WHAT IS ECDIS?

Captain Ekrem Ilay

WHAT IS ECDIS?
Electronic
Chart
Display and
Information
System

 ECDIS is an advanced navigation information

system for use in ships.
It has been developed to lighten considerably the
navigation workload, freeing the mariner for other
important navigation-related tasks such as
maintaining a safe lookout and for collision
avoidance.
It is a real-time decision aid, which provides the
navigator with accurate and reliable information
about a ships position and its intended
movements in relation to charted navigational
features

MAIN FUNCTIONS OF ECDIS

Navigation: determination of the position and course of the ship,

execution of course alternation,

Monitoring: constantly checking information from instrument displays

and the environment in order to detect any irregularities,

Route Planning: pre-determination of the course and speed in relation

to the waters to be navigated and the task to be performed,

Route Monitoring: continuous surveillance of the ships sailing in

relation to the pre-planned route and actual conditions,

Collision Avoidance: detection and determination of the motion and

heading of other objects; execution of manoeuvres to avoid
dangerous situations,

Manoeuvring: handling of the vessel to obtain the desired position,

heading or speed,

Docking: manoeuvring the vessel alongside a berth,

Documentation: recording data and events for statistical and legal

purposes.

MAIN FUNCTIONS OF ECDIS

to contribute to safe navigation,

to come to assistance in decision-making,
to reduce the navigational workload,
to execute in convenient and timely manner
at least all navigational routines currently
maintained on the paper chart,
to be legal equivalent to the paper nautical
chart required by regulation V/27 of the
SOLAS Convention.

Regulation 2, paragraph 2:
Nautical chart or nautical publication is a
special-purpose map or book, or a
specially compiled database from which
such a map or book is delivered, that is
issued officially by or on the authority of a
Government, authorised Hydrographic
Office or other relevant government
institution and is designed to meet the
requirements of marine navigation.

 Under Regulation 19, paragraph 2.1.4

all ships shall have nautical charts and
nautical publications.
ECDIS with official ENCs may be
accepted as meeting the chart carriage
requirements.

COMPLETE SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATION

WITHOUT PAPER CHART

Requirements to:
Computer (Including screen and
keyboard)
Software (Meets the requirement of the
S52 standard for presentation)
ENC (Electronic Nautical Chart)

COMPONENTS OF ECDIS
ECDIS COMPONENTS
Color Display

SPD
CSE
XTD

Nav Sensors
(GPS, LORAN)

SENC

Radar/ARPA

Gyrocompass

Computer

AIS

Depthsounder

ENC

Water level
Currents
Ice info

Updates

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/27
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 by displaying additional navigation-related
information.

Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)

means the database
standardised 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

System Electronic Navigational Chart (SENC)

means a database
resulting from
the transformation of the ENC 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.

Electronic Charts
Two Categories of Display
ECDIS
ECS

Two types of Electronic Charts

Raster
Vector

What is a chart in SOLAS?

Effective 1 July 2002
Chapter V regulation 2.2:
Nautical chart or nautical publication is a
special-purpose map or book, or a
specially compiled database from which
such a map or book is derived, that is
issued officially by or on the authority of a
Government, authorized Hydrographic
Office or other relevant government
institution and is designed to meet the
requirements of marine navigation.

SOLAS V Chart Carriage

effective 1 July 2002
Chapter V regulation 19 2.1.4
Nautical charts and nautical publications to plan
and display the ships 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;
Chapter V regulation 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.

BEFORE ECDIS

How it will work ?

Charts will be stored on CD-ROMs
and called Digital Nautical Charts.
Electronic navigational charts are
of two varieties: raster and vector.

PAPER CHARTS

fixed scale sheet,

fixed North-up orientation (usually),
fixed symbol definition,
fixed symbol arrangement and application
with respect to North,
limited paper size,
limited types and amount of information,
limited number of colours and combined use.

ELECTRONIC CHART

fixed display size,

fixed resolution,
variable display scale,
variable types and amount of information,
various orientation with respect to North,
various symbol arrangement and application,
various symbol definition,
various number and use of colours.

The Basic Difference

Raster charts are simply bitmap images
created by scanning a paper chart
Vector charts portray charted features as
points, lines, or areas with amplifying
information (attributes) found in an
associated database

Raster Model
Shoreline

Water
Land

Vector Shoreline

Raster Charts
Advantages and Disadvantages

Looks like the map. Standard

Appearance
Dumb Map: Very Little Ability for
Automated Analysis
Less Efficient Storage
Zoom function restricted by pixel size
Much Easier/Cheaper/ Faster to
Produce

What is an RCDS ?
RCDS (Raster Chart Display System)
is a mode of operation of an ECDIS
wherein it uses official raster charts
(RNCs), as opposed to ENCs, in areas
where ENCs have not yet been produced
or made available.

The IMO has approved RCDS operation

for SOLAS ships, provided that the ship
is equipped with an appropriate folio of
up-to-date paper charts.

The IMO has established a performance

standard for RCDS, just as it has a
performance standard for ECDIS.

The only significant difference between

these standards is the source data, where
an RCDS uses official RNCs (raster
data) and an ECDIS uses official ENCs
(vector data).

RCDS enables some of the same

functionality as ECDIS, such as radar
overlay, automatic updating, real-time
positioning and manual alarms.
However, RCDS lacks certain functionality
available from ECDIS due to their raster
foundation. An RCDS presentation cannot
adjust the level of detail and information
presented to the user, nor can it be
interrogated.

An RCDS cannot interact with the RNC

data either; meaning automatic alarms
(for example, insufficient draft) are not
possible.
RCDS may suffer from weaknesses in
projection, look-ahead or positioning,
leading to confusion, in comparison
with ECDIS.

Flag state authorities in Australia,

Bulgaria and the United Kingdom
currently allow RCDS operation as a
suitable back-up arrangement to
ECDIS, but only on a vessel-by-vessel
basis.

Vector Charts Advantages and

Disadvantages

Approximate look of the map/ UserDefined Appearance

Smart Map: Can Allow Very Powerful
Automated Analysis
More Efficient Storage of Information
Zoom function not restricted
Time/Manpower Intensive to Produce

AFTER ECDIS

Ship/Shore communication
COMMUNICATION
Required
information
for any
voyage
Required Nautical Information: Helsinki (FI) to London (GB)
Width of search corridor: 60 minutes
Charts
Finland
No. 5 (Helsinki), Ed. #2, NtM #7
No. 7A (Helsinki Harbour), Ed. #1, NtM #2
Sweden
No. 105 (Malmoe), Ed. #1, NtM #1
No. 113, (Oresund East) Ed. #3, NtM #4
Denmark
No. 8B (Oresund), Ed. #3, NtM #1

Publications
Finland
List of lights 2004
Sailing Directions 2004
Denmark
List of lights 2004
List of Radio Signals Vol. 2

...

CHART UPDATING
ECDIS

Satellite
ENC

Updates

SENC
Displayed
Electronic Charts

INMARSAT
CES/NCS

HF Broadcast
Transmitter

ENC Update

RENC
eg. PRIMAR

ENCD

Regional
ENCDB

ENCD

Regional
ENCDB

ENCD
Legend:

National
ECDB

National
ECDB

National
ECDB

Hydrographic Offices (HOs) - Source Providers

CDs or Equivalent Means

TELECOM

 CD-ROMs including vector charts S-57,

issued by RENC Primar: BASE CD - with full
set of charts and weekly edited UPDATE CD
with updates (corrections)

IMPROVED ECDIS /ECS

Dynamic information
Temporary changes in navigation objects (Beacon
light is out, buoy has moved, underwater work etc)
Weather information
Sea level information
Routing system
AIS (Automatic Identification System)
VTS information
3-D display

Weather data distribution and

presentation

Weather routing

A powerful Geographic Information System for

ship-owners, shipbrokers, ship managers and
operators.

Automatic Route Planning

GMDSS Coverage display and Database

Search and Rescue Zones and Centers

Different Scales

Chart Catalogue

Research & Development Projects

WINGS-FOR-SHIPS
Real time Weather on-line Information Network for early
warning, Guidance and Supervision in European waters
STEER
Intelligent Shipping Towards E-work Environment for
Re-engineering Waterborne Transport
IPPA
Innovative Portable Pilot Assistance

Governments support ECDIS

HELCOM governments
Have notified IMO of ECDIS Acceptance

USCG and NOAA

Proactive policy
USCG accepts ECDIS

Singapore
Reduced pilot fees for ships carrying ECDIS

Electronic Chart Display

Information System
Before ECDIS

After ECDIS

Delays in updating of charts

BA Paper - surface mail

0

10

Weeks
National NtMs
Transport to ship

BA NtM Production
Navigators Weekly Work

12

14

Delays in updating of charts

BA Paper - Radio
BA Paper - surface mail
0

10

Weeks
National NtMs
Transport to ship

BA NtM Production
Navigators Weekly Work

12

14

Delays in updating of charts

National Paper - Radio

BA Paper - Radio
BA Paper - surface mail
0

10

Weeks
National NtMs
Transport to ship

BA NtM Production
Navigators Weekly Work

12

14

Delays in updating of charts

ENC - Surface Mail

National Paper - Radio
BA Paper - Radio
BA Paper - surface mail
0

10

Weeks
National NtMs
Transport to ship

BA NtM Production
Navigators Weekly Work

12

14

Delays in updating of charts

ENC - Radio
ENC - Surface Mail
National Paper - Radio
BA Paper - Radio
BA Paper - surface mail
0

10

Weeks
National NtMs
Transport to ship

BA NtM Production
Navigators Weekly Work

12

14

Wishing you a safe and good sailing with ECDIS