Maritime Display Framework (MDF)

The Maritime Display Framework provides a solid baseline for development of a custom maritime radar display application. The framework includes the ability to display scan-converted primary radar video, radar video track information, electronic charts, secondary transponder information and also camera video.

The Maritime Display Framework provides various tools for processing of information common to maritime displays, such as the ability to generate predictive vectors, calculations of a tracked object’s closest point of approach (CPA) and time to CPA (TCPA), thereby warning if there is a danger of collision with other ships. Such features are typical within automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) solutions.

The Maritime Display Framework is written in the C# language and is designed for development of a Windows .NET WPF-based client application. The Maritime Display Framework’s default configuration can be used to provide a functional maritime display solution without any development. Alternatively, the framework can be adapted, extended and enhanced for a custom solution.

The modular software design separates the controls that perform display functions and controls that interact with the radar transceiver, allowing a common display to be used for a variety of radar antennas and transceivers. The aesthetics of the display solution can be customised, for example to look the same as an existing Integrated Bridge System.

Comprehensive alarm capabilities, including target track alarm type and target dependence (such as hazardous cargo status provided in AIS) are available.

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Extra Info

Target Tracking

Target tracks from primary radar video are produced by the SPx Server application. SPx Server is an advanced radar video processing solution that includes peak-picking, smoothing, sub-sampling, ATI, CFAR thresholding, software gain control, scan-to-scan integration, FTC, STC, offset/gain adjustment and also supports user-defined modules.

SPx Server produces primary radar Target Tracking reports in either SPx format, or industry standard ASTERIX CAT-48 and CAT-10, or NMEA 0183 TTM format. Primary radar video is produced in ASTERIX CAT-240 format.

Camera Video

The Display Framework supports multiple camera windows with various input formats, including H.264 via RTSP stream

Camera videos are displayed in tabbed windows, to the side of the main PPI window.

Track Fusion

Track information from SPx Server and from AIS reports may be displayed by the application. The individual track information is shown in the Track Status tab. Optionally, multiple track sources, including radar tracks, AIS and ADS-B can be combined by the SPx Fusion Server product.

Radar Control

Radar control, including the radar antenna and transceiver, is available within the SPx Server application for various radar models from a variety of manufacturers. The display client can control one of the currently supported radars by sending appropriate commands to SPx Server.

Extensions to the display framework and/or the SPx Server, for support of additional radar controls (either in the form of extended controls for currently supported radars, support for the latest models in a manufacturer's range or addition of a new radar) are available on request.

Support is currently available for a variety of radars including models from Furuno, Hensoldt, JRC, Raymarine, Simrad, Sperry, and Terma.

Multiple Window Display

Each display client supports secondary rectangular display windows for (a) zoomed views of the PPI area and (b) camera video inputs.

Each of the secondary PPI views can automatically centre the target in the window and the view area can be highlighted in the main PPI window as an ROI, allowing high resolution views of multiple tracks to be maintained easily.

Features