Level Type

The level type is an attribute of a numeric Property indicating its values are defined for different levels. The levels define operating ranges for products within the class (not like the range constraint that restricts the domain). The levels that can be defined in the CDP are:  

• MIN (minimum of the value);

• NOM (value as designated);

• TYP (value as typically present);

• MAX (maximum of the value)

Note: There was a Level Type Property that was available between Version 7.0 and Version 13.0. The old Level type (only Advanced) is a data type of a Property that specifies the usual characteristics of  the minimal, maximal, typical and nominal value (min, max, typ, nom). This concept is described in EN 61360-1:2017 

The concept is only possible for the following data types:

• DATE

• INTEGER (x)

• REAL (x)

• TIMESTAMP

• TIME

When creating a new Property, and specifying one of the mentioned data types, the flag "is level" can be set. Then it is possible to define the individual levels in the attribute "Level types". 

When creating a Level-Property in the CDP Single-Level-Properties (e.g., Min, Max, Nom) are created automatically (including mapping to the levels). The name/definition for the Single-Level-Properties is also created automatically (by adding the Property-Level to the name/definition). For each Property-Level a separate Property is maintained consistently by CDP.  When changing the definition or the preferred name for the Level-Property, the attributes will be changed for all Single-Level-Properties, too. The Change requests in the tree view in the CDP look as follows after creating a Property with levels:

After the release is processed, the Single-Level-Properties with their IRDIS are displayed in the Level-Property.

A Range_Constraint restricts the domain of values of an ordered type to a subset of values defined by an interval. Note: Strings are not considered as ordered types and cannot be constrained by a range_constraint (From ISO 13584-42 “Range_constraint”). 

The range-constraint applies only for numeric data type, that is

• INTEGER_COUNT
• INTEGER_MEASURE
• REAL_COUNT
• REAL_MEASURE

A range-constraint can be applied to level or non-level properties. If a range-constraint is applied to a Property with value list, all values must respect the range constraint, this needs to be checked by assign value list to Property. For those Properties that are associated with a unit and alternative units, the constraint applies to the value corresponding to the unit. For those Properties that are associated with a currency, the constraint applies to the currency specified in their data type definition. Range-constraint will not be exported in Basic-Representation.

Example 1:

A property “Celsius Temperature” might have a range-constraint that it may never be less then -273,15 °C.

Example 2:

A property “Amount of RAM” used in an application class laptop might have a range-constraint that it may never be less than 0. However, some laptops might have a level (of values) for the property “Amount of RAM” which might be defined on basis of Level MIN Amount of RAM 8GB and MAX Amount of RAM MAX 32GB. 

What is the difference between a Level Property and a range constraint Property?

The range-constraint restricts the domain (=possible set of values) of the Property, while the Property Levels define operating ranges for products within the class, which naturally must consider the range-constraint.

When creating a new Property, and specifying one of the applicable data types for a range constraint it is possible to define the range for the Property by filling in the fields below. 

Intervals are either open or closed or both. 

Open intervals use parentheses ( ) and refer to intervals that do not include the endpoints. Closed intervals use square or box brackets [ ] and refer to intervals that do include the endpoints. When “include” is ON, it means that the value is part of the interval (closed interval), e.g.: 

• min=0, includeMin=Y, max=2, includeMax=Y → [0,2] (values of range: 0,1,2)
• min=0, includeMin=N, max=2, includeMax=N → (0,2) (values of range: 1)
• min=0, includeMin=Y, max=2, includeMax=N → [0,2) (values of range: 0,1)
• min=0, includeMin=N, max=2, includeMax=Y → (0,2] (values of range: 1,2

So in the picture below the value that is defined in Min. is included in the range constraint, and the Max. value is not. Thus the values of the range are [0,1).