ISO 13209-1:2011

Road vehicles - Open Test sequence eXchange format (OTX) - Part 1: General information and use cases

1 Scope This part of ISO 13209 specifies a standardized, tester-independent, XML-based data exchange format for the documentation and formal description of diagnostic test sequences. The format serves to support the requirements of transferring diagnostic-test-sequence logic between electronic system suppliers, vehicle manufacturers and service dealerships/repair shops. This part of ISO 13209 provides an introduction to the rationale behind ISO 13209. It gives an overview of the document set and structure along with the use case definitions and a common set of resources (definitions, references) for use by all subsequent parts.

Véhicules routiers — Format public d'échange de séquence-tests (OTX) — Partie 1: Information générale et cas d'utilisation

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 26-Oct-2011
• ICS: 43.020 - Road vehicles in general
• ICS: 43.040.15 - Car informatics. On board computer systems
• ICS: 43.180 - Diagnostic, maintenance and test equipment
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 22/SC 31 - Data communication
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 22/SC 31/WG 5 - Test equipment/Data eXchange Formats
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 18-Sep-2023
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Overview

ISO 13209-1:2011 - Road vehicles: Open Test sequence eXchange format (OTX) - Part 1: General information and use cases defines the rationale, document structure and real‑world use cases for the OTX concept. It introduces a tester‑independent, XML‑based data exchange format for the documentation and formal description of diagnostic test sequences. The aim is to enable uniform, machine‑readable transfer of diagnostic logic between electronic system suppliers, OEMs, service dealerships/repair shops and the aftermarket.

Key topics and technical requirements

• XML‑based format & data model: OTX is designed as a formal, machine‑readable representation suitable for visualization and automated processing. (Detailed core model and XSD/UML artifacts are specified in Part 2.)
• OTX Core vs OTX Extensions: The Core defines essential control structures (loops, branches, procedures, sequences). Extensions (otxIFD) provide interfaces for HMI, internationalization, diagnostic communication and other domain‑specific features.
• Use‑case driven design: Part 1 documents clustered use cases - documentation/specification, exchange/reusability, extensibility, localization and runtime execution - which guided the standard’s design.
• Interoperability & integration: OTX is intended to integrate with existing automotive diagnostic standards and infrastructures rather than replace them.
• Quality and lifecycle considerations: Emphasis on improving documentation quality, reducing redundant re‑implementation, enabling single‑source authoring workflows and ensuring long‑term availability of test sequences.
• Actors and processes: Definitions for roles (engineering, manufacturing, after‑sales, aftermarket) and authoring/runtime process chains are provided.
• Normative references: Relies on and complements standards such as ISO 14229 (UDS), ISO 22900 (MVCI) and ISO 22901 (ODX).

Applications and who uses it

• OEM engineering teams standardize and exchange diagnostic procedures across development, manufacturing and after‑sales.
• Electronic system suppliers deliver reusable test sequences that integrate into multiple OEM toolchains.
• Diagnostic tool vendors and VCI integrators implement runtime interpreters, toolchains and adapters (MVCI/GDI/HMI).
• Service dealerships and repair shops receive consistent, human‑readable and machine‑executable procedures for guided diagnostics, reprogramming and initialization.
• Aftermarket and legislative test providers use OTX for long‑term availability and localization of diagnostic content.

Related standards

• ISO 14229 (Unified Diagnostic Services - UDS)
• ISO 22900 (Modular Vehicle Communication Interface - MVCI)
• ISO 22901 (Open Diagnostic Data Exchange - ODX)
• ISO 13209 Parts 2 & 3 (Core data model; standard extensions)

Keywords: ISO 13209-1, OTX, Open Test sequence eXchange, diagnostic test sequences, XML‑based, vehicle diagnostics, OEM, UDS, MVCI, ODX, diagnostic authoring.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL  ISO
STANDARD 13209-1
First edition
2011-11-01
Road vehicles — Open Test sequence
eXchange format (OTX) —
Part 1:
General information and use cases
Véhicules routiers — Format public d’échange de séquence-tests
(OTX) —
Partie 1: Information générale et cas d’utilisation
Reference number
ISO 13209-1:2011(E)
©
ISO 2011
©  ISO 2011
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s
member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 2
4 Document overview and structure . 3
5 General considerations . 3
5.1 Integration of OTX with existing standards. 3
5.2 Improvement of documentation quality . 4
5.3 Refinement of diagnostic authoring processes . 4
5.4 Achieving long-term availability of test sequences . 5
5.5 Setting up a uniform process chain . 6
5.6 OTX authoring and impact on Modular VCI software architecture . 7
5.7 OTX-based runtime system architecture . 9
5.8 OTX benefit examples .10
6 Use case overview and principles .12
6.1 Basic principles for use case definition .12
6.2 Use case clustering .12
6.3 Actors .12
7 Use cases .13
7.1 Cluster 1: Documentation and specification .13
7.2 Cluster 2: Exchange and reusability .14
7.3 Cluster 3: Extensibility .15
7.4 Cluster 4: Localization .15
7.5 Cluster 5: Runtime execution .17
Bibliography .19
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 13209-1 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles, Subcommittee SC 3, Electrical
and electronic equipment.
ISO 13209 consists of the following parts, under the general title  Road vehicles — Open Test sequence
eXchange format (OTX):
—  Part 1: General information and use cases
—  Part 2: Core data model specification and requirements
—  Part 3: Standard extensions and requirements
iv © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Diagnostic test sequences are utilized whenever automotive components or functions with diagnostic abilities
are being diagnosed, tested, reprogrammed or initialized by off-board test equipment. Test sequences define
the succession of interactions between the user (i.e. workshop or assembly line staff), the diagnostic application
(the test equipment) and the vehicle communication interface as well as any calculations and decisions that
have to be carried out. Test sequences provide a means to define interactive, guided diagnostics or similar test
logic.
Today, the automotive industry mainly relies on paper documentation and/or proprietary authoring environ-
ments to document and to implement such test sequences for a specific test application. An author who is
setting up engineering, assembly line or service diagnostic test applications needs to implement the required
test sequences manually, supported by non-uniform test sequence documentation, most likely using different
authoring applications and formats for each specific test application. This redundant effort can be greatly
reduced if processes and tools support the OTX (Open Test sequence eXchange) concept.
ISO 13209 proposes an open and standardized format for the human- and machine-readable description of
diagnostic test sequences. The format supports the requirements of transferring diagnostic-test-sequence
logic uniformly between electronic system suppliers, vehicle manufacturers and service dealerships/repair
shops.
ISO 13209 (also referred to as the OTX standard) is comprised of three parts:
Part 1: General information and use cases
This provides a general overview over the individual parts. It documents use cases that were considered
during the standardization and which are derived from real world scenarios as found in the automotive
industry. It also provides the rationale for proposing the OTX standard, explaining the considerations that
went into the development of that standard and giving an overview of the structure of the concepts and
documents related to ISO 13209.
Part 2: Core data model specification and requirements
This provides the data model specification of the core part of the OTX test sequence description language
in the form of UML design diagrams, XML Schema definitions and descriptive documentation. The core
describes the basic structure underlying every OTX document. This comprises detailed data model
definitions of all required control structures by which test sequence logic is described, as well as definitions
of the outer, enveloping document structure in which test sequence logic is embedded. A tool implementing
the OTX standard has to implement all definitions within Part 2 to be considered compliant with the OTX
standard.
Part 3: Standard extensions and requirements
This provides specifications for ubiquitous functionalities that may, to various extents, be used by every
OTX-based environment. The core data model extensions defined in Part 3 makes use of the extension
mechanisms provided by the OTX language to provide interface definitions for feature sets like HMI
(Human-Machine Interface), internationalization or diagnostic vehicle communication. A tool implementing
the OTX standard does not have to implement all (or any) of the extension definitions within Part 3 to be
considered compliant with the OTX standard.
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  v

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13209-1:2011(E)
Road vehicles — Open Test sequence eXchange format
(OTX) —
Part 1:
General information and use cases
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13209 specifies a standardized, tester-independent, XML-based data exchange format for
the documentation and formal description of diagnostic test sequences. The format serves to support the
requirements of transferring diagnostic-test-sequence logic between electronic system suppliers, vehicle
manufacturers and service dealerships/repair shops.
This part of ISO 13209 provides an introduction to the rationale behind ISO 13209. It gives an overview of the
document set and structure along with the use case definitions and a common set of resources (definitions,
references) for use by all subsequent parts.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document
(including any amendments) applies.
ISO 14229 (all parts), Road vehicles — Unified diagnostic services (UDS)
ISO 22900 (all parts), Road vehicles — Modular vehicle communication interface (MVCI)
ISO 22901 (all parts), Road vehicles — Open diagnostic data exchange (ODX)
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1.1
aftermarket
part of the automotive industry concerned with manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing and
installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after
the sale of the automobile by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to the consumer
3.1.2
after sales
after-sales department
department of an automotive OEM which is concerned with the distribution, retailing, servicing, repair and
installation of vehicles
3.1.3
engineering
engineering department
department of an automotive OEM which is concerned with the design, development, integration and testing
of vehicles
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  1

3.1.4
manufacturing
manufacturing department
department of an automotive OEM which is concerned with the production and end-of-line testing of vehicles
3.1.5
original equipment manufacturer
OEM
automotive company that engineers, manufactures, sells and services vehicles
3.1.6
OTX Core
most generic and stand-alone part of the overall OTX data model which describes the basic structure underlying
every OTX document and comprises detailed data model definitions of all required control structures (loops,
branches, etc.) by which test sequence logic is described, and definitions of the outer, enveloping document
structure in which test sequence logic is embedded
3.1.7
OTX Extension
OTX Standard Interface Definition
otxIFD
set of OTX data type-, action-, term- and signature-definitions that are tailored for a specific area of application
and that are defined outside of the OTX Core
NOTE  OTX Extension model data types, actions and terms needed for communication with systems are usually
hidden behind diverse interfaces (e.g. a MVCI, HMI, GDI, etc.). Through these interfaces, calls can be performed to
external systems whose internal behaviours do not have to be known to the (client) OTX test sequence/runtime. The
system-side interface (server-side) can be proprietary because the adapter design pattern is applied.
3.1.8
test procedure
procedure
stand-alone, configurable flow of OTX actions that can be executed separately by a diagnostic application or
be called from other OTX procedures
3.1.9
test sequence
main procedure
test procedure defining a full test
NOTE  A test sequence is a procedure, but not all procedures are test sequences. By using procedures, a test
sequence can be split into several procedure modules. An adequately assembled set of frequently needed procedures can
serve as a library which provides procedures that are callable from any other (client) procedure or test sequence.
3.2 Abbreviated terms
API Application programming interface
CM Configuration management
GDI Generic device interface
HMI Human-machine interface
JRE Java runtime environment
MVCI Modular vehicle communication interface
OEM Original equipment manufacturer
OTX Open test sequence eXchange
2 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

UML Unified modeling language
XML Extensible markup language
XSD XML Schema Definition
4 Document overview and structure
This part of ISO 13209 is structured into three main sections.
—  Clauses 1 to 3 and the Introduction provide an overview of the concepts that ISO 13209 aims to cover,
define the scope of what is being standardized and provide the basic terms, definitions and abbreviated
terms.
—  Clause 5 details the general considerations that went into the standardization effort, illustrates usage
scenarios on a high level and introduces the design of OTX-based processes and systems.
—  Clauses 6 and 7 define the use cases that were considered during the development of the OTX standard.
5 General considerations
5.1 Integration of OTX with existing standards
An overview of how OTX fits into the structure of existing diagnostic ISO standards is given in Figure 1. Please
note that although this overview depicts OTX in the context of ISO 22900 (MVCI) and ISO 22901 (ODX)
standards, OTX is by no means designed to be used only in conjunction with these standards. The use
of any other equivalent symbolic data description is also supported. It is an explicit design goal of OTX that the
OTX data model can be used within any system context.
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  3

ISO 13209 OTX
D
M
S
A
ISO 14229 UDS ISO 22901 ODX ISO 22900 MVCI
1 2 3
Key
1  ISO 14229 (all parts), Road vehicles — Unified diagnostic services (UDS)
2  ISO 22901 (all parts), Road vehicles — Open diagnostic data exchange (ODX)
3  ISO 22900 (all parts), Road vehicles — Modular vehicle communication interface (MVCI)
4  ISO 13209 (all parts), Road vehicles — Open Test sequence eXchange format (OTX)
D  OEM development
M  OEM manufacturing
S  OEM service/aftersales
A  aftermarket
solid arrows “used by”
dotted arrows “interacts with”
Figure 1 — Integration of OTX with existing standards
5.2 Improvement of documentation quality
At present, documentation of diagnostic test sequences is done in various ways. Documentation exists in the
form of text documents, flow charts, tables, etc. The transporting media are non-uniform paper printouts or
computer files/database entries that are based on proprietary formats. Moreover, some of the diagnostic test
sequence knowledge is transported by verbal communication only.
Since neither the storage format nor the human-readable presentation is standardized, test sequences
have to be re-implemented frequently; the various media used for documenting the related knowledge lead
to misunderstandings and interpretation gaps. Even if the content (the diagnostic expert knowledge) of
documentation is of high quality, the quality and usability of the actual documentation tend to be rather poor.
One of the goals of ISO 13209 is to provide a formal, machine-readable, uniform documentation format. OTX
shall also be designed for easy visualization of diagnostic test sequences. This allows for providing diagnostic
test sequences in a formal, machine-readable format that can at the same time be easily visualized to be
comprehensible to human readers.
5.3 Refinement of diagnostic authoring processes
Diagnostic test sequences exist in a lot of different formats produced by various proprietary authoring tools.
This results in a tight interlocking of authoring tools, data formats and runtime applications. The effect is
poor to non-existent interchangeability of authoring tools, diagnostic applications and of diagnostic test
4 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

sequences themselves. As a consequence, there is a high degree of redundancy within OEM processes, as
test sequences have to be re-modelled multiple times to make them work with different diagnostic applications,
e.g. in engineering, manufacturing or after sales. This reduces productivity and, at the same time, quality.
As shown in Figure 2, OTX is a means to improve the exchangeability of diagnostic test sequences. It enables
OEMs to base their OTX-specific processes on the single source principle, where OTX sequences are the root
of the diagnostic-test-sequence-authoring process starting at the supplier and extending through engineering,
manufacturing and after sales to aftermarket and legislative applications.
Engineering Tool #n
OTX Configuration
Diagnostic
Test
Manufacturing
Sequences
System
Development Feedback
Test Sequence
OEM
description
Diagnostic
in OTX (XML)
Aftersales/
Database
Services
Diagnostic
Test
Sequences
Engineering Tool #1
OTX Configuration
Internet Access
to OTX Portal
Figure 2 — Usage of OTX data in the ECU life cycle
Although the adaptation of a test sequence to a specific runtime context might require a certain amount of
manual implementation work in some cases, the OTX diagnostic test sequence format makes it possible to
automatically convert OTX documentation into proprietary data formats. This can be done by implementing
converters and code generators for target authoring tools and diagnostic applications.
5.4 Achieving long-term availability of test sequences
Because of the reasons outlined in 5.3, automotive OEMs are often tied to their proprietary authoring-system/data-
format/diagnostic-application tool chain. Vast diagnostic test sequence libraries that were accumulated over
years eventually become unusable when migrating to a new diagnostic application that doesn’t support the old,
proprietary sequence formats. Being a standardized data format, OTX offers a higher degree of independency
from proprietary tools. At the same time, suppliers are freed from inventing and maintaining customer-specific
solutions for the representation of the test sequences that are used by their tools, enabling them to provide
OTX-based products instead of customer-tailored solutions. Companies competing on this level can focus
on providing real added value for their authoring and runtime product offerings, the differentiator being tool
features, usability aspects and integration concepts rather than subtle intricacies of highly customer-specific
peculiarities of underlying data formats.
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  5

A rather specific example where OTX improves the availability of test sequences is the Java job concept that is
part of the ISO 22900/ISO 22901 standards. ODX Java jobs are used to describe vehicle-oriented diagnostic
sequences that are executed by a MVCI D-server component. To this end, Java jobs use the D-Server API
standardized by ISO 22900. Since the D-Server API is subject to change and since there is no guarantee that
successive versions of java runtime environments (JRE) used by D-server components support java byte code
generated for previous JRE-versions, long-term compatibility of Java job code is not assured. This issue is of
particular interest to OEM after-sales departments that have to provide long-term support for their vehicles in
the field.
As the OTX standard provides an XML description of diagnostic test sequences, and as XML (derived from
ISO 8879 SGML; forms a subset of the SGML standard) is fully platform- and runtime-environment independent,
the Java job compatibility issue described above can be alleviated. OTX sequences that are the source for
Java job business logic shall use the D-Server API (ISO 22900-2) via an abstraction layer which increases the
independence of test sequences from changes in the D-Server API.
5.5 Setting up a uniform process chain
This section introduces a recommended process to be implemented to exchange diagnostic test sequences
across development, production and service/after-sales departments.
With the increasing complexity of electric/electronic systems in road vehicles, diagnostic requirements grow at
the same rate. Diagnostic test sequences are one major part of this emerging complexity, creating the need for
—  a uniform way to document diagnostic test sequences in development, manufacturing and after-sales
departments that are reusable and available in the long term,
—  a formal, machine-readable test sequence storage format that supports user-friendly, graphical authoring
environments for both viewing and manipulation of test sequences, and
—  exchangeability of diagnostic test sequences between OEM-internal business units, suppliers and other
OEMs.
To help address these requirements, OTX provides a common ground for data exchange processes between
system suppliers, OEM departments (engineering, manufacturing, after sales/service) and the independent
aftermarket automotive service industry.
The process example given in Figure 3 shows the common source concept of test sequence data, including
a verification and feedback mechanism with distribution to end users. Engineering, manufacturing and after-
sales/service departments specify which test sequences are required to diagnose the vehicle components and
functions. This information is documented in a structured format utilizing the OTX standard and an appropriate
OTX authoring system/tool. Once all quality goals are met the OTX file(s) is published to an OEM database.
Diagnostic test sequence information is now available to manufacturing, service, OEM franchised dealers and
aftermarket repair shops via intranet and internet channels.
6 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Phase A Phase B Phase C
System Supplier Vehicle Manufacturer Service Dealership
End-Of-Line
System
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Supplier
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Service Diagnostic
Application &
Engineering
Manufacturing Development Programming
Development
Department
Tools Tool (s)
Tool (s)
#1
:
:
:
:
:
Service
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: :
Department
database
:
(OTX)
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Development
Engineering
Tool (s)
Department
#n
Diagnostic
&
RMI
Programming
database
Development
Tool (s)
Tool (s)
System
Supplier
#n
Figure 3 — Example of an OTX process chain
5.6 OTX authoring and impact on Modular VCI software architecture
5.6.1 Non-OTX-compliant authoring
The upper diagram in Figure 4 illustrates the current process of diagnostic test sequence authoring and its use
in diagnostic applications in combination with an ISO 22900 Modular VCI compliant runtime system framework.
Tool-manufacturer-specific non-OTX-compliant authoring tools are used to generate runtime test sequences
for their specific runtime sequence processors (A, B and C). The content of the test sequence specification
usually derives from non-uniform paper documentation.
5.6.2 OTX-compliant authoring
OTX sequences serve as a formal, uniform documentation for diagnostic test sequences. As such, they may
complement or even replace the heterogeneous prose documentation which is usually used for test sequence
description and documentation.
Refer to the diagrams in Figure 4 which illustrate how to expand the authoring process in order to support a
single source test sequence on process using the OTX exchange format.
© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved  7

Diagnostic and Flash Programming Authoring Diagnostic and Flash Programming Runtime Layer
Diagnostic Applications
A
Runtime
Non OTX
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Authoring
Sequences
A B C
B Sequence Sequence Sequence
Runtime
Processing Processing Processing
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Test
Authoring
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PC
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Abstraction Layer
AccessByValue, AccessByService, AccessByData
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