IMSML Website Article 29/2023: Resolution MSC.530(106) – Performance Standards for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), Part 1 of 3, Scope, Application, Definition and Module A.

This is 29th article of 2023 for the IMSML.org website. Resolution MSC.530(106) is the last of the resolutions published in MSN03/2023. In a nutshell, the Marine Department of Malaysia explains that: First, operational reliability of the electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) had to have revised standards of performance with technological progress and experience gained; Second, the resolution on targets ECDIS equipment installed on of after 1 January 2029; Third, there will be a transitional period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. During this time, ECDIS may conform to either:

(a) Current performance standards, see MSC.232(82);

(b) Revised ECDIS performance standards, see MSC.530(106).

Today’s IMSML Website Article 29/2023, which is Part 1 of a 3 Part series, will cover:

[1] Scope of ECDIS;

[2] Application of Standards to ECDIS;

[3] Definition;

[4] MODULE A - Database

The Revised Standards in the Annex

Scope of ECDIS

The primary focus of ECDIS is navigational safety, see Section 1.1. ECDIS should have back-up arrangements. In particular, the electronic navigational data service (ENDS) that encompasses nautical charts and nautical publications shall comply with Chapter V of SOLAS, and IHO standards (Note: IHO is the acronym for International Hydrographic Organization) in force, see Section 1.2. ECDIS should be capable of displaying all the necessary nautical information for safe and efficient navigation. This material should originate and be distributed by an authorised government, authorised hydrographic office as stipulated in SOLAS, Regulations V/19 and V/27, see Section 1.3.

Updating of ENDS should be facilitated reliably through a simple process by ECDIS, see Section 1.4. Reduction of navigational workload (when compared to using analogue charts) is the objective of ECDIS. It should execute in a convenient and timely manner, all routing, planning, monitoring and recording of the ship’s position, see Section 1.5.

It is expected that ECDIS will assist route monitoring by using appropriate data layers for display of radar, radar tracked target information, as well as AIS, see Section 1.6. Appropriate alerts or indications will be provided for information displayed or malfunction of equipment. The Performance Standards for Bridge Alert Management are applicable to ECDIS, see Section 1.7.

Some ECDIS are allowed to operate in the Raster Chart Display System (RCDS) where the relevant chart information is not available in the appropriate form. RCDS must comply with the required standards and cannot be inferior, see Section 1.8.

Application of Standards to ECDIS

Performance standards apply to both ECDIS mode, and ECDIS in RCDIS mode, as well as the required ECDIS backup arrangements, see Section 2.2. These standards will apply for carried in the various forms:

[1] A dedicated stand-alone workstation, see Section 2.1.1;

[2] A multifunction workstation as part of an INS, see Section 2.1.2.

Note: INS is the acronym for Integrated Navigational System.

ECDIS should comply with IHS standards for the structure, format and presentation of ENDS, see Section 2.3. In particular, it should meet the ergonomic principles set out by the IMO, see Section 2.4.

Definitions

[1] Electronic chart display and information system (ECDlS), see Section 3.1

[a] a navigation information system which with adequate backup arrangements can be accepted as complying with the up-to-date nautical chart and nautical publications required by SOLAS regulations V/19 and V/27;

[b] displaying selected information from a system database with positional information from navigation sensors to assist the mariner in route planning and route monitoring and, if required, display additional navigation-related information.

[2] Electronic navigational chart (ENC), see Section 3.2

[a] the database, standardized as to content, structure and format, issued for use with ECDIS by or on the authority of a government, authorized hydrographic office or other relevant government institution, and conforming to IHO standards;

[b] The ENC contains all the nautical chart information necessary for safe navigation.

[3] Electronic navigational data service (ENDS), see Section 3.3

[a] a special-purpose database compiled from nautical chart and nautical publication data, standardized as to content, structure and format, issued for use with ECDIS by or on the authority of a government, authorized hydrographic office or other relevant government institution, and conforming to IHO standards; and

[b] designed to meet the requirement of marine navigation and the nautical charts and nautical publications carriage requirements in SOLAS regulations V/19 and V/27;

[c] The navigational base layer of ENDS is the electronic navigational chart (ENC).

[4] System database, see Section 3.4

[a] a database, in the manufacturer's internal ECDIS format, resulting from the lossless transformation of the ENDS contents and its updates;

[b] It is this database that is accessed by ECDIS for the display generation and other navigational functions, and is equivalent to up-to-date ENDS.

[5] Standard display, see Section 3.5

[a] the display mode intended to be used as a minimum during route planning and route monitoring;

[b] The chart content is listed in Appendix 2.

[6] Display base, see Section 3.6

[a] the chart content as listed in Appendix 2;

[b] cannot be removed from the display;

[c] It is not intended to be sufficient for safe navigation.

Note: Further information on ECDIS definitions may be found in IHO Hydrographic Dictionary Publication S-32 (see Appendix 1).

MODULE A - Database

Provision and Updating

IHO compliant ENDS information used in ECDIS shall be issued by a governmental authority, government hydrographic office other relevant government institution, see Section 4.1. The content should be adequate and up-to-date for the intended voyage as required by SOLAS Regulations V/19 and V/27, see Section 4.2.

The content of ENDS or an information on a systems database should not be alterable, and be compliant with IHO Standards, including set rules for interoperability, see Section 4.3. Official updates should be automatically applied by the system and not interfere with the use of the the display, see Section 4.4. Manual updates should also be possible, simply by making a verification prior to the final acceptance of the data. This manual update must be distinguishable from the ENDS information and not affect its display legibility, see Section 4.5.

The system should keep a record of the updates (including time and application), until it is superseded by a new edition, see Section 4.6. ECDIS should enable a mariner to review the updates and its contents to ascertain that the system database has included all the new information, see Section 4.7. The updates shall be in compliance with IHO Data Protection Scheme as referenced in IHO Publication S-63 - Data Protection Scheme (for S-57 ENCs) and S-100, Part 15 - Data Protection Scheme (for S-100 products), see Section 4.8.

Thank you for reading IMSML Website Article 29/2023

Stay tuned for the next IMSML Website Article 30/2023: Resolution MSC.530(106) – Performance Standards for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), Part 2 of 3, MODULE B - Operational and Functional Requirements

Signing-off for today,

Dr Irwin Ooi Ui Joo, LL.B(Hons.)(Glamorgan); LL.M (Cardiff); Ph.D (Cardiff); CMILT

Professor of Maritime and Transport Law

Head of the Centre for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

Faculty of Law

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam

Selangor, Malaysia

Monday, 9 October 2023

Note that I am the corresponding author for the IMSML Website Articles. My official email address is: uijoo310@uitm.edu.my