VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) is the maritime version of the black box that airlines use. The system is typically two-part in that it is the data-collecting unit, which is connected to a deck-mounted protective capsule designed to withstand fire, deep-sea pressure, shock and penetration. It is used to capture incidents of navigation, but it can also provide valuable information to assess damage during heavy weather, performance monitoring and crew training.
Up-grading
Many ships equipped with VDR/SVDR technology meet the minimum requirements of regulatory compliance however, Members are urged to consider using the equipment to investigate incidents as well as preventive maintenance and bridge team training, as and for recording near misses. Additionally, there are packages available that can significantly increase the amount of time for which VDR information is available, starting from the current 12 hour minimum and a decision should be made as to whether or not to upgrade to this.
The system is built on an industrial grade computer that performs many functions, such as processing and encoding data received from sensors. The data is then stored inside a capsule designed to withstand an accident and provide evidence of what happened onboard the ship. The primary components of the VDR system comprise a data collection unit that is located on the bridge, a separate power source and an interface unit, as well as batteries for backup. The unit collects all information from integrated sources such as microphones used to record bridge audio, and then sends it to a Concentrator where a sequence of NMEA 0183 sentence is read and encoded http://www.digitaldealdataroom.info/how-to-get-started-with-your-new-ideals-vdr-system before being sent to the final recording media.
