The VDR (Voyage Data Recorder), is the maritime equivalent to the black boxes used by airlines. The system is usually two-part, consisting of an data collection unit that is attached to a protective capsule on deck designed to withstand fire, deep sea http://www.digitaldealdataroom.info/how-to-get-started-with-your-new-ideals-vdr-system pressure and shock, as well as penetration. It is used to record navigational incidents, but it can also provide valuable data to assess damage during heavy weather and monitoring performance as well as crew training.
Up-grading
Many ships with VDR/SVDR meet the minimum regulatory requirements. However, Members are encouraged to use the equipment to record near missed events, conduct investigations into incidents and to conduct preventative maintenance. There are also programs that can extend the period for which VDR information is available beyond the minimum of 12 hours. A decision must be made on whether to upgrade.
The system is built around a industrial computer that carries out many functions like processing and encoding the information gathered by the sensors. The capsule is designed to survive any incident and also store the data. The major components of the VDR system comprise a data collection unit, which is situated on the bridge, a dedicated power source as well as an interface unit and batteries for backup. The unit collects all information from integrated sources, including microphones to record bridge audio and sends it to a Concentrator, where a sequence of NMEA 0183 sentence is interpreted and then coded to be sent to the final recorded media.