62056

62056 is a family of international standards published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) that governs data exchange for electricity metering. The suite provides a common framework for reading and transmitting energy data between meters, utilities, and consumer devices. Central to IEC 62056 is the COSEM (Companion Specification for Energy Meter) object model and OBIS (Object Identification System) coding, which define how data items are identified and accessed on a meter.

The standards cover general information, data models, and communication protocols, and specify multiple transport media, including infrared, radio frequency, power-line communication, and IP networks. The goal is interoperable, vendor-neutral data exchange across different meters and data-collection systems, enabling seamless integration between hardware and software from various manufacturers.

In practice, IEC 62056 underpins many smart metering deployments and is commonly implemented with DLMS/COSEM, which provides the application-layer model used by meters and collectors. The combination supports activities such as remote meter reading, tariff management, and load management, as well as secure data exchange between field devices and back-end systems.

Adoption: Utilities in Europe, Asia, and other regions use IEC 62056 as a basis for meter reading, data management, and remote operations. Security features within the suite address authentication, data integrity, and access control for remote communications.

See also: DLMS/COSEM, OBIS, smart meter, energy management.