Summary of ISO/TC 201 standard: I ISO 14976:1998—surface chemical analysis —data transfer format
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SURFACE AND INTERFACE ANALYSIS Surf. Interface Anal. 27, 693–694 (1999) Summary of ISO/TC 201 Standard: I ISO 14976:1998— Surface Chemical Analysis—Data Transfer Format M. P. Seah National Physical Laboratory, Teddi´ ngton, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK This International Standard specifies a format to transfer data from computer to computer via parallel interfaces or via serial interfaces over direct wire, telephone line, local area network or other communications link. The transferred data are encoded only in those characters that appear on a normal display or printer. The format is suitable for AES, EDX, FABMS, ISS, SIMS, SNMS, UPS, XPS, XRF and similar analytical methods. It covers spectra, elemental maps, depth profiles and sequences of data resulting from a variety of experiments. Crown Copyright 1999 KEYWORDS: data formats; data storage; spectra; maps; depth profiles; international standards SUMMARY International Standard ISO 14976 was prepared by Tech- nical Committee ISO/TC 201, Surface Chemical Analysis, Subcommittee 3, Data Management and Treatment. In surface analysis many commercial instruments are operated through a computer. This computer is also used for processing the captured data, using routines from a built-in set of options for peak synthesis, peak deconvo- lution, background subtraction, peak area measurement, quantification in various levels of sophistication, mapping, depth profile presentation, smoothing, differentiation and a host of other functions. However, many analysts wish to process their data on another computer in their own particular way using programs written to their specifica- tion and under their full control. They need to encode the data in the data-capture computer into a form suitable for transmission and then decode it into the form required in the receiving computer. Spectrometer manufacturer’s data formats all differ, and differ again from instrument model to instrument model. To enable data transfer, a format was established in 1988, 1 with a clearly defined structure using only charac- ters from a uniquely defined 7-Bit ASCII character set. 2,3 This format enables the import and export of data from proprietary software supporting such a facility, as shown in Fig. 1. 4,5 Finally, this format may be read by computer systems for many years to come and so is ideal for those wishing to archive material, particularly for compliance with quality systems. 6,7 To illustrate the use of the format, a wide range of examples is given in the standard. To aid the busy pro- grammer, who may only require a very limited suite of options for his surface analysis instrument, an Annex gives selected simple, partially-encoded versions of the format that cover the most popular uses. This format is based on * Correspondence to: M. P. Seah, National Physical Laboratory, Teddi´ ngton, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK. Figure 1. Schematic of data interchange between commercial software systems associated with spectrometers and custom software systems using the standard format, after Seah 4 following an original by Yoshihara 5 . the earlier VAMAS Standard Data Transfer Format 1 but has three changes: the spectrometer geometry description is now based on a right-handed rather than a left-handed co-ordinate system; the number of entries in the parameter inclusion or exclusion list has been set to zero in order to simplify the format (the ISO Format is thus a sub-set of the VAMAS Format); and the carriage return sequence has been changed from the single 7-bit ASCII charac- ter CARRIAGE RETURN to the two-character sequence of CARRIAGE RETURN followed by LINE FEED. The latter is the correct ‘end of line marker’ in text files on a range of computer types and appears to have been used in all of the systems employing the VAMAS Format. For those wishing to use this format in databases, Infor- mation Formats covering the sample description, calibra- tion procedures and data processing are currently under development as ISO Draft International Standard ISO 14975. 8 CCC 0142–2421/99/070693–02 $17.50 Received 4 March 1999 Crown Copyright 1999 Accepted 16 March 1999
Transcript of Summary of ISO/TC 201 standard: I ISO 14976:1998—surface chemical analysis —data transfer format
SURFACE AND INTERFACE ANALYSISSurf. Interface Anal. 27, 693–694 (1999)
Summary of ISO/TC 201 Standard: IISO 14976:1998—Surface ChemicalAnalysis—Data Transfer Format
M. P. SeahNational Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK
This International Standard specifies a format to transfer data from computer to computer via parallelinterfaces or via serial interfaces over direct wire, telephone line, local area network or other communicationslink. The transferred data are encoded only in those characters that appear on a normal display or printer.The format is suitable for AES, EDX, FABMS, ISS, SIMS, SNMS, UPS, XPS, XRF and similar analyticalmethods. It covers spectra, elemental maps, depth profiles and sequences of data resulting from a variety ofexperiments. Crown Copyright 1999
KEYWORDS: data formats; data storage; spectra; maps; depth profiles; international standards
SUMMARY
International Standard ISO 14976 was prepared by Tech-nical Committee ISO/TC 201,Surface Chemical Analysis,Subcommittee 3,Data Management and Treatment.
In surface analysis many commercial instruments areoperated through a computer. This computer is also usedfor processing the captured data, using routines from abuilt-in set of options for peak synthesis, peak deconvo-lution, background subtraction, peak area measurement,quantification in various levels of sophistication, mapping,depth profile presentation, smoothing, differentiation anda host of other functions. However, many analysts wishto process their data on another computer in their ownparticular way using programs written to their specifica-tion and under their full control. They need to encode thedata in the data-capture computer into a form suitable fortransmission and then decode it into the form required inthe receiving computer. Spectrometer manufacturer’s dataformats all differ, and differ again from instrument modelto instrument model.
To enable data transfer, a format was established in1988,1 with a clearly defined structure using only charac-ters from a uniquely defined 7-Bit ASCII character set.2,3
This format enables the import and export of data fromproprietary software supporting such a facility, as shownin Fig. 1.4,5 Finally, this format may be read by computersystems for many years to come and so is ideal for thosewishing to archive material, particularly for compliancewith quality systems.6,7
To illustrate the use of the format, a wide range ofexamples is given in the standard. To aid the busy pro-grammer, who may only require a very limited suite ofoptions for his surface analysis instrument, an Annex givesselected simple, partially-encoded versions of the formatthat cover the most popular uses. This format is based on
* Correspondence to: M. P. Seah, National Physical Laboratory,Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK.
Figure 1. Schematic of data interchange between commercialsoftware systems associated with spectrometers and customsoftware systems using the standard format, after Seah4
following an original by Yoshihara5.
the earlier VAMAS Standard Data Transfer Format1 buthas three changes: the spectrometer geometry descriptionis now based on a right-handed rather than a left-handedco-ordinate system; the number of entries in the parameterinclusion or exclusion list has been set to zero in orderto simplify the format (the ISO Format is thus a sub-setof the VAMAS Format); and the carriage return sequencehas been changed from the single 7-bit ASCII charac-ter CARRIAGE RETURN to the two-character sequenceof CARRIAGE RETURN followed by LINE FEED. Thelatter is the correct ‘end of line marker’ in text files on arange of computer types and appears to have been usedin all of the systems employing the VAMAS Format.
For those wishing to use this format in databases, Infor-mation Formats covering the sample description, calibra-tion procedures and data processing are currently underdevelopment as ISO Draft International Standard ISO14975.8
CCC 0142–2421/99/070693–02 $17.50 Received 4 March 1999Crown Copyright 1999 Accepted 16 March 1999
694 M. P. SEAH
CURRENT LIST OF STANDARDS FROMISO/TC 201
(I) ISO 14976:1998—Surface ChemicalAnalysis—Data Transfer Format
The ISO standards can be purchased from national stan-dards bodies or from authorized sales agents. Information
on sales outlets in different countries can be obtainedfrom ISO Marketing Services, Case Postale 56, CH-1211Geneva 20, Switzerland. More information about ISO/TC201—Surface Chemical Analysismay be obtained fromMr T. Ito, Secretariat of ISO/TC 201, Japanese StandardsAssociation, 4-9-22 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052,Japan.
REFERENCES
1. W. A. Dench, L. B. Hazell and M. P. Seah, Surf. Interface Anal.13, 63 (1988).
2. ISO 646-1983 Information Processing ISO 7-Bit CodedCharacter Set for Information Interchange, InternationalOrganization for Standardization, Geneva (1983).
3. ANSI X3.4-1986 Coded Character Set 7-Bit AmericanNational Standard Code for Information Interchange. Ameri-can National Standards Institute, New York (1986).
4. M. P. Seah, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 15, 485 (1997).
5. K. Yoshihara, J. Surf. Anal. 1, 169 (1995).6. ISO 9004-2:1991 Quality Management and Quality System
Elements Part 2: Guidelines for Services, InternationalOrganization for Standardization, Geneva (1991).
7. NAMAS Accreditation Standard M10: General Criteria ofCompetence for Calibration and Testing Laboratories.NAMAS, Teddington (1989).
8. ISO 14975 Surface Chemical Analysis Information For-mats (Draft nearing completion).
Surf. Interface Anal. 27, 693–694 (1999) Crown Copyright 1999
