AIS - Automatic Identification System                                             

ARPA - Automatic Radar Plotting Aid                                                 

COG - Course Over Ground. The GPS system’s calculation of the ship’s heading in relation to the installed chart system

DGPS - Differential Global Positioning System. An enhancement to GPS that uses a network of fixed, ground-based reference stations to broadcast the difference between the positions indicated by the satellite system and the known fixed positions 

DNC - Digital Nautical Charts. A vector-based digital product designed to give navigators an up-to-date seamless database of the world. DNCs are published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

EBL - Electronic Bearing Line. A feature in a radar that is used to determine the relative bearing of an object from the observing ship’s bearing

ECS - Electronic Chart  System

ECDIS - Electronic Chart Display and Information System                                                                 

ENC - Electronic Navigational Chart                                                                                    

GPS - Global Positioning System                                                      

HDT - Heading True. Used to send heading information from the gyro-compass to other devices including radar and ECDIS

IBS - Integrated Bridge System                                                                                      

RENC - Regional ENC Coordination Centre. RENC validates and distributes ENCs from producing nations to end-users. Only two currently exist, PRIMAR in Norway and IC-ENC in the UK

RNC - Raster Nautical Chart                                                              

SENC - System Electronic Navigational Chart                                      

SOG - Speed Over Ground. The GPS’s approximation of the ship’s speed in relation to the installed chart

TCS - Track Control System Via a connection with the autopilot, TCS in an ECDIS controls that the ship’s GPS position follows a pre-planned track

TTM - Tracked Target Status. Used to send tracked target information from ARPA to ECDIS

VDR - Voyage Data Recorder                                                             

VRM - Variable Range Marker. A feature of radar used to determine the relative distance to any target seen on the screen

VTS - Vessel Traffic Services

IHO - The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organization representing hydrography.  

IMO - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from ships.

SOLAS - The word SOLAS is an abbreviation and SOLAS full form is “Safety Of Life At Sea”, an international maritime treaty, also known as SOLAS Convention or International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which establishes the least safety measures in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships.                                                    

WEND - Worldwide Electronic Navigational Chart DataBase. An IHO concept, based on the set of WEND Principles, designed specifically to ensure a world-wide consistent level of high-quality, updated official ENCs through integrated services that support chart carriage requirements of SOLAS and the requirements of IMO for ECDIS