Marine Glossary

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ECDIS

Electronic Chart Display and Information System. A vector-chart based electronic chart system (ECS) certified by the IMO to be used in commercial shipping. They are typically enhanced with overlays of navigation safety information, along with radar, ARPA, and AIS inputs. The main distinction between ECDIS and ECS is the former must use official government produced charts, meaning electronic navigational charts (ENC), whereas the later can use any form of digital chart.

Also very important, an ECDIS system must follow IHO S-52 standards on ENC chart display, whereas ECS does not.

In some cases, ECDIS can replace the requirement for paper charts, whereas ECS cannot. See automatic radar plotting aid, and automated information systems.

The official definition (IMO Resolution A.817(19)): Electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) means a navigation information
system which, with adequate back-up arrangements, can be accepted as complying with the up-to-date chart required by regulation V/20 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, by displaying selected information from a system electronic navigational chart (SENC) with positional information from navigation sensors to assist the mariner in route planning and route monitoring, and by displaying additional navigation-related information if required.

An official ECDIS system is called "type approved."

ECDIS carriage requirements

The amended SOLAS regulation V/19 requires all newly built passenger ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, as well as newly built cargo ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages to be fitted with ECDIS. For existing ships, phase-in introduction of fitting requirements are being introduced for all ships of certain size engaged on international voyages (See SOLAS regulation V/19.2.10 for details).

Abbreviation: ECDIS