stds-802-16: SDL for 802.16

["Roger B. Marks" <marks@boulder.nist.gov>]

Working Group 802.16:

I would like to create an ad hoc committee to make a recommendation 
regarding how 802.16 can make use of Specification and Description 
Language (SDL).

As Ian Gifford (Vice Chair of 802.15) told me: "SDL is a formal, 
object-oriented language defined by ITU-T as recommendation Z.100. 
The language is intended for specification of complex, event-driven, 
real-time, and interactive applications involving many concurrent 
activities which communicate using discrete signals. The strength of 
SDL is its ability to describe the structure, behavior, and data of a 
system. Recently added power (the SDL-96 amendment) includes an open 
structure and an integration of ASN.1 as defined in Z.105."

802.15 is very high on SDL. As I understand it, they intend to create 
an SDL description of the entire standard and incorporate it as part 
of the standard. This is supposed to eliminate ambiguity and provide 
an opportunity to test the protocols. I understand that 
implementations of SDL allow for the creation of blocks that can be 
imported into simulation tools.

You might want to read a presentation to 802.15 on the topic:
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/15/pub/2000/Mar00/00044r0P802-15_TG1-Overview-of-SDLs.ppt

There was an 802 tutorial in Albuquerque on Tree and Tabular Combined 
Notation (TTCN):
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/15/pub/2000/Mar00/00063r0P802-15_TG1-TTCN-Protocol-Testing-on-Steriods.ppt
This is an ISO/IEC standard that is supposed to lead to powerful 
protocol testing. I understand that there is a standard called ASN.1 
(Abstract Syntax Notation One) and that the ASN.1 notation can be 
used in both SDL and TTCN.

There is some interest in sharing some of the SDL work with 802.15, 
particularly where we can find commonality. Note that, like 802.16, 
802.15 is supporting multimedia.

802.11 has also been making use of SDL, but, I understand, has done 
so retroactively (after publication of the standard).

I have talked to a few 802.16 people about this topic. Most have been 
in favor of making use of it.

I have made tentative plans for one of the primary 802.15 SDL authors 
to speak to us about the topic at Session #8 (July). I think that 
would be a good time to initiate our own effort, if we choose to do 
so.

I would like to hear your comments on this topic (address them to the 
reflector <mailto:stds-802-16@ieee.org>). Also, please let me know if 
you'd like to serve on an ad hoc committee to look into the issues 
and make a recommendation on how we should proceed.

Regards,

Roger