ISO 11783 as a whole specifies a serial data network for control and communications on forestry or agricultural tractors and mounted, semi-mounted, towed or self-propelled implements. Its purpose is to standardize the method and format of transfer of data between sensors, actuators, control elements, and information-storage and -display units, whether mounted on, or part of, the tractor or implement. It is intended to provide open system interconnect (OSI) for electronic systems used by agricultural and forestry equipment. This part of ISO 11783 gives a general overview of ISO 11783.

For ISO 11783 application developers, the content of this electronic database provides the current listing of the ISO 11783‑1address assignments, identity assignments, and parameter definitions which have been assigned and which are officially registered by SAE J1939. This information is found in the online database on the ISOBUS website (http://www.isobus.net/).