Olex seabed mapping for Asia and Russia, serviced in Busan
Olex turns the vessel's own echosounder into a mapping instrument: every passage is logged and added to a seabed model that belongs to that hull alone. NAVION supplies, licenses and services Olex from Busan, with engineers working across Gamcheon fishing port, the Yeongdo repair yards and Busan New Port, and travelling to other yards on request.
- Territory
- Asia & Russia
- Service base
- Busan, Korea
- Service
- Olex
Olex builds a seabed map from the vessel's own equipment. Depth from the echosounder and position from GPS are logged continuously, and every passage adds to a three-dimensional model of the bottom the vessel has actually worked over. Nothing is bought in. The map is the record of where that hull has been, at the resolution its own sounder produced, and on grounds that are thinly charted it is often the most accurate bathymetry on board.
NAVION is an Olex official dealer for Asia and Russia and provides authorized service for the system. That covers new supply, licences and feature modules, transfer of a licence to replacement hardware, diagnosis of the interface between Olex and the sounder, GPS or heading source, and the annual check. Work is quoted and handled through Busan, in Russian, English or Korean.
Olex is sold as a base system with feature modules unlocked on the hardware key. The 3D and Water Column modules change what the bridge sees above the bottom, the ITI module brings trawl instrumentation onto the same seabed picture, and the hardness module classifies the ground from the sounder's own echo. Modules can be added to a system already in service: the licence on the key is updated and the existing map is untouched.
Hardware replacement is where the risk sits. When the computer, the disk or the display fails, the vessel's seabed database sits on that machine, and years of accumulated coverage cannot be re-surveyed inside a port call. We treat the data first. The database is copied and verified before anything is removed, restored onto the new unit, and checked against known ground before the vessel sails. The same order of work applies to software upgrades and to units moved between vessels in one fleet.
Backups are worth taking when nothing is broken. During any Olex attendance the current database can be written to external media and a copy left with the vessel, so a failure at sea becomes a hardware problem rather than a lost map. Owners who also keep a copy ashore can put a vessel's history onto a replacement unit without waiting for the original disk to be recovered.
Training is given at the chart table with the vessel's own data on screen: what the colours are showing, how to keep the log clean, how to recognise a bad depth or position feed before it corrupts coverage, and how to run a backup without assistance. It is scheduled inside the port-call window alongside the rest of the work on board.
Equipment we work with
- Olex base system — Accumulated seabed mapping and plotter running on the vessel's own depth and position feed. Every passage adds coverage, so the map is that hull's own record of the ground.
- 3D module — Three-dimensional presentation of the accumulated bottom. A bank, edge or wreck can be rotated and tilted instead of being read from contour lines alone.
- Water Column module — Records the sounder's water column alongside the bathymetry, so registrations above the bottom can be replayed in position on the seabed map.
- ITI module (trawl instrumentation) — Brings trawl sensor data onto the same seabed picture, so gear position is read against the mapped bottom rather than on a separate display.
- Seabed hardness module — Classifies bottom hardness from the echosounder's own return and colours the map by it, separating hard ground from soft across the vessel's coverage.
- Multibeam interface — Mapping from a multibeam sounder where one is fitted, giving wider swath coverage per pass than a single-beam depth feed produces.
- Hardware key and licence — Modules are enabled on the hardware key. Adding a feature means updating the licence held on the key, not replacing the system or rebuilding the map.
- Seabed database — The accumulated map stored on the unit. It is the vessel's own asset, built over years, and it is copied and verified before any hardware or software change.
What we do on this brand
- Supply of new Olex systems, licences and hardware keys under dealer territory for Asia and Russia
- Sale and activation of feature modules: 3D, Water Column, ITI, seabed hardness, multibeam interface
- Hardware replacement and PC or disk renewal with the vessel's accumulated seabed database carried across
- Backup of the seabed database to external media, verified and left on board
- Software upgrades and licence transfer between units, including units moved within a fleet
- Interfacing and fault-finding on the depth, position and heading feeds that Olex maps from
- Onboard training at the chart table and inclusion of Olex in the annual check
Documents issued
- Commissioning report listing the sounder, GPS and heading inputs connected to Olex
- Licence record: hardware key identity and the modules enabled on it
- Seabed database backup record with date, size and the media the copy was left on
- Service report for the annual check, with faults found and settings changed
- Bridge handover note in Russian, English or Korean
Frequently asked
If the Olex computer is replaced, do we lose the seabed map the vessel has built up?
Not if the data is handled before the hardware. The database is copied off and verified first, then restored onto the new unit and checked against ground the crew knows before the vessel sails. If the original disk has already failed, a backup held on board or ashore is what makes recovery possible, which is why we write one at every attendance.
Can modules be added to a system that is already installed and in use?
Yes. Modules such as 3D, Water Column, ITI, hardness or the multibeam interface are enabled on the hardware key. The licence on the key is updated and the software is set up for the new function. The accumulated map is not affected by adding a module.
Where does your Olex dealership apply?
NAVION is an authorized Olex dealer for Asia and Russia. The service base is Busan, with engineers working across Gamcheon fishing port, the Yeongdo repair yards and Busan New Port and travelling to other yards on request. There is a second office in Vladivostok.
How much Olex work fits into one port call?
Licence and module activation, backup, upgrade and hardware replacement are normally attended while the vessel is alongside. Send the Olex version, the hardware key details and a description of the fault or the work wanted before arrival, so parts and licences are ready rather than being ordered after the first visit.
What does Olex need from the vessel's other equipment?
A depth output from the echosounder and a position and heading source. The quality of the map follows the quality of those feeds, so an offset or intermittent input can corrupt coverage. We check the interface at commissioning and again at the annual check, and correct it before more data is logged onto a bad reference.
Olex supply, licences and service inside the port call
Send the vessel's ETA, the Olex version and hardware key, and the work required: module, upgrade, hardware replacement or backup. info@contact-navion.com, +82 10 9690 2104.