EDI 841 Specifications/Technical Information

Functional Group SP

X12M Supply Chain Subcommittee

This Draft Standard for Trial Use contains the format and establishes the data contents of the Specifications/Technical Information Transaction Set (841) for use within the context of an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) environment. The transaction set can be used to transmit or request specifications or technical information between trading partners. It can be used to transmit engineering change and engineering change requests. It can also be used to allow EDI trading partners the ability to exchange a complete or partial technical description of a product, process, service, etc. over the same path as any other EDI transaction. The detail area can include graphic, text, parametric, tabular, image, spectral, or audio data. A transmission includes identification information to assist the receiver in interpreting and utilizing the information included in the transaction. Further action as a consequence of the receipt and initial processing of the specification or other technical data may or may not require human intervention. The transmission and receipt of the data may require private agreement between the trading partners to automate the receipt of the data. The total transaction must be in the general form of all ASC X12 transactions so that an EDI computer system will be able to automatically recognize it as a Specification/Technical Information Transaction Set and pass it on for processing of the data itself. The transaction set is not media dependent. The detail area of the Specification/Technical Information Transaction Set provides a structure which allows for the exchange of a variety of specification information. For example, if the transaction contains information describing a complete assembly, it would be necessary to include the assembly model, the models for each of the individual parts, and the associated specifications. In the case of a process it may be necessary to transmit the specification of the product along with the specifications of the process and raw materials. This transaction set can also be linked to other transaction sets. This transaction set is not limited to a specific transmission protocol and uses other standards as applicable where they do not conflict with these requirements for specification transaction.

Heading

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. To indicate the start of a transaction set and to assign a control number

  2. SPI Loop Mandatory
    Repeat >1
    1. To provide a description of the included specification or technical data items.

    2. To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

    3. To transmit information in a free-form format, if necessary, for comment or special instruction

    4. To transmit information contained on an export license

    5. To transmit import license number and effective dates

    6. To indicate customs information

    7. REF Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify identifying numbers.

      2. To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

    8. N1 Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To identify a party by type of organization, name and code

      2. To specify additional names or those longer than 35 characters in length

      3. To specify the location of the named party

      4. To specify the geographic place of the named party

      5. To specify identifying numbers.

      6. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

Detail

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. HL Loop Mandatory
    Repeat >1
    1. To identify dependencies among and the content of hierarchically related groups of data segments.

      To be meaningful, at least one of the SPI, PID, REF, MEA, EFI or CID loops must be present with each occurence of the HL loop.
    2. SPI Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To provide a description of the included specification or technical data items.

        The HL segment may be used to define the hierarchical relationship of product-related specifications reported in the associated HL loop. Product-related specifications may refer to the product in its entirety or to subunits of the product. For example, if the top level refers to an assembly, the second-level HL segment may refer to parts or subassemblies of the top assembly. This pattern may be repeated as often as required.
      2. To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

      3. To describe a product condition causing an engineering change or the condition when presented for service, for a recall notice, or for a service bulletin

        The PRR segment contains the reason for an engineering change.
      4. To specify the disposition of the removed part, subassembly or assembly

        The PRT segment is used to describe what should be done with the parts or assemblies specified in the preceding SPI segment.
      5. To indicate the status of the part being ordered or forecast with respect to this material release or planning document.

        The PRS segment is used to tell the current status of the parts specified in the SPI segment required to make the change.
      6. To specify basic item identification data.

        The repeated pairs of 234 and 234 data elements in the LIN segment can be used to list where this modified part or assembly is used.
      7. To identify a party by type of organization, name and code

      8. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

      9. To provide a free form format that would allow the transmission of text information.

    3. PID Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To describe a product or process in coded or free-form format

      2. To specify a package description and other information.

      3. To specify quantity information.

      4. To specify physical measurements or counts, including dimensions, tolerances, variances, and weights (See Figures Appendix for example of use of C001.)

      5. To specify item unit data

      6. To describe the location in space and time of the axis of an item relative to an origin axis; euclidian geometry has been assumed with orthogonal axes; the sequence of axes has been chosen in the customary sequence of X, Y, and Z; however, it is possible to just use two dimensional space rather than three

      7. To identify the type and transmission of paperwork or supporting information

      8. PKG Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To describe marking, packaging, loading and unloading requirements.

        2. To specify physical measurements or counts, including dimensions, tolerances, variances, and weights (See Figures Appendix for example of use of C001.)

    4. REF Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify identifying numbers.

      2. To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

    5. LX Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To reference a line number in a transaction set.

      2. To specify basic item identification data.

      3. To describe the nature of the test performed.

      4. To specify physical measurements or counts, including dimensions, tolerances, variances, and weights (See Figures Appendix for example of use of C001.)

      5. To define the physical sample parameters associated with a test resulting in discrete measurements.

      6. To define the sampling parameters associated with summary statistics.

      7. To specify pertinent dates and times

      8. To specify identifying numbers.

    6. EFI Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

      2. To transfer binary data in a single data segment and to allow identification of the end of the data segment through a count. There is no identification of the internal structure of the binary data in this segment.

    7. CID Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify the general class or specific characteristic upon which test results are being reported or are to be taken

        The CID segment may be used to define either a general class of properties, such as physical properties, or an individual property within a class. The CID loop allows the user the ability to define specifications such as the properties of the item or class, the environmental conditions under which the specifications apply, the test methods to be used, and other parameters related to properties within the current HL hierarchical level.
      2. To specify item unit data

      3. To describe the nature of the test performed.

      4. To define the physical sample parameters associated with a test resulting in discrete measurements.

      5. To specify a special sample-selection procedure to be followed at the start-up of a process, or following a process upset such as a brief line power loss or product grade change

        The sampling sequence specified in the CSS segment will take precedence over any other sampling rate (PSD03, PSD09, SPS06, CSF02, and CSF03) from the point the CSS01 event occurs until the specified sequence is completed.
        If no other sampling is specified, then only the sampling indicated in this segment is performed when the CSS01 event occurs.
      6. To define the sampling parameters associated with summary statistics.

      7. To provide a free form format that would allow the transmission of text information.

      8. MEA Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To specify physical measurements or counts, including dimensions, tolerances, variances, and weights (See Figures Appendix for example of use of C001.)

        2. To specify pertinent dates and times

        3. To specify identifying numbers.

      9. STA Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To provide summary statistics related to a specific collection of test result values.

        2. To specify pertinent dates and times

        3. To specify identifying numbers.

      10. CSF Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To represent sampling frequency changes or values that are conditional on measurements made on previous samples, related manufacturing stages, or the environment

          The sampling rate specified is the CSF segment. It would take precedence over the normal sampling rate specified in PSD03 while the conditions of the CSF segment are satisfied, but would NOT take precedence over the sampling sequence activated by the proposed CSS segment.
          If no other sampling rate is specified, then the only sampling indicated in the CSF segment is performed while the CSF conditions are met. Sampling will cease when the conditions are no longer met.
          Conditional values specified in DE 740 (Range Minimum) will be interpreted as ``greater than or equal to this value.'' Values specified in DE 741 (Range Maximum) will be interpreted to mean ``less than or equal to this value.''
          Repetitions of the CSF loop allow several frequency changes (and the conditions that would trigger those changes) to be specified.
          If the conditions are such that several CSF values are activated at the same time, the value with the highest sampling rate shall prevail.
        2. To indicate that the next segment begins a loop

        3. CID Loop Optional
          Repeat >1
          1. To specify the general class or specific characteristic upon which test results are being reported or are to be taken

            Either the MEA segment or the STA segment must occur, but not both.
            The CID loop within the CSF loop is used to specify the conditions that will trigger activation of the conditional value in the CSF segment.
            Repetitions of the CID loop will have an implied logical AND between the conditions set in each iteration.
          2. To specify physical measurements or counts, including dimensions, tolerances, variances, and weights (See Figures Appendix for example of use of C001.)

            The elements of the CID segment identify the conditional property. If the property is a measurement from within the manufacturing process of a plant environment, rather than the product, the segment also identifies the location where the measurements are to be observed.
          3. To provide summary statistics related to a specific collection of test result values.

            If the condition is based on single test measurements, the MEA segment is used to specify the units of measure, and the open or closed numeric range of the conditional test.
        4. To indicate that the loop immediately preceding this segment is complete

      11. EFI Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

        2. To transfer binary data in a single data segment and to allow identification of the end of the data segment through a count. There is no identification of the internal structure of the binary data in this segment.

Summary

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. To indicate the end of the transaction set and provide the count of the transmitted segments (including the beginning (ST) and ending (SE) segments).

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