Proposal for White paper debate on Wednesday Afternoon in San Diego

[Mak, Helium]

Dear All,

Sorry that I could not be with you in the Seoul meeting because of budget
constraints. I fully support this debate. I think this is the right time (or
slightly overdue) to settle this issue. My view is, unless ALL the vendors
can provide both interfaces simultaneously for the price of one, we will
create incompatibility issue on the shop floor.

The debate on AP238 or 14649 is more like Betamax or VHS. Both can do the
job, one is more technologically pure. However the users only need one. We,
as standard developer, should not allow our users/vendors to suffer the same
pain as in the case of the war between Betamax and VHS. How many of you
curse Sony because you had purchased the Betamax VCR?

I hope the outcome of the debate will allow us to choose one, whichever
AP238 or 14649, but one!

Regards,

  Helium Mak
  National Research Council Canada.


-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Hardwick [mailto:hardwick at steptools.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 5:26 PM
To: step-manufacturing at steptools.com; step-imp at steptools.com
Subject: Proposal for White paper debate on Wednesday Afternoon in San
Diego



All,

There were intense discussions in Seoul on whether AP-238 or ISO 14649
should be the new standard for CAM to CNC data exchange.

At that meeting we agreed that each side would prepare a white paper
describing the merits of their approach and that these papers should
be circulated before the San Diego meeting.

I propose that we take time out at the San Diego meeting to discuss
the two white papers in a joint meeting with the Implementors Forum
on Wednesday Afternoon (March 12).

The format can be arranged in debating style to be something like:

1. The case for ISO 14649 presented by the 14649 white paper team
2. The case for AP-238 presented by the AP-238 white paper team
3. Discussions from the floor with clarifications and issues being
   raised as necessary
4. Summary by the ISO 14649 team
5. Summary by the AP-238 team

Any decisions can wait until everyone has had time to think about
what was presented.

If this is agreeable then I will make a room reservation in the
SC4 schedule.

Martin Hardwick
Team Leader STEP Manufacturing 
Chair Implementor's Forum