B-203547 L/M, OCT 5, 1981, OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL
Highlights
GAO BELIEVES FED-STD 1031 IS OBSOLETE AND SHOULD NOT BE ADOPTED AS A GOVERNMENT-WIDE STANDARD. WE ARE OPPOSED TO FPMR SEC. 101-36.1308-19. WE BELIEVE FED-STD 1031 IS OBSOLETE AND SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED WITHOUT CONCURRENCE OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. ALTHOUGH THE STANDARD MAY HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED USE. IS NO LONGER TECHNICALLY JUSTIFIED. NEW TECHNOLOGY USING MICRO COMPUTERS WILL ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERFACES WITH MULTIFUNCTIONS PER LINE. A 15 PIN INTERFACE WITH SEVERAL COMMANDS SENT OVER A SINGLE LINE COULD HAVE MORE CAPABILITY THAN THE EIA STANDARD RS 449 APPROACH WITH A 37 PIN INTERFACE. WE ALSO BELIEVE A NEW STANDARD SHOULD BE DEVELOPED BASED ON A MICRO COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO REPLACE THE EXISTING EIA STANDARD RS 232-C WHICH IS WIDELY USED AND THAT THE NEW STANDARD SHOULD BE A JOINT FIPS-PUB/FED STD REPRESENTING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS AND THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.
B-203547 L/M, OCT 5, 1981, OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL
DIGEST: GAO OPPOSES PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS (FPMR) ADDING FPMR SEC. 101-36, 1308-19, FED-STD 1031, GENERAL PURPOSE 37- POSITION AND 9-POSITION INTERFACE BETWEEN DATA TERMINAL EQUIPMENT AND DATA CIRCUIT TERMINATING EQUIPMENT. GAO BELIEVES FED-STD 1031 IS OBSOLETE AND SHOULD NOT BE ADOPTED AS A GOVERNMENT-WIDE STANDARD. GAO RECOMMENDS NEW STANDARD BASED ON MICROCOMPUTER TECHNOLOGY BE DEVELOPED AS JOINT FIPS PUB/FED-STD REPRESENTING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS AND THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.
MR. PHILIP G. READ, FEDERAL PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS DIRECTORATE:
BY LETTER DATED JUNE 21, 1981 YOU REQUESTED OUR COMMENTS ON A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS (FPMR) REGARDING STANDARD TERMINOLOGY FOR USE IN SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATIONS (FIPS-PUB) AND FEDERAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS (FED-STD).
WE ARE OPPOSED TO FPMR SEC. 101-36.1308-19, FED-STD 1031, GENERAL PURPOSE 37-POSITION AND 9-POSITION INTERFACE BETWEEN DATA TERMINAL EQUIPMENT AND DATA CIRCUIT TERMINATING EQUIPMENT. WE BELIEVE FED-STD 1031 IS OBSOLETE AND SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED WITHOUT CONCURRENCE OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. ALTHOUGH THE STANDARD MAY HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED USE, IT SHOULD NOT BE ADOPTED AS A GOVERNMENT-WIDE STANDARD. THE CONCEPT OF ADDING A NEW LINE FOR NEW FUNCTIONS AS SPECIFIED BY ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION (EIA) STANDARD RS 449, IS NO LONGER TECHNICALLY JUSTIFIED. NEW TECHNOLOGY USING MICRO COMPUTERS WILL ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERFACES WITH MULTIFUNCTIONS PER LINE. FOR EXAMPLE, A 15 PIN INTERFACE WITH SEVERAL COMMANDS SENT OVER A SINGLE LINE COULD HAVE MORE CAPABILITY THAN THE EIA STANDARD RS 449 APPROACH WITH A 37 PIN INTERFACE.
WE ALSO BELIEVE A NEW STANDARD SHOULD BE DEVELOPED BASED ON A MICRO COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO REPLACE THE EXISTING EIA STANDARD RS 232-C WHICH IS WIDELY USED AND THAT THE NEW STANDARD SHOULD BE A JOINT FIPS-PUB/FED STD REPRESENTING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS AND THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.
WE HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS TO OFFER.