1.1 This practice facilitates the interoperability of NDE imaging and data acquisition equipment by specifying the image data file format in commonly accepted terms. This practice represents a harmonization of NDE imaging systems, or modalities, with the NEMA Standards Publication titled Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM, see http://medical.nema.org/dicom/2003.html), an international standard for image data acquisition, review, storage and archival. In addition, this practice will provide a standard set of industrial NDE specific information object definitions, which travel beyond the scope of standard DICOM modalities. The goal of this practice is to provide a standard by which NDE image/signal data may be displayed on by any system conforming to the ASTM DICONDE format, regardless of which NDE modality was used to acquire the data.

1.2 This practice has been developed to overcome the issues that arise when archiving or analyzing the data from a variety of NDE techniques, each using proprietary data acquisition systems. As data acquisition modalities evolve, data acquired in the past must remain decipherable. This practice proposes an image data file format in such a way that all the technique parameters, along with the image file, are preserved, regardless of changes in NDE technology. This practice will also permit the viewing of a variety of image types (CT, CR, Ultrasonic, Infrared and Eddy Current) on a single workstation, maintaining all of the pertinent technique parameters along with the image file. This practice addresses the exchange of digital information between NDE imaging equipment.

1.3 This practice does not specify:

1.3.1 A testing or validation procedure to assess an implementation's conformance to the standard.

1.3.2 The implementation details of any features of the standard on a device claiming conformance.

1.3.3 The overall set of features and functions to be expected from a system implemented by integrating a group of devices each claiming DICONDE or DICOM conformance.