STEP AP239 ed3 White Paper Download STEP AP239 ed3 White Paper Download

The STEP AP239 ed3 "PLCS" White Paper was submitted as an accompanying document of the related ISO New Work Item in November 2015.

You can download the White Paper here.
STEP AP239 ed3 White Paper STEP AP239 ed3 White Paper

AP239 website: www.ap239.org

Preparation of STEP AP 239 edition 3 project

This project is described in the following paragraphs:

  • Introduction
  • Main benefits of the AP 239 edition 3 project
  • Consistency with other standardization projects
  • Target planning of AP 239 edition 3
  • Related information

Introduction

A239 PLCS provides the capability to develop subsets of the standard for particular business applications. Implementation experience has indicated that the process for developing those subsets need to be simplified in order to better link to business requirements.

OASIS has developed successively two approaches in the past, to tackle these issues: OASIS DEXlib and  OASIS PSM/PLCSlib.

In 2014, the AIA/ASD ILS Data Modelling and Exchange WG raised a set of issues around OASIS PLCS frameworks, and recommended to delay the use of PLCS for implementing optimized data exchanges for S-Series specifications, and to use the bespoke schema approach with a direct mapping to AP239 edition 2. The use of AP239 PLCS is the target as a long term objective, so the ASD SSG decided to support the development of a new edition 3 of the ISO 10303-239 standard.

To prepare such a new edition project, a white paper about STEP AP239 Ed3 is under preparation, supported by the ASD SSG (see related recommendation).

The international STEP AP239 Ed3 White Paper work group has been launched on 12th of Feb 2015 in order to define the benefits, objectives, scope, roadmap, project planning of ISO STEP AP 239 ed3, and it will prepare a New Work Item (NWI) for the development of the AP 239 ed. 3 under the control of ISO /TC 184 /SC 4.

Biweekly conference calls are organized for a broad audience with representatives of ISO /TC 184 /SC 4, LOTAR International, AIA/ASD ILS “Data Modelling and Exchange” WG,  national MoDs, AIA, ASD SSG,  PDES Inc.,  OASIS PLCS, MoSSEC, etc. An international workshop will be also planned in 2015 for finalizing the White Paper and the NWI before end of September 2015.

Main benefits of the AP 239 edition 3 project

This new edition of AP239 intends to:

  • Propose a normative XML implementation model based on the experience from existing editions (edition1 and 2 of AP239) and the developments led by OASIS PLCS (DExlib, PSM/PLCSlib).
  • Update the current AP239 edition 2 information model to support Aerospace & Defence business requirements and specifications, and in particular from:
    • AIA/ASD ILS Spec suite
    • UK MoD requirements
    • US DoD requirements
    • GEIA STD 0007
    • LOTAR International PDM WG.
  • Ensure interoperability between AP239 ed3 and other related STEP APs, by ensuring the compliance with existing ISO STEP modular standards and the future modular STEP architecture (new framework, new SMRL…) initiated by AP242 ed2. The common modules (PDM and Requirement Management identified to date) will be harmonized between AP242 ed2 and AP239 ed3.
  • Support web services.

It will result in a single integrated ISO standard covering product information interoperability capabilities for Product Data Management for Support business, through the whole product lifecycle.

Consistency with other standardization projects

This standard will be consistent with the ISO 10303 STEP modular Application Protocols described in the following figure:

As illustrated in the next figure, the STEP series of standards has been designed to cover the entire life cycle of product data across all functions throughout the supply network. 


 

Together these STEP Application Protocols will be the foundation for ILS specifications, for developing the support solution based on product design data and support requirements, to maintaining the product and providing feedback to Aerospace and Defence industries. This should extend the use of STEP by the main manufacturing industries and the support by PLM software suppliers and integrators.

The project will take also into account close coordination with other related standardization projects (e.g. LOTAR, STEP AP 242 ed2, STEP AP 209, STEP AP 210, STEP AP233, PDM-IF / Future PLCS Implementor Forum).

Target planning of AP 239 edition 3

The AP 239 ed3 project kick-off meeting took place in June 2016 in Toulouse. The project is planned for a duration of 3 years. See next figure for the planning of the AP239 ed3, in relationship with the AP242 ed2, in order to ensure the required synchronization for the harmonization of common modules within a new SMRL.

A Preliminary Work Item (PWI) was accepted by ISO in April 2015 in order to solicit broad support for the proposal.

A workshop is organised to finalise the White Paper on 23-24 September 2015 in San Diego, CA, in parallel to the S1000D User Forum.

Related information

Contacts

To join this project, please contact: Yves Baudier