VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) is the maritime version of the black box that airlines employ. The system is typically two-part and consists of a data collecting unit connected to a capsule that is deck-mounted designed to withstand fire, deep-sea pressure and shock as well as penetration. It is used to capture the events http://www.digitaldealdataroom.info/ of navigation, but can also provide valuable information for analysis of damage caused by heavy weather and monitoring performance as well as crew training.
Up-grading
Many ships with VDR/SVDR meet the minimum requirements of regulatory compliance. However, members are encouraged to use the equipment to record near accidents, conduct incident investigations and to conduct preventative maintenance. There are also software options that could significantly extend the duration for which VDR data is available beyond the current minimum of 12 hours and a decision needs to be made as to whether or not to upgrade to this.
The system is built around an industrial grade computer that performs a number of functions including processing and encoding the data gathered from sensors. The capsule is designed to withstand any incident and also store the data. The primary components of the VDR system are a data collection unit, which is situated on the bridge, a separate power source along with an interface unit as well as batteries for backup. The unit gathers data from all integrated sources including microphones for recording bridge audio, and then sends it to the Concentrator. There, a sequence of NMEA 0183 sentences are interpreted and encoded to be transmitted to the final recorded medium.