Interface & Cartridge Architecture

Alignment establishes the relative position and orientation of the participating interfaces. Engagement brings their functional elements into controlled interaction.

Alignment shall be defined through a datum hierarchy:

Primary Datum: constrains the principal seating plane or direction;

Secondary Datum: controls lateral position or rotation;

Tertiary Datum: completes the final positional constraint.

The interface specification shall define six possible positional deviations:

translation along X;

translation along Y;

translation along Z;

rotation about X;

rotation about Y;

rotation about Z.

For each deviation, the specification shall state:

permitted approach error;

mechanical capture range;

final installed tolerance;

measurement method;

rejection threshold.

Alignment may occur through tapered surfaces, guide pins, slots, rails, cones, keyed profiles, temporary jigs, machine vision, sensors, or other validated methods.

The alignment features shall be designed to resist foreseeable installation damage. Replaceable guides or sacrificial inserts should be used where alignment surfaces are likely to experience repeated impact or wear.

Engagement shall be divided into distinguishable stages:

no contact;

lead-in contact;

partial engagement;

datum capture;

full seating;

lock-ready condition.

The primary locking mechanism shall not be used to force severely misaligned components into place. If the required engagement force exceeds its declared limit, installation shall stop and the interface shall enter an Engagement Fault state.

Engagement force and displacement should be measurable for automated or high-criticality connections. An abnormal force-displacement curve may indicate obstruction, incorrect orientation, damaged geometry, seal displacement, contamination, or incompatible components.

Utility contacts shall be sequenced where necessary. Mechanical alignment and protective grounding, for example, may need to occur before electrical power contacts. Shutoff features may need to open only after a fluid connector is fully seated and retained.

Full engagement shall be confirmed independently from the position of the installation tool. Confirmation shall reference the interface itself through physical indicators, dimensional checks, sensor states, contact continuity, or another approved method.

The universal capture ranges and final tolerance classes remain TBD for each interface family.