[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 3397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1027]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 941258-4358]


Establishment of the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification 
(IGES) Test Service, Which Tests an Implementation's Conformance to the 
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 177 and/or the 
Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle support (CALS) MIL-D-28000, Class 
II Subset (Engineering Drawings)

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of the IGES Test Service for testing 
conformance to FIPS 177, Initial Graphics Exchange Specification 
(IGES), and/or the CALS, MIL-D-28000, Class II subset, and to solicit 
comments on the Test Service.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The goal of FIPS 177 is to maximize the probability of 
successful data exchange between dissimilar computer-aided design and 
computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. The Text Service 
supports the implementation of FIPS 177 by ensuring that the basic 
concepts and geometry of IGES are correctly implemented; as such, it 
provides an effective means of assessing the fundamental capabilities 
of IGES processors.
    The testing methodology for the IGES test program is to determine 
whether a given preprocessor or postprocessor is able to create or read 
conforming data files. Emphasis will be placed on single entity 
testing, as it is considered the basic building block for more complex 
structures.

DATES: The test service for FIPS 177 was established on October 1, 
1994. The test services for MIL-D-28000, Class II subset, was 
established on Number 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the IGES Test Service should be 
sent to: National Institute of Standards and Technology, ATTN: IGES 
Test Service, Technology Building, Room A266, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynne Rosenthal or Jacki Schneider, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, Phone: (301) 975-3265, email: 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Both the FIPS 177 and MIL-D-28000 adopt the American National 
Standard Digital Representation for Communication of Product Definition 
Data, ASME/ANSI Y14.26M-1989, the equivalent of IGES Version 4.0. IGES 
specifies file structure and syntactical definition, and defines the 
representation of geometric, topological, and nongeometric product 
definition data.
    FIPS 177 addresses IGES implementation acquisition, interpretation, 
and conformance. It includes conformance requirements for processors as 
well as data files. MIL-D-28000 defines 5 classes of data by 
application area (i.e., subset or application protocol) and limits the 
use of IGES entities to those in the specified class. The primary 
objective of MIL-D-28000 is to accelerate the operation, exchange, and 
standardization of digital information systems acquisition and support.
    The Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL) at NIST provides a 
conformance testing service for the FIPS 177 in support of government 
agencies' acquisition activities. CSL has been tasked by the CALS 
office to establish the IGES test service for MIL-D-28000, Class II 
subset.
    The testing of IGES files to determine the degree to which they 
conform to the Federal standards may be required by government 
departments and agencies in accordance with Federal Information 
Resources Management Regulation (FIRMR) 201-20.303, 201-20.304, 201-
39.1002, the associated Federal ADP and Telecommunication Standards 
Index, and as specified by FIPS 177.
    Conformance testing will benefit CAD/CAM system developers, 
vendors, and users through increased quality assurance and progress 
toward open systems.

Obtaining Validation Services

    The NIST provides the validation test service on a cost-
reimbursable basis. These services are available to both the producers 
and users of CAD/CAM products. Upon request, NIST will supply the 
Client with an IGES Information Pack which will include a description 
of the test service and procedures.

    Dated: January 10, 1995.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 95-1027 Filed 1-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-CN-M