AIMS PRESENTATION

CAPABILITIES AND
LIMITATIONS OF ARPA
GROUP BRAVO
 TABLE OF CONTENT

CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF ARPA

-TRACKING SPECIFICATION

- NUMBER OF TARGERS TO BE TRACKED

-TARGET LOSS

-TARGET SWAP

OPERATIONAL WARNING AND SYSTEM TEST OF ARPA

-TIME TO MANEUVER

-TRACK CHANGE

-ANCHOR WATCH

-TRACKS FULL

-WRONG OR INVALID REQUEST

 ACCURACY

DETECTION ACQUISITION
Where a separate facility is provided for detection of targets, Target acquisition may be manual or automatic. However, there should
other than by the radar observer, it should have a performance always be a facility to provide for manual acquisition and cancellation.
not inferior to that which could be obtained by the use of the ARPA with automatic acquisition should have a facility to suppress
acquisition in certain areas. On any range scale where acquisition is
radar display.
suppressed over a certain area, the area of acquisition should be indicated
on the display.
 TRACKING

The ARPA should be able to automatically track, process, simultaneously

display and continuously update the information on at least:
.120 targets, if automatic acquisition is provided, whether automatically or
manually acquired; or
.210 targets, if only manual acquisition is provided.
If automatic acquisition is provided, description of the criteria of selection of
targets for tracking should be provided to the user. If the ARPA does not track
all targets visible on the display, targets which are being tracked should be
clearly indicated on the display. The reliability of tracking should not be less
than that obtainable using manual recording of successive target positions
obtained from the radar display.
 DISPLAY

The Display may be a separate or integral part of the ship's radar. However,
the ARPA display should include all the data required to be provided by a
radar display in accordance with the performance standards for navigational
radar equipment adopted by the Organization.
The design should be such that any malfunction of ARPA parts producing
information additional to information to be produced by the radar as required
by the performance standards for navigational equipment adopted by IMO
should not affect the integrity of the basic radar presentation.
The display on which ARPA information is presented should have an
effective diameter of at least 340 mm.
REGULATION
ARPA

1.1 Automatic radar plotting aids (ARPAs) should, in order to improve the standard of
collision avoidance at sea:
.1 reduce the workload of observers by enabling them automatically to obtain information
about plotted targets, so that they can perform as well with several separate targets as they
can by manually plotting a single target; and
.2 provide continuous, accurate and rapid situation evaluation.
1.2 The radar facilities provided by an ARPA display should comply with the
performance standards for radar equipment (resolution A.477(XII)) appropriate to its
mode of use.

1.3 In addition to the general requirements contained in resolution A.694(17), ARPA

should comply with the following minimum performance standards.
TARGET DISPLAY
ARPA

The ARPA functions include

automatic acquisition of up to 20
targets, or manual acquisition of 40
targets. In addition, the ARPA
features display of a traffic lane,
buoys, dangerous points, and other
important reference points.
STEADINESS OF DISPLAY

An ARPA should present within one minute of steady state

tracking the relative motion trend of a target with the
following accuracy values (95 percent probability values):

The ARPA should be designed in such a manner that under

the most favorable conditions of own ship motion the error
contribution from the ARPA should remain insignificant
compared to the errors associated with the input sensors, for
scenarios of Annex 2.
 TRACKING HISTORY

1) The officer makes a visual estimation of speed

A “tracking history” is an essential part of the before measuring the target vehicle’s speed;
speed enforcement process no matter the type of
speed measuring device used. A tracking history is
a series of observations an officer makes in order
to guarantee the speed measurement was accurate
2) the officer measures the speed of the vehicle
continuously and as long as it is both reasonable and
safe;

3) The officer checks for potential sources of

error.
ARPA ERRORS
 TRACKING
ERRORS

The possibility of tracking errors, including target The ARPA should be able to display on
swop, should be minimized by ARPA design. A request with relevant symbol* at least four
qualitative description of the effects of error equally time-spaced past positions of any
sources on the automatic tracking and targets being tracked over a period
corresponding errors should be provided to the appropriate to the range scale in use. The
user, including the effects of low signal-to-noise time-scale of the past position plot should
and low signal-to-clutter ratios caused by sea be indicated. The operating manual should
returns, rain, snow, low clouds and non- contain an explanation of what the past
synchronous emissions. position plots represent.
 OUR SERVICES
TARGET LOSS TARGET SWAP

Target swap means a situation in which the

This is when a target plotted by incoming radar data for a tracked target becomes
an ARPA loses its 'tag' to incorrectly associated with another tracked target
or a non-tracked radar echo. Acquisition area
another passing vessel or static means an area set up by the observer which
should automatically acquire a target when it
radar target. enters such an area.
GROUND REFERENCING
PROBLEMS

When a vector is computed from ground

referenced data, the track relates to the ship’s
and the target’s movement over the ground.
There is no way therefore to gauge the effect
of the current on the vectors and the aspect of
the target could be affected.
COLLISION ASSESSMENT
BY OFFSET EBL

The origin of the EBL can be placed anywhere with the trackball to enable measurement
of range and bearing between any targets. This function is also useful for assessment of
the potential risk of collision. To assess possibility of collision:

1. Press the EBL ON key to display or activate an EBL (No.1 or 2).

2. Place the cursor (+) on a target of interest (A in the illustrated example) byoperating
the trackball.

3. Press the EBL OFFSET key on the mode panel, and the origin of theactive EBL
shifts to the cursor position. Press the EBL OFFSET key again to anchor the EBL origin.

4. After waiting for a few minutes (at least 3 minutes), operate the EBLcontrol until
the EBL bisects the target at the new position (A’). The EBL readout shows the target
ship’s course, which may be true or relative depending on the settings on the RADAR 2
menu.
OPERATIONAL WARNING AND SYSTEM
TEST OF ARPA
 WHAT IS TRIAL MANEUVER IN
ARPA?

Trial Maneuver is one of the Automatic

Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA) features
implemented in ATD system and is used
in navigation for collision avoidance.
Trial Maneuver simulates the effect of an
own ship maneuver on all tracked targets
with or without time delay.
 TRIAL MANEUVER

DYNAMIC TRIAL STATIC TRIAL

A dynamic trial maneuver displayspredicted positions of the tracked The static trial maneuver shows the relationship between your ship
targetsand own ship. You enter own ship'sintended speed and course with and trackedtargets at the completetion of the trial maneuver. Enter
a certain"delay time." Assuming that all trackedtargets maintain their expected course andspeed and delay time until start of a maneuver
present speedsand courses, the targets' and own ship'sfuture movements and the expected position of yourship and tracked targets at the end
are simulated inone-second increments indicating theirpredicted positions of the trial maneuver are shown on thedisplay.By shortening
in 30-secondintervals.
 ANCHOR WATCH

ALARM THE ANCHOR WATCH

ALARM INFORMS YOU WHEN YOUR

BOAT IS MOVING WHEN IT SHOULD

BE ATREST. WHEN THE ANCHOR

WATCH IS ACTIVE, A RED DASHED

CIRCLE MARKS THE ANCHOR

WATCH
 TERMINATING TRACKING
OF TARGETS

When the ARPA has acquired 20 targets

automatically, the message AUTO TARGET FULL
is displayed in the box at right hand side of the
screen and no more auto acquisition occurs unless
targets are lost. You may find this message before
you set an auto acquisition area. Should this
happen, cancel tracking of less important targets or
perform manual acquisition.
 MODE AND LENGTH OF
VECTORS

TRUE RELATIVE VECTORS VECTOR TIME

Relative vectors on targets which are
not moving over the ground such as
The true motion mode, all fixed targets such as land, land, navigational marks and ships at
anchor will represent the reciprocal
navigational marks and ships at anchor remain of own ship’s ground track. A target Vector time (or length of
stationary on the radar screen with vector length zero. of which vector extension passes
through own ship is on the collision vectors) can be set to 30
But in the presence of wind and/or current, true vectors course.
seconds, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 15 or 30
appear on fixed targets representing the reciprocal of
set and drift affecting own ship unless set and drift
minutes and the selected vector
values are properly entered time is indicated at the upper
right corner of the screen.
 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. The purpose of the gain control is to

adjust: 2.The tuning control adjusts:

a) the amplification of target echoes a) the frequency of the receiver

b) the brightness of the display picture b) the brightness of the picture

c) the sharpness of the display picture c) the power output

4. A vessel equipped with both a 10 cm 5. Range discrimination between two

3. Indirect echoes are caused by
and a 3 cm radar. One would expect the targets at about 8 miles on the display
reflections from:
3 cm can be

a) large close targets

radar to provide better: improved by:

b) obstructions close to the scanner

a) range discrimination a) reducing gain
 True or False

2. Target missing is when 3. A“tracking history” is 4. Radar terminate

1. ALARM The astern
a target plotted by an an essential part of the
watch alarm informs target after 10 targets
ARPA loses its 'tag' to speed enforcement
you when your boat is
another passing vessel or process no matter the type
moving when it should
static radar target. of speed measuring device
be atrest.
used.

Learn and Act Lecture Series: Orcas

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