IEC 61996:2000

INTERNATIONAL IEC
STANDARD
First edition
2000-07
Maritime navigation and radiocommunication
equipment and systems –
Shipborne voyage data recorder (VDR) –
Performance requirements –
Methods of testing and required test results
Matériels et systèmes de navigation et
de radiocommunication maritimes –
Enregistreurs de données de voyage (VDR) de bord –
Exigences de fonctionnement –
Méthodes d'essai et résultats d'essai exigés

Reference number
Numbering
As from 1 January 1997 all IEC publications are issued with a designation in the
60000 series.
Consolidated publications
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available. For example, edition numbers 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 refer, respectively, to the
base publication, the base publication incorporating amendment 1 and the base

publication incorporating amendments 1 and 2.

Validity of this publication
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC,
thus ensuring that the content reflects current technology.
Information relating to the date of the reconfirmation of the publication is available
in the IEC catalogue.
Information on the subjects under consideration and work in progress undertaken
by the technical committee which has prepared this publication, as well as the list
of publications issued, is to be found at the following IEC sources:
• IEC web site*
•
Catalogue of IEC publications
Published yearly with regular updates
(On-line catalogue)*
• IEC Bulletin
Available both at the IEC web site* and as a printed periodical
Terminology, graphical and letter symbols
For general terminology, readers are referred to IEC 60050: International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV).
For graphical symbols, and letter symbols and signs approved by the IEC for
general use, readers are referred to publications IEC 60027: Letter symbols to be
used in electrical technology, IEC 60417: Graphical symbols for use on equipment.
Index, survey and compilation of the single sheets and IEC 60617: Graphical symbols
for diagrams.
* See web site address on title page.

INTERNATIONAL IEC
STANDARD
First edition
2000-07
Maritime navigation and radiocommunication
equipment and systems –
Shipborne voyage data recorder (VDR) –
Performance requirements –
Methods of testing and required test results
Matériels et systèmes de navigation et
de radiocommunication maritimes –
Enregistreurs de données de voyage (VDR) de bord –
Exigences de fonctionnement –
Méthodes d'essai et résultats d'essai exigés

 IEC 2000  Copyright - all rights reserved
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For price, see current catalogue

– 2 – 61996 © IEC:2000(E)
CONTENTS
Page
FOREWORD . 3

Clause
1 Scope . 4

2 Normative references . 4

3 Definitions and abbreviations. 5

4 Performance requirements . 7
4.1 General. 7
4.2 Purpose (A.861/1) . 7
4.3 Operational requirements (A.861/5). 7
4.4 Data selection and security (A.861/5.1.4). 9
4.5 Continuity of operation . 10
4.6 Data items to be recorded (A.861/5.4) . 10
5 Technical characteristics . 12
5.1 Co-relation in date and time (A.861/5.1.2 and 5.4.1) . 12
5.2 Particular design requirements for the protective capsule . 12
5.3 Location beacon(s) for the protective capsule . 13
5.4 Survivability of recorded data . 13
5.5 Information to be included in the manufacturer’s documentation . 14
5.6 Bridge audio specifications. 15
5.7 Communications audio . 16
5.8 Radar data – post-display selection . 16
6 Methods of testing and required test results. 17
6.1 General. 17
6.2 (4.6) Data items to be recorded . 23
Annex A (informative) IEC 61162 sentence formats. 38
Annex B (informative) Mandatory alarms. 39
Annex C (informative) Requirement/test – cross-references . 41
Bibliography . 42
Figure 1 – Test set-up block diagram . 31

Figure 2 – Comparison of images . 35
Table 1 – Bridge audio, signal-to-no signal measurements . 25
Table 2 – Bridge audio, signal-to-noise and distortion (SINAD) measurements . 26
Table 3 – Communications audio, signal-to-no signal measurements . 28
Table 4 – Communications audio, signal-to-noise and distortion (SINAD) measurements. 29
Table 5 – Intersection colours of test images 1 and 2 . 33
Table A.1 – References in this standard. 38
Table B.1 – IMO instrument: SOLAS Chapter II-1. 39
Table B.2 – IMO instrument: SOLAS Chapter II-2. 40
Table B.3 – IMO instrument: Resolution A.481 . 40
Table C.1 – Subject list and clauses . 41

61996 © IEC:2000(E) – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________
MARITIME NAVIGATION AND RADIOCOMMUNICATION

EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS –
Shipborne voyage data recorder (VDR) –

Performance requirements –
Methods of testing and required test results

FOREWORD
1) The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of the IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, the IEC publishes International Standards. Their preparation is
entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may
participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. The IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two
organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of the IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
from all interested National Committees.
3) The documents produced have the form of recommendations for international use and are published in the form
of standards, technical specifications, technical reports or guides and they are accepted by the National
Committees in that sense.
4) In order to promote international unification, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC International
Standards transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional standards. Any
divergence between the IEC Standard and the corresponding national or regional standard shall be clearly
indicated in the latter.
5) The IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with one of its standards.
6) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject
of patent rights. The IEC shall be not held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 61996 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 80: Maritime
navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
80/248/FDIS 80/273/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
Annexes A, B and C are for information only.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged
until 2006. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed;
• withdrawn;
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this standard may be published at a later date.

– 4 – 61996 © IEC:2000(E)
MARITIME NAVIGATION AND RADIOCOMMUNICATION

EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS –
Shipborne voyage data recorder (VDR) –

Performance requirements –
Methods of testing and required test results

1 Scope
This International Standard specifies the minimum performance requirements, technical

characteristics and methods of testing, and required test results, for shipborne voyage data
recorder (VDR) installations as required by chapter V of the International Convention for Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS), as amended. It takes account of IMO resolution A.694 and is
associated with IEC 60945. When a requirement in this standard is different from IEC 60945,
the requirement in this standard takes precedence.
This standard incorporates the applicable parts of the performance standards included in IMO
Resolution A.861.
NOTE  All text of this standard, whose wording is identical to that of IMO Resolution A.861, is printed in italics, and
the Resolution and associated performance standard paragraph numbers are indicated in brackets.
2 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text,
constitute provisions of this International Standard. For dated references, subsequent
amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to
agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility
of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated
references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of IEC
and ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
IEC 60068-2-27:1987, Environmental testing – Part 2: Tests – Test Ea and guidance: Shock
IEC 60268-16:1998,
Sound system equipment – Part 16: Objective rating of speech intelligi-
bility by speech transmission index
IEC 60651:1979, Sound level meters
IEC 60945:1996, Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems –
General requirements – Methods of testing and required test results
IEC 61097-2:1994, Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) – Part 2: COSPAS-

SARSAT EPIRB – Satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon operating on 406 MHz –
Operational and performance requirements, methods of testing and required test results
IEC 61097-5:1997, Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) – Part 5: Inmarsat-E –
Emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) operating through the Inmarsat system –
Operational and performance requirements, methods of testing and required test results
IEC 61097-7:1996, Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) – Part 7: Shipborne
VHF radiotelephone transmitter and receiver – Operational and performance requirements,
methods of testing and required test results
IEC 61162 (all parts), Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems –
Digital interfaces
IEC 61260:1995,
Electroacoustics – Octave-band and fractional-octave-band filters

61996 © IEC:2000(E) – 5 –
IMO A.658:1989, Use and fitting of retro-reflective materials on life-saving appliances

IMO A.662:1989, Performance standards for float-free release and activation arrangements for

emergency radio equipment
IMO A.689:1991, Testing of life saving appliances

IMO A.694:1991, General requirements for shipborne radio equipment forming part of the

Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) and for elec
...