DataItem Types Package

This section provides semantic information for the types of a DataItem.

In the MTConnect Standard, DataItem are defined and organized based upon the DataItem::category and DataItem::type. The DataItem::category provides a high level grouping for DataItems based on the kind of information that is reported by the data item.

These categories are:

SAMPLE: A SAMPLE reports a continuously variable or analog data value.
EVENT: An EVENT reports information representing a functional state, with two or more discrete values, associated with a component or it contains a message. The data provided may be a numeric value or text.
CONDITION: A CONDITION reports information about the health of a piece of equipment and its ability to function.

The DataItem::type specifies the specific kind of data that is reported. For some types of data items, a DataItem::subType may also be used to differentiate between multiple data items of the same DataItem::type where the information reported by the data item has a different, but related, meaning.

Many types of data items provide two forms of data: a value (reported as either a SAMPLE or EVENT) and a health status (reported as a CONDITION). These DataItem types MAY be defined in more than one DataItem::category based on the data that they report.