Specification and Description Language (SDL) models
Purpose: To provide feedback to the standards development team on the
performance, operation, and completeness of the protocols described in
the latest draft standard, "Wireless Medium Access Control (MAC) and
Physical Layer PHY) specifications for low rate wireless personal
area networks," from IEEE 802.15.4.
This page lists the models that use the Specification and Description
Language (SDL).
These SDL models were created to test the protocols' behavior during the
development cycle (i.e., letter balloting periods). For this reason the
SDL models are used as a rapid prototyping tool, not as a formal
specification tool. These SDL models were created using the Telelogic
Tau 4.2 SDL Suite.*
None of the SDL models are complete because:
- of time constraints,
- not all areas were studied,
- assumptions were made to simplify certain areas,
- the draft's protocols were incomplete or ambiguous in certain areas, and
- of a new version of the draft standard being available.
The results of the creation and testing of these SDL models were used to improve
the draft standard (e.g., clarify text or remove ambiguity,) by submitting
comments during the letter balloting periods. Since the SDL models were based
on one version of the draft standard and were used as input to create the next
version of the draft standard, the SDL models were obsolete just as
soon as the next version of the draft standard was released.
If one follows the SDL Guidelines (ETSI ETR 298 or EG 202-106) for creating a
formalization of a protocol using the SDL, then only steps one
(structure/architecture) and two (behavior) are followed here in these models.
Step three (data) is only touched upon. Please note that only now since the
draft standard has been finalized, can these SDL Guidelines be applied.
Prior to this the criteria was not met.
These models are for protocol understanding and behavior, not code generation.
* Telelogic Tau 4.2 SDL Suite is a product of Telelogic AB, Malmo, Sweden.
Use of this product does not constitute an endorsement by the NIST.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Advanced Network Technologies Division
Last update: August 1, 2003