DNC® Systems

On what media will DNC® be available?
Public access to DNC® will only be made available through download from the Internet.

What hardware and software do I need in order to read and display DNC®?
DNC® is not dependent on unique operating system or exploitation software or hardware. Any system or software application designed to read VPF structured data can display the data.

This capability depends on the commercial viewing software. DNC® operates best when it is ingested in its natural vector format. While NGA is a data provider and does not develop hardware and software, there are a number of commercial navigation systems that can utilize and display DNC® and as well as other non-NGA electronic chart data. Commercial viewing software can be found by performing web searches. While DNC® data is authorized for paperless navigation by United States Government vessels on certified systems such as ECDIS-N or comparable systems (33 CFR 164.01, non-certified commercial viewing systems are not authorized for paperless navigation and should only be used for display and situational awareness purposes only. NGA has developed a DNC® Test Data Set (DTDS) for use in validation of whether or not systems being certified for U.S. Navy use correctly display NGA data. The Navy does the actual certification, but with NGA assistance related to display aspects.

What platforms will DNC® run on?
DNC® is designed to support all platform types.

Can GPS positioning information be displayed with DNC®?
Of course, that's just one of many uses of DNC®. The DNC® data also supports chart displays that interface with radar.

Why is DNC® in VPF Format and not S-57 Format?
DNC® was developed to support the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Homeland Security. The U.S. Navy requirement for Vector format data was for several reasons:

1. IHO has chosen vector as the approved format for Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS).

2. Vector format provides a smart database that supports intelligent manipulation of the data, e.g., navigation warnings, and is the best data format suited for the GIS environment.

3. Vector data requires less disk storage.

4. Vector data allows hyper linking to other data types such as publication data.

5. Vector data supports simplification of the display.