# Presentation: 668322

## ECSS Working Group“Exchange of Product Data”and related work

- Hans Peter de Koning (ESA/ESTEC/TOS-MCV)
- European Space Research and Technology Centre
- Thermal Control and Life Support Division
- e-mail: hanspeter@yc.estec.esa.nl; phone: +31 (71) 565 3452; fax: +31 (71) 565 6142
- mail: P.O. Box 299, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
- (ECSS = European Co-operation for Space Standardisation)

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Why need a WG and standard “Exchange of Product Data” ?

- Efficient and effective electronic exchange of product data is considered a key enabler forfaster/better/cheaper development of space products
- Long term, tool-independent archiving of product data is also needed in many space programmes
- European space community (industry and agencies) need a frame of reference in order to standardise on protocols for the communication of product data

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Brief background of the WG

- 1994: ESA started developing STEP-based data exchange standards (in co-operation with CNES)
- At first focusing on thermal analysis model exchange
- 1994 to 1998: interest broadened across disciplines
- Electronic product definition, concurrent engineering, etc.
- Growing maturity of STEP / more capable CAx tools
- May-98: first informal meeting industry and agencies to assess need, support, Draft Terms of Reference for a WG
- Feb-99: Officially installed as ECSS WG E-10-07

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Tasks of the WG

- Review of existing international product data exchange standards and their suitability for use in space projects - focusing primarily on STEP
- Identification of areas for which adapting / developing space-specific STEP-based standards is cost-effective - recommendation and promotion of further actions
- Production of an ECSS standard for the exchange and archiving of product data in space projects
- Including guidelines concerning the implementation / use of the standard

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Standardisation approach (1)

- ECSS E-10-07 is part of E-10 “System Engineering”
- Addresses exchange via neutral standards (1) between different tools of one discipline(2) between tools of different disciplines
- Archiving is considered an application of (1)

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Standardisation approach (2)

- Targeted disciplines:
- ECSS-M-40 - Configuration Management
- ECSS-M-50 - Information / Documentation Management
- ECSS-M-70 - Integrated Logistic Support
- ECSS-Q-70 - Material, Mechanical Parts & Processes
- ECSS-E-10 - System Engineering
- ECSS-E-20 - Electrical & Electronics
- ECSS-E-30 - Mechanical (including thermal)
- ECSS-E-40 - Software Engineering (only on CI level)
- ECSS-E-60 - Control Systems
- ECSS-E-70 - Ground Systems & Operations

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Standardisation approach (3)

- E-10-07 is an ‘umbrella’ standard
- Specifies _which standard_ to use for _what PDE situation_
- Makes reference to existing international standards
- Primary focus on ISO 10303 (STEP)
- Adds guidelines / best practices on how to use the standard
- Designed for tailoring by individual projects
- Only _file-based_ exchange in scope for first release

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Standardisation approach (4)

- Identified candidate STEP(-based) standards
- AP 202: Associative draughting
- AP 203: Configuration controlled design
- AP 209: Composite and metallic structural analysis and related design
- AP 210: Electronic assembly, interconnect and packaging design
- AP 212: Electrotechnical design and installation
- AP 214: Core data for automotive mechanical design processes
- AP 232: Technical data packaging core information and exchange
- AP 233: Systems engineering application protocol
- STEP-TAS AP: Thermal Analysis for Space (ESA)
- STEP-NRF AP: Network-model Results Format (ESA)
- STEP-PRP AP: Propulsion Systems (CNES)

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Requirement for tailoring

- It is very unlikely that in practice such a standard can be applied as a whole to a project
- It shall be possible to use the standard as a contractual document in a programme or projectby declaring a subset of applicable clausesto specify the data exchange protocolsthat shall be used between parties
- Requirement for tailoring is recognised across all ECSS standards

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## ECSS E-10-07Initial core requirements specification

- A extensive list of structured 4-element requirements:
- “To exchange datafrom a <**source_discipline**> representation
- to a <**destination_discipline**> representation
- for the purpose of transferring <**kind_of_data**>
- the <**exchange_standard**> standard shall be used.”
- For long term archiving the requirement as for exchange within one discipline shall be used
- Identical <source_discipline> and <destination_discipline>

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Example excerpt of initial requirements specification (1)

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Example excerpt of initial requirements specification (2)

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Status/schedule of WG

- 17 members (1/3 from agencies, 2/3 from industry)
- 3 working meetings held
- Terms of reference written and agreed
- First working draft produced
- Currently in review and comment loop
- Proofs difficult to actively involve industry in production of the standard (as always with long term benefits)
- Goal is first release of standard early 2000

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Related work

- Since 1994, 3 STEP-based APs have been developed by European space community
- STEP-TAS “Thermal Analysis for Space” (ESA)
- STEP-NRF “Network-model Results Format” (ESA)
- STEP-PRP “Propulsion” (CNES)
- TAS and NRF developed as companion APs together with common Integrated Application Resources:
- “Space Domain”
- “Definition and Results of Analysis, Tests and Operations”
- “Thermal Analysis”

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Status STEP-TAS & STEP-NRF

- Integrated Application Resources and APsavailable in fully compliant ISO TC 184/SC 4 format
- Full programming libraries available
- With documentation (PDF, HTML)
- C and FORTRAN APIs
- STEP-TAS CC1 converters implemented in
- ESARAD 4.1 (released June 1999)
- THERMICA (release of 1999-Q3)
- Limited prototypes TRASYS and TSS (with NASA-JPL)
- STEP-NRF prototypes at Intespace and EdF

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Future work related to STEP at ESA

- Continued implementation of STEP-TAS
- Further development of STEP-NRF
- AP203 (CC1,4,5,6) import facility in ESARAD
- Supports import of CAD product structure and shape
- Will include support for NURBS in ESARAD model
- Idea for CAD-to-Analysis tool based on AP203

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999

## Idea AP203-based CAD-to-Analysis tool

- UNIX type pipe of filters
- Open API
- Online visualisation

- STEP for Aerospace Applications at NASA/GSFC

- 16 July 1999