Sources for Product Data Standards

STEP (ISO 10303) standards may be purchased from several sources, including the ones listed below.

ANSI, the American National Standards Institute.  Access the ANSI website's eStandards Store link (http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/default.asp), then use the Search function available there to find specific standards (e.g., to find AP203, search for “ISO 10303-203”).

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. Access ISO’s website (http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueListPage.CatalogueList), then use the Search function available there to find specific standards (e.g., to find AP203, search for “ISO 10303-203”)

One benefit of membership in the PDES, Inc. consortium (http://pdesinc.aticorp.org/) is for-free access to all STEP standards. PDES, Inc. is “an international industry/government consortium accelerating the development and implementation of ISO 10303, commonly known as STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data).”  PDES, Inc. members may freely download STEP standards from the Members-Only area of the PDES, Inc. website. The “Membership” section of the PDES, Inc. website provides information on benefits and requirements of membership in the consortium.

Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) 5.3 is now available at no charge from the US PRO website.  Click here to download.

The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) defines a neutral data format that allows the digital exchange of information among Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems. IGES provides a neutral definition and format for the exchange of specific data. Using IGES, a user can exchange product data models in the form of wire frame surface or solid representations. Applications supported by IGES include traditional engineering drawings and models for analysis and/or various manufacturing functions.

Dimensional Measuring Interface Standards (DMIS) may be purchased from the Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC) website (http://www.dmisstandards.org/store/)

The objective of the Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS) is to provide a standard for the bi-directional communication of inspection data between computer systems and inspection equipment. The standard is a vocabulary of terms, which establishes a neutral format for inspection programs and inspection results data. While primarily designed for communication between automated equipment, DMIS is designed to be both man-readable and man-writable, allowing inspection programs to be written and inspection results to be analyzed without the use of computer aids. With the enhancement of the High Level Language extensions, DMIS can function and be implemented as a DME (Dimensional Measuring Equipment) language.

DMIS provides the vocabulary to pass inspection programs to dimensional measuring equipment and to pass measurement and process data back to an analysis, collection, and/or archiving system. A piece of equipment which interfaces to others, using the DMIS vocabulary, may do so directly or it may have a pre-processor to convert its own native data formats into the DMIS format and/or a postprocessor to convert the DMIS format into its own data structure.