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Last modified: December 31, 2004
AECMA S1000D Standard (Specification 1000D)

Overview

The AECMA S1000D Standard (Specification 1000D) — International Specification for Technical Publications Utilising a Common Source Data Base was produced by the AECMA/AIA Electronics Publications Working Group (EPWG). It provides for creation of documentation using the principles of modularity and minimalism, supporting the "ability to readily identify relevant information at the lowest level possible." It may be used "to establish standards for the documentation of any civil or military vehicle or equipment. It is based on international standards such as SGML/XML and CGM for production and use of electronic documentation. In addition, it defines a Common Source Data Base (CSDB) to provide source information for compilation of the publications and for use in electronic logistics information systems to deliver modules of information direct to the user."

"AECMA S1000D is an International Specification for Technical Publications utilizing a Common Source Data Base (CSDB) and is used for the procurement and production of technical publications. Whilst the title restricts its use to technical documentation it has been demonstrated that the principles of the specification can easily be applied to non-technical documentation. The specification adopts and profiles ISO and WWW standards. Information generated is in neutral format, which means it can be used on disparate IT systems. It is this feature together with the modular approach to data creation and storage that makes the specification so acceptable to the wider international community..."

AECMA S1000D "incorporates a methodology for storing data in electronic form and provides the capability to output information both in electronic and, if required, paper format. The standards and DTDs for the XML IETP-X are also included..."

"Data produced to AECMA S1000D is presented in a modular form (data modules). A data module is defined as 'a self contained unit of data.' Individual data modules are identified by a logical and specific numbering system, the Data Module Code (DMC), which permits the use of a database to store and manage the complete information set. Data modules have two sections: one containing the content, which is the data required by the user e.g. the description or procedure, the other is the Identification and Status section, which contains all the metadata necessary to control the data module and its configuration. Each item of information, therefore, carries all its own configuration data..."

"A project's complete technical publications information set is held on a Common Source Data Base (CSDB). The combination of data module code, information types and DM metadata allows a selection of subsets of information to be chosen by query or table of contents designed to meet a specific users needs. Graphic standards are supported with CGM4 (ATA profile), CALS Raster Grp 4, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PDF and TIFF... [from the brochure]

"The use of a DMC [Data Module Code] ensures that information is not duplicated in the CSDB. Items of information, which are repeated in different contexts, for example, warnings, opening and closing procedures, can be stored once as a single data module and can be used many times in different contexts. This provides considerable savings in data maintenance and enhances data configuration control. When change is required only the single DM needs to be changed whilst the changed information appears throughout the output, an example of the fundamental CALS philosophy of 'create once, use many times'..."

"Application of SGML and XML S1000D requires a unified and neutral way of describing technical information for the Materiel in any project. Chapter [7.3] details the S1000D application of SGML and XML, a method for describing the structure of a technical document regardless of the final publishing process. SGML and XML are system and platform independent data formats, thus enabling interchange of technical information across software applications. The S1000D DTD and Schemas for data modules consist of entities which are specific to a type of data module as specified in Chap 3.9.5.2. This modular design of DTD and Schemas allows for incremental update when new types of data modules are required. Development objectives The S1000D DTD and Schemas for data modules in SGML/XML format have been developed with the following objectives: (1) Modular form. The DTD and Schemas have a modular form. The modular concept assists in the generation and simplification of electronic commenting procedures by its ability to readily identify relevant information at the lowest level possible. (2) Compliance with standards. The prime structure of the DTD and Schemas reflects the S1000D specification. The DTD and Schemas comply with ISO 8879 for SGML and the relevant W3C recommendations for XML Schemas. (3) Backward compatibility. To ensure as far as possible backward compatibility between subsequent versions and the initial DTD/Schemas. Development phases: Analysis DTD and Schema development involved the analysis of S1000D requirements, the generation of SGML/XML content models and the evaluation of the most effective way of modularization. Structure charts produced from the analysis of different data module types were included in this phase. The elements of the DTD and Schema for data modules are related where possible to the elements listed in the MIL-PRF-28001C specification..." [from spec 2.1]

The S1000D DTD and XML Schemas are in the public domain; however, they remain the property of the S1000D issuing authorities. There are no additional charges or royalties required. In the event that users change the DTD and Schemas, then it is not allowed to use the name or reference S1000D DTD and/or S1000D Schema for the results...

Principal URLs

Articles, Papers, News

  • [December 31, 2004] "The S1000D Standard: A Gateway to Documentation Reuse, Effectiveness, and Interchange." By Ian Proudfoot (Technical Director, Inmedius UK). In AIIM E-Doc Magazine (November/December 2004). "In spite of the modular approach advantages in the world of product engineering, the world of technical documentation has generally remained entrenched in a topdown approach. That has resulted in new documentation being written for every new product, even if the product is likely comprised of many of the same physical components and sub-components used in other products. Fortunately, some of the best minds in the field began working in the 1980s to hammer out a standard that would help facilitate a revolution in the world of technical documentation. That standard is Specification 1000D (S1000D). The standard originated with the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA), which represents the aerospace industry in the fifteen European Union nations in matters of common interest-technical, financial, legal, and economic. With its European origin, the standard has naturally penetrated Europe more quickly than the United States... The standard is a specification for creating technical publications using a Common Source Data Base (CSDB). Information is stored in the CSDB in small chunks, called data modules. The purpose of storing discrete chunks of information in the database is to promote reuse of the information in as many different technical documents as possible. A small to medium project will often consist of 10,000 or more data modules. A data module is a self-contained unit of information, such as a couple of paragraphs, a figure, or a table. Each module has its own identifier-the data module code (DMC)-that aids in ensuring that every piece of information placed in the CSDB is unique. The S1000D standard provides a detailed schema that guides the determination of the DMC. The DMC also identifies how the subcomponents being documented relate to larger components that comprise a piece of equipment. In addition to having a unique name, each data module consists of two parts: the actual information content and the metadata-or data about data. This metadata controls the actual use of the information. For example, it identifies the version of the data module as well as the security settings which determine who can make changes to the module..."


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