Digital Navigation Publications Updates

What is PDU?

Publication Data Updates (PDU) are small binary patch files (<1 Mb) which, when applied to the current baseline of a Digital Nautical Publication (DNP), will bring that publication up-to-date with all outstanding corrections. These corrections include, but are not limited to, U.S. Notice to Mariner changes (textual and graphic) as well as compilation analysis changes that previously only appeared in the next new edition. In short, all updated information as of the date of the PDU is included. With PDU, Digital Navigation Publications will contain more extensive and timely maritime safety information for the use of our customers.

Starting 1 October 2002, all navigation publication new editions will be produced in digital format only. Each publication will be available on CD-ROM or on the Maritime Safety Information Division website. Publication Data Updates will be available for all Digital Navigation Publications in a zip archive file and can be found on the same web page as the publication in the column titled "Digital Update." If "Update Available" appears in the Digital Update column, a sequential update (and possibly a cumulative update) is available for that specific publication. The update will be represented by a date. When PDU's are applied to the publication, the File - Document Properties - Summary menu item will reflect the PDU change.

All Publication Data Updates are either sequential or cumulative.

Sequential updates apply to the entire publication and must be applied in date order(i.e., oldest to newest).

Cumulative updates are larger files that include all the sequential updates and allow the user the option of downloading and installing all sequential updates at once.

System Requirements:

Any personal computer (PC) running Windows 9X, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows NT, or Windows XP.

How is it used?

Download Instructions:

• On the web site, locate the publication you wish to check for updates.
• To the right of the publication title click on the words "Update Available" if they appear.
• Right-click on the update you want to download.
• Select Save Link As (Netscape Navigator) or "Save Target As" (Microsoft Internet Explorer).
• Specify the location where you want to save the publication update on your local hard disk.
• Select "Save."
• The file will be downloaded to your local hard disk.
• Unzip the executable file using a program such as WinZip, PKUNZIP, etc.

Applying the Update:

• Double-click the executable file.
• Welcome screen will appear. Click "OK" to proceed.
• The PDU will search your computer automatically in order to locate where you installed the publication.
• If you installed it in the default location, it will be found in C:\NGA_Data\Pub_###\SDPUB###.
• Click "Yes" to acknowledge the correct location.
• The publication will now be updated accompanied by a horizontal status meter displaying the progress of the update.
• Upon PDU completion a dialogue window will be displayed stating "Pub ### has been successfully updated..." Click "OK" to acknowledge.

Verifying the Update:

• Click on the "Start" button.
• Navigate to Programs, NGA_Data, Sailing Directions, Pub ###, Pub ### (pdf file).
• After the PDF file opens, a dialogue window will appear stating "Publication ###, ## edition 200#, is correct through PDU #/200#." Click "OK" to acknowledge.

Sample PDU file