Interactive Electronic Technical Manual Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM)(IETM)

Standards and ClassesStandards and Classes

By Don ReynoldsManTech Advanced Systems International, Inc.

Bonn, GermanyJanuary 2000

ETM/IETM Specifications ETM/IETM Specifications and Standardsand StandardsMIL-PRF-87268/9 (U.S. DoD)Metafile for Interactive Documents (U.S.

Navy)MIL-STD-2361 (U.S. Army)MIL-PRF-28001C with IED OS (CALS)AECMA 1000D (European Aircraft Mfg.)ATA 2100 (Air Transport Association)STEP Product Documentation (ISO)

FACTSFACTSThe availability of COTS products that

support an IETM specification/standard is inversely proportional to the complexity of that specification/standard

Most vendors are becoming less interested in DoD requirements and more interested in making products that work over Web

Important!!

IETM StandardizationIETM Standardization

IETM DTDs generally include dynamic constructs that require specialized (i.e. unique) authoring and presentation systems

We want neutral data (e.g., XML or SGML), but what is neutral???

U.S. DoD IETM SpecificationsU.S. DoD IETM SpecificationsMIL-PRF-87268

General content, style, format, and user interaction requirements for IETMs

Governs the look and feelMIL-PRF-87269

Database requirements for IETMsSeparates data into a generic layer and a

content-specific layer

TM/ETM/IETM TM/ETM/IETM Types/ClassificationsTypes/Classifications

U.S. Army and Air Force Data Types Type A, B, B+, C

U.S. Navy (CDNSWC) Classes Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Widely known)

JCALS Classes 1000 Class (1300, 1500, 1700) 2000 Class (2300, 2500, 2700) 3000 Class (3500)

ETM/IETM ClassesETM/IETM ClassesExisting ETMs/IETMs generally span

classesClasses exist to aid understanding, they

were not designed for contractual use

Classes & Converting Classes & Converting from Hardcopyfrom Hardcopy

Co

nvers

ion

Co

st

Class 1 Class 4

low-end estimate

high-end estimate

ETM Class 1ETM Class 1Electronically indexed page imagesDisplay: Full page-oriented electronic

viewingData: MIL-PRF-28002 (raster image),

Postscript, or PDF dataFunctionality: Access pages via intelligent

index, limited use of hotspotsNote: OK for TM data that rarely changes

ETM Class 2ETM Class 2Electronic scrolling document (also, page-

oriented or frame oriented)Display: Scrolling text/graphics windowData: ASCII text, possible HTML, XML, or

SGML tagging, bitmap graphicsFunctionality: Browse through scrolling

information with user selectable hot-spots on text or graphics

Classes 3, 4, 5 = IETMsClasses 3, 4, 5 = IETMsDifference between ETMs and IETMs

An IETM asks questions and responds accordingly to user-provided answers

An IETM employs context-dependent filtering, display is driven by conditions that are controlled by variables and expressions

Troubleshooting FlowchartTroubleshooting Flowchart

Port notLeaking

Yes

No

Check forExcessive

Port Leakage

Is SolenoidOperating

Yes

Are AirLines Clear

Yes

No

Check forBindingGuide

Is GuideBinding

PortLeaking

Yes

NoIs AirVenting fromPort Valve

No

“Interactive” Data

ETM Class 3 (IETM)ETM Class 3 (IETM)Display: Interaction through dialog boxes,

interaction functions per MIL-M-87268, less scrolling text

Data: ASCII text with XML or SGML tags, content tags rather than structure or format tags, MIL-D-87269 to the extent possible

Functionality: Dialog-driven interaction, logical display of information in accordance with content

ETM Class 4 (IETM)ETM Class 4 (IETM)Display: limited scrolling text (necessary

info only), interaction functions per MIL-M-87268, interaction via dialog boxes

Data: authored to a database, full conformance to MIL-D-87269, interactive features authored in, reduced redundancy

Functionality: same as Class 3

Class 3 vs Class 4 (1/2)Class 3 vs Class 4 (1/2)To the end user, Class 3 and 4 IETMs may

look and act the sameAuthoring and source data management

systems may be vastly differentClass 3 ETM authoring system may be an XML

or SGML editor and DBMS may be the computer’s file-system

Class 4 ETM authoring systems are usually custom designed and integrated with a COTS DBMS (too complicated to do with XML or SGML editor)

Class 3 vs Class 4 (2/2)Class 3 vs Class 4 (2/2)Class 4 is generally desirable for highly

complex systems (e.g. F-16, F-22, F/A-18, V-22, AEGIS Fire Control System, etc.)

Note: The advantages of supplying Class 4, fully attributed, MIL-PRF-87269 compliant, IETM databases to the government are not clear (generally, no other presentation system can be used to view the data)

ETM Class 5 (IETM)ETM Class 5 (IETM)Integrated Database IETMNot a clearly defined class but is intended

to be a superset of Class 4Accounts for integration of Class 4 IETMs

with other applicationsModel-based or rule-based expert system

diagnosticsTraining, Interactive Courseware

Hardcopy Hardcopy RequirementsRequirements

Producing both IETMs and traditional hardcopy TMs from the same data is generally more difficult as ETM Class increases

May be necessary Power outages, transportability, readability

(large drawings and schematics)

BEWARE

87269 and AECMA 1000D87269 and AECMA 1000DFundamentally different approachesAECMA 1000D is built on the Data Module

(DM) concept 87269 is built up from a Generic Layer

concept in concert with a Content Specific Layer

Both approaches have certain advantages and disadvantages

Data Organization/HierarchyData Organization/Hierarchy87269 allows for a recursive system

element to denote hierarchyThis can be used with or without a Standard

Numbering SystemIn 1000D, hierarchy can be delineated

through a Standard Numbering System and the Data Module CodeAs opposed to the nesting of DMs within the

markup

DynamicsDynamics87269 handles dynamic data with

embedded variables, expressions, and variable-driven conditional branching

Pre-conditions, Post-conditions, IF-NODEs, LOOP-NODEs, NODE-ALTs

These, however, have a negative impact on COTS product support

1000D has some dynamic capabilities with fault isolation information for simple traversement through Yes/No sequences

87269 and the Web87269 and the WebWe are currently looking at formulating a

Web-enabled alternative to 87269Direct translation of 87269 DTDs to XML

will not result in Web compatibilityThe functionality given by variables,

expressions, conditional-branching, etc. cannot be handled directly in XML by an XML-capable browser

Creative work-arounds are required

87269 and UML87269 and UMLDeveloping a UML model of the generic

layer and the O-level content specific layer in 87269

From this UML model we are examining Web-compatible alternatives that include XML, Java, etc.

Why UML?Why UML?To make 87269 constructs more specific

and comprehensible for developersUML is the latest OO modeling language,

standardized through the OMG, and continues to gain acceptance world-wide

87269 is Object Oriented in nature due to the use of architectural forms

Easy to move from UML to XML, Java, and C++ for implementation

Architectural Forms in UMLArchitectural Forms in UML

LOOP -NODE

IndexDec lare [0..1] : assertion

E x itCond : express ion

IndexA lter [0..1] : assertion

RepeatS eq : NODE -S E Q

S tart()

E val_Condit ion()

Update_Index ()

Term inate()

NODE -S E Q

S eqE l ements : Architec tural-Form s

Traverse()

1

1

1

1

A rchitec tural-Form s

id : ID

cdm : NA M E

ref : IDRE F

1

1..*

1

1..*

NODE -A LTS

Nodes : NODE

E val_A lts ()

NO DE

nam e : CDA TA

type : CDA TA

item id : CDA TA

precondit ions [0..*] : precond

pos tcondit ions [0..*] : pos tcond

Contents : Inform ationContent-Form s

prim itives [0..*] : prim itive

links [0..*] : link

Display ()

E val_P os t_Condit ions ()

E val_P re_Conditions ()

1 1. .*1 1. .*

Inform ationCont ent-Form s

1

0..*

1

0..*

IF-NODE

Condit ion : express ion

ThenS eq : NODE -S E Q

E lseS eq [0..1] : NODE -S E Q

Dec ide()

E val_E xpress ion()

Example

unary -operation

E xp : expre ss io n value

bi nary -op erat ion

Fi rs tE xp : e xpress ion

S econ dE x p : express ion

express ion

Result : P CDA TA

E valuate()

assertion

E xp : express ion

P rop : property

E valuate()

property

nam e : P CDA TA

type : CDA TA

value-type : CDA TA

dialog-ref : IDRE F

Get_value()

A ss ign_value()

pos tcond

P Condit ion : assertion

A ss ert ()

% prim it ive

(from Primi tives)

precond

Condit ion : express ion

E valuate()

Final CommentsFinal CommentsThere is much room for improvement in

the standardization of U.S. DoD IETMsThe primary U.S. DoD IETM database

specification 87269 is being examined to achieve improvements in interoperability at the source data level and improvements in Web compatibility

The Joint IETM Architecture is designed to improve interoperability at the user level