This working group was formed by SAVOIR in 2009. The scope of the remit for the WG was to investigate the currently used data and power interfaces and investigate the possibilities for rationalisation and standardisation of these of these within Europe.

It was the intention to reduce the number of interfaces and variants in use in order to ease the burden on equipment supplier (and their EGSE), to allow more and easier competition between units for users and to simplify and reduce the cost of the CDMU with respect to interface support.

The group split the work into data interfaces and into power interfaces. For each of these, the work was based around an initial survey taking in the opinions of equipment designers/ suppliers, users and those of the providers of the interfacing hardware (CDMU). As a result of the work, findings and recommendations of the WG, a number of activities have been initiated by the Agency.

The WG consisted of a representative cross section of all potentially interested parties in particular covering AOCS equipment manufacturers and users.

Data and Power interfaces were handled separately, but following a similar approach with the work broken down into the following steps:

• Identify all main interface options requested currently on world market for AOCS
• Assess the dominance and relative market importance of each type
• Identify new interface options expected to be requested in the future
• Assess the impact of each interface on the equipment, cost, ITAR, future developments, s/c and potential sales market
• Finally recommend the options to support and identify supporting studies to confirm and implement these results.

These steps were implemented via surveys, survey results assessment and group discussions.