Abstract
The ASTM E01.25 Subcommittee on Laboratory Analytical Data Interchange Protocols and Information Management develops analytical data interchange protocols (ANDI protocols) to increase laboratory efficiency and productivity by facilitating the integration and use of data from multiple vendors' instruments. Created initially under the auspices of the Analytical Instrument Association (AIA—a trade association for manufacturers of high technology laboratory analytical products and systems used for chemical and biomolecular analysis, now ALSSA), the ANDI protocols for chromatographic data and for mass spectral data have been successfully incorporated into several vendors' products.
In the fall of 1988 the AIA Board of Directors established a task group, led by David Nelson, to recommend a transfer vehicle and standardized file formats for data interchange. The analytical data model was based on the Analytical Data Integration and Storage Specification architecture (ADISS) developed by Richard Lysakowski. The AIA group adopted NetCDF, developed and maintained by the Unidata Program, which is funded by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences of the National Science Foundation (www.unidata.ucar.edu), as the software transfer vehicle.
The first ANDI protocol for chromatographic data was released in 1992. Two years later, the AIA working group for mass spectrometry, led by David Stranz, promulgated an ANDI protocol for mass spectral data. Standardized analytical data interchange efforts continued with AIA members focused on testing and implementation of ANDI protocols in new revisions of software and adapting ANDI protocols for new data file types and additional analytical techniques.
In 1997, the AIA asked the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to take over the ANDI standards. A new subcommittee, E49.08 on Analytical Data Interchange Protocols, was established under ASTM Committee E49 on Computerized Systems and Chemical and Material Information. Over the next three years, under the leadership of Subcommittee Chair Lynn Matthews, the AIA ANDI standards for two-dimensional chromatographic and MS data were transformed into four ASTM standards: E1947–98 “Standard Specification for Analytical Data Interchange Protocol for Chromatographic Data” and E1948–98 “Standard Guide for Analytical Data Interchange Protocol for Chromatographic Data.” The E2077-00 “Standard Specification for Analytical Data Interchange Protocol for Mass Spectrometric Data” and E2078-00 “Standard Guide for Analytical Data Interchange Protocol for Mass Spectrometric Data” have now been published. Recently, as a result of ASTM reorganization, the analytical data interchange subcommittee was moved under Committee E01 on Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores and Related Materials and designated Subcommittee E01.25 on Laboratory Analytical Data Interchange Protocols and Information Management.
The ANDI protocols provide a standardized format for the creation of files containing raw data and results. This standard format has the file extension “.cdf” (derived from NetCDF) regardless of whether the files originate from chromatographic or mass spectral data. The contents of the file include typical header information like instrument, column, detector, and operator followed by raw data and/or processed results. Once data have been written or converted to ANDI protocol, they can be read and processed by software packages that support the ANDI protocols. Data integrity is preserved in the ANDI protocol format and is periodically checked in cross-vendor round robin analyses. It is important to note that in transforming the standards from AIA to the ASTM, the documentation was rewritten extensively, but the underlying protocols for data interchange were not changed.
ANDI protocols can help you to increase the efficiency of your laboratory by making it easier to: 1) transfer data between various vendors' instrument systems, 2) provide LIMS communications, 3) link data to document processing applications, 4) link data to spreadsheet applications, and 5) archive analytical data. The ANDI protocols are consistent, vendor-independent data formats that facilitate the analytical data interchange for these activities.
The following list of articles contain more information about the ANDI protocols: “The Standard for Chromatography Data Communication from the Analytical Instrument Association” (American Laboratory,
With the initial tasks of converting the original AIA standards into ASTM standards complete, the E01.25 subcommittee is now ready to determine how to extend these standards to best suit the needs of the main beneficiaries: you, the users of systems incorporating these data interchange protocols. The following questionnaire is one mechanism that the committee is using to reach as wide an audience as possible and to ascertain the needs of the user community. Therefore, to help the committee identify and respond to your data interchange needs, please take a very few minutes to visit our web site and fill out the questionnaire.
Analytical Data Interchange Protocol
Questionnaire (takes less than 5 minutes) at www.astm.org/COMMIT/QUESTIONNAIRE/index.html
BACKGROUND
Committee
In July 1997 Subcommittee E49.08 came into existence to establish and develop the “Analytical Data Interchange Protocol” for chromatographic and mass spectrometric data. A starting point for this activity was the existing protocols that were at that time under the jurisdiction of the
Within E49.08 two task groups were established to work separately on the chromatography and mass spectrometry protocols.
The Chromatography protocols have now been accepted as official ASTM standards and are documents E1947–98 and E1948–98.
The mass spectrometry documents have been accepted as official ASTM standards and are documents E2077-00 and E2078-00.
In February 2000, jurisdiction of the standards and membership of Subcommittee E49.08, were transferred to Subcommittee
WHERE TO NOW?
We of the E01.25 subcommittee are now ready to determine how to extend these protocols to best suit the needs of the main beneficiaries of these standards, which is you the users of systems incorporating support of these data interchange protocols.
To this end, we have decided to try and reach as wide an audience as possible with the questionnaire to canvass the needs of the user community in order that we can be most responsive to the needs of that community.
Therefore, we urge you to take the few minutes required to fill in and return the questionnaire as soon as possible. Thank you.
ANALYTICAL DATA INTERCHANGE PROTOCOL — QUESTIONNAIRE
We value your input and thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to complete the questionnaire on line. If you should have a specific question relating to how to answer any item below, please-mail
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