Ionizing Radiation Division

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ANSI Process and History of ANSI N42.42

Presented by: Leticia Pibida
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Radioactivity Group

ANSI Procedure

  • Title, Scope and Purpose of the standard sent to IEEE to have a number assigned
  • Create writing group
  • Provide final draft to N42 subcommittee and N42 voting committee for comments
  • Address comments from both groups
  • Goes to ANSI/IEEE for public comments (45 days)
  • Address comments create final version for ballot
  • Ballots from N42 voting committee (6 weeks
  • Submit voting results and final version to IEEE for publication (variable time)

Time Line of Events for N42.42

  • Presented the idea of data format standard to DHS in May 2003
  • Support from Office of Research and Development, Standards Portfolio, S&T, DHS
  • First draft May 2004 for number assignment (Includes Scope, Purpose and General Outline)
  • Created writing group May 2004
  • First meeting June 2004
  • Created 15 versions
  • Sent out for comment to ANSI N42 subcommittee and voting committee December 2005
  • Sent out for ballot February 14, 2006
  • Ballot closed March 31, 2006
  • Final draft sent for publication June 6, 2006

Working Group

Chairs:
George Lasche (SNL) / Leticia Pibida (NIST)
Members:
Bob Huckins
Carl Czajkowski
Dave Weirup
Adrian Stoian
Peter Chiaro
Scott Rogers
Johnny Long
Richard Smola
Keith Olson
Lew Meixler
Ronald Keyser
Robert Bass
Larry Fluty
Canberra
BNL
LLNL
SAIC/ Exploranium
ORNL
Canberra Aquila
Thermo Electron
Ludlum
LANL
PPPL
ORTEC
PNNL
DHS

First Version of the Standard

  • The data file is composed entirely from the ASCII character set so that it can be easily read and the data extracted with any text editor if necessary. Each line is to be no more than 128 characters in length.
  • The data filename extension should be "SPE," either uppercase or lowercase, to allow for automated recognition and backward compatibility with a variety of existing analytical applications.
  • Data elements are listed in lines of text following block identifiers that consist of a keystring identifier, in all uppercase letters, preceded by the "$" symbol.

Final Version General Description

Standard requires that all radiation data instruments shall comply with the following data formats:
  • The data shall be rendered in an XML document in conformance to the W3C XML V1.0 standard. In this standard, an XML document is considered identical to an XML file and the terms will be used synonymously.
  • The data format is to be compatible with the master ANSI N42.42 schema maintained by NIST. ANSI N42.42 schema, found at http://physics.nist.gov/Divisions/Div846/Gp4/ANSIN4242/ANSIN4242.xsd
  • Data authentication, when required, shall be provided via XML-Signature.


Inquiries or comments: Michael Unterweger
Online: August 2006