Data Specification Templates (normative)

Introduction

A data specification template specifies which additional attributes, which are not part of the metamodel, shall be added to an element instance. Typically, data specification templates have a specific scope. For example, templates for concept descriptions differ from templates for operations, etc. More than one data specification template can be defined and used for an element instance. HasDataSpecification defines, which templates are used for an element instance.

Figure 1 shows the concept of data specification for a predefined data specification conformant to IEC61360[1] that, for example, can be used for concept descriptions for single properties.

Core Elements of Using Data Specifications (non-normative)
Figure 1. Core Elements of Using Data Specifications (non-normative)

The template introduced to describe the concept of a property, a value list, or a value is based on IEC 61360. Figure 1 also shows how concept descriptions and the predefined data specification templates are related to each other.

Data Specification Template Attributes

Data Specification Templates
Figure 2. Data Specification Templates

Note: the data specification templates do not belong to the metamodel of the Asset Administration Shell. In serializations that choose specific templates, the corresponding data specification content may be directly incorporated.

It is required that a data specification template has a global unique ID so that it can be referenced via HasDataSpecification/dataSpecification.

A template consists of the DataSpecificationContent containing the additional attributes to be added to the element instance that references the data specification template, as well as meta information about the template itself. These are two separate classes in UML.

Class:

DataSpecification <<Template>>

Explanation:

Data specification template

Inherits from:

 — 

ID:

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecification

Attribute

ID

Explanation

Type

Card.

description

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecification/description

Description of how and in which context the data specification template is applicable; can be provided in several languages.

MultiLanguageTextType

0..1

administration

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecification/administration

Administrative information of the data specification template

Note: some of the administrative information like the version number might need to be part of the identification.

AdministrativeInformation

0..1

id

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecification/id

The globally unique identification of the data specification

Note: This identifier is used as value for HasDataSpecification/dataSpecification

Identifier

1

dataSpecificationContent

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecification/dataSpecificationContent

The content of the template without metadata

DataSpecificationContent

1


Class:

DataSpecificationContent <<Template>><<abstract>>

Explanation:

Data specification content is part of a data specification template and defines, which additional attributes shall be added to the element instance that references the data specification template and meta information about the template itself.

Inherits from:

 — 

ID:

https://admin-shell.io/aas/3/1/DataSpecificationContent

Attribute

ID

Explanation

Type

Card.
1. Since the data specification templates are specified and maintained in separate documents, these templates are considered as examples only, although there is a similarity to existing data specifications.