5.1 General
5.1.1 The S-VDR should
continuously maintain sequential records of preselected data
items relating to the status and output of the ship's
equipment, and command and control of the ship, referred to
in 5.4.
5.1.2 To
permit subsequent analysis of factors surrounding an
incident, the method of recording should ensure that the
various data items can be co-related in date and time during
playback on suitable equipment.
5.1.3 Final recording medium
5.1.3.1 The final
recording medium should be installed in a protective capsule
of either a fixed or float-free type, which should meet all
of the following requirements:
.1 be capable of being accessed
following an incident but secure against tampering;
.2 maintain the
recorded data for a period of at least 2 years following
termination of recording;
.3 be of a highly visible colour and marked
with retro-reflective materials; and
.4 be fitted with an appropriate
device to aid location.
5.1.3.2 The fixed type protective capsule
should comply with the requirements set out in resolution
A.861(20) with the exception of the resulting requirements
for withstanding penetration.
5.1.3.3 The float-free type
protective capsule should:
.1 be fitted with means to
facilitate grappling and recovery;
.2 be so constructed as to comply
with the requirements specified in resolutions A.810(19) or
A.812(19) and to minimize risk of damage during recovery
operations; and
.3 the device should be capable of transmitting
an initial locating signal and further locating homing
signal for at least 48 hours over a period of not less than
7 days/168 hours.
5.1.4 The design and construction, which should
be in accordance with the requirements of resolution
A.694(17) and international standards acceptable to the
Organization2, should take special account of
the requirements for data security and continuity of
operation as detailed in 5.2 and 5.3.
2Refer to publication IEC 60945 - Maritime
navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems
- General requirements, methods of testing and required
test results. 5.2 Data selection and security
5.2.1 The minimum selections of
data items to be recorded by the S-VDR are specified in 5.4.
Optionally, additional items may be recorded provided that
the requirements for the recording and storage of the
specified selections are not compromised.
5.2.2 The equipment should be
so designed that, as far as is practical, it is not possible
to tamper with the selection of data being input to the
equipment, the data itself nor that which has already been
recorded. Any attempt to interfere with the integrity of the
data or the recording should be recorded.
5.2.3 The recording method
should be such that each item of the recorded data is
checked for integrity and an alarm given if a
non-correctable error is detected.
5.3 Continuity of operation
5.3.1 To ensure that the S-VDR
continues to record events during an incident, it should be
capable of operating from the ship's emergency source of
electrical power.
5.3.2 If the ship's emergency source of
electrical power supply fails, the S-VDR should continue to
record Bridge Audio (see 5.4.5) from a dedicated reserve
source of power for a period of 2 h. At the end of this 2 h
period all recording should cease automatically.
5.3.3 Recording
should be continuous unless interrupted briefly in
accordance with 6 or terminated in accordance with 5.3.2.
The time for which all stored data items are retained should
be at least 12 h. Data items which are older than this may
be overwritten with new data.
5.4 Data items to be recorded
Date and time
5.4.1 Date and
time, referenced to UTC, should be obtained from a source
external to the ship or from an internal clock. The
recording should indicate which source is in use. The
recording method should be such that the timing of all other
recorded data items can be derived on playback with a
resolution sufficient to reconstruct the history of the
incident in detail.
Ship's position
5.4.2 Latitude
and longitude, and the datum used, should be derived from an
electronic position-fixing system (EPFS). The recording
should ensure that the identity and status of the EPFS can
always be determined on playback.
Speed
5.4.3 Speed
through the water or speed over the ground, including an
indication of which it is, derived from the ship's speed and
distance measuring equipment.
Heading
5.4.4 As
indicated by the ship's compass.
Bridge Audio
5.4.5 One or more
microphones positioned on the bridge should be placed so
that conversation at or near the conning stations, radar
displays, chart tables, etc., are adequately recorded. As
far as practicable, the positioning of microphones should
also capture intercom, public address systems and audible
alarms on the bridge.
Communications Audio
5.4.6 VHF
communications relating to ship operations should be
recorded.
Radar data,
post-display selection
5.4.7 This should
include electronic signal information from within one of the
ship's radar installations which records all the information
which was actually being presented on the master display of
that radar at the time of recording. This should include any
range rings or markers, bearing markers, electronic plotting
symbols, radar maps, whatever parts of the SENC or other
electronic chart or map that were selected, the voyage plan,
navigational data, navigational alarms and the radar status
data that were visible on the display. The recording method
should be such that, on playback, it is possible to present
a faithful replica of the entire radar display that was on
view at the time of recording, albeit within the limitations
of any bandwidth compression techniques that are essential
to the working of the S-VDR.
AIS Data
5.4.8 If it is
impossible to obtain radar data3 then AIS target
data should be recorded as a source of information regarding
other ships. If radar data is recorded, AIS information may
be recorded additionally as a beneficial secondary source of
information on both other and own ship.
Other items
5.4.9 Any
additional data items listed by IMO with the requirements
set out in resolution A.861(20) should be recorded when the
data is available in accordance with the international
digital interface standards4 using approved
sentence formatters.
3 Where commercial off the shelf (COTS)
interfaces are not available.
4 Refer to publication IEC
61162