BS IEC 62055-41:2018

What is BS IEC 62055-41-Standard transfer specification about?  

BS IEC 62055 discusses payment systems, encompassing the customer information systems, point of sale systems, token carriers, payment meters, and the respective interfaces that exist between these entities. BS IEC 62055-41 is the forty-one part of BS IEC 62055 multi-series and discusses application layer protocol for one-way token carrier systems. 

BS IEC 62055-41 specifies the application layer protocol of the STS for transferring units of credit and other management information from a point of sale (POS) system to an STS-compliant payment meter in a one-way token carrier system. It is primarily intended for application with electricity payment meters without a tariff employing energy-based tokens but may also have the application with currency-based token systems and for services other than electricity. 

Note: Although developed for payment systems for electricity, BS IEC 62055-41 also makes provision for tokens used in other utility services, such as water and gas. 

Who is BS IEC 62055-41-Standard transfer specification for? 

BS IEC 62055-41 on electricity metering is useful for: 

• Meter manufacturers 
• POS systems manufacturers 
• Utility providers  

Why should you use BS IEC 62055-41-Standard transfer specification?  

The standard transfer specification (STS) is a secure message protocol that allows information to be carried between the point of sale (POS) equipment and payment meters and it caters to several message types such as credit, configuration control, display, and test instructions. It further specifies devices and codes of practice that allow for the secure management (generation, storage, retrieval, and transportation) of cryptographic keys used within the system. 

Although the main implementation of the STS is in the electricity supply industry, it inherently provides for the management of other utility services such as water and gas. 

BS IEC 62055-41 provides you with:  

• A POS to token carrier interface is structured with an application layer protocol and a physical layer protocol using the OSI model as a reference 
• Tokens for the application layer protocol to transfer the various messages from the POS to the payment meters 
• Security functions and processes in the application layer protocol such as the Standard Transfer Algorithm and the Data Encryption Algorithm, including the generation and distribution of the associated cryptographic keys 
• Security functions and processes in the application layer protocol at the payment meter such as decryption algorithms, token authentication, validation, and cancellation 
• Specific requirements for the meter application process in response to tokens received 
• A scheme for dealing with payment meter functionality in the meter application process and associated companion specifications 
• Generic requirements for an STS-compliant key management system 
• Guidelines for a key management system 
• Entities and identifiers used in an STS system 
• Code of practice for the management of TID roll-over key changes in association with the the revised set of base dates 
• Code of practice and maintenance support services from the STS Association. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS IEC 62055-41:2018 supersedes BS IEC 62055-41:2014, which is withdrawn. BS IEC 62055-41:2018 includes some technical changes with respect to BS IEC 62055-41:2014. These include: 

• Currency transfer tokens for electricity, water, gas, and time metering 
• Finer resolution for gas and time credit transfer 
• Common code PAN for 2- and 4-digit manufacturer codes 
• Reserved MfrCode values for certification and testing purposes 
• Provision for DLMS/COSEM as a virtual token carrier type