Computational Algorithms Implemented in Marine Navigation Electronic Systems

Abstract

The authors aim to present the problems related to computational algorithms implemented in the software used in marine navigation electronic devices and systems (GPS/GNSS, AIS, ENC/ECDIS). From the early days of the development of basic navigational software built into satellite navigational receivers it has been noted that for the sake of simplicity and a number of other reasons, this navigational software is often based on simple methods of limited accuracy. Even nowadays the navigational software is sometimes used in a loose manner, adopting oversimplified assumptions and errors such as a wrong combination of spherical and ellipsoidal calculations in different steps of the solution of a particular sailing problem. The lack of official standardization on both the “accuracy required” and the equivalent “methods employed”, in conjunction to the “black box solutions” provided by GNSS navigational receivers and navigational systems (ECDIS and ECS) suggest the necessity of a thorough examination of the issue of sailing calculations for navigational systems and GNSS receivers.