EPISTLE Reference Data Library

Overview

The EPISTLE Reference Data Library (RDL) is a managed collection of process plant life-cycle data that represents information about classes or individuals which are common to many process plants or of interest to many users.

Process plant data can be shared and exchanged only if both the sender and the receiver use the same reference data or use common reference data. This reference data shall be sufficient to ensure unambiguous communica- tion between parties. The EPISTLE Core Model supports exchange of data but does not provide sufficient specific meaning of data to enable unambiguous communication.

The EPISTLE Reference Data Library is the result of the merger of the "STEPlib" class library developed by USPI-NL and the POSC/CAESAR reference data library.

Core EPISTLE RDL

As per 16 November 2001 version 1 of the Core EPISTLE RDL is formally published on this website for immediate use by the process industry and other industries.

This version has resulted from merging between STEPLib and POSC/Caesar Snapshot E libraries that was successfully initated by the EPISTLE mgt team to achieve a harmonised set of specifications.

The ERDL published here contains about 10500 classes representing core class specialisations for physical objects and properties which will provide a significant reference source to doing projects.

An agreed format for the publication of the reference data has been defined for the result of the mergin process as simple MS Excel and Access tables according to a prescribed format. At present some of the files follow this format, whilst others are still in the STEPlib format.

The ERDL files available in the new ERDL format can be downloaded here from this website (zipped MS-Excel files, 477KB). The files in STEPlib format can be found here (zipped MS-Excel files, 954KB).

One recommended specification

The EPISTLE Management Committee wishes to emphasize that as of the date of this publication the ERDL, version 2 is the recommended specification and that the former libraries STEPlib, the Posc/Caesar Library, and ERDL version 1 no longer serve this role. The remaining contents of these libraries however will remain available through the originating consortia which also offer tools and services around the ERDL specification.

The EPISTLE Management Committee intends to continue the merger proces of the still unmerged material and will follow a process of careful prioritising of this material and all quality issues that have been logged systematically during the merger process. The result of the next step will be made available as ERDL version 3 on this website.

International ISO standard

The ERDL set of classes at the same time represents the Initial Reference Data content described by ISO-15926 Part 4 (WD) . This international standard requires that classes are conform ISO15926 Part 2 i.e. ECM v4 which is being worked on by EPISTLE and of which the iprocess industry is informed through this website.

This way a consistent suite of international standards becomes available that supports plant life-cycle data.

Comments and contributions

Comments and contributions to improving and extending the merged library are encouraged. In the first instance these, and any requests for downloadable working copies, should be addressed to the EPISTLE email exploder. (Click here to see instructions for joining the EPISTLE exploder.)

New contributions should procedurally follow the intent of draft ISO-15926 part 5 (CD), and follow ISO-15926 part 6 (WD) as far as technical content is concerned. The drafts of ISO-15926 parts 4, 5 and 6 can be located on the ISO 15926 web site

Last update 2001-11-28