Study of the Standards used for Aircraft

Documentation

Standards are the specifications used for structured authoring of the

technical documents. To streamline the business processes and
reduce the administrative costs.

ATA100

Founded in 1936, the ATA is America’s oldest and largest airline

trade association. Members include airlines, aerospace
manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, repair agencies and software
providers. The main purpose of the ATA e-Business Program is to
assist the global commercial aviation industry in creating standards
for developing content structure, and electronic exchange of aircraft
engineering, maintenance, material management and flight
operations information. These standards enable airlines and
suppliers to experience exceptional levels of efficiencies and cost
savings. The ATA standards were initially developed to provide users
with an international specification for developing technical airline
documentation in the paper format. Over the years they have
evolved to meet the changing needs of the industry and to embrace
the latest technological advances.

In 1999, the ATA released the latest version of the ATA Spec 100,
providing an industry-wide standard for aircraft system numbering.
The numbering system, or ATA chapter numbers, provide format and
content guidelines for conventional printed documentation and
facilitate greater ease of learning and understanding for pilots,
engineers and other users.
Conversion of ATA Data Using the ATA standard, common elements
and structures for documents are established by aircraft
manufacturers and suppliers. The defined vocabulary can then be
utilized in software for printing and displaying traditionally, most ATA
manuals have been managed in some type of word processing
software tool like Word. Using Word templates, organizations
maintain complex ATA manuals over the life of the aircraft.

• Conventional Hard copy document.

• Standard Guidelines.

• ATA 100 contains format and content guidelines for technical

manuals.

• ATA numbering system is a common referencing standard for

commercial aircraft documentation.
 • Air Transport Association of America (ATA) standardized the
overall format of the maintenance manuals.

• Each system is assigned a chapter number.

• For Example,

• Hydraulic system are in ATA Chapter 29

• Landing Gear is in ATA Chapter 32

• Fuselage is in ATA Chapter 53

I-Spec 2200
INTRODUCTION TO ISPEC2200

In 2000, the ATA Technical Information and Communications

Committee (TICC) recognized the synergies between ATA standards
and developed a new consolidated specification for the commercial
aviation industry. Like the previous standards, ATA iSpec 2200
includes an industry-wide approach for aircraft system numbering, as
well as formatting and data content standards for documentation
output. These standards, however, are not specific to conventional
printed documentation and can be used regardless of the delivery
medium.

It is a global aviation industry standard for,

 Format
 Structure
 Electronic Exchange
 Content

The main objectives of the new specification are (advantages)

 To minimize cost and effort expended by operators and

manufacturers, improve information quality and
timeliness, and facilitate manufacturers' delivery of data
that meet airline operational needs. These objectives
support.

 ATA iSpec 2200’s primary purposes to enable the use of

electronic delivery.
 To improve information quality and timeliness.

 Ensure that manufacturers provide data that meets airline

operational needs.

Difference b/w ATA and I-SPEC standard

ATA100 ATA iSpec 2200

ATA contains common ATA iSpec 2200 includes
referencing standard aircraft system numbering, as
(numbering system) for all well as formatting and data
commercial aircraft content standards for
documentation. documentation output.
 Conventional Hard copy Minimizes cost and effort.
document.
Standard Guidelines. Improves information quality
and timeliness.

Used for developing content Facilitate manufacturers'

structure, and electronic delivery of data that meet
exchange airline operational needs

I-Spec 2200 Numbering System

 First Element – System/Chapter

 Second Element – Sub-system/Section

 Third Element – Units of Subsystem/Subject

 Fourth Element – Fourth element is called as functional code

 Fifth Element – Fifth element is called unique or sequential

identifier. It is provided to create unique numbers for all tasks
and subtask which are similarly numbered through the first
four elements. Task number is numbered from 801-999 and
subtask numbered from 001-800

 Sixth Element – Sixth element is called as configuration code

  Seventh Element – Seventh element is called as customer
code.

What is S1000D?

 The International Specification for Technical Publications

utilizing a Common Source Data Base.

 Support the controlled authoring and quality assurance

process.

 Support the delivery of technical publications on various media

independent from the source storage format.

 It is an information store, automated processes and

management tool for all objects required to produce the
technical publications.

 Data Modules (DM) gathered and stored in the Common

Source Database (CSDB).

The concept of this specification was originated in the aerospace

field within ASD in early 1980s. At that time, most civil aviation
projects were being documented in accordance with the ATA 100
specification. But military projects in Europe were supported by
documentation produced to various national military specifications.
The multiplicity of existing military procedures and the continual
introduction of new procedures were producing ever greater
problems and increased costs for industry and its military customers.
Thus, a situation arises to create a common standard and
specification to develop and use the technical information.

MERITS OVER ISPEC2200

a. Cost saving in information generation by avoid of duplications.

b. More economic support planning.
c. Cheaper deliverable publications due to generation of different
level of output by feeding single input pattern.
d. Uniformity of standard for the firms who are all in the S1000D
project.
e. Standard format for data exchange to exploit future
developments.
f. Enhanced interoperability.
g. Improved opportunity for clarity, since the use of ASD
Simplified Technical English.
h. Easier and cheaper translation.
i. Ability to re-use data.
j. Re-use and redistributed same data modules in different projects
and publications.
k. Print and IETP delivery formats.
l. Used for civilian and military aircraft.
m. Interoperability with SCORM for training content.
n. Used for aircraft, land, sea and commercial equipment.
o. Reduces maintenance costs for technical information.

Data Module Code

Each data modules are designated with DMC and stored in the
CSDB. For construct a description or/and procedure, one or more
DM (S) are called by DMC.

Composition of a DMC => E.g.: JA-A-30-31-03-00A-720A-A

Model Identification Code (MI): (2 to 14 alphanumeric characters)
The MI identifies the project to which the data applies and is the
point of reference for all applicability information. The MI includes all
related model variants.

System Difference Code (SDC): (1 to 4 alphanumeric characters)

The SDC indicates alternative versions of the system and
subsystem/sub-subsystem identified by the SNS without affecting
the type, model or variant identity.

Standard Numbering System (SNS): (6 or 9 alphanumeric characters)

The SNS identifies the functional or physical breakdown of the
system using a chapterization methodology.

Chapter or System: (2 or 3 alphanumeric characters)

The System identifies the general systems or functions to which the
information applies. If the System is 3 characters the first character is
the optional Material Item Category Code used to identify which SNS
is being used or to differentiate between different definitions within
the same SNS.

Section/Subsection or Sub-System/Sub-Sub-System: (1
alphanumeric character each)
The Sub-System/Sub-Sub-System defines a breakdown of systems
within the each
System.

Subject or Unit/Assembly: (2 or 4 alphanumeric characters)

Unit or assembly provides identification for units in complex systems.
The allocation of this element must be clearly defined in that
project’s business rules.

Material Item Category Code (MICC): (1 alphanumeric character)

This is an optional code applied to the front of the SNS to identify
which SNS is being used, or to differentiate between different
definitions within the same SNS.

Disassembly Code (DC\DCV): (DC(2) \ DCV(1-3) alphanumeric

characters)
The DC identifies the breakdown condition of an assembly to which
maintenance information applies. The DCV designates alternative
items of equipment or components differing slightly in design, but
not enough to warrant a change of the system difference code.

Information Code (IC\ICV): (IC(3) \ ICV(1) alphanumeric characters)

The IC is used to identify the specific type of information within a
Data Module, The ICV indicates any variation in the activity defined
by the information code. The generic codes are alpha characters. The
default ICV is always coded “A”, successive variants are coded B, C,
etc.

Item Location Code (ILC): (1 alphanumeric character)

The ILC indicates where the maintenance task will be carried out or
where the information is applicable.

Learn Code (LC): (3 alphanumeric characters)

Used only in Learning Data Modules the learn code describes the
type of human performance technology or training information that
is in the content of the Learning Data Module.

Learn Event Code (LEC): (1 alphanumeric character)

Used only in Learning Data Modules the learn event code describes
which branch of the learning schema is to be used.

STE - SIMPLIFIED Technical English

In the late 1970s, the Association of European Airlines (AEA) asked
the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA) to
investigate the readability of maintenance documentation in the civil
aircraft industry and find a solution to standardize the language used
to write such documentation. AECMA asked the Aerospace Industries
Association (AIA) of America to assist in this project. Two project
groups from AECMA and AIA were formed. STE is an international
specification to write the technical manuals in controlled language.

The basic principle of STE is to keep texts as simple and readable as

possible.

Why STE

STE became necessary because,

 A reduced number of words

 Words with defined meanings

 Words with defined parts of speech

  A simplified grammar structure

 maximum benefit of the users

Basic Principles of STE

 STE is a set of writing rules and a dictionary of controlled

vocabulary

 The primary purpose of STE is to make technical texts easy to

understand by all readers

 STE is an adaptable and flexible resource for writing accuracy

 The STE controlled general vocabulary has sufficient words to

write all technical sentences

 In addition to this general vocabulary, STE permits the

unrestricted use of words that are ‘technical names’ and
‘technical verbs’