[Seavox] Devices

[Vjazilov E.D.]

May be to add:
device_method (chemical, electrical, mechanical,  etc.)

Evgeny Vyazilov

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roy Lowry" <rkl at bodc.ac.uk>
To: <seavox at biwebs1-2.nerc-liv.ac.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 3:04 PM
Subject: [Seavox] Devices


> Dear All,
>
> I'm now thinking about grasping the nettle of putting together a 
> 'device_type' ontology.  There must be dozens of lists of this type 
> around.  Most are flat or a 2-level simple hierarchy (usually implemented 
> using compound terms e.g. bottle:Niskin) and  seem to have entity 
> definition problems, usually with platforms or even parameters sneaking 
> into lists primarily composed of sensors.  Definitions are either absent 
> or extermemly parochial such as 'net used by Alain Bedo in the BOFS 
> project'. The lists are the result of evolution rather than design which 
> means that granularity is about as inconsistent as it could possibly be. 
> We need something better in BODC and I'm guessing we're not alone.
>
> As a start to the process I thought I'd like to gather opinions on the 
> nature of the lists that should make up the ontology.  Here's my very 
> rough straw man, in what is roughly a hierarchical order.
>
> device_category (sample collector, remote sensor, probe, sample processor, 
> sample analyser.....)
> device_discipline (terms like SeaDataNet vocabulary L081 - biological 
> oceanography, physical oceanography etc.)
> device_class (sonar, tide gauge
> device_subclass (single-beam echosounder, multibea, stilling well, bottom 
> pressure recorder, bubbler gauge....
> device_type (something identified by a manufacturer and model number)
> device_instance (something identified by a serial number)
>
> I think device_instance is somewhere where I don't want to go - a global 
> inventory of scientific instrumentation is both too much work and serves 
> little purpose.  So, I suggest we leave that as a local - and far from 
> trivial - issue.
>
> So, I declare the debate open.  Once we have a set of lists we can then 
> set about the real fun of populating them.
>
> Cheers, Roy.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Seavox mailing list
> Seavox at mailman.nerc-liv.ac.uk
> http://mailman.nerc-liv.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/seavox
>