MAS
April 28, 2026 · View on GitHub
This document lists the external standards that MAS schemas defer to, the ones that are useful informative context, and the genuine gaps where no standard exists and MAS itself is the de-facto registry.
It is organised by the area of MAS each standard backs (shapes, wires, insulation, materials, units, test methods). For each entry:
- Status:
- Normative — MAS field values shall be selected from this standard.
- Informative — useful background, optional citation in tooling.
- Historic — withdrawn or issuing body inactive; cite for context only.
- Gap — no standard exists; MAS is the working registry.
- Cite at: the schema files that should reference this standard in
their
descriptiontext.
The end of this document lists the four "Gap" areas where MAS could become the primary reference if standardisation is later pursued.
1. Core shapes (ferrite)
| Standard | Title | Status | Cite at |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 62317 (parts 1–13) | Ferrite cores — dimensions | Normative | magnetic/core/shape.json, per family (E, ETD, EFD, PQ, RM, EP, PM, EER, P, U) |
| IEC 62317-7 | Ring (toroid) cores — dimensions | Normative | magnetic/core/shape.json (toroid family) |
| IEC 63093-9 | Planar cores — dimensions (supersedes IEC 62317-9) | Normative | magnetic/core/shape.json (planar family) |
| IEC 60401-1 / -3 | Terms, nomenclature and presentation of soft-ferrite catalogue data | Normative | magnetic/core.json, magnetic/core/shape.json |
| IEC 60205 | Calculation of effective parameters of magnetic piece parts (Aₑ, lₑ, Vₑ, C₁) | Normative | every output / schema field that names Ae/le/Ve/C1 |
| DIN 41280 | German predecessor for ferrite core dimensions | Historic | reference only; absorbed into IEC 60401 |
| JIS C 2560:1992 | General rules for ferrite cores (Japanese Standards Association) | Normative (JP-market) | magnetic/core/shape.json (informative cross-ref) |
2. Core materials (ferrite, powder, amorphous, nanocrystalline, electrical steel)
2a. Soft ferrites (MnZn, NiZn — power and signal)
| Standard | Title | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 60404-1 | Magnetic materials — classification | Normative | top-level classification |
| IEC 60404-2 | Methods of measurement of magnetic properties of electrical steel strip and sheet | Normative for measurement (electrical steel; analogous methods used for ferrite characterisation) | |
| IEC 60404-8-1 | Specifications for individual materials — soft ferrites for telecommunications | Normative (telecom-grade only) | does not cover power-electronics ferrite grades |
| IEEE Std 393-1991 (R2007) | Test procedures for magnetic cores (permeability, core loss, saturation) | Normative for test methods, widely cited | aging but still referenced by Magnetics Inc, Fair-Rite |
| MMPA SFG-98 / IMA "Soft Ferrites — A User's Guide" | Compendium of MnZn/NiZn classifications and de-facto grade nomenclature | Historic (MMPA → IMA in 2001, IMA inactive since 2006) | still referenced by vendor literature for legacy grade names |
| JIS C 2560, JIS C 2565 | Ferrite cores — general rules / measuring methods | Normative (JP-market) | cited by TDK, FDK, Hitachi/Proterial datasheets |
Gap: there is no active vendor-neutral standard that classifies power-electronics ferrite grades (N87, 3C95, 3F36, etc.). Each grade is a manufacturer trademark. MAS encodes them via
materialComposition(MnZn/NiZn enum) +name(trade name) +family(manufacturer designation), which is the correct fallback. See "Standardisation gaps" at end of this document.
2b. Soft magnetic powder cores
| Standard | Title | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPIF Standard 35 — Materials Standards for PM Soft Magnetic Materials (2024 ed.) | Iron-based PM soft magnetic alloy classes: FL, FLN, FLN2, FLN4, FLN6, FLNC | Normative (iron-based families only) | does not cover MPP / High Flux / Kool Mµ / Sendust / XFlux |
| IEC 60404-8-9 | Specifications for individual materials — soft composite materials | Normative (general) | does not enumerate commercial powder-core alloys |
Gap: trademarked powder-core families (MPP, High Flux, Kool Mµ, Sendust, XFlux) have no industry-wide registry. Manufacturers' internal codes are all that exists (Magnetics Inc: 55 = MPP, 58 = High Flux, 77 = Kool Mµ). MAS encodes via
materialCompositionenum (FeSiAl, FeNiMo, FeSi, Carbonyl Iron, etc.) — again the correct fallback.
2c. Amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys
| Standard | Title | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A901-12 | Amorphous magnetic core alloys, semi-processed types (Fe-base ribbon) | Normative | |
| IEC 60404-8-10 | Amorphous magnetic strip | Normative | |
| IEC 60404-8-11 | Nanocrystalline strip | Normative |
Gap: trade-name grades (Metglas, FINEMET, Vitroperm, Nanoperm) are proprietary; no public class registry beyond the IEC/ASTM measurement standards above.
2d. Electrical steels (laminated cores)
| Standard | Title | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A772/A772M | AC permeability and core loss using sinusoidal current | Normative | |
| ASTM A773/A773M-21 | DC magnetic properties via hysteresigraph | Normative | |
| ASTM A977/A977M-07(2020) | High-coercivity hysteresigraph testing | Normative | |
| ASTM A1086-20 | Thin-gauge non-oriented fully processed electrical steel | Normative | |
| ASTM A753-21 | Wrought Ni-Fe soft magnetic alloys (UNS K94490 / K94840 / N14076 / N14080) | Normative | |
| JIS C 2552:2014 | Cold-rolled non-oriented electrical steel strip/sheet | Normative (JP-market) | |
| JIS C 2550-1 | Epstein-frame measurement | Normative (JP-market) | |
| SAE AMS 7717F | 50Ni-50Fe sheet/strip, annealed forming grade | Normative (aerospace) | |
| SAE AMS 7718G | 50Ni-50Fe bars/rods/tubing/forgings | Normative (aerospace) | |
| SAE AMS 7701 | Ni-Fe sheet/strip, higher-Ni grade | Normative (aerospace) | |
| MIL-PRF-27G w/Amd 1 | Transformers and inductors (audio / power / HP-pulse), general specification | Normative (defence supply chain) |
3. Wires
3a. Conductor sizes
| Standard | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60228:2023 | Conductors of insulated cables (metric sizes; classes 1–6) | Normative |
| ASTM B258-18 | American Wire Gauge (AWG) — diameters, areas, tolerances | Normative (US-market); informative for IEC documents |
3b. Magnet-wire enamel
| Standard | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60317 (multi-part) | Specifications for particular types of winding wires; sub-parts cover specific enamel chemistries and grade levels | Normative — each MAS coating.grade value (Grade 1 / 2 / 3, plus chemistry) maps to a specific 60317 sub-part |
| NEMA MW 1000 | Magnet wire (US equivalent of IEC 60317), parts MW-15-C through MW-83-C and beyond | Normative (US-market) |
3c. Litz construction
Gap: no standard exists for litz construction (twist scheme, bunching, serving). The strands themselves are covered by IEC 60317 / NEMA MW 1000. The bundle is purely vendor-defined (New England Wire, MWS, Rubadue, Elektrisola). MAS captures
strandCountandouterDiameter; an optionaltwistPitchwould close most of the gap. DIN 46435-1:1966 covered enamelled-wire dimensions but is withdrawn.
4. Insulation and safety
| Standard | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60085:2007 Ed. 4 | Electrical insulation thermal classes (Y/A/E/B/F/H/N/R/200/220/250) | Normative |
| IEC 60112 | Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) and pollution groups (Group I, II, IIIA, IIIB) | Normative |
| IEC 60664-1 | Insulation coordination for low-voltage equipment (clearances, creepage) | Normative |
| IEC 62368-1 | Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment — safety (modern source for reinforced/double/basic insulation definitions) | Normative |
| IEC 61558 (multi-part) | Safety of transformers, reactors, power supply units | Normative |
| IEC 60950 | Information technology equipment — safety (legacy, superseded by 62368-1) | Historic |
| UL 1446 (8th ed., 2025) | Systems of insulating materials — covers magnet-wire coatings, varnishes, insulation systems for transformers / motors / solenoids | Normative (US-market) |
5. Bobbins
Gap: no IEC, ASTM, JIS, or NEMA standard exists for bobbin geometry or naming. Bobbins are matched to cores in vendor catalogues. MAS's bobbin schema is itself the working description — a genuine contribution rather than a citation.
6. Quantities, units, and vocabulary
6a. Units
| Standard | Title | Status | Cite at |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 80000-6 | Quantities and units — Part 6: Electromagnetism | Normative | docs/units.md, top |
| ISO 80000-5 | Quantities and units — Part 5: Thermodynamics (justifies Celsius alongside Kelvin) | Normative | docs/units.md (temperature note) |
6b. Vocabulary — IEV (International Electrotechnical Vocabulary)
The verbatim definitions below are reproduced from IEC 60050. They are the authoritative anchor for the corresponding terms used throughout the MAS schema. Every MAS field name and description is consistent with these definitions. PSMA holds copies of IEV 60050-151 and 60050-221; consult electropedia.org for the on-line edition.
From IEV 60050-151 (Electrical and magnetic devices):
| IEV | Term | Verbatim definition | Used in MAS as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 151-13-14 | turn | Conductor formed into a curve with the end points close together but not coincident. | winding.numberTurns |
| 151-13-15 | coil | Set of series-connected turns, usually coaxial. | strict-sense reference; MAS uses coil more broadly for the wound assembly (industry usage) |
| 151-13-16 | solenoid | Cylindrical coil, the length of which is much greater than its transverse dimensions and which is used to produce a magnetic field. | informative |
| 151-13-17 | winding | Assembly of interconnected turns and/or coils intended for common operation. NOTE — A winding is provided with terminals and is intended to produce a magnetic field when carrying electric currents or to produce voltages between appropriate points when placed in a time-varying magnetic field or moved through a magnetic field. | winding (primary, secondary, auxiliary, ...) |
| 151-13-18 | bifilar winding | Set of two coils the turns of which consist of two contiguous conductors isolated from one another. | informative; specific topologies |
From IEV 60050-221 (Magnetic materials and components):
| IEV | Term | Verbatim definition | Used in MAS as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 221-04-13 | (air) gap | A gap between the magnetic parts of a magnetic circuit, crossed by the magnetic flux lines and short relative to the total magnetic path length. | core/gap |
| 221-04-24 | (magnetic) core | (1) That part of a magnetic circuit composed of magnetic material. (2) That part of a magnetic circuit which is intended to be placed inside a coil in a fixed position relative to the coil. | magnetic.core (both senses) |
| 221-04-25 | laminated (magnetic) core | A core made of magnetically soft sheet material, or pieces cut thereof, stacked in parallel configuration and having an interlamination resistance that is sufficiently high for the application. | informative; future construction-type enum |
| 221-04-26 | magnetic powder core | A core consisting of a compact of magnetic powder particles having contact resistance between particles that is sufficiently high for the application. | core material classification |
| 221-04-27 | strip-wound (magnetic) core | A core made of a strip or strips of magnetically soft material, wound spirally layer upon layer, and having an interlayer resistance that is sufficiently high for the application. | informative; future construction-type enum |
| 221-04-32 | yoke | A part of a magnetic circuit, the main function of which is to provide a low reluctance path for the magnetic flux. | informative; not currently modelled in MAS (yokes are not a distinct piece in the SMPS magnetics MAS targets) |
| 221-04-38 | search coil | A coil or loop of conductor used to detect or measure a magnetic field. | informative |
Industry term not yet in IEV:
- bobbin — the insulating former on which one or more windings are arranged. Universally used in industry but not currently defined in IEV 151 or 221.
6c. Construction families (MAS-defined)
IEC publishes individual core shapes (IEC 62317, IEC 63093) but no
umbrella terms for the higher-level construction family. MAS therefore
defines and uses the following enum values in
core.functionalDescription.type:
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
two-piece set | A core consisting of two identical or mirror-image pieces (e.g. ETD+ETD, PQ+PQ, RM+RM, EP+EP). |
piece and plate | A core consisting of one shaped piece and one flat plate (e.g. EI, U+I, ER+I, EFD+I). |
toroidal | A single ring (toroid) per IEC 62317-7. |
closed shape | A single closed-loop core piece (e.g. one-piece pot core). |
7. Test and measurement methods
| Standard | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60205 | Effective magnetic parameters | Normative |
| IEC 61007 | Transformers and inductors — measuring methods | Normative |
| IEC 62044 (parts 1–3) | Cores for inductive components — measuring methods | Normative |
| IEEE Std 393-1991 (R2007) | Test procedures for magnetic cores | Normative (legacy but active) |
8. Loss models
| Reference | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
Steinmetz (1892) — Trans. AIEE empirical power law | Foundational; cited in every Steinmetz-method MAS field | Informative (academic) |
Roshen (2007) — IEEE Trans. Magnetics 43(8) | Excess-loss + resistivity dependencies | Informative (academic) |
| Micrometals, Magnetics Inc, Fair-Rite, TDG, Magnetec, Poco loss models | Vendor-published curve fits | Informative (vendor) |
Loss-model coefficients in MAS are informative, not normative — IEC 62044 / 61007 standardise the measurement of core losses, not the curve-fitting model. Each MAS loss-method block should carry a
sourcefield citing the primary literature or vendor reference for traceability.
8a. Operating-point conventions (MAS-defined)
The values in outputVoltages and outputCurrents are interpreted
according to the optional sibling fields outputVoltagesForm and
outputCurrentsForm, with the following allowed values:
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
dc (default) | DC value at the load terminal. |
rms | Root-mean-square value over one cycle. |
peak | Maximum absolute instantaneous value. |
peakToPeak | Difference between maximum and minimum instantaneous values. |
average | Mean of the absolute instantaneous values. |
If the form field is absent, the value is interpreted as dc. AC
quantities at the magnetic itself (waveforms, harmonics, peak/RMS at
each winding) live in inputs/operatingPointExcitation, not at the
top-level operating point.
9. Identifier registries (downstream interop)
| Standard | Title | Status | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 11179-6 / ISO 29002-5 | Metadata registries — IRDI format RAI#DI#VI | Normative | RFC 0003 |
| IEC 61360-4 | Common Data Dictionary for electrical/electronic components | Normative | RFC 0003 |
| IEC CDD (https://cdd.iec.ch) | Authoritative IRDI registration authority for IEC classes | Normative | RFC 0003 |
| ECLASS | IEC 61360-conformant industrial classification, IRDI-native (RAI 0173-1) | Normative (industrial fallback) | RFC 0003 |
Standardisation gaps (where MAS is the working registry)
These four areas have no active, vendor-neutral standard at the material-class or construction level. MAS encodes them pragmatically today and is the natural document to fill the gap if international standardisation is later pursued.
| Area | What is missing | Current MAS workaround | Owner if pursued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power-electronics ferrite grade nomenclature (N87, 3C95, 3F36, …) | Vendor-neutral registry of grade classes | materialComposition enum + name + family strings | PSMA Magnetics Committee + IEC TC 51 |
| Powder-core alloy families (MPP, High Flux, Kool Mµ, Sendust, XFlux) | MPIF 35 covers iron-based only; trademarked families have no public registry | materialComposition enum (FeSiAl, FeNiMo, FeSi, Carbonyl Iron, Iron) | MPIF + PSMA + IEC TC 68 |
| Amorphous / nanocrystalline grade classes (Metglas, FINEMET, Vitroperm, Nanoperm) | Trademarked grades, no class registry beyond IEC/ASTM measurement standards | materialComposition + name + family | IEC TC 68 SC 2 |
| Litz wire construction (twist pitch, bunching, serving) | Standards cover the strand only; bundle construction is vendor-defined | strandCount + outerDiameter (extend with optional twistPitch) | NEMA + IEC TC 55 |
Bobbin geometry is a fifth gap but smaller in scope — it would be folded into a future planar-and-bobbin work item rather than its own programme.
Maintenance
- Review this document at every MINOR release: confirm referenced standard editions are current; flag any superseded parts (e.g. 62317-9 → 63093-9 historically).
- The MAS field-level
descriptionstrings should append a one-line pointer to the relevant section here, e.g."... See docs/normative-references.md §2a." - Discovery of additional national standards (CN GB, KR KS, IN BIS) is welcome via the contribution process.