Introduction to Resource Description Concept

Resource Description Concept is descriptive grand total as representation of a technical entity that integrates all aspects together with relation to geometrical, mechanical and functional point of view. Resource Description Concept represents a comprehensive description of all aspects of a module functionality including all implications from product side, from process side and from interaction with other modules.

The format of all files bases on XML and are standardised with XML Schemas. Information is stored into single location and used and viewed in many. As example the human readable documentation of a Abstract Resource Description (ARD) or Resource Description (RD) can be generated on fly upon the request. This ensures that the information remains always valid and e.g. documentation is not becoming obsolete.

Fig.1: Files and objects associated with Resource Description Concept.

Abstract Resource Description

The Abstract Resource Description (ARD) file is an electronic specification of a collection of similar kind of modules as a meta-module and the content of these files are controlled by the User Group promoting and developing the technology. The ARD offers the standardisation and harmonisation over the content of a module, but it always remains at higher abstraction and generalisation levels than a hardware module and its associated RD file. The ARD file presents all the available interfaces, specifies the processes present, and the names of the offered properties. In other words ARD specifies the standardised minimum set of requirements and abstractions, which are fulfilled and specified later in details by the RD file. The ARD is composed of one or more Profiles, which contain the specifications for the modules.

Profile

The Profile is a reusable building block for module specifications. The module description i.e. RD will be instantiation of one Profile and ARD.

Resource Description

The Resource Description (RD) file (aka Blue Print) is an electronic specification of a real implemented module i.e. virtual representation of the module and its features. The file is created and supplied by the vendor of the module and it is supposed to travel along the module throughout the module's lifetime. The very same RD file is shared by all the modules of the same type.

Resource Instance Description

The Resource Instance Description (RID) (aka History Container) is the file containing the module instance specific information. It is as well created by the module provider and shall travel together with the module having even tighter relationship with it than the RD. The RID will be updated during the use of the module at important events like change of owner of the module, after test and calibration runs, usage hours, service events, etc.