08-1 Certification and Conformance
Latest news: First DLMS COSEM compliant gas meter certified.
Interoperability is a key requirement towards modern systems for data exchange. One important element of interoperability, the correct implementation of the relevant standard, can be proven by conformance testing. Therefore, conformance requirements are essential parts of modern communication standards, like the DLMS/COSEM specification.
Conformance requirements can be formulated as abstract test cases, which, when implemented in a software called Conformance Test Tool, and properly parametrized, become executable test cases.
The DLMS UA provides a CTT and a Certification scheme since the publication of the IEC 62056 / EN 13757 DLMS/COSEM standards in 2002. The activities cover designing the abstract test cases, developing the CTT, making it available via commercial arrangements, verifying test reports, issuing Certificates and providing technical support.
The system is very lean with minimum administrative requirements. The tool is available for all members of the DLMS. Both self-testing and third party testing is possible. Many companies opt for self-testing, as in this case the tool can already be used during product development, reducing time-to-market and costs. To facilitate this, a powerful log module is available presenting all line traffic in human readable form.
The test report and log contains all essential elements concerning the meter tested and the test conditions:the declarations concerning the configuration of the meter;the results of protocol layer tests;the results of COSEM object tests: interface class identifier, logical name (OBIS code) and textual name, data types used.
This information is also useful for system integrators. Should any error occur, the CTT provides useful diagnostic information.
The first Certificate has been issued in September 2002. By end of 2007, 77 Certificates have been granted to 20 companies. The list of certified equipment can be found at http://www.dlms.com/en/conformance.
The fourth quarter of 2007 has brought several firsts: first meter types developed by Chinese, Indian and Australian manufacturers have been successfully tested and certified for DLMS compliance.
So far, 19 licenses of the CTT have been purchased: 12 in Europe, 1 in the Middle East and 6 in Asia. There are three third party test facilities, one in Europe and three in Asia.
In 2007, a new version of the CTT has been released, bringing the tests in line with the latest editions of the Green Book (Ed. 6.0) and the Blue Book (Ed. 8.0). It is capable to test the TCP/IP based profile, it provides deeper testing and more detailed reporting of results. All owners of the earlier version have received the upgrade. To adapt to the new tool, a transition period is provided.
As the system of OBIS codes is continuously enhanced to cover new applications, the Object definition files containing latest allocations can be downloaded and plugged in the tool in the form of .dat files.
We at the DLMS UA believe, that by making the conformance testing scheme available, system integration costs can be substantially reduced, a very important aspect of mass roll-outs of smart metering systems.