Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)

Part Two
Charts
Capt. Tamim Al Imam
Simulator Trainer and Assessor
Maritime Trainer and Assessor
AMERC / IMLA-INSLC / HELMEPA / MNI
Arab Trainers Union Member
Nautical chart
Nautical charts are special purpose maps specifically designed to
meet the requirements of marine navigation, showing amongst
other things depths, nature of the seabed, elevations, configuration
and characteristics of the coast, dangers, and aids to navigation.
Nautical charts provide a graphical representation of relevant
information to mariners for executing safe navigation.
Nautical charts are available in analogue form as paper charts, or
digitally as electronic charts.
The requirements for the carriage of nautical charts are laid
down in SOLAS Chapter V and the relevant regulations are:
■ Regulation 2, which defines the nautical chart,
■ Regulation 19, which specifies the equipment (including
charts) to be carried on different types of ships, and
■ Regulation 27, which specifies the requirement to keep
charts and publications up to date.
Official Charts
■ It is important to use official charts as Unofficial or
private charts may not display accurate hydrographic
information and are not approved by any hydrographic
office, and they therefore do not qualify as ENCs and
cannot legally be used as the primary method of
navigation. You should always check that the chart you
are using is officially approved.
■ Keeping charts up to date is extremely important, and
mandatory under SOLAS.
■ Only a type approved ECDIS operating with up to date
ENCs and with appropriate back-up arrangements may
be used to replace paper chart navigation.
■ Where ENCs are not available, the SOLAS regulations
allow Flag States to authorised the use of RNCs
(together with an appropriate folio of paper charts), in all
other cases the vessel must carry all the paper charts
necessary for its intended voyage.
■ According to SOLAS V, 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 fulfil
carriage requirements (provided they are kept up to date).
■ All other nautical charts are not official and are often referred to as
unofficial or private charts, these charts are not accepted as the basis
for navigation under the SOLAS Convention.
■ There are two kinds of official digital nautical charts commonly
available; Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) and Raster
Navigational Charts (RNC).
Electronic Charts
■ Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)
Means 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 conform to
IHO standards.
ENCs must conform to the standards laid out in the IHO S-57 (transfer standard
for digital hydrographic data) and S-58 (validation of the ENC), as well as its
associated ENC product specifications.
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.
■ Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)
An ENC is a vector chart, issued by or on behalf of a Governmental body
(see “official chart” above) that complies with the IHO ENC Product
Specification that is part of the chart data transfer standard known as S-57.
Any other vector chart data is unofficial and therefore does not meet the
SOLAS chart carriage requirements.
All ECDIS use Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs). These charts are
made up of digital data which show objects, areas, vectors and depths.
For an area on the chart, the computer can, with appropriate settings,
highlight the depths enough for safe navigation.
■ Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)
Using the chart data and the ship’s electronic position, the ECDIS can
calculate how close the ship is to the planned track.
If the ship goes further off the course than has been set up in route planning,
this will set off an alarm.
In areas where ENC are not yet available, Raster Navigational Charts
(RNCs) may be used along with a paper chart, subject to flag State
acceptance. These do not have the same capabilities as ENCs.
The majority of ENCs are made available to the end-users in a protected
from using the IHO S-63 ENC data protection scheme.
■ Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)
ENCs use digital technology to convert a paper chart and other sources of
navigation information into a database of individual items.
These pieces of information are collected into groups of features, such as
navigational aids, depths, or shipping hazards, and stored electronically.
The operator can choose to view all the layers, superimposed on top of each
other or (with some types of ECDIS) to compare them by displaying them
in separate ‘windows’ alongside each other.
■ System Electronic Navigational Chart (SENC)
Means a database, in the manufacturer’s internal ECDIS format,
resulting from the lossless transformation of the entire ENC
contents and its updates.
It is this database that is accessed by ECDIS for the display
generation and other navigational functions and is equivalent to an
up-to-date paper chart.
The SENC may also contain information added by the mariner
and information from other sources.
■ System Electronic Navigational Chart (SENC)
In order to get efficient data structures that facilitate the rapid display
of ENC data, most ECDIS convert each ENC dataset from S-57 into an
internal machine-language format called SENC or System ENC –
which is optimized for chart image creating routines, most ECDIS
software manufacturers have their own SENC format.
SENC-distribution must have the agreement of the producer
Hydrographic Office of the ENCs and must also use type approved
processes to ensure that the integrity of the S-57 format ENC data is
maintained during the conversion to a SENC format.
The ECDIS converts each ENC from S57 ENC format into an
internal format called SENC, a process to optimize chart
display.
SENC delivery is an alternative method to the standard
distribution and use of official ENC data.
Users can directly receive SENC, a conversion which
otherwise would have to happen inside the ECDIS.
ENCs have the following attributes:
■ ENC content is based on source survey data from the relevant hydrographic
offices or the data shown in the official paper charts.
■ ENCs are compiled and encoded according to the international standards set
by the IHO.
■ Positions on ENCs are referred to the World Geodetic System 1984 Datum
(WGS84). This is directly compatible with GNSS positions.
■ ENCs are issued only by or on the authority of a Government, authorized
Hydrographic Office or other relevant government institutions; and
■ ENCs are regularly updated with official update information that is
normally distributed digitally.
■ Raster Navigational Chart (RNC)
RNC (Raster Charts) is a scanned and passive image of official paper chart, whereas an
ENC (vector charts) is a digital database of all the objects (points, lines, areas, etc.)
represented on a chart.
RNC’s must conform to the standards laid out in the IHO‟s S-61 and be authorised and
produced by (or under the authority of) a national hydrographic office.
RNCs have the following attributes:
■ RNCs are a facsimile of official paper charts.
■ RNCs are produced according to the international standards set by the IHO S-61.
■ RNCs are regularly updated with official update information. This is distributed
digitally.
■ Raster Navigational Chart (RNC)
The IMO performance standards for ECDIS states that where ENCs are not
available, RNCs may be used in ECDIS to meet the chart carriage
requirements.
However, when an ECDIS is being used with RNCs, the RNCs should be
used together with “an appropriate folio of up to date paper charts”.
The option to use RNCs in ECDIS will steadily reduce as more and more
ENCs become available, because of their nature, RNCs when used in
ECDIS do not provide the same level of functionality that is provided by
ENCs.
ENC’s and RNC’s Compared
■ An important advantage of ENCs is that they are intelligent: the system
can be programmed to give warning of approaching dangers or
navigational hazards in relation to the vessel’s position and course.
■ An ENC can also be interrogated by its operator to reveal more detailed
information.
■ RNC’s is an accurate digital image comprised of pixels, displayed on an
electronic screen. 
■ Each pixel has a unique color, or it has no color. 
■ The pattern of the colored and the empty pixels gives shape to the
individual features of the chart.
The advantages of vector charts can be summarized as
follows:
1. Chart information is in layers which allows selective display of
data.
2. The display may be customized to suit the user.
3. They are seamless
4. It is possible to zoom-in without distorting the displayed data.
The advantages of vector charts can be summarized as
follows:
5. Charted objects may be selected to give information to the user.
6. Indications and alarms can be given when a hazardous
situation, such as crossing a safety contour, occurs.
7. Objects may be shown using different symbols to those used on
paper or raster charts.
8. Chart data may be shared with other equipment such as radar
and ARPA.
The advantages of vector charts can be summarized as follows:
9. Unless data content is the same, less memory is required to store data
compared to a raster chart.
10.They can be especially useful in harbour, hazardous areas since extra
information from port authorities about features like berths and facilities
can be included
11.They can always be shown in North Up display; other chart orientations
are also often available
12.They support intelligent information functionality. For example, if the
ship is getting into shallow water, ECDIS safety contour settings will
trigger an anti-grounding alarm
Disadvantages of the vector chart can be summarized as follows.
1. They are technically far more complex than raster charts.
2. They are more costly and take longer to produce.
3. Worldwide coverage is unlikely to be achieved for many years, if
ever.
4. It is more difficult to ensure the quality and integrity of the
displayed vector data.
5. Training in the use of vector charts is likely to be more time
consuming and costly compared to that needed for raster charts.
The advantages of raster charts can be summarized as follows:
1. User familiarity since they use the same symbols and colours as paper charts.
2. They are exact copies of the paper charts with the same reliability and integrity.
3. The user cannot delete any navigational information from the display.
4. Cost of production is less than their vector counterpart.
5. Wide availability of official raster charts. ARCS charts, for example, have near
worldwide coverage.
6. RNCs are considered to be adequate for passage planning and monitoring. They
will fulfil the chart carriage requirement for non-ENC coverage areas subject to
acceptance by flag State.
Disadvantages of raster charts can be summarized as follows:
1. The user cannot customize the display.
2. They cannot give detailed information without an additional
database with a common reference system.
3. They cannot, directly, provide indications or alarms to indicate
a warning to the user
4. Unless data content is the same, more memory is required to
store data compared to a vector chart.
Disadvantages of raster charts can be summarized as follows:
5. They have limited scaling ability and cannot be scaled up or
down in size without losing some quality of image
6. They are usually restricted to a North Up display
7. They are not seamless
8. The operator cannot limit the information displayed
Updating ENC’s and RNC’s
■ In order to meet the requirements of SOLAS V/27, nautical charts must
be kept up to date by incorporating Notices to Mariners and other chart
updates issued by Hydrographic Offices.
■ ENCs and RNCs are normally kept up to date by applying regular, update
information to the chart data via a digital data file.
■ In these cases the updating of the chart database is done automatically by
the ECDIS. Another standard function of ECDIS is the capability to
update the ENC manually.
■ This may be required when a digital update is not available or a
hydrographic office has issued update information in a non-digital form.
■ ENC and RNC updates are generally supplied to ships on CD-ROM but
‘remote updating’ using satellite (or, when in port, shore based)
telecommunications is becoming more and more common.
■ Most ENC service providers now also provide updating services using e-mail,
the worldwide web, and other remote means. Details may be obtained from
ENC distributors.
■ Updates to ENCs are sequential. The sequence is unique to each ENC. During
the updating process ECDIS always checks that all updates in the sequence
have been applied.
■ If an update is missing, then the ECDIS will indicate this. It is not possible to
load later updates until any earlier updates have been applied.
■ If an update is missing, then the ECDIS will indicate this. It is not
possible to load later updates until any earlier updates have been applied.
■ An ECDIS maintains an internal list of the updates that have been applied
and the date of their application.
■ The format and content of an “ENC Update Status Report” is specified in
Annex C of IHO standard S-63 “IHO Data Protection Scheme”.
■ Such a status report is designed to demonstrate the revision status of
ENCs within the ECDIS SENC and can be generated by the ECDIS user.
How are ENCs named?
■ Each ENC is identified by an 8-character identifier, for example
FR501050, the first two characters indicate the producer; for
example, FR for France, GB for United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Island.
■ A complete list of producer codes is included in the IHO
standard S-62 – “List of Data Producer Codes”.
■ The third character (a number from 1 to 6) indicates the
Navigational Purpose, the last five characters are alpha-
numeric free text and provide a unique identifier.
■ During production, ENCs are assigned a compilation scale
based on the nature of the source data upon which they are
based and their intended usage.
■ They are also allocated to a Navigational Purpose related to
this. This is analogous to a series of paper charts covering the
same area, ranging from “small scale charts” to “large scale
plans”.
■ As shown in the table below there are six Navigational
Purposes (NOTE: scale ranges are indicative only).
Manual Updates and Correction
ECDIS allows the operator to select and display additional S52 objects as
manual corrections on the chart.
This ability to add or remove objects to ENCs has been provided for cases
where ECDIS operators need to:
■ Add supplementary information to ENCs
■ Correct charts manually where automatic ENC updates have failed
■ Add local navigation warnings
■ Modify or remove an incorrect ENC object.
The ECDIS operator cannot permanently remove any of the official objects
from the chart display.
■ If an official chart object needs to be made obsolete, then the ECDIS operator
needs to show that the object is no longer in use.
■ Then, in practice, the deleted features are still visible, but they are displayed a
certain way to indicate a deleted object.
■ ECDIS operators should be aware that subsequent automatic updates will not
remove or supersede manually added corrections.
■ Periodic checks should be made to remove obsolete manual updates. ECDIS
maintains a record of manual updates, with time stamps of deletions,
modifications and insertions, in the update history log.
■ When performing route checks prior to departure, it is important to understand
that manually added corrections may not automatically trigger alarms if they have
not been assigned the danger attribute on creation.
Licences and Permits
■ Separate ENC and RNC licences are produced by the relevant
government authorised Hydrographic Office to limit access to
only those charts which users are authorised to operate.
■ The licence is system-specific for each ECDIS installation and
the licence number is also used to order additional charts for
that system
■ RNCs and encrypted ENCs require a chart-specific permit to be
used in the system. Each chart permit is associated with the
licence for a particular system.
■ The permits can be provided on a CD or by email and are updated to
reflect changes in permit permissions or when new charts and new
editions of charts are published. Only the most recent permits should be
installed on the system.
■ The system of licence and permit means that the user may be able to
carry more ENCs and RNCs than they have active permits for.
■ Additional permits can be obtained rapidly to allow the user to activate
ENCs and RNCs.
■ This allows activation of necessary charts in case of diversion,
emergency or a change of destination.
■ All ECDIS operators should know the process by which
additional charts are activated.
■ The ECDIS operator should ensure that permit updates
arrive in a timely manner and on the required media.
■ Expiry dates of licences and permits should be
documented and renewed in a timely manner. Each
passage plan should ensure that permits are valid for the
duration of the planned voyage.
■ If a planning station or chart management system is fitted on the
vessel, the procedures for installing ENC data and permits must
be understood, manufacturer's guidance must be followed to
ensure chart management software correctly interfaces with
ECDIS.
■ It may be useful to develop on board guidance, noting
experience gained, due to the complexity of integrating external
planning software with the ECDIS units. Understanding these
procedures should be part of bridge familiarisation.
Software Updates
■ The ECDIS operator must ensure that all mandatory updates are installed
and tested on all ECDIS units and recorded, for example presentation
library updates.
■ Ship operators should develop a relationship with ECDIS manufacturers
to ensure that appropriate standards are maintained.
■ If the ECDIS is not correctly updated, the latest charted features may not
be displayed, or the alarms and indications may not function.
■ Both the ECDIS software and charts will need regular and correct
updating to comply with SOLAS Regulation V/19.2.1.4, and all
navigating officers should know how to update and maintain the system.
Virus Protection
■ Many ECDIS units do not have virus protection and are vulnerable to a cyber security
breach. An infected ECDIS could lead to an unrecoverable failure of the system.
■ To prevent a harmful virus infecting ECDIS it is crucial that there is a cyber security
procedure for the use of USB/CD/DVD media that is inserted into ECDIS.
■ It is recommended that use of USB is restricted to a single USB that is only used within
the LAN.
■ USB sticks and CDs should be virus checked prior to inserting into ECDIS.
■ The Master is to ensure that a robust system exists and that all operators are briefed
accordingly.
■ Only devices related to the update or backup of the ECDIS should ever be connected to
the USB ports on the ECDIS units.
■ No other devices should be connected.
Risk from connecting the ECDIS to an insecure bridge network
■ If the ECDIS is connected to the bridge network, and the bridge
network has an unprotected connection to the internet, the
ECDIS becomes vulnerable to hacking.
■ There is even the possibility that a hacker could gain remote
control of the ship’s navigation systems and give false
information to the bridge.
■ There should always be a secure connection using an approved
and up to date firewall product.
Thank you
List of References:
1. Broster, M., 2018. ECDIS Procedures Guide. 2nd ed. Scotland:
Witherby Publishing GroupLtd.
2. International Hydrographic Organization, 2010. Facts about Electronic
Charts and Carriage Requirements. 1st ed. Monaco: International
Hydrographic Bureau .
3. Videotel, 2017, Electronic Charts Display and Information System,
London, UK.
4. Communicatie, F., 2020. Home | IHO. [online] Iho.int. Available at:
<https://iho.int/> [Accessed 24 April 2020].