Overview
ISO 19697:2016 - Ships and marine technology - Navigation and ship operations - Electronic inclinometers - specifies performance requirements, test methods and required results for shipborne electronic inclinometers. It implements IMO performance standards (MSC.363 (92)) alongside general IMO requirements (A.694 (17)) and is associated with IEC 60945. The standard covers devices that measure and present the ship’s actual heel angle, roll amplitude and roll period to support onboard decision‑making, stability assessment and maritime casualty investigation.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Measured parameters: actual heel angle, roll amplitude and roll period (minimum measurable period range: 4 s to 40 s; amplitude and heel angle range: ±90°).
- System components: sensors, signal processor, display (analogue and/or digital), input device and interfaces to other systems (notably VDR).
- Functionality: accurate determination and continuous presentation of roll behaviour; provision of a standardized instantaneous heel angle interface to the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR).
- Displays & alerts: requirements for clear presentation (analogue/digital), operational and functional alerts, roll peak hold values and reset function, with tests for display performance and alerting.
- Accuracy and testing: static, dynamic and long‑term heel angle tests; roll period and roll peak hold tests; connection/interface tests; power‑supply and environmental performance in line with associated IEC requirements.
- Installation and information: guidance on installation position, human factors and ergonomic considerations; Annex A links roll period to transverse metacentric stability for stability context.
Practical applications and users
Who uses ISO 19697:2016
- Shipowners and operators seeking reliable bridge instrumentation for safety and operational decision‑making.
- Equipment manufacturers and system integrators designing and certifying electronic inclinometers and bridge displays.
- Classification societies, maritime inspectors and test laboratories performing type‑approval and compliance testing.
- Naval architects and stability technicians using roll period data for stability assessment and design validation.
- Investigators and insurers relying on accurate inclinometers for post‑incident analysis.
Practical benefits
- Improves situational awareness on the bridge by providing validated heel and roll information.
- Supports avoidance of dangerous rolling and informs stability decisions in adverse conditions.
- Ensures standardized interfaces to VDR and other navigation systems for consistent data capture.
Related standards
- IEC 60945 (maritime equipment general requirements) - precedence: where this ISO differs, ISO 19697 takes precedence.
- IEC 61162‑1 / 61162‑2 (digital interfaces)
- IEC 61924‑2 (integrated navigation systems)
- IEC 62288 (presentation of navigation information)
- IMO resolutions MSC.363 (92) and A.694 (17)
Keywords: ISO 19697:2016, electronic inclinometers, ship roll, roll period, roll amplitude, actual heel angle, IMO MSC.363, IEC 60945, VDR, maritime stability.