CiA rules and regulations

0. General

  1. The association is named "CAN in AUTOMATION - International Users and Manufacturers Group" and is registered in Nuremberg (Germany). CiA Headquarters (HQ) are located in Nuremberg. Other offices may be established by the CiA Board of Directors.
  2. The official language is the English language. All minutes, internal papers and CiA documents have to be written in English (except the book-keeping for the German Revenue Office).

1. CiA Members (M)

  1. CiA M may participate in CiA General Assemblies and will receive minutes of CiA General Assemblies, proposals to the CiA General Assemblies and all official CiA Standards, CiA Draft Standards, CiA Draft Standard Proposals and CiA Recommendations. In addition M may vote in CiA General Assemblies and may run for election of CiA Board of Directors or CiA Technical Committee or CiA Business Committee.
  2. CiA Members will receive all minutes of CiA Business Committee (BC), CiA Technical Committee (TC), CiA Interest Groups (IG), CiA Special Interests Groups (SIG), CiA Marketing Groups (MG), and CiA CANopen Special Marketing Groups (SMG).

2. CiA General Assembly (GA)

  1. The regular CiA GA takes place annually, but an irregular CiA GA can be convened by either the CiA BoD or by the mutual consent of one quarter of CiA M.
  2. All CiA M may speak on each agenda topic of the CiA GA. The chairman of the CiA GA may limit the time allowed for the attending CiA M to not more than 5 minutes per topic.

3. CiA Board of Directors (BoD)

  1. The CiA BoD consists of three CiA M’s representatives (Technical Director, Business Director, Managing Director) elected for one year on the CiA GA. They may participate in every CiA meeting.
  2. The CiA Technical Director chairs the CiA Technical Committee.
  3. The CiA Business Director chairs the CiA Business Committee.
  4. CiA Managing Director manages CiA Headquarters, CiA Offices and CiA Secretaries.

4. CiA Technical Committee (TC)

  1. The CiA TC consists of
    • The CiA Technical Director
    • A representative of each CiA Interest Group
    • Up to 5 different CiA M to be elected by the CiA GA.

  2. Each CiA M has only one vote in the CiA TC.
  3. The CiA TC approves and coordinates the CiA Interest Groups.

5. CiA Business Committee (BC)

  1. The CiA BC consists of
    • The CiA Business Director
    • A representative of each CiA Marketing Group
    • Up to 5 different CiA M to be elected by the CiA GA

  2. Each CiA M has only one vote in the CiA BC.
  3. The CiA BC develops the general marketing guidelines of the CiA and proposes the CiA budget to the CiA GA.
  4. The CiA BC installs CiA Marketing

6. CiA Interest Groups (IG)

  1. CiA IG are initiated by at least 3 CiA M.
  2. The first meeting of the proposed CiA IG has to be announced to all CiA M including the proposed scope of work.
  3. During those meetings the following must happen:
    A workplan including goals has to be draft in accordance with the "CiA guidelines for IG" and submitted to the CiA TC for approval.
  4. After approval by the CiA TC the IG has to elect a chairman.
  5. CiA IG may install CiA Special Interest Groups (SIG). The CiA SIG will be represented in the CiA IG by a representative.

7. CiA Standards

  1. CiA Standards proposed as CiA Draft Standards (DS) by a CiA IG are rejected, if more than one-third of the CiA M votes against. This CiA DSs have to be distributed to all CiA M at least 3 months before the balloting deadline. In the balloting form is space to be reserved for comments. Balloting for CiA Standards is possible after a one year CiA DS period.

8. CiA Draft Standards (DS)

  1. CiA DS proposed as CiA Draft Standard Proposals (DSP) by a CiA IG or a SIG shall be accepted by the IG in accordance to the „CiA guidelines for IG“.

9. CiA Draft Standard Proposal (DSP)

  1. CiA DSP proposed as CiA Work Draft Proposals (WDP) by one or more CiA members shall be accepted by the CiA IG or SIG.
  2. CiA WDP may be only published for CiA internal purposes or after acceptance by the IG with the remark, that this document is not valid for implementation.

10. CiA Recommendations

  1. CiA Recommendations proposed by a CiA IG or members of the CiA TC shall be accepted by the CiA TC with the following voting rules:
    1. at least 50% of the entitled to vote TC members must be present at the meeting,
    2. accepted with a two-thirds majority, not containing abstained votes.

  2. CiA Recommendations may be published only after acceptance by the CiA TC.

11. CiA Marketing Groups (MG)

  1. CiA MG are initiated by at least 3 CiA M.
  2. CiA MG are installed by the CiA BC. The MG chairman is elected by the MG members.
  3. CiA MG are related to national or regional markets or to application-specific or to higher layer protocols.
  4. CiA MG may install CiA Special Marketing Groups (SMG). The SMG will be represented in the CiA MG by a representative.

12. CiA Secretaries

  1. CiA Secretaries are engaged and noticed by the CiA Board of Directors.
  2. CiA General Secretary operates CiA Headquarters and reports directly to the CiA Managing Director, CiA BC and CiA TC
  3. CiA Technical and Assistance Secretaries report to the CiA General Secretary.

13. Amendments

  1. Amendments of CiA Rules have to be approved by two-thirds majority of the present CiA M in the CiA GA.

Nuremberg, 2008-04-07