SMART CAT HQ validates SFAF (Standard Frequency Action Format) records by checking each field against the format rules and the governing references, then returning findings cited to their sources with a fix path for each. In this context SFAF means the DoD spectrum data format, not a similarly named crystallography or patent tool. You can also ask the SMART CAT Regulatory AI Terminal, live in beta, SFAF questions in plain language.
SFAF, the Standard Frequency Action Format, is a line-oriented record format the Department of Defense uses to describe frequency assignments and proposals. Each record is a set of numbered data items covering the emitter, its technical parameters, and administrative details. The format is defined in MCEB Pub 7, and many of its data items map to what the NTIA Manual requires for federal frequency actions.
Two layers. First, format conformance: every required data item present, correctly numbered, and in the expected form. Second, rule conformance: the values have to agree with the governing references and with each other, so a frequency, an emission designator, and a station class that contradict one another get caught. Validation that only checks the first layer passes records a reviewer will still reject.
The SMART CAT validation workbench checks an SFAF record against the format rules and the governing references, such as MCEB Pub 7 and the NTIA Manual, and returns findings cited to the specific rule, each with a fix path. The workbench is currently in private build; the waitlist is the way in as access opens. For format questions today, the source-cited assistant is live in beta.
Because SFAF records feed downstream systems and coordination. A record that is internally inconsistent or missing required items can stall a frequency action, come back for correction, or propagate a bad value into a database others rely on. Catching the problem at the record level, before submission, is far cheaper than untangling it after it has moved through review.
Not to be confused: SFAF here is the electromagnetic spectrum Standard Frequency Action Format used in defense frequency management. It is unrelated to similarly abbreviated tools in crystallography or to unrelated patent terminology. All examples on this page are generic; no real frequency records or program data appear here.
Spectrum managers and engineers preparing frequency actions, and the program offices and contractors whose systems depend on them. If your workflow produces or consumes SFAF records, whether by hand or out of an authoring tool, an independent, source-cited validation pass is a cheap way to keep a clean record from turning into a late finding.
Validate with confidence. To arrange a validation pass or a scoping conversation, email maurice.collins@smartcathq.com. For format questions, the source-cited AI assistant is live in beta, and the waitlist locks in launch pricing.