1 | P a g e E C H O - S O U N D E R I M O P E R F O R M A N C E S T A N D A R D S

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IMO PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR ECHO-SOUNDING
EQUIPMENT
(FOR PHASE-II M M D EXAM INATION PURPOSE)
The pur pose of echo soundi ng equi pment i s t o pr ovi de r el i abl e i nf or mat i on on t he dept h of
w at er under a shi p t o ai d navi gat i on i n par t i cul ar i n shal l ow w at er . Echo soundi ng equi pment
shoul d compl y w i t h t he f ol l ow i ng per f or mance r equi r ement s. These Per f or mance St andar ds ar e
appl i cabl e f or shi p speeds f r om 0 up t o 30 knot s. Sound speed i n w at er f or t he pur pose of t hi s
st andar d i s set at 1500 m/ s:
1. Under nor mal pr opagat i on and sea bed r ef l ect i bi l i t y condi t i ons t he equi pment
shoul d be capabl e of measur i ng any cl ear ance under t he t r ansducer bet w een 2 m
and 200 m.
2. The equi pment shoul d pr ovi de a mi ni mum of t w o r ange scal es one of w hi ch, t he
shal l ow r ange, shoul d cover a r ange of 20 m, and t he ot her , t he deep r ange, shoul d
cover a r ange of 200 m.
3. The f unct i on of r ange scal e sel ect i on shoul d be di r ect l y accessi bl e. The set t i ngs f or
t he f ol l ow i ng f unct i ons shoul d be r ecogni zabl e i n al l l i ght condi t i ons:
a. ---- r ange scal e , and
b. ---- pr eset dept h al ar m.
4. The scal e of di spl ay shoul d not be smal l er t han 5.0 mm per met er dept h on t he
shal l ow r ange scal e and 0.5 mm per met er dept h on t he deep r ange scal e. .
5. The pr i mar y pr esent at i on shoul d be a sui t abl e gr aphi cal di spl ay w hi ch pr ovi des t he
i mmedi at e dept h and a vi si bl e r ecor d of soundi ngs. The di spl ayed r ecor d shoul d,
show at l east 15 mi n of soundi ngs. Ot her f or ms of di spl ay may be added but t hese
shoul d not af f ect t he nor mal oper at i on of t he mai n di spl ay.
6. It shoul d be possi bl e t o r ecor d on paper r ecor di ng or ot her means t he i nf or mat i on
about :
i . t he dept h(s), and
i i . t he associ at ed t i me f or 12 h.
Ther e shoul d be means t o r et r i eve t he r ecor ded i nf or mat i on.
7. The gr aphi cal di spl ay shoul d be capabl e of show i ng:
i . dept h mar ks at i nt er val s not l ar ger t han one-t ent h of t he r ange/ scal e i n
use; and
i i . t i me mar ks at i nt er val s not exceedi ng 5 mi n.
2 | P a g e E C H O - S O U N D E R I M O P E R F O R M A N C E S T A N D A R D S

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8. If paper i s used f or r ecor di ng ei t her by mar ks on t he r ecor di ng paper , or by ot her
means, t her e shoul d be a cl ear i ndi cat i on w hen t he paper r emai n i ng i s l ess t han 1 m.
9. The pul se r epet i t i on r at e shoul d not be sl ow er t han 12 pul ses per mi nut e on t he
deep r ange and 36 pul ses per mi nut e on t he shal l ow r ange.
10. Out put (s) shoul d be avai l abl e f r om w hi ch dept h i nf or mat i on may be suppl i ed t o
ot her equi pment such as r emot e di gi t al di spl ays, voyage dat a r ecor der and a t r ack
cont r ol syst em. These out put s shoul d be di gi t al , ser i al communi cat i on, f aci l i t i es
w hi ch shoul d compl y w i t h t he r el evant i nt er nat i onal st andar ds.
11. M or e t han one t r ansducer and associ at ed t r ansmi t t er -r ecei ver may be f i t t ed. If
mor e t han one t r ansducer i s used:
i . means shoul d be avai l abl e t o di spl ay t he dept hs f r om t he di f f er ent
t r ansducer s separ at el y.
i i . a cl ear i ndi cat i on of t he t r ansducer (s) i n use shoul d be pr ovi ded.
12. The per f or mance of t he equi pment shoul d be such t hat i t w i l l meet t he
r equi r ement s of t hese per f or mance st andar ds w hen t he shi p i s r ol l i ng + 10 and/ or
pi t chi ng + 5.
13. Based on a sound speed i n w at er of 1,500 m/ s, t he t ol er ance of t he i ndi cat ed dept h
shoul d be ei t her : - + 0.5 m on t he 20 m r ange scal e, r espect i vel y + 5 m on t he 200 m
r ange scal e; or - + 2.5% of t he i ndi cat ed dept h, w hi chever i s gr eat er . (er r or )
14. An al ar m si gnal - bot h vi sual and audi bl e w i t h mut e f unct i on - shoul d be pr ovi ded
w hen t he w at er dept h i s bel ow a pr eset val ue.
15. Al ar m si gnal s, bot h vi sual and audi bl e (w i t h mut e f unct i on) t o t he navi gat or on t he
w at ch shoul d be pr ovi ded t o i ndi cat e f ai l ur e or a r educt i on i n t he pow er suppl y t o
t he echo sounder w hi ch w oul d af f ect t he saf e oper at i on of t he equi pment .