3. For how long can existing VDR models still be used?

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1 INTERSCHALT VDR G4 [e] New VDR performance standard and enhanced Newsletter functionalities Almost 20 years of experience in VDR development are embodied in the INTERSCHALT VDR G4 and its successor model, the VDR G4 [e]. This huge know-how is also respected internationally. The IEC draws up testing and performance standards on behalf of the IMO. INTERSCHALT's VDR specialists also work as experts on the commission responsible for VDR. They provide answers on the most important questions about the new VDR performance standard, which has been in effect since July, What was the background to further development of the IMO Resolution MSC.333 (90) "Revised performance standards for shipborne voyage data recorders (VDRs)"? 2. What are the most important new aspects? 3. For how long can existing VDR models still be used? 4. What will change for S-VDRs? 5. Why is there a further Resolution MSC.363 (92) "Performance standards for electronic inclinometers"? 6. Will the new regulations mean higher costs? 7. What do you see as possible requirements for future standards? 8. What advantages do the new standards entail? 9. What innovation does the acronym MDE stand for? And what is the purpose of an OPC/UA interface? 0. What is so special about the VDR G4 [e] corridor tracking tool?. What is a PicClient needed for? 2. What advantages do network-enabled microphones offer and what data is recorded?

2 . What was the background to further development of the IMO Resolution MSC.333 (90) "Revised performance standards for shipborne voyage data recorders (VDRs)"? VDRs have been mandatory on new ships since July, 2002, and simplified VDRs (S- VDRs) on all ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upward since A lot of experience in using the VDR and analyzing its data has been gathered in this time by the marine accident investigating authorities, approval authorities and classification societies, as well as by users and VDR producers. Since there was no extensive experience with VDRs in the maritime sector before 2002, the parties involved identified a number of points where things could be improved. It was therefore a logical consequence for the installation requirements and testing regulations to be reviewed and revised after the VDR had been in use for several years. 2. What are the most important new aspects? Two additional data memories have been defined as extra compulsory equipment: A floating capsule called a float free final recording medium, which also meets the requirements of an EPIRB, and a long term recording medium, which keeps the data for 30 days. A new stipulation is also the self-test function (integrated performance test): After one of the systems that are connected to the VDR and supply the VDR with data to record is serviced, the crew can use this feature to verify the integrity of the recorded data. There are also changes relating to the nature and scope of the stored data: Storage of the data in the diving capsule was extended from 2 to 48 hours. Data in the free-float capsule must likewise be stored for 48 hours and images also recorded by the second radar system and ECDIS. Configuration and operating data of the ECDIS and AIS systems must also be recorded. Recording of the data from the electronic logbook, if there is one on board, and the heel angle/roll motion is also obligatory. 3. For how long can existing VDR models still be used? If they have been installed before July, 204, they can still be used as long as they work. Installed VDR systems can also be repaired and modified. Systems commissioned before July, 204, can also be installed and handed over after that date in accordance with the existing VDR standard if the competent flag state permits.

3 4. What will change for S-VDRs? The extended performance standards only relate to the VDR standard IEC 6996-, edition 2 of which has existed since 203. That means there is no change for S-VDR installations, since a separate test standard applies to them (SVDR standard IEC ). As far as is known at present, no changes to the SVDR standard are planned. 5. Why is there a further Resolution MSC.363 (92) "Performance standards for electronic inclinometers"? There are no standardized electronic inclinometers in the maritime sector so far. That means it is not possible to record the rolling motion in terms of amplitude, frequency and acceleration in a standardized form with as little adaptation work as possible. However, there is an increasingly urgent need for standardized recording of Inclinometer data in view of the use of integrated navigation systems, strategic work on e-navigation concepts and the ever greater use of assistance systems on board. A second reason is the possibility that it will be obligatory to equip ships with electronic inclinometers. That can only be done if there is a consistent test standard for these devices. 6. Will the new regulations mean higher costs? Since the functional range has been extended significantly, the prices for the new VDR generation will also increase. Additional devices, such as a float free final recording medium and a long term recording medium are required. The necessary storage capacities will likewise rise due to the longer time for which data must be stored and the significant increase in the volume of data per unit of time. Installation involves more extensive work and some components must offer greater performance. On the other hand, the enhanced VDR generation offers fantastic possibilities for recording and analyzing data. Thanks to its real-time monitoring software, the VDR G4 [e] enables corridor tracking, which increases safety even further without incurring any further costs in addition to the installations that are obligatory anyhow. 7. What do you see as possible or desirable requirements for future standards? The standard is not likely to be revised soon and by the time it is, a lot of experience will be gathered and then incorporated in the changes. Time will tell whether it will be extended or instead be modified or include more precise specifications. As regards the change that has now been made to the standard, we would have liked to have had more time to formulate requirements for it in order to enable interdisciplinary

4 cooperation with the IEC working groups for the radar standard, INS standard and ECDIS standard, as well as to be able to incorporate the very large extensions ideally and as best possible. One aspect that tends to be overlooked is that requirements for the systems that send data are also necessary to enable optimum recording of data by the VDR. We would also like to have seen potential future technologies taken into account in the standard. For example, a long term recording medium does not have to be installed on the ship if the data can be sent directly to land via a remote data connection. That is not possible with the current bandwidths and technologies, but might not be a problem in a few years' time. This option is not possible with the extended performance standards that will soon apply. From the current point of view, these unfulfilled objectives are of course also of relevance to the next extension to the standard. 8. What advantages do the new standards entail? To begin with, the only thing that is often seen are the higher costs. The new standards not only mean that more data is recorded for subsequent analysis. The VDR increases the level of safety during journeys thanks to the smart functional enhancements that are now possible. The VDR contributes proactively to safety as a result of functionalities such as corridor tracking and presentation of the ship's position in real time on an electronic chart system (ECS). At the end of the day, that also has a positive impact on the bottom line: Every dangerous situation that is avoided protects human lives and the environment, yet also prevents consequential economic loss. 9. What innovation does the acronym MDE stand for? And what is the purpose of an OPC/UA interface? In its standard functionality, the VDR is a "data container" that is only "opened" in the event of an accident or loss of a ship. However, the VDR is also the only system on board in which data from various other systems is stored together in a temporal context. We believe that not making use of this information is a waste. That is why Interschalt's VDR has a third-party interface to transfer data that is currently being received to other applications. This possibility of using the latest information in normal operation has gone down so well with customers that it has become necessary to use a more powerful means of data distribution. This is the MDE. MDE stands for Maritime Data Engine. For the VDR it is a client to which the latest data is transferred. All other applications and

5 clients obtain the current values from the MDE. It hosts and provides the latest VDR data. As part of that, it offers various interfaces and it is also possible to record additional information not in the VDR with the MDE. The data can be distributed with the multiplexer function on the basis of the store and forward principle or requested by clients with the proxy function on the basis of the store and request principle. The MDE means it is easy to make the VDR data available to a large number of conceivable applications for editing and processing, such as real-time monitor, a fleet operation center, for monitoring doors, statuses or alarms, for risk analysis, etc. The OPC/UA interface with an integrated OPC/UA server is used in this to standardize the VDR data and to present it in a consistent process image. All data, apart from voice and images, are stored as standard as NMEA sequences. Depending on the ship, very different telegrams are possible for the same information. The OPC/UA server with the OPC/UA interface standardizes the data from the NMEA telegrams and stores them in a process image that is largely independent of the ship. The interface is an industry standard and so enables customers, third-party vendors or us to create applications that only need to be adjusted slightly to the ship in question. The OPC/UA functionality with a server and interface is also implemented in the new replay system that is still being developed. That means it is possible to use the same add-on applications that have been or will be created for normal VDR use in a replay or in analyzing an accident. 0. What is so special about the VDR G4 [e] corridor tracking tool? The real-time monitor of Interschalt's VDR can show the ship's position in the traffic situation at sea in real time on the basis of the VDR data. An integrated ECS kernel is used for that. That means planned and active routes can also be shown. The corridor tracking tool now means it is possible to enter planned routes in this tool and supplement them with a corridor. In this, it is not only possible to define the corridor, but also additional information, such as minimum/maximum speed, maximum course deviation, etc. All the recorded data is stored in a database and so can be used repeatedly. The current route with the additional parameters is then sent to the VDR using the corridor tracking tool. A connected real-time monitor receives this data from the VDR and presents the corridor in the traffic situation at sea. The system automatically monitors

6 whether the ship's position is within or outside the corridor. The additional thresholds are also monitored. Alerts are triggered if they are exceeded. That means it is possible to automatically monitor whether a ship is sticking to its route and other parameters either on board or on land (if there is a permanent remote connection to the ship) and to respond if needs be.. What is a PicClient needed for? The PicClient is a background process that can run under various operating systems such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS. It captures the screen content, or screen contents if there are several connected monitors, at definable intervals of times and sends them to the VDR in accordance with the currently applicable standards. That dispenses with the need for a frame grabber that captures the analog or digital monitor outputs and processes them for the VDR at great effort. The standards for RADAR, integrated navigation systems and ECDIS now specify that the image data can be sent directly to the VDR over a network. Producers of RADAR, ECDIS and integrated navigation systems can use this PicClient and integrate it in their systems. As a result, they save a lot of cost and effort in implementing network interfaces to the VDR and can send the required screenshots to the VDR quickly and easily. 2. What advantages do network-enabled microphones offer and what data is recorded? Like customary microphones, network-enabled microphones also capture voice data on the bridge. There is therefore no change in this regard. The advantage is the increasingly lower number of components and greater immunity to interference. The microphone capsule for capturing the voice data is no longer a traditional electret capsule, but an MEMS microphone capsule that passes the captured voice signals in already digitized form directly to the processor in the microphone. The lower number of components also cuts costs and reduces power consumption. A further advantage is that every microphone is stored as a separate voice channel. Analog mixing of two microphones onto a voice channel that is capable of storing the data is no longer necessary. That also has an advantageous impact on the quality of voice recording. Existing microphones are connected to Audio2net modules. The voice data is sent as analog data from the microphone to the Audio2net module. The voice data is digitized

7 and sent in the Audio2net module. With a network-enabled microphone, all that is done in the microphone itself.