A key component of maritime operations is the principles of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). In terms of applicability and compliance, this is the bible for shore management and the crew. ECDIS, or Electronic Chart Display and Information System, is incorporated in the SOLAS Convention.
Resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set and control further performance criteria. For your information, I’ll list the current governing IMO resolutions.
(resolution MSC.232(82)), Recommendations on performance requirements for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) (resolution A.817(19)).
- Revised performance standards for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) (resolution MSC.232(82))
- Recommendation on performance standards for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) (resolution A.817(19))
Carriage requirements for shipborne navigational systems and equipment are addressed in SOLAS Chapter 5 Regulation 19. Regulation 19 provides detailed information on the shipborne navigational equipment and systems in Provision 4 of part 2 of Regulation 19. In this case, I’ll provide you a direct quotation from the regulation.
SOLAS Regulation 19
2.4 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.
2.5 back-up arrangements to meet the functional requirements of subparagraph .4, if this function is partly or fully fulfilled by electronic means.
In addition, navigating officers need to be aware that paper nautical charts can be utilized as a backup plan for ECDIS. As an alternative to the ECDIS, other backup systems may also be used. Resolution A.817(19), as amended, provides further details.
Check out some of the fundamental sensors that are linked to ECDIS
According to SOLAS, each ship, regardless of its size, must be equipped with a receiver for a global navigation satellite system or a terrestrial radio navigation system, or other methods, appropriate for use constantly throughout the intended voyage to establish and update the ship’s position automatically. We refer to it as GPS or Global Positioning System.
At least one speed and distance measurement equipment (or other methods) must be installed on every ship above 300 gross tons and all passenger ships, regardless of size, in order to show speed and distance through the water. Speed log is a shorter word for it. Speed log is what we name it in the simplest word.
From 500 gross tons onward, all ships are required to have a gyro-compass, or other means, to determine and display their heading by shipborne nonmagnetic means, which are easily legible by the helmsman at the main steering position. In reality, all ships with a gross tonnage of 300 gross tons and above must be equipped with a correctly adjusted transmitting heading device or other means of communicating heading information for input to the ECDIS.
Conclusion
Your ship’s ECDIS is regarded as an ECDIS if the three sensors (GPS, Gyro, and Speed Log) are connected and operational. It is non-ECDIS if a particular sensor fails and the data is manually entered.