Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Bridge Electronics: Radar, ECDIS, GMDSS, and IBS glossary

Terminology of bridge electronics: Cospas-Sarsat EPIRBs such as the ACR GlobalFix, UKHO ADMIRALTY vector and raster chart services for ECDIS and RCDS, Class A and B AIS transponders and AIS-SART locators, and the radar, GMDSS and integrated-bridge-system equipment and standards equipping the modern navigating bridge.

344 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A.424(XI): IMO performance standard for gyrocompasses adopted in 1979.
A.817(19): Original IMO performance standard for ECDIS adopted in 1995 prior to MSC.232(82) revision.
A.821(19): IMO performance standard for gyrocompasses for high-speed craft.
ACR GlobalFix Pro: 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat EPIRB manufactured by ACR Electronics with integrated GPS for position transmission.
Admiralty ARCS: Admiralty Raster Chart Service, a UKHO raster product based on scanned BA paper charts for use in RCDS mode.
Admiralty AVCS: UKHO Admiralty Vector Chart Service, a worldwide ENC distribution covering over 18,000 official electronic charts.
AIS Class A: Mandatory transponder for SOLAS vessels broadcasting MMSI, position, course, speed.
AIS Class B: Lower-power transponder used by smaller, non-SOLAS craft.
AIS Message 1: Position report Class A used by SOLAS vessels for dynamic data transmission.
AIS Message 21: Aid-to-Navigation report.
AIS Message 5: Class A static and voyage-related data including IMO number, call sign, name, type, dimensions, draft, destination and ETA.
AIS Receiver: Shore or shipboard device that decodes the 9600 bps GMSK signal on AIS 1 and AIS 2.
AIS-SART: AIS Search and Rescue Transmitter for survival craft.
Anchor watch: Watch maintained on anchored vessel.
Anschutz Standard 22: Liquid suspended gyrocompass from Raytheon Anschutz with type approval to IMO Resolution A.424(XI), one of the most widely installed marine gyrocompasses.
Anschutz STD 14: Compact Anschutz spherical gyrocompass series used on smaller commercial vessels and yachts.
Anschutz Synapsis NX: Raytheon Anschutz integrated navigation system family certified to IEC 61924-2 with common workstation hardware.
ARPA: Automatic Radar Plotting Aid training course required for officers operating ARPA equipped radars under STCW Table A-II/1.
ATA: Actual Time of Arrival at the pilot station or berth.
AtoN AIS: Aid-to-Navigation AIS message type 21 used to broadcast position and status of buoys and beacons.
Autopilot: Automatic steering system using gyro or magnetic compass input.
AVCS DVD: Weekly DVD distribution of UKHO AVCS ENCs to vessels with limited connectivity.
AVCS Online: UKHO online ENC delivery via permit-based downloads.
AWT: Applied Weather Technology, a weather routing provider acquired by StormGeo in 2015 and integrated with Veson IMOS voyage modules.

B

B-Beam Radar: General term for a radar antenna with a fan-shaped beam, typical of slotted waveguide arrays.
BAM: Bridge Alert Management, the alert handling framework standardized by IMO Resolution MSC.302(87) and IEC 62923.
BeiDou Receiver: Chinese GNSS receiver covered by IEC 61108-4.
BNWAS: Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System, mandated by SOLAS V/19.2.2.3 and specified by IMO Resolution MSC.128(75), alerting backup officers if the watchkeeper becomes incapacitated.
BNWAS Stage 1: Initial visual indication on the bridge approximately every 3 to 12 minutes of inactivity.
BNWAS Stage 2: Audible alarm on the bridge after a further 15 seconds without reset.
BNWAS Stage 3: Escalation alarm to backup officers and master after a further 90 seconds without reset.
BonVoyage System: StormGeo BVS voyage optimization platform integrating weather, currents, and vessel performance models.
Bridge Wing Console: Auxiliary control position on each bridge wing providing maneuvering controls for berthing operations.
BTG-3: Honeywell directional fiber-optic gyrocompass certified for merchant marine heading reference.

C

C-MAP ENC: Vector electronic chart product line originally from C-MAP Norway, later under Jeppesen Marine and Navico.
CCRP: Common Coordinate Reference Point, the survey reference origin to which all sensor offsets are reduced.
Chart Radar: Radar display mode that overlays ENC or SENC chart features on the radar picture, governed by IEC 62388.
ChartCo NavStation: ChartCo voyage planning suite combining ENC management, publications, and route planning.
ChartCo OneOcean: ChartCo OneOcean integrated voyage planning and compliance platform.
ChartWorld eGlobe: Type-approved ECDIS from ChartWorld GmbH supplied with ENC service bundles.
Cobham Sailor 250: Maritime FleetBroadband terminal supporting up to 284 kbps over the Inmarsat I-4 constellation.
Cobham Sailor 4300: L-band Iridium Certus 700 maritime terminal for high-latitude IP and voice service.
Cobham Sailor 500: Higher-power FleetBroadband terminal offering up to 432 kbps streaming and IP services.
Cobham Sailor 6110 INMARSAT-C: Mini-C terminal approved for GMDSS distress alerting and EGC SafetyNET reception.
Cobham Sailor 6280 AIS: VHF DSC Class A AIS-compliant communications product from Cobham SATCOM (now Thrane and Thrane heritage).
Cobham SAILOR 6300 MF/HF: GMDSS MF and HF radio console from Cobham SATCOM, formerly Thrane and Thrane.
Comar AIS: UK manufacturer of AIS Class A and Class B transponders and shore-based AIS receivers.
Compass Safe Distance: Minimum distance from magnetic compass at which equipment may be installed without disturbance.
Conning Display: Bridge display aggregating navigation data, often part of IBS.
Consilium SVDR: Consilium Marine simplified voyage data recorder series compliant with IMO MSC.163(78).
Consilium VDR F1: Consilium full voyage data recorder model approved to MSC.333(90) standard.
Cospas-Sarsat: International satellite system for 406 MHz distress beacon detection.

D

Daewoo BNWAS: Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System from Daewoo Shipbuilding electronics for newbuild fitment.
Daniamant BNWAS: Watch alarm system from Daniamant, a Danish maker of survival lights and bridge safety products.
DGNSS Receiver: Differential GNSS receiver using IALA beacons or SBAS corrections.
DGPS: Differential GPS using IALA radio beacons.
Doppler Speed Log: Hull-mounted log measuring vessel speed through water and over ground using acoustic Doppler shift.
DSC: Digital Selective Calling per ITU-R M.493 and ITU-R M.541.
DTN Navmaster: Voyage optimization and route planning service from DTN (formerly Meteorlogix and WSI).

E

ECDIS: Electronic Chart Display and Information System per IMO MSC.232(82).
ECDIS Anomaly: Software or chart-related defect publicly tracked through IHO ECDIS data presentation and performance checks.
ECDIS Backup: Independent backup ECDIS or paper-chart arrangement required to satisfy SOLAS V/19.2.1.4.
ECDIS Carriage: SOLAS V/19.2.10 mandate phased in by ship type and size, completed for all applicable ships by 1 July 2018.
ECS: Electronic Chart System (non-mandatory).
EGC: Enhanced Group Call service over Inmarsat (SafetyNET and FleetNET).
EGNOS: European SBAS augmentation system.
EML200: SKIPPER Electronics electromagnetic speed log measuring speed through water for SOLAS class vessels.
EMRI SEM200: EMRI A/S adaptive autopilot for merchant vessels with track control.
EMRI Steering Control: EMRI A/S (Denmark) steering control and autopilot systems integrated into many bridge consoles.
ENC: Electronic Navigational Chart, an S-57 (and future S-101) compliant vector dataset issued by or under the authority of a national HO.
EPIRB: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon required under SOLAS IV/7.
Ethernet Bridge Network: Onboard LWE per IEC 61162-450 carrying NMEA sentences over UDP multicast on standard Ethernet.

F

FAR-2228: 25 kW S band variant within the Furuno FAR-2xx8 series.
FAR-2238S: 30 kW S band magnetron radar in the Furuno FAR-2xx8 series.
FAR-3000: Furuno's flagship multi-display radar platform for integrated bridge systems on large merchant tonnage.
FE-700: Furuno dual frequency 50 and 200 kHz echo sounder type approved for SOLAS use.
Felcom 19: Furuno Inmarsat-C mini-C ship earth station approved for GMDSS distress and safety communications.
FleetBroadband: Inmarsat L-band IP service in 150, 250 and 500 kbps classes (e.g., FB150, FB250, FB500).
FleetOne: Inmarsat L-band service aimed at smaller commercial and leisure vessels.
FleetWeather: US-based voyage routing service providing weather and current optimization for commercial fleets.
Fluxgate compass: Magnetic compass using a fluxgate sensor.
FM-8900S: Furuno VHF DSC Class A radiotelephone for SOLAS vessels with integrated Channel 70 watch receiver.
FMD-3200: Furuno ECDIS with 19 inch portrait or landscape display.
FMD-3300: Furuno ECDIS with 23 inch display for primary navigation use.
FS-1575: Furuno MF/HF SSB transceiver with DSC at 150 W output for GMDSS A2 and A3 service.
Furuno FAR-2228-NXT: NXT solid-state X-band radar with Doppler-based target analyzer functionality.
Furuno FAR-3220-NXT: Higher-tier solid-state radar in the Furuno NXT family for IBS installations.
Furuno NavPilot 720: Compact autopilot for small commercial craft offering adaptive heading and route tracking.
Furuno NavPilot 745: Furuno commercial autopilot supporting CAN bus integration and economy-mode steering.
Furuno NavPilot 750: Larger-vessel autopilot variant in the NavPilot family with wheelmark approval.
Furuno PG-1000: Heading sensor and rate-of-turn unit suitable for autopilot heading input on smaller vessels.

G

Galileo Receiver: European GNSS receiver covered by IEC 61108-3.
GLONASS Receiver: Russian satellite navigation receiver covered by IEC 61108-2.
GMDSS: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System under SOLAS Chapter IV.
GMDSS Sea Area A1: Coastal area within VHF range of a shore station fitted with continuous DSC alerting.
GMDSS Sea Area A2: Area within MF range of a shore station with continuous DSC, beyond A1.
GMDSS Sea Area A3: Area within coverage of an approved GMDSS satellite service, between roughly 76 degrees north and south.
GMDSS Sea Area A4: Polar regions outside satellite coverage where HF radio is the primary GMDSS bearer.
GNSS Compass: Heading sensor that derives heading from multiple GNSS antennas using carrier phase processing.
GPS Receiver: IMO-compliant L1 receiver providing position, course, and speed over ground per IEC 61108-1.
Gyrocompass: Heading reference required by SOLAS Chapter V.

H

Heading Control System: IMO term in MSC.64(67) for an autopilot maintaining a preset heading using heading and rate inputs.
Helm Order Printer: Optional printer on the bridge recording helm and engine orders, supplanted by VDR audio capture.
Helm Position: Steering wheel or non-follow-up tiller location on the bridge.
HF DSC: HF Digital Selective Calling on 4207.5, 6312, 8414.5, 12577 and 16804.5 kHz.
Honeywell Marine Systems: Heritage supplier of marine fiber-optic gyros and inertial heading references including the BTG-3.
Hughes 5000C: Kelvin Hughes coastal X-band radar product family used by VTS authorities and patrol vessels.

I

IALA Beacon: Medium-frequency DGPS reference station broadcasting RTCM SC-104 corrections.
IBS: Lloyd's Register Integrated Bridge System notation.
ICS: International Chamber of Shipping, industry body.
IEC 60533: IEC standard for electromagnetic compatibility of electrical equipment installed on ships.
IEC 60945: Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment general requirements standard.
IEC 61097: Series defining GMDSS equipment performance, including EPIRB, SART, and Inmarsat-C requirements.
IEC 61108: Performance standard for GNSS receivers, part 1 GPS, part 2 GLONASS, part 3 Galileo, part 4 BeiDou.
IEC 61162-1: NMEA 0183 standard for navigation data interconnection.
IEC 61162-2: High-speed NMEA 0183 variant operating at 38,400 baud for radar and ARPA data.
IEC 61162-3: NMEA 2000 CAN-bus interface for marine electronics networks.
IEC 61162-450: Ethernet-based marine network standard.
IEC 61162-460: Part of the IEC 61162 series specifying additional requirements for safe and secure data transmission on shipboard Ethernet networks.
IEC 61174: ECDIS performance test standard implementing IMO Resolution MSC.232(82).
IEC 61996-1: Voyage Data Recorder performance and testing standard for VDR equipment.
IEC 62065: Track Control System performance standard.
IEC 62288: Presentation of navigational information on shipborne displays.
IEC 62381: Factory Acceptance Test procedures for automation and control systems.
IEC 62388: Shipborne radar performance test standard.
IEC 62616: BNWAS performance test standard.
IEC 62923: BAM performance test standard, parts 1 and 2.
IHO S-100: Universal Hydrographic Data Model.
IHO S-101: Next-generation ENC specification.
IHO S-57: ENC product specification, edition 3.1.
IHO S-63: Data Protection Scheme for encrypted ENCs.
IIC Technologies: A Canadian-headquartered hydrographic services and ENC production company.
IMO Res A.694(17): General requirements for shipborne radio equipment forming part of the GMDSS.
IMO Res A.802(19): Performance standards for SARTs operating on 9 GHz.
IMO Res A.806(19): Performance standards for shipborne MF radio installations capable of voice communication and DSC.
IMO Res A.807(19): Performance standards for Inmarsat-C ship earth stations.
IMO Res A.808(19): Performance standards for ship earth stations capable of two-way communication.
IMO Res A.811(19): General requirements for shipborne EPIRBs.
IMO Res A.812(19): Performance standards for float-free satellite EPIRBs operating through Inmarsat geostationary system.
IMO Res A.813(19): General requirements for electromagnetic compatibility for all shipborne electrical and electronic equipment.
IMO Res A.819(19): Performance standards for shipborne GPS receivers.
IMO Res A.824(19): Performance standards for devices to indicate speed and distance.
IMO Res A.830(19): Code on alarms and indicators, predecessor to BAM.
IMO Res A.861(20): Performance standards for VDRs.
IMO Res MSC.112(73): Revised performance standards for shipborne GPS receivers.
IMO Res MSC.114(73): Performance standards for DGPS receivers using IALA beacon corrections.
IMO Res MSC.115(73): Performance standards for shipborne combined GPS/GLONASS receivers.
IMO Res MSC.116(73): Performance standards for marine transmitting heading devices.
IMO Res MSC.128(75): Performance standards for Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm Systems (BNWAS).
IMO Res MSC.131(75): Maintenance of ECDIS operating software.
IMO Res MSC.191(79): Performance standards for presentation of navigation-related information on shipborne navigational displays.
IMO Res MSC.233(82): Performance standards for survival craft AIS-SARTs.
IMO Res MSC.401(95): Performance standards for multi-system shipborne radionavigation receivers.
IMO Res MSC.64(67): Performance standards for heading control systems.
IMO Res MSC.74(69): Annex 3 performance standard for AIS adopted in 1998.
IMO Res MSC.86(70): Performance standards for Inmarsat-F (later FleetBroadband) ship earth stations.
Inmarsat C: Polling/EGC/SafetyNET service in GMDSS.
INS: Integrated Navigation System per IMO Resolution MSC.252(83) Annex 1.
Iridium GMDSS: GMDSS satellite service approved by IMO Resolution MSC.451(99), operational from 13 December 2020.
IsatPhone Pro: Earlier Inmarsat L-band handheld satellite phone.

J

JAN-7201: JRC ECDIS in the JAN-7000 family approved to IMO Resolution MSC.232(82).
JAN-9201: JRC ECDIS in the JAN-9000 family with 26 inch display option.
JCY-1900: JRC voyage data recorder and simplified VDR family.
Jeppesen Marine: Boeing subsidiary providing ENC distribution and route planning, now Jeppesen by Bing Maritime.
JFE-380: JRC navigational echo sounder for SOLAS-compliant depth measurement.
JHS-183: JRC AIS Class A transponder for SOLAS-mandated vessels.
JHS-770: JRC AIS Class A transponder model used on newbuild merchant tonnage.
JHS-780: JRC AIS transponder for non-SOLAS commercial use with chart plotter interface.
JHS-800S: JRC GMDSS VHF DSC Class A radio for Sea Area A1 distress alerting.
JMA-9100: JRC chart radar in the JMA-9100 series with 12 to 25 kW transceivers.
JMA-9100SR: JRC Solid State Radar variant in the JMA-9100 family using semiconductor transmitter technology.
JMC: Japan Marine Communications, a JRC distributor and integrator in the Japanese market.
Jotron Tron 60AIS: Float-free EPIRB from Norwegian maker Jotron with integrated AIS-SART functionality.
JRC JMA-9100-9SR: 9 ft antenna solid-state radar in the JMA-9100SR series for X-band installations.
JSS-2150: JRC 150 W MF/HF transceiver with DSC for GMDSS Sea Areas A2 and A3.
JSS-2250: JRC 250 W MF/HF DSC transceiver for extended A2 and A3 coverage.
JSS-2500: JRC 500 W MF/HF DSC transceiver for Sea Area A4 polar service.
JUE-251: JRC FleetBroadband terminal in the 250 series for Inmarsat I-4 IP and voice services.
JUE-501: JRC Inmarsat C and Mini C terminal for GMDSS messaging.

K

K-Bridge: Kongsberg integrated bridge system.
K-Bridge Solid State Radar: Kongsberg solid-state X-band radar offering reduced power emission and longer transmitter life.
Kannad SafePro: 406 MHz EPIRB from Kannad Marine (Orolia) with manual and automatic release options.
Kelvin Hughes MantaDigital: Kelvin Hughes ECDIS, radar, and VDR product family deployed on commercial and naval vessels.
Kelvin Hughes SharpEye: Civil and naval radar series widely fitted to hydrographic survey vessels for navigation.
Klystron: Linear-beam tube transmitter used historically in S-band marine radars; largely superseded by magnetrons and SSPAs.
Kongsberg K-Bridge SSR-25: Kongsberg solid-state radar variant marketed within the K-Bridge family.
Kongsberg KS-1000: Kongsberg AIS Class A transponder for SOLAS vessels.

L

L-band: Satellite frequency band around 1.5 to 1.6 GHz used by Inmarsat and Iridium maritime services.
LRIT: Long-Range Identification and Tracking, required by SOLAS V/19-1 since 31 December 2008.
LWE: Lightweight Ethernet defined in IEC 61162-450 for navigation-equipment networking.

M

Magnetic compass: Standard magnetic compass per ISO 449.
Magnetron: Cavity-resonator microwave transmitter tube historically used in marine X-band and S-band radars.
MantaDigital VDR: Kelvin Hughes Voyage Data Recorder compliant with the latest IMO performance standards.
Mariner S-Band: Common term for 3 GHz (10 cm wavelength) radar offering improved performance in rain and clutter.
Mariner X-Band: Common term for 9 GHz (3 cm wavelength) radar offering high resolution at short range.
Master Compass: Primary heading source for the bridge from which repeaters and consumers take their feed.
McMurdo M10: McMurdo AIS-SART search and rescue locator beacon.
McMurdo M5: McMurdo AIS Class A transponder, part of the Orolia maritime portfolio.
McMurdo SmartFind: AIS SART and AIS MOB product line from Orolia Maritime.
MF DSC: Medium Frequency Digital Selective Calling on 2187.5 kHz.
MK39 MOD: Northrop Grumman Sperry MK39 ring-laser-gyro attitude and heading reference used on naval and commercial ships.
MSC.163(78): IMO performance standard for Simplified Voyage Data Recorders.
MSC.192(79): Revised IMO performance standard for radar equipment.
MSC.232(82): Revised performance standards for ECDIS replacing IMO Res A.817(19).
MSC.252(83): IMO performance standard for Integrated Navigation Systems.
MSC.302(87): IMO performance standard for Bridge Alert Management.
MSC.333(90): Revised performance standard for Voyage Data Recorders.
MSC.430(98): IMO recognition of Iridium as a GMDSS satellite provider.

N

NACOS Platinum: Wartsila SAM Electronics integrated bridge and automation platform.
NAPA Voyage Optimization: A weather routing and speed profile optimization product from NAPA used to plan and execute fuel efficient voyages.
Nautikko: Wartsila NACOS Platinum chart radar and ECDIS workstation module.
Naval Radar: Specialized military radar typically beyond the scope of SOLAS but built around similar transceiver technology.
NavCom: General term covering integrated navigation and communications consoles on the wheelhouse.
NavCom Defence: General term for ruggedized bridge equipment used in naval applications.
Navi-Sailor 4000: Transas ECDIS platform that succeeded the 3000 series and continues under Wartsila Voyage.
Navigat 4100: Sperry Marine fiber-optic gyrocompass providing dual heading outputs to bridge consumers.
Navigat X MK1: Sperry Marine fiber-optic gyrocompass and rate-of-turn sensor in the Navigat X family.
NaviPilot 4000: Sperry Marine autopilot with adaptive heading and track control.
NavPilot 720: Furuno commercial autopilot model 720, with adaptive heading control.
NavSim: Generic term for ECDIS and bridge simulators used in seafarer training under STCW.
NavTeam Solid State: Generic term for solid-state radar transceivers using SSPA technology in lieu of magnetrons.
NAVTEX: GMDSS broadcast service under SOLAS IV.
NAVTOR NavBox: NAVTOR hardware appliance delivering ENC updates and digital publications onboard.
Navtor NavStation: A digital chart table application from Navtor integrating ENCs, publications, weather, and route planning on a single workstation.
NCM-983: JRC Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System for SOLAS BNWAS compliance.
NCR-333: Successor JRC NAVTEX receiver with color display.
NMEA 0183: Marine electronics serial data standard.
NMEA 2000: CAN-based marine data network.
Nora: Wartsila NACOS Platinum conning information display subsystem.
Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine: Ownership period of the Sperry Marine line between 2001 and 2017.
NX-300: Furuno NAVTEX receiver in the NX-300 series.
NX-700: Furuno NAVTEX receiver with integrated printer.

O

OceanRoutes: Voyage routing service originally founded in 1971 and now part of StormGeo's BVS service portfolio.
Oceanweather Inc: Marine weather analysis company providing wave hindcasts and forecasts for routing services.
OFDM Marine: Term applied to solid-state radar waveform schemes used by some SSR transceivers for low-power compression.
Optical Heading Sensor: Fiber-optic gyro device sensing heading via Sagnac interferometry without rotating mass.

P

Pagefind: Static-site search index, not part of bridge electronics but commonly confused due to similar acronyms; not navigation related.
Pilot Plug: ECDIS data plug used by pilot PPUs.
Pilotstar: Raytheon Anschutz autopilot and heading control system family for commercial vessels.
PINS: Pilot Integrated Navigation System carried aboard by marine pilots for berthing operations.
Polar Code: Adopted under SOLAS XIV and MARPOL; complements Article 234 jurisdiction.
PPI: Plan Position Indicator, the rotating radar display centered on own ship's position.
PR-6000: Tokyo Keiki autopilot for merchant tonnage with track control to IEC 62065.
Primar: The Norwegian RENC based in Stavanger, distributing ENCs from member HOs worldwide.
Primar S-63: Primar's IHO S-63 protected ENC distribution operated from Stavanger, Norway.
Procom BNWAS: Watch alarm system from Danish manufacturer Procom for SOLAS-mandated vessels.

Q

Q-band: Satellite frequency range above Ka-band, used for some feeder links and considered for future services.
QH-RTKM: Generic term for RTK GNSS receivers used in survey and dredging applications adjacent to bridge GNSS systems.

R

R4 AIS: Saab Transponder Tech AIS Class A and AtoN transponder family.
R5 Supreme: Saab AIS Class A SOTDMA transponder with combined GNSS and navigation interface.