MTC Computer Systems & Software Updates 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing a software update on a vessel's Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), what must be verified before initiating the update?
- The vessel is underway at full speed
- A backup of current charts and settings exists (Correct answer)
- All crew members are on watch
- The GPS antenna is disconnected
Correct answer: A backup of current charts and settings exists
Before updating ECDIS software, a complete backup of current charts, routes, and configurations must exist to allow restoration if the update fails.
Question 2: Which communication protocol is most commonly used for data exchange between marine electronic instruments such as GPS, depth sounders, and autopilots?
- Modbus RTU
- NMEA 0183 (Correct answer)
- CAN bus
- RS-485
Correct answer: NMEA 0183
NMEA 0183 is the standard serial communication protocol used by most marine instruments to share navigation data.
Question 3: A vessel's Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) software update fails mid-installation. What is the correct immediate action?
- Restart the vessel's main engines
- Attempt to roll back to the previous software version (Correct answer)
- Replace the VDR hardware immediately
- Delete all stored voyage data
Correct answer: Attempt to roll back to the previous software version
A failed VDR update should trigger a rollback to the last known-good software version to restore mandatory recording functionality.
Question 4: What does the term 'firmware' refer to in the context of marine electronics?
- A type of waterproof wiring harness
- Low-level software embedded in hardware devices (Correct answer)
- The physical circuit board of a marine computer
- Navigation charts stored on removable media
Correct answer: Low-level software embedded in hardware devices
Firmware is low-level software permanently programmed into hardware devices that controls their basic functions.
Question 5: A shipboard computer system uses a RAID array for data storage. If one drive fails in a RAID 1 configuration, what happens to stored data?
- All data is immediately lost
- Data remains accessible because it is mirrored on another drive (Correct answer)
- The system shuts down automatically
- Only the most recent files are recoverable
Correct answer: Data remains accessible because it is mirrored on another drive
RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives, so a single drive failure does not result in data loss as the mirror continues to serve data.
Question 6: When updating the software on an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder, which parameter must be verified after the update completes?
- Engine RPM settings
- MMSI number and vessel data accuracy (Correct answer)
- Liferaft hydrostatic release date
- Bilge pump cycle frequency
Correct answer: MMSI number and vessel data accuracy
After an AIS software update, the MMSI number and vessel identity data must be confirmed as updates can sometimes reset factory defaults.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a checksum verification during a marine software update?
- To count the number of installed applications
- To confirm the downloaded file is complete and uncorrupted (Correct answer)
- To measure network bandwidth usage
- To authenticate the vessel's IMO number
Correct answer: To confirm the downloaded file is complete and uncorrupted
A checksum compares a calculated hash of the downloaded file against the manufacturer's published value to detect corruption or incomplete downloads.
MTC Computer Systems & Software Updates 2
When performing a software update on a vessel's Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), what must be verified before initiating the update?