- Author
- Begley, E. F. | Palmer, M. E. | Reed, K. A.
- Title
- Semantic Mapping Between IAI ifcXML and FIATECH AEX Models for Centrifugal Pumps.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NISTIR 7223, May 2005, 65 p.
- Keywords
- centrifugal pumps | mapping | information technology
- Identifiers
- XML is an acronym for eXtensible Markup Language; IFC design principles and pump-related modeling; AEX design principles and AEX centrifugal pump; test artifact; sample IfcPumpType document; sample AEX centrifugal pump document
- Abstract
- This report describes a semantic mapping between two extensible markup language (XML)1 specifications describing a single type of equipment that is used in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration (HVAC/R) and other types of systems: the centrifugal pump. The first XML specification is called ifcXML and represents the information content of the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as defined by the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI)2. The second XML specification, AEX, is the product of a Fully Integrated and Automated Technology (FIATECH)3 project to define a language for Automating Equipment Information Exchange. The differences between these XML specifications for centrifugal pump information arise from the contrasting viewpoints - design, procurement and maintenance of engineered equipment vs. whole building project - of the FIATECH AEX and IAI IFC efforts. The semantic mapping between these specifcations offers potential benefits to the AEC/FM community as the basis for harmonization of the XML structures of the respective XML schemas as well as the identification and specification of a methodology for harmonizing schemas representing other types of equipment, system information, facility information, and project information. In the near term, the results can be used to establish exchange mechanisms between information systems that utilize the different XML applications in order to test cross-system exchange scenarios. The rest of this introduction provides overviews of XML, IAI, IFC and ifcXML, FIATECH, AEX, uses cases for the IFC and AEX, and centrifugal pumps that should prove useful for understanding the semantic mapping presented later in this report.