This paper presents the description of the updated Data Display Markup Language (DDML), a neutral format for data display configurations. The development of DDML is motivated by the fact that in joint service program systems, there is a critical need for common data displays to support distributed T&E missions, irrespective of the test location, data acquisition system, and display system. DDML enables standard data displays to be specified for any given system under test, irrespective of the display vendor or system in which they will be implemented. The version 3.0 of DDML represents a more mature language than the version 1.0 presented at the 2003 ITC. The updated version has been validated for completeness and robustness by developing translators between DDML and numerous vendor formats. The DDML schema has been presented to the Range Commander’s Council (RCC) Data Multiplex Committee for consideration for inclusion in the IRIG 106 standard. The DDML model will be described in terms of both the XML schema and the UML model, and various examples of DDML models will be presented. The intent of this paper is to solicit specific input from the community on this potential RCC standard.

In this paper, we discuss the benefits of maintaining a neutral-format hardware specification along with the telemetry metadata specification. We present several reasons and methods for maintaining the hardware specifications, as well as several potential uses of hardware specification. These uses include cross-validation with the telemetry metadata and automatic generation of both metadata and instrumentation networks.

This paper describes a methodology for aircraft T&E processes that exploits the advantages of the IEEE 1451 family of standards, including the design, implementation, test, and maintenance of instrumentation systems. The methodology includes the use of handheld and desktop applications that support the design of sensor networks, commissioning of sensors, sensor health monitoring, sensor plug-and-play capability, alarm management, and reports. The methodology incorporates the use of existing instrumentation support systems that have traditionally been used for aircraft T&E processes.

The focus of this paper is to describe a unified methodology for developing both internal and external data display translators between an Instrumentation Support System (ISS) format and Data Display Markup Language (DDML), a neutral language for describing data displays. The methodology includes aspects common to both ISSs that have a well documented text-based save format and those that do not, as well as aspects that are unique to each type. We will also describe the means by which an external translator can be integrated into a translator framework. Finally, we will describe how an internal translator can be integrated directly into the ISS.

In this paper we provide the motivation for a neutral instrumentation hardware abstraction language that is focused on the description and control of instrumentation systems and networks. We also describe the design approach and structure of such a language that meets the needs. The language design is described according to the three roles it must serve: (1) as a descriptive language for specifying and describing the components and configuration of an instrumentation system, (2) as a command language for issuing configuration and data commands to instrumentation hardware and (3) as a query language for requesting the current state of instrumentation hardware.

The Instrumentation Hardware Abstraction Language (IHAL) has been developed to be a neutral language that is focused on the description and control of instrumentation systems and networks. This paper describes the various instrumentation configuration management tools we have designed that make use of IHAL’s neutral specification of instrumentation networks. We discuss the features currently present in prototypes as well as future enhancements.