyrocompass and log data);

Automatic assessment of navigational safety based on the use of a digital model of the navigational and hydrographic situation in the EC and signaling of dangerous events;

Combination of radar and navigation-hydrographic information;

Ensuring that the maneuver is played out for safe divergence from other vessels (when interfaced with ARPA);

Introduction of amendments to the numerical coordinates of the vessel’s position based on observation data obtained by traditional methods;

Automatic maintenance of the ship's log.

Assessment of information on the navigation area:

Receiving the information

* by ports,

* according to tides,

* by currents;

* climate data;

Calculation of true wind direction and speed;

Calculation of residual speed when moving along the transition route;

Viewing archived data.

The specified functionality of ECDIS determines the following advantages over a paper map:

Providing the navigator with an integrated navigation situation based on combining information from various technical means of navigation (radar, ARPA, SNS, etc.);

Reduce scale and heading distortion on the System Electronic Navigation Chart (SENC) by automatically placing the map's main parallel in the middle of the screen;

Improving navigation safety based on a more detailed account of the hydrographic situation using a digital map model and its assessment based on the results of combining radar and cartographic conditions;

Automatic correction of EC.

The main advantage of ECDIS is to increase the level of automation of the navigator’s activities, providing him with more reliable and reliable continuous information about the cartographic and navigation situation, the location of the vessel, carrying out continuous automatic routing, reducing and eliminating errors in measurements, identification and calculations.

Thus, the use of ECDIS on ships makes it possible to radically improve the organization of work of navigators and reduce navigation accidents.

However, ECDIS has certain limitations:

ECs display on conventional displays approximately 1/6 of a traditional sized paper map at the same scale.

Because of this, more frequent image changes are required. Partial elimination of this limitation is achieved by using two displays, one of which shows a small-scale map of the area, and the other shows a map of part of this area, but on a larger scale;

Due to the presence of electronic zooming in ECDIS, it is possible to display the map at such a large scale that it does not provide the necessary measurement accuracy and does not support the detailed content of the EC. In this case, the ECDIS operator should automatically be given an appropriate warning about the dangerous map scale; Like this.

Requirements for the operation of ship electronics

Changes ch. V of the SOLAS-74 Convention naturally makes changes to the requirements for inspections of ships by the Port State Control and Flag State Control services.

Conventional ECDIS equipment should be checked in a similar manner to inspections of other conventional equipment. Based on the fact that it is used to display electronic maps, which can replace paper ones, the inspection requirements include this component. As you know, checking any maps is determined not only by checking their availability, but also by checking the date and quality of the proof, its design, storage statistics, layout design and transition work.

The main guiding document is “Port State Control Committee instruction 35/2002/02. Guidelines for PSCOs on electronic chart”, which sets out the main requirements for inspections.

The formalized relationship between the navigator, the shipowner and the service department when working with paper charts is clear to everyone. For the maintenance of electronic mapping systems, many questions remain open and require the preparation of a more specific regulatory framework. Taking into account the developments in this area, it is necessary to provide for periodic adjustments to the developed requirements. Similar dynamics are observed in the development of similar coastal systems. Based on this, the problems of service support become more relevant. Similar questions may arise during inspections of non-conventional equipment, i.e. RCDS and ECS, which is also effectively used on board to address navigation safety issues.

Let's consider the list of requirements that can be presented to the watch assistant responsible for the operation of the electronic mapping system. Regardless of which electronic charting system is on board the vessel, the navigator must know the basics of its operation and the requirements for modern preventive maintenance to maintain the system in working order.

It focuses on minimal knowledge on the following issues of providing corrective information to electronic navigation charts and additional databases.

1. What type of electronic charting system is on board the vessel (RCDS, ECS, ECDIS)?

2. Status of the mapping system (conventional or additional equipment).

3. Availability of documentation for the cartographic system.

4. Ship documentation for maintenance records, availability of user manuals on board.

5. Availability of an agreement with official distributors for updating and adding a collection of electronic cards.

6. Availability of an agreement with a company providing service.

7. Availability of a backup set of equipment, solution of technical issues of interfacing the main and backup sets of equipment on the ship (only for ECDIS equipment).

8. Crew members have certificates for working with the cartographic system.

9. Electronic maps available in the cartographic system database, status of maps (official or not).

10. Additional electronic databases (driving directions, manuals, tables, etc.) available in the cartographic system, status of the databases (official or not).

11. Method of delivery of electronic charts and additional electronic databases to the ship.

12. Method of delivery to the ship of proofs for electronic charts and for additional electronic databases.

13. Possibility of converting electronic map data into SENC using a mapping system.

14. Determination of the date of the last update of electronic maps for the requested area.

15. Availability of knowledge and skills in correcting electronic charts of ship collections in manual and semi-automatic mode.

16. General understanding of the structure of WEND and RENC.

17. Addresses of RENC official representatives for the proposed navigation area.

18. Principles of the electronic cell coding system adopted in the world and in Russia.

19. View and analyze ENC cell data (ECDIS equipment only) and accepted correction information.

20. Availability on board of additional programs for solving service support issues and providing corrective information, knowledge of working with them.

21. Basic provisions of the “ENC Correction Guide” of the S-52 standard and IMO resolution A.817(19) (for ECDIS equipment only).

Approach to choosing ECDIS

ECDIS- (Electronic Cartographic and Navigation Information System)
ECDIS- (Electronic Chart Display and Information System)

THE EX- (Electronic Cartographic System)
ECS- (Electronic Cartographic System)

In order to understand the large number of different Electronic Mapping Systems offered on the World market, we suggest that you draw your attention to the following factors that should guide you when choosing a particular System.

The ECDIS concept includes three main components:

1. A Marine-grade computer of an Approved type with a corresponding Certificate issued by a special Supervisory Authority (in Russia this is the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping).

2. Certified Software and Mathematical Software that meets all IMO, IEC & IHO Requirements.

3. Vector Maps - only from Official Producers, which are the National State Hydrographic Services (Departments) or other Organizations authorized by the Governments of the relevant States.

Note:

ECDIS allows the use of Raster Charts, but only if the upcoming voyage is not fully covered by Official Vector Charts (data).

Dead reckoning of the vessel's path according to the Raster Chart must be duplicated on the Paper Chart.

(See also below in the section Electronic cards).

The absence of at least one of the above components does not give the right to any System to be called ECDIS / ECDIS.

First of all, we must remember that any System consists of two main parts:

1. The Program itself;

2. Electronic cards that the system you have chosen can work with.

As you understand, no one needs one Program and the cards themselves are the same.

Program Selection:

1. Program interface. Convenience of the Main Menu, its clarity and location (in the form of a Set of buttons along the edge of the screen or the presence of a permanent Menu). Is it possible to enable any function of the Program with one click, or is it necessary to perform a series of sequential actions, which in turn leads to a loss of efficiency when working with the Program, this becomes especially important in conditions of Extreme Navigation.

2. What and how many Navigation Devices (Sensors) can be connected to the computer. For example, the presence of an interface for ARPA, AIS, Compass, Log, Echo Sounder, Autopilot and so on.

3. The number of Navigation Functions implemented in the Program you have chosen and whether they provide the Mariner with the solution of all daily navigation tasks, for example:

Presence of Pre-laying function,

Possibility of Automatic and Manual entries in the Ship's Logbook,

The ability to overlay your own information (Areas, Lines or Point Objects) on the map and save it in a separate file, the so-called User Layer,

Availability of Tide Tables in the Database program,

The ability to simultaneously display two ship symbols on the map from two different navigation systems - Parallel Reckoning, this function is especially important, since it ensures a constant determination of the ship’s position using two different navigation systems with the corresponding symbols displayed on the electronic map.

4. Presence of a Warning System in the Program:

About approaching the Turning Point;

To Danger at a depth equal to or less than the Safe Depth established by the Mariner;

To an area with Special Navigation Conditions;

To the area with the Dangerous Depths;

About disruption of communication with external Navigation Systems;

5. Quality Features:

Speed ​​of Access to certain Functions. In other words, how many button presses must be made in order to turn on or off the required function.

Convenience of entering appropriate parameters for solving certain Navigation tasks. For example, entering Bearings and Distances measured by external instruments (Visual Bearing from the Gyro Compass repeater and Distance from the Radar) to determine the Observed location of the vessel with the setting of the corresponding symbol.

Availability of all necessary information in the function window to ensure constant and complete control over its operation.

Electronic Cards:

First of all, you need to know that all Electronic cards are divided into two main groups:

1. Vector Charts.
2. Raster Charts.

All Navigation Programs, accordingly, are divided into three groups according to the type of maps with which they can work:

1. Vector Systems
2. Raster Systems
3.Mixed Systems with the ability to use both Vector and Raster maps. Here it is necessary to Specially Warn users of such Systems that your ECDIS will each time automatically turn into an ordinary Electronic Chart System (ECS) as soon as the Vessel's dead reckoning switches from a Vector to a Raster map and you will have to, starting from this moment , duplicate the entire layout on an ordinary Paper map until the counting again switches to the Vector map.

The main difference between Vector maps and Raster maps is that a Vector map has its own Database with Descriptions and Coordinates of Geographical Objects. The Database allows the relevant Program to:

Solve such Safety Problems as approaching Dangerous Underwater Objects (sunken Ships, Underwater Obstacles, Structures and so on with depths above them equal to or less than the Safe Depth set by the Mariner);

Change the size of various Map Symbols (Texts, Navigation Aids, Depth Markers);

Highlight Dangerous Objects,

Remove Non-Hazardous Objects from display,

Change the composition of Information on the map.

Pyotr Tatarintsev, Sea Captain