International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 5

Number 2

June 2011

159

1 INTRODUCTION

Technical progress of modern digital navigating and

communication technologies has provided new tech-

nical systems appeared and maintained in practical

navigation such as: Global Maritime Distress and

Safety System (GMDSS), Automatic Identification

System (AIS), Global Navigational Satellite System

(GNSS), Electronic Chart Display and Information

System (ECDIS), etc. At the same time keeping and

increasing the level of safety at sea in the conditions

of vessel’s saturation by navigating and radioelec-

tronic devices demands the effective operation of the

specified systems under common fatigue of the of-

ficer of the watch (OOW).

Not always the practical navigational tasks can be

satisfactory provided within the existing shipborne

equipment. In particular there is misalignment be-

tween decision time and reaction time. It is neces-

sary to provide real time operational procedures.

In Оdessa National Maritime Academy at the

Electrical Engineering and Radio Electronics Facul-

ty, (Maritime Radiocommunications chair) in the

general direction of safety navigation enhancement

and development of electronic navigation (e-

navigation) since the end of 90

years scientific-

practical works are carried out in the following di-

rections:

1 Improving of the GMDSS Narrow-Band Direct

Printing interface for telex communication;

2 Radar detection of high-speed vessels with small

surface of reflection against interferences from a

water surface;

3 Automatic identification of VHF radiotelephone

transmissions in real time;

4 Increasing of DSC efficiency by means of inte-

gration with AIS and ECDIS ship systems.

In the present report some results of researches in

the fourth direction are presented. The obtained re-

sults have been formulated and submitted by

Ukraine in the form of the technical proposal for

discussion of 14

Session of IMO Subcommittee on

Radiocommunications, Search and Rescue (COM-

SAR), that have been passed in London in February,

2010 [1]. The given proposal was unanimously sup-

ported by the participants of the Session.

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) is one of the

basic features of GMDSS radiocommunication sub-

systems. In accordance with International Telecom-

munication Union Recommendation [2] all radio-

telephone transmissions of any priority (distress, ur-

gency, safety and routine) must be preceded by the

proper digital selective call. Nevertheless, the proce-

dures of radiocommunication with the use of DSC

are often neglected either in cases of distress or with

other priorities. In particular, VHF channel 16 is of-

ten used incorrectly for any calls attributed with rou-

tine priority as it was foreseen in the old system pro-

cedure instead of using DSC on channel 70.

The reasons for such neglect were analysed in

numerous documents of COMSAR, for example [3].

The main reason for the DSC communication proce-

dure neglect is described in this document as the

navigators’ nonconformity with the DSC procedures

based on:

− difficulty of manual DSC forming procedure;

− different DSC interface provided by manufac-

turers;

− the overload of the DSC call forming menu by

secondary, non-important functions; and

Increasing Maritime Safety: Integration of the

Digital Selective Calling VHF Marine

Radiocommunication System and ECDIS

M.V. Miyusov, V.M. Koshevoy & A.V. Shishkin

Odessa National Maritime Academy, Ukraine

ABSTRACT: A general project for simplification of VHF DSC radiocommunication for navigators and for

increasing DSC efficiency by integration of the DSC VHF radio equipment and the AIS – ECDIS vessel’s

system is presented. Proposed measures are to contribute to further developments in maritime radiocommuni-

cation systems, technology and progress of e-navigation strategy.

160

− limited space for all DSC format visualization,

etc.

Navigators as usual neglect DSC process and di-

rectly pick up the telephone on channel 16. Such

elimination of DSC doesn’t accelerate reliable and

correct VHF communication because a lot of time

may be needed for called/calling vessel’s verbal

specification among other vessels.

An important objective of the VHF radiocommu-

nication improvement is the development and im-

plementation of such technical improvements which

could give an ability to:

1 simplify the process of providing DSC radio-

communication to, practically, the equivalent ac-

tions in terms of time and number of operations,

as to the usual radio-telephone receiver picking

up procedure; and

2 select the called/calling vessel among others

which are displayed on the electronic navigation-

al chart. This element is specifically important for

the urgent reaction of the watch officer on the

called vessel under difficult navigation condi-

tions, i.e. to provide the automatic identification

of the called/calling vessel in the live navigation

situation.

The completion of these two tasks can be

achieved within the frames of the currently used

vessel equipment through the integration of the VHF

DSC controller and the navigation equipment com-

posed of the Automatic Identification System (AIS)

and the Electronic Chart Display and Information

System (ECDIS). In this case all of the basic func-

tions of integrated systems are preserved.

Currently AIS is an obligatory equipment to be

carried on board all vessels. ECDIS has been man-

dated recently, nevertheless even now it is widely

used as a supplement to the traditional paper charts.

AIS provides for the exchange of information which

includes an identification number (MMSI). ECDIS,

while operating with AIS, enables it to indicate ves-

sels on a navigation display within the AIS operating

area, i.e. approximately 30 nautical miles, and to re-

flect them on electronic navigational charts.

The combination of the VHF DSC equipment

with the AIS - ECDIS system allows:

1 to eliminate, practically, the procedure of DSC

forming while substituting manual operations by

a computer mouse “click” on the ECDIS display;

and

2 to provide the authentication of a calling vessel

on the electronic chart and thus to make the pro-

cess of attachment of the called/calling vessel to

the navigation situation automatically. A calling

vessel can be indicated on the display by a blink-

ing mark which will allow OOW (officer of the

watch) of the called vessel to quickly estimate the

navigational situation and make an effective deci-

sion.

The unique character of the vessel’s authentica-

tion is provided by the presence of vessel identifier

(MMSI) both in DSC and AIS. In other words, it

means that the calling vessel is automatically at-

tached to the current navigation situation represented

on a navigation display.

During the manual preparation of the call proce-

dure, as it is provided in the existing system, an op-

erator has to make an individual call to a ves-

sel/coast station and for this purpose has to enter a

nine-character long digital identifier (MMSI) and

working channel number. While doing this, about 20

pressings of the DSC controller keyboard buttons are

required. More difficult calls require more key

pressing. The proposed method gives the ability to

form a call through a mouse click only on the chosen

vessel (or the coast station). The series of parame-

ters, for example, the working channel number, can

be set by default (or can be chosen manually if nec-

essary). The entering of the MMSI is not required in

the proposed method because it can be sent from the

AIS - ECDIS system to the DSC controller automat-

ically.

Integration of the DSC - VHF and AIS - ECDIS

may be realized through a separate interface block

connected to the DSC equipment of any equipment

manufacturers. Replacement of the DSC equipment

is thus not required. Appropriate simplified scheme

is presented in the figure 1. The scheme includes al-

so navigational sensors and devises that in practice

are connected to ECDIS Workstation. Connection of

DSC VHF equipment and ECDIS is implemented by

means of bidirectional interface.

Figure 1. General scheme of ECDIS inputting and VHF DSC

connection

161

Integration of the DSC - VHF and AIS - ECDIS

requires no changes to the existing radiocommunica-

tion operational procedures. All regular DSC form-

ing and viewing functions are saved. What is essen-

tial is that the present manual method of

forming/viewing calls will be preserved as a sup-

plementary means to the automatic method of form-

ing/viewing calls in the AIS - ECDIS system.

VHF DSC integration with the AIS-ECDIS will

ensure further enhancement of safety of navigation

while simplifying the navigator’s interface with ra-

diocommunication and navigational equipment and

accelerating actions of operator.

The practical problem on the way of such kind of

integration is the necessity of ECDIS modernization

by means ECDIS - DSC connection and interaction

in both directions. Corresponding apparatus means

of interface and software tools are developing.

This suggestion is fully compatible with the e-

navigation development strategic direction which

envisages further development of means of radio-

communications and navigation and the implementa-

tion of modern digital information technologies in

navigation.

Technical implementation of this suggestion is al-

so compatible with the new regulations for the man-

datory carriage requirement of ECDIS.

REFERENCE

[1]. Proposal for simplification of VHF DSC radiocommunica-

tion and increasing DSC efficiency. Submitted by Ukraine /

SUB-COMMITTEE ON RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS

AND SEARCH AND RESCUE. 14th session, Agenda item

7. COMSAR 14/7, 27 October 2009

[2]. Recommendation ITU-R M.493 “Digital Selective-Calling

System for Use in the Maritime Mobile Service”.

[3]. Simplification of DSC equipment and procedures. Submit-

ted by Finland / SUB-COMMITTEE ON RADIOCOM-

MUNICATIONS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE COM-

SAR 8/4/1, 27 November 2003.