• Procedure for Requesting an Interpretation
• Available IEEE Standards Interpretations Online

Occasionally, questions may arise regarding the meaning of portions of standards as they relate to specific applications. Such requests for interpretations should ask for clarifications of the exact nature of the contents of the standard.

Questions relating to such interpretations are reviewed and evaluated by a balance of members representing the specific committee interests. This officially formed interpretations subgroup creates and circulates a draft interpretation among its members. It transmits a final interpretation to the party initiating the request only after consensus has been achieved. The interpretation is also given to the standards-developing committee to consider addressing it in a supplement or the next revision to the standard.

Interpretations are issued to explain and clarify the intent of the standard and are not intended to constitute an alteration to the original standard or to supply consulting information. The interpretations subgroup cannot make new rules to fit situations not yet covered in the standard, even if the investigations of the subgroup lead it to conclude that the requirement is incomplete or in error. Changes to the standard are made only through revisions or supplements to the standard.

It is recognized that requests are frequently received that are partially or totally requests for information rather than requests for an interpretation. It is inappropriate to issue an official interpretation to answer such requests. The interpretations subgroup may, however, find from its research that the literal printing of the standards text is not identical to that approved by the standards developers and may issue an editorial correction as a part of its interpretation.

The original interpretations requests in this document have been lightly edited to remove extraneous matter and to focus on the problem presented. Some illustrations have been redrawn for publication. With these exceptions, requests are in the form received.

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Procedure for Requesting an Interpretation

Requests for interpretations should be addressed to

Secretary, IEEE Standards Board
IEEE Standards Department
445 Hoes Lane
P.O. Box 1331
Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331

Requests for interpretations may be sent via email to Rona Gertz.

Requests for interpretations should include

1. The specific designation of the standard, including the year of publication.
2. The specific subsection being questioned.
3. The applicable conditions for the case in question.

Line drawings should be black ink originals. Whenever possible, an electronic file of graphics should be submitted on disk in PICT, EPS, or TIFF format. Photos should be black-and-white glossy prints. These illustrations must be reproduced for committee circulation and eventually will be used to supplement the text of the next edition. Clear diagrams and pictures will make the work of interpretation easier and more valuable to users.

Requests, including all supplementary material, must be in a form that is easily reproducible. If suitable for consideration, requests will be sent to the interpretations subgroup. After consideration by the subcommittee, which may involve many exchanges of correspondence, the inquirer will be notified of the decision of the subgroup. Decisions will be published from time to time in cumulative form and may be ordered from the IEEE.

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Available IEEE Standards Interpretations Online

• IEEE Std C37.06-2000/INT
• IEEE Std C37.013-1997/INT
• IEEE Std C37.20 Series/INT
• IEEE Std C37.20.1-1993/INT
• IEEE Std C37.23-1987/INT
• IEEE Std C37.60-1981/INT
• IEEE Std C37.74-2003/INT
• IEEE Std C57.12.00-2000/INT
• IEEE Std C57.12.10-1997/INT
• IEEE Std C57.12.20-2005/INT
• IEEE Std C57.12.28-1999/INT
• IEEE Std C57.12.44-2005
• IEEE Std C57.12.91-2001/INT
• IEEE Std C57.13-1993/INT
• IEEE Std C57.91-1995/INT
• IEEE Std C57.111-1989/INT
• IEEE Std C63.4-2000/INT
• IEEE Std 18-2002
• IEEE Std 45-1998/INT
• IEEE Std 45-2002/INT
• IEEE Std 80-1986/INT
• IEEE Std 80-2000
• IEEE Std 344-1987/INT
• IEEE Std 383-1974/INT #1-6
• IEEE Std 387-1995/INT
• IEEE Std 421.5-2005/INT
• IEEE Std 450-1995/INT
• IEEE Std 450-2002/INT
• IEEE Std 493-1997/INT
• IEEE Std 515.1-1995/INT
• IEEE Std 743-1995/INT
• IEEE Std 754-1985/INT
• IEEE Std 802.1AB-2005/INT
• IEEE Std 802.1AE-2006/INT
• IEEE Std 802.1ag-2007/INT
• IEEE Std 802.1D-1999/INT
• IEEE Std 802.1D-1999/IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998/IEEE Std 802.3, 2000 Edition
• IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998
• IEEE Std 802.3, 2000 Edition
• IEEE Std 802.3, 1998 Edition/INT
• IEEE Std 802.3, 2000 Edition/INT
• IEEE Std 802.3-2002/INT [PDF]
• IEEE Std 802.3/INDEX
• IEEE Std 802.3-2005
• IEEE Std 802.3ab-1999/INT, 2000 Edition
• IEEE Std 802.3ae-2002/INT [PDF]
• IEEE Std 802.3af-2003/INT
• IEEE Std 802.3ah-2004/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11-1999/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11a-1999/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11b-1999/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11d-2001/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11g-2003/INT
• IEEE Std 802.11h-2003/INT
• IEEE Std 802.16.2-2001/INT
• IEEE Std 841-1994/INT
• IEEE Std 980-1994/INT #1,#2, and #3
• IEEE Std 1003.1-1990/INT
• IEEE Std 1003.1-2001/INT
• IEEE Std 1003.1b-1993/INT
• IEEE Std 1003.1c-1995/INT
• IEEE Std 1003.2-1992/INT
• IEEE Std 1003.5/INT, October 1995 Edition
• IEEE Std 1003.5/INT1999 Edition
• IEEE Std 1015-1997/INT
• IEEE Std 1048-1990/INT
• IEEE Std 1050-1996/INT
• IEEE Std 1184-1997/INT
• IEEE Std 1224.2 /IEEE Std 1327.2/INT, October 1995 Edition
• IEEE Std 1290-1996/INT #1 and #2
• IEEE Std 1362-1998/INT
• IEEE Std 1410-1997/INT
• IEEE Std 1482.1-1999/INT
• IEEE Std 1584-2002/INT
• IEEE Std 1588-2002/INT
• IEEE Std 1613-2003/INT
• IEEE Std 2003.1-1992/INT