ECDIS

TWO CLASSES OF NAVIGATIONAL ELECTRONIC CHART SYSTEMS are available:

• The first is an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), which meets
IMO/SOLAS chart carriage requirements.
• The second is an Electronic Chart System (ECS), which can be used to assist navigation,
but does not meet IMO/SOLAS chart carriage requirements.
What is an ECDIS?
IMO ECDIS performance standard states:
• “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/19 and V/27 of the 1974
Safety of Lives at Sea (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
by displaying additional navigation-related information if required.” (IMO Resolution
A.817 (19))
Approval of ECDIS
• To ensure conformance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements,
ECDIS must pass type approval and test procedures developed by the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) based on IMO ECDIS Performance Standards and
applying the IHO requirements S-52 and S57 in particular.
• Type approval is normally conducted by recognized organizations or by marine
classification societies nominated by Flag States.
What is an ECS?
• All systems, which are not tested to show compliance with IMO ECDIS Performance
Standards, can be generically designated as” Electronic Chart Systems” (ECS). An ECS
may be able to use either official ENCs, RNCs or other chart data produced privately
and could have functionality similar to ECDIS.
• Where the vessel operates with ECS, the paper chart remains the official basis for
navigation onboard, regardless of the type of electronic chart used.

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IMO SOLAS V/19
• 2.1 All ships irrespective of size shall have: Nautical charts and nautical publications to
plan and display the ship’s route for the intended voyage and to plot and monitor
positions throughout the voyage; an Electronic Chart Display and Information System
(ECDIS) may be accepted as meeting the chart carriage requirements of this
subparagraph;
• 2.1.5 Back-up arrangements to meet the functional requirements of subparagraph
2.1.4, if this function is partly or fully fulfilled by electronic means.
• Suitable back-up arrangements are defined in Appendix 6 to resolution A.817(19), as
amended, and for example include an appropriate folio of paper nautical charts or a
second ECDIS system.
IMO SOLAS V/27
• Nautical charts and nautical publications, such as Sailing Directions, Lists of Lights,
Notices to Mariners, Tide tables and all other nautical publications necessary for the
intended voyage, shall be adequate and up to date.
Meeting carriage requirements with ECDIS
• Only a type approved ECDIS operating with up to date official ENCs and with
appropriate back up may be used to replace all paper charts on a vessel.
Official charts And ENCs
Official charts
• Charts issued by, or on the authority of, a Government authorized Hydrographic Office
or other relevant government institutions are Official and may be used to fulfill carriage
requirements (provided they are kept up to date).
• All other nautical charts are by definition not official and are often referred to as private
charts. These charts are not accepted as the basis for navigation under the SOLAS
convention. Hydrographic Offices do not take any responsibility for the accuracy or
reliability of privately produced charts.
• There are two kinds of official digital charts commonly available; Electronic
Navigational Charts (ENC) and Raster Navigational Charts (RNC).

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Official ENCs
• An ENC (Electronic Navigational Chart) is a database, standardized as to content,
structure and format, issued for use with ECDIS on the authority of government
authorized Hydrographic Offices (HOs). It contains all 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.
Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)
• Is a computer-based navigation information system that complies with IMO regulations
and can be used as an alternative to paper nautical charts.
• ECDIS is an approved marine navigational chart and information system, which is
accepted as complying with the conventional paper charts required by Regulation V/19
of the SOLAS Convention.
• An ECDIS system displays the information from electronic navigational charts (ENC) and
integrates position information from the GPS and other navigational sensors, such as
radar and automatic identification systems (AIS).
• ECDIS provides continuous position and navigational safety information.
• The system generates audible and/or visual alarms when the vessel is in proximity to
navigational hazards.
Electronic chart data
There are two types of electronic chart data:
• Vector charts
• Raster charts
Vector charts
• Vector charts are the chart databases for ECDIS, with standardized content, structure
and format, issued for use with ECDIS on the authority of government authorized
hydrographic offices.
• ENCs are vector charts that also conform to International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO) specifications stated in IHO Publication.

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• ENCs contain 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).
• This supplementary information may be considered necessary for safe navigation and
can be displayed together as a seamless chart.
• ENCs are intelligent, in that systems using them can be programmed to give warning of
impending danger in relation to the vessel's position and movement
Raster charts
• Raster navigational charts are raster charts that conform to IHO specifications and are
produced by converting paper charts to digital image by scanner.
• The image is similar to digital camera pictures, which could be zoomed in for more
detailed information as it does in ENCs.
• IMO Resolution MSC.86(70) permits ECDIS equipment to operate in a Raster Chart
Display System (RCDS) mode in the absence of ENC.
Advantages of raster charts
• User familiarity since they use the same symbols and colors as paper charts.
• They are exact copies of the paper charts with the same reliability and integrity.
• The user cannot inadvertently omit any navigational information from the display.
• Cost of production is less than their vector counterpart.
• Wide availability of official raster charts. (worldwide coverage)
• By using vector overlays together with appropriate software, raster charts can be used
for all standard navigational tasks normally undertaken using paper charts. They can
also emulate some of the functions of an electronic display and information system
(ECDIS).
Disadvantages of raster charts
• The user cannot customize the display.
• When using vector overlays the display may appear cluttered.
• They cannot be interrogated without an additional database with a common reference
system.
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• They cannot, directly, provide indications or alarms to indicate a warning to the user.
• Unless data content is the same, more memory is required to store data compared to
a vector chart.
Advantages of vector charts
• Chart information is in layers which allow selective display of data.
• The display may be customized to suit the user.
• Chart data is seamless.
• It is possible to zoom-in without distorting the displayed data.
• Charted objects may be interrogated to give information to the user.
• Indications and alarms can be given when a hazardous situation, such as crossing a
safety contour, occurs.
• Objects may be shown using different symbols to those used on paper or raster charts.
• Chart data may be shared with other equipment such as radar and ARPA.
• Unless data content is the same, less memory is required to store data compared to a
raster chart.
Disadvantages of the vector chart
• They are technically far more complex than raster charts.
• They are more costly and take longer to produce.
• Worldwide coverage is unlikely to be achieved for many years, if ever.
• It is more difficult to ensure the quality and integrity of the displayed vector data.
• Training in the use of vector charts is likely to be more time consuming and costly
compared to that needed for raster charts.
Electronic navigational charts (ENC)
• These are the designated charts for the ECDIS system and they possess a single
universal data format.
• Such charts use vector data based on the IHO Special Publication, IHO Transfer
Standard for Digital Hydrographic Data.

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• Some of the major points which identify the unique property of these charts are as
follows:
• They are issued by or on the authority of a government-authorized hydrographic office.
• Items on the chart must be attribute-coded and must be able to be interrogated to
provide information.
• The data is delivered in cells to provide seamless data for the task in hand. The cell
structure changes according to the data set used.
• All chart data is referenced to a global geodetic datum, WGS-84, which is the datum
used by GPS.

Area for which special conditions exists

• Areas which ECDIS must detect and for which it must provide an alarm or indications:
1. Traffic separation zone 16.Anchorage area
2. Submarine transit lane 17.Fairway
3. Traffic routeing scheme 18.Anchorage prohibited
4. Ice area 19.Restricted area
5. Crossing or roundabout 20.Dumping ground
6. Channel 21.Caution area
7. Precautionary area 22.Spoil ground
8. Fishing ground 23.Offshore production area
9. Two-way traffic route 24.Dredged area
10.Fishing prohibited 25.Areas to be avoided
11.Deepwater route 26.Cargo transhipment area
12.Pipeline area 27.Military practice area
13.Recommended traffic lane 28.Incineration area
14.Cable area 29.Seaplane landing area
15.Inshore traffic zone 30.Specially protected areas

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ARPA Alarm

Alarm - Dangerous Scale

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Special Areas declaration for alarm in Route Monitoring

Functions of ECDIS

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