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ReqIF Standards as structured requirements.

VDE Nexus delivers standards content as SMART Standards: classified requirements in ReqIF format. You import them directly into your requirements tool and track changes requirement by requirement.

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Requirements management · Medical bed project

IEC 60601-1:2020

9 Protection against mechanical hazards

9.1 General
9.2 Hazards associated with moving parts
9.4 Instability hazards
9.8 Support systems

Properties

ID
REQ-9224
Clause
9.2.2.4
Type
Requirement
Category
normative
Linked to
SR-042

VDE Nexus AI

Connected via MCP

Focus: IEC 60601-1 · 9.2.2.4Answers from all standards

I know the open standard and search all the others as well. What would you like to know?

What do other standards say about 9.2.2.4?

Found in IEC 60601-2-52: for medical beds, side rails shall be at least 220 mm above the uncompressed mattress. Your requirement SR-042 asks for 230 mm and meets this.

IEC 60601-2-52 · 201.9.101

Which other standards apply to a medical bed?

Found in three standards:

  • IEC 60601-2-52 · Medical beds
  • IEC 60601-1-2 · Electromagnetic disturbances
  • IEC 60601-1-11 · Home healthcare environment

What changes in the new edition?

Three places change in clause 9: one requirement is new, one has changed, one permission is removed. I have switched on the comparison.

Illustrative example: standard texts are simplified, values and references are examples.

Standards in ReqIF format at a glance

Format
ReqIF (.reqif, .reqifz), compliant with DIN DKE SPEC 99200
Per statement
Identifier, clause, modality and category (normative or informative)
Target systems
IBM DOORS, Siemens Polarion, PTC Codebeamer, Jama Connect, Dassault Systèmes CATIA and Siemens Teamcenter
Delivery
Download via the VDE Nexus platform or retrieval via the API
Licence
Add-on to your existing content or subscription licence for the machine processing of standards
New editions
New, changed or removed: visible at a glance
Sample standard
Go to download

The basics

ReqIF: the exchange format for requirements.

ReqIF is an open standard of the OMG and transfers text, structure, attributes and relations between tools.

Two formats, two jobs

PDF

For reading and reviewing

The complete text of the standard as a document.

ReqIF

For further processing

Every requirement as an object of its own, with ID, attributes and relations.

The two formats complement each other.

Provision types

How binding is a statement?

Every statement carries attributes for its object type, its modality and its classification as normative or informative.

What you can rely on

  1. Following the drafting rules of standardization

    The modality follows the drafting rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and DIN 820-2: shall, should, may and can are marked consistently.

  2. Filterable in your target system

    Because the modality is a separate attribute, you can filter your tool specifically for requirements, recommendations or permissions.

  3. Official metadata

    Standard number, title, date of publication and further metadata come from the official sources, not from manual entry.

  4. Stable IDs

    Every statement keeps its position in the structure and receives a stable ID. When a new edition is published, you can see what is new, changed or removed.

Download the sample standard and import it directly.

Siemens Polarion

Import template for Siemens Polarion

Project template with a ready-made import mapping for the data fields of SPEC 99200, including standardized attribute display. No manual configuration for each import.

Open template on GitHub

Provided by DIN and DKE in the public GitHub repository for DIN DKE SPEC 99200.Open repository

Advisor

Ask the VDE Nexus Advisor.

Choose a question from the list or type a keyword. The advisor answers briefly and takes you to the right place on this page.

VDE Nexus Advisor

Answers reviewed by the VDE Nexus team

Hello! I answer your questions about ReqIF and about standards in ReqIF format from VDE Nexus: from the file format and the provision types of statements to the import into your system. Where shall we start?

ReqIF

What is ReqIF?

An open, vendor-neutral standard of the Object Management Group (OMG) for exchanging requirements. The XML-based format transfers text, structure, attributes and relations, between tools and across company boundaries.

More on this: The basics
How is a ReqIF file structured?

Besides a header with metadata, it consists of a few building blocks:

  • SpecObject: the individual requirement with its attribute values
  • Specification: the structure in which the requirements are arranged hierarchically
  • SpecRelation: relations between requirements
  • Types and data types: which attributes exist and which values are allowed
More on this: The basics
What is the difference between .reqif and .reqifz?

A .reqif file is a single XML file. A .reqifz file is a ZIP archive containing one or more ReqIF files together with embedded objects such as images.

What does ReqIF add to PDF?

PDF is well suited to reading and reviewing the complete text of a standard. ReqIF adds what further processing needs: every requirement enters your system as an object of its own, with ID, attributes and relations, without copy and paste and without media breaks.

Standards

What is DIN DKE SPEC 99200?

It defines how standards are provided in ReqIF format: with metadata, the provision type of every statement and a consistent breakdown into requirements. DIN and DKE developed it together with the Initiative Digital Standards (IDiS); it was published in February 2025.

How can I tell how binding a requirement is?

Every statement carries an attribute for its modality. It follows the drafting rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and DIN 820-2:

  • Requirement: shall / shall not
  • Recommendation: should / should not
  • Permission: may / need not
  • Possibility / capability: can / cannot
More on this: Provision types
How finely is a standard broken down?

Into statements that can be understood on their own. A paragraph, a table or a list stays together if it forms a unit in terms of content. Every statement keeps its position in the structure and receives a stable ID.

Is a standard in ReqIF format legally binding?

The format does not change the status of a standard. Standards are technical rules whose application is generally voluntary. They become binding when laws, contracts or tenders refer to them. This answer does not constitute legal advice.

Working with it

Which systems can I import the files into?

Into requirements management systems such as IBM DOORS, Siemens Polarion, PTC Codebeamer and Jama Connect, and into PLM systems such as Dassault Systèmes CATIA and Siemens Teamcenter. How completely attributes and formatting are adopted depends on the tool and its configuration.

More on this: Try it
What happens when a new edition is published?

Every requirement has a stable ID, so you can see which requirements are new, changed or removed. Many tools merge a new delivery with existing data, for example IBM DOORS or PTC Codebeamer from version 9.3.

More on this: Try it
Can I link requirements from standards to my own requirements?

Yes, that is exactly what the format is made for. You link requirements from standards to system or product requirements and to test cases. This creates end-to-end traceability for conformity evidence and audits.

Can tables and images be transferred as well?

Yes. Formatted text, lists and tables are transferred as XHTML, images as embedded objects. How well they are displayed in the target system depends on the tool.

Getting started

Can I try it first?

Yes, with the sample standard: it comes from the public GitHub repository of DIN and DKE, and you can download it right here on this page. For anything else, write to our sales team: vertrieb@vde-sis.de.

More on this: Sample standard
How do I receive the ReqIF files?

Via the VDE Nexus platform: in the publication list, the ‘Licensed’ and ‘Format’ columns show which standards you can use. You start the download in the publication details or retrieve the files via the API.

More on this: Try it
How much do standards in ReqIF format cost?

We agree the selection of standards, scope and delivery method with you individually. Our sales team will send you a quote: vertrieb@vde-sis.de.

The advisor replies with editorially reviewed texts. Your selection and input are neither stored nor transmitted.

Your question isn’t listed?

Then we will answer it for you personally.

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