Summary

Review interface descriptions for coverage and completeness.

Description

The interfaces should include, in addition to product component interfaces, all the interfaces with the product integration environment.

Example Work Products



  1. Categories of interfaces
  2. List of interfaces per category
  3. Mapping of the interfaces to the product components and the product integration environment


Subpractices



1. Review interface data for completeness and ensure complete coverage of all interfaces.

Consider all the product components and prepare a relationship table. Interfaces are usually classified in three main classes: environmental, physical, and functional. Typical categories for these classes include the following: mechanical, fluid, sound, electrical, climatic, electromagnetic, thermal, message, and the human-machine or human interface.

 

Examples of interfaces (e.g., for mechanical or electronic components) that may be classified within these three classes include the following:
  • Mechanical interfaces (e.g., weight and size, center of gravity, clearance of parts in operation, space required for maintenance, fixed links, mobile links, and shocks and vibrations received from the bearing structure)
  • Noise interfaces (e.g., noise transmitted by the structure, noise transmitted in the air, and acoustics)
  • Climatic interfaces (e.g., temperature, humidity, pressure, and salinity)
  • Thermal interfaces (e.g., heat dissipation, transmission of heat to the bearing structure, and air conditioning characteristics)
  • Fluid interfaces (e.g., fresh water inlet/outlet, seawater inlet/outlet for a naval/coastal product, air conditioning, compressed air, nitrogen, fuel, lubricating oil, and exhaust gas outlet)
  • Electrical interfaces (e.g., power supply consumption by network with transients and peak values; nonsensitive control signal for power supply and communications; sensitive signal [e.g., analog links]; disturbing signal [e.g., microwave]; and grounding signal to comply with the TEMPEST standard)
  • Electromagnetic interfaces (e.g., magnetic field, radio and radar links, optical band link wave guides, and coaxial and optical fibers)
  • Human-machine interface (e.g., audio or voice synthesis, audio or voice recognition, display [analog dial, television screen, or liquid-crystal display, indicators' light-emitting diodes], and manual controls [pedal, joystick, ball, keys, push buttons, or touch screen])
  • Message interfaces (e.g., origination, destination, stimulus, protocols, and data characteristics)



2. Ensure that product components and interfaces are marked to ensure easy and correct connection to the joining product component.

3. Periodically review the adequacy of interface descriptions.

Once established, the interface descriptions should be periodically reviewed to ensure there is no deviation between the existing descriptions and the products being developed, processed, produced, or bought.

The interface descriptions for product components should be reviewed with relevant stakeholders to avoid misinterpretations, reduce delays, and prevent the development of interfaces that do not work properly.