IMO MODEL COURSE 1.
27 ECDIS
Chapter 6. Basic navigational functions
Version 1.1 01/01/2012
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Introduction
Getting started with a new type of equipment
always requires some time for familiarization.
Every ECDIS manufacturer has a different
understanding of “How to perform” a task in
the most user friendly way and the general look
like of the GUI.
Several regulations take care about the major
capabilities of an ECDIS, stated in the
Performance Standards.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Training Chapter Objective
• To familiarize the student with the user
interface, the underlying principles of
operation and the operation of basic
navigational functions
• To understand the principles of operation
• Dedicated keyboard operations
• Trackball operations
• Important functions
• Ahead
• Zoom control
• Chart type
• Chart layers
• Warnings & alarms
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Change from Radar or Conning to ECDIS
Your ECDIS may be part of a Transas Multifunction
Display System. If so this means that your unit may be
used as:
• Radar – ARPA
• Conning display
• ECDIS
It is then important to know how to switch between
these different functions.
There are 2 ways:
• By keyboard, button ECDIS
• By trackball button ECDIS
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
The four most important points
1. All important functions can be
performed in several ways!
• From dedicated buttons on the
keyboard
• Using the trackball to push buttons
on the screen
• Using keys on a normal keyboard
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
The four most important points
2. Help is nearby!
• Hover help – by placing the cursor
over a function a yellow help text
appears
• Online help – is available by pressing
function key “F1” or “task” – “help”
• Manuals – Your ECDIS comes with
extensive documentation, including
technical manuals and user manuals
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
The four most important points
3. Left click and right click
When you use the trackball in the chart area,
the cursor has several different functions and
appearances
• Right click
• toggle between different functions
• escape from the function in use
• Left click
• activate displayed function
• activate second function
If you feel you are “stuck” in the chart area and
cannot leave, then you probably have a “left-
click function” activated. Right click to escape!
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
The four most important points
4. Three “Quick Access” buttons
There are a few functions that will call up the
ship in monitoring mode with only one push of
a button
• Ahead – will show the ship symbol with
surrounding waters
• Standard display – will clean up the chart to
show minimum required navigational info
layers
• All layers – will show all available
navigational information layers
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Chart scaling
The chart may be zoomed in and out and
moved for look-ahead directly from the
chart area, using the cursor
• Zoom in /Zoom out
• Leave ship to look-ahead (just move
the cursor to the edge)
• Go back to ship – “ahead”
The same functions may of course be
found on the keyboard.
On a normal PC keyboard, the functions
are accessed by pressing
• [+]
• [-]
• [F8]
Alternatively, you may also use the scroll
wheel of a mouse.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Mode and motion
To customize your display, you will need to
set
• North Up – Head Up – Course Up
• Course up will only work when you have
an active route, and the selected course
will be parallel to the active leg of this
route.
Again, the same functions may found on the
keyboard
• True Motion – Relative Motion
On a normal PC keyboard, you may toggle
between NU-HU-CU by the key combination
[Alt] + [H]
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Info and MOB
The “info” (pick report) function allows the
user to question any chart object and to
get a detailed report on everything on this
chart.
This function will be explained in a later
chapter.
The MOB function can be used in case of a
Man-over-Board incident. By pressing this
function the ECDIS is marking the present
position with a life ring symbol.
This function will be explained in a later
chapter.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Key features of the side panel
Information fields
Display panel
Task list
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Key features of the side panel
Chart selection
Display selection
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Key features of the side panel
Alarms and warnings Display
Time
Primary positioning system
Ship motion parameters
Charts area
Display Panel
Operational Panel
Lower Data Group
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Demo task
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Key features of the task list
As you activate different tools in the task
list, they open a new window in your ECDIS,
and arrange themselves with tabs in the
lower left corner.
You may at any time jump between your
current task and navigation monitoring by
using these tabs.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Configuration Tab
The config tab contain many basic setting, including palette.
The tab is subdivided into 5 sub-tabs.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Monitoring Tab
The Monitoring tab contain setting for navigation monitoring.
This includes settings for ship display and alarm settings.
The tab is subdivided into 3 sub-tabs.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Monitoring Tab
Here the safety alarm tab is shown
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Route editor Tab
Route planning is different in ECDIS compared to a paper chart.
You may create your route by trackball or by keyboard. It is also very convenient
to switch to great circle or loxodrome.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Target Tab
The target tab will show all targets from ARPA and AIS.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Other Tabs
There are other tabs that will be
explained in later chapters.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Demo task
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Switching radar TX/Standby modes
Running ECDIS, Radar and Cascade palette switching Control the keyboard
Conning tasks Radar settings backlighting
Return to the
display of area
where the own ship
is located
Switching
Opening the between own ship
Transas True Motion and
Integrator Relative Motion
toolbar modes
EBL control Making an instant
position recording in
Turning on the Track Control mode Variable Range Marker control the electronic log
Turning on a temporary route Backlighting the radar picture Show all chart layers
creating mode on the screen Display the Standard mode
Turning off the Track Control mode Selection Chart information of chart layers
Turning on/off display of Turning on/ the Radar overlay
ARPA and AIS targets
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Left button for left-handed person
Right button
Scroll wheel
Left button for right-handed person
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Cursors
Zoom Cursor
ERBL Cursor
View Cursor
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
View cursor
When View cursor is positioned on a
target it assumes the form . A press on
the left trackball button calls the target
data card.
When View cursor is positioned on a
lighthouse it assumes the form. A press
on the left trackball button calls the
lighthouse data card.
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
Basic navigational functions (IMO MC 1.27 C6)
