ISO/TS 29002-4:2009

Overview

ISO/TS 29002-4:2009 defines a conceptual information model and an exchange file format for the basic entities and types used when exchanging characteristic data in industrial automation systems. The standard specifies the conceptual model using Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the physical data format based on Extensible Markup Language (XML). It standardizes common types - such as language, country and currency codes, uniform resource identifiers (URI) and Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) identifiers - and defines an entity for human‑readable localized text. These resources support other parts of the ISO/TS 29002 series (notably Parts 6 and 20).

Key Topics

• Conceptual model (UML): Defines the structure and relationships of basic entities and types for characteristic data exchange.
• Physical format (XML): Provides an exchange file format suitable for tool-to-tool and system-to-system data interchange.
• Standardized types: Language code, country code, currency code, URI and ASN.1 identifier formats to ensure consistent typing across systems.
• Localized text entity: Supports human‑readable descriptions localized into one or more languages for multi‑language user interfaces and documentation.
• Reusability: Resources are designed to be referenced and reused by other ISO/TS 29002 parts (e.g., ISO/TS 29002-6 and ISO/TS 29002-20).
• Interoperability focus: Aims to reduce ambiguity and improve automated processing of characteristic data across vendors and platforms.

Applications and Who Uses It

ISO/TS 29002-4:2009 is practical for organizations and professionals involved in:

• System integrators and automation vendors implementing interoperable data exchange between PLCs, SCADA, DCS and engineering tools.
• Software developers and data architects designing XML-based exchange formats and repositories for product or asset characteristic data.
• Technical documentation and localization teams managing multi-language descriptions and resource identifiers.
• Manufacturers and suppliers exchanging standardized characteristic data (part properties, metadata, configuration attributes) across the supply chain.
• Standards implementers aligning internal models with ISO/TS 29002 series to improve consistency and automation.

Use cases include exchanging equipment characteristic data, building centralized catalogs, multi-language HMI text management, and enabling toolchains to share typed resources with predictable semantics.

Related Standards

• ISO/TS 29002 series - other parts that consume resources from Part 4 (notably ISO/TS 29002-6 and ISO/TS 29002-20).
• Underlying technologies: UML, XML, and identifiers such as ASN.1 (referenced for identifier formats).

Keywords: ISO/TS 29002-4:2009, industrial automation systems, exchange of characteristic data, UML, XML, localized text, ASN.1 identifier, interoperability.