Overview
ISO/IEC 30118-1:2021 - the OCF Core specification - defines the core framework, architecture, interfaces, protocols and services from the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) needed to build interoperable Internet of Things (IoT) devices and ecosystems. This Core specification is the mandatory baseline for all OCF Devices; optional Core and Core extension documents provide additional and large-scope features (e.g., Wi‑Fi setup, cloud integration).
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers the technical foundation required for consistent, interoperable IoT implementations, including:
- Architecture & Framework
- Core architecture, functional block diagrams and framework organization.
- Identification & Addressing
- Device, platform and resource identification, namespace and IPv6 network addressing considerations.
- Resource Model
- Resource and property definitions, resource types, device types, interfaces, resource representations, collections and links.
- CRUDN (Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete, Notify)
- RESTful interaction model mapped to OCF resource operations and expected server behaviours.
- Discovery & Endpoints
- OCF Endpoint model, implicit and explicit discovery mechanisms (e.g., /oic/res), multicast discovery.
- Messaging & Transport
- Mapping CRUDN to CoAP (including CoAP over TCP), URIs, content-format negotiation, block transfer and keep‑alive behaviour.
- Payload Encoding
- Use of CBOR for compact binary payloads and OCF content-format versioning.
- Network & Connectivity
- IPv6 node requirements and multicast/coAP network considerations.
- Security
- Security considerations and requirements to protect discovery, messaging and resource access.
- Normative resource type definitions
- Annexed resource type definitions and atomic measurement representations.
Practical applications
ISO/IEC 30118-1:2021 is intended to enable interoperable, secure IoT solutions across domains. Typical applications include:
- Smart home devices (lighting, sensors, actuators) implementing a common resource model for cross-vendor control.
- Industrial and building automation where reliable discovery, CRUDN operations and secure messaging are required.
- Gateway and cloud providers implementing OCF protocol mappings and CBOR payload handling.
- Firmware, SDK and platform vendors building OCF-compliant device stacks and interoperability test suites.
Who should use this standard
- IoT device manufacturers and firmware engineers
- Platform and middleware developers
- System integrators and solution architects
- Test labs, compliance and certification bodies
- Security architects evaluating IoT device communication
Related standards and protocols
Relevant technologies referenced in the specification include CoAP, CBOR and IPv6 as the primary messaging, encoding and network layers used by the OCF Core framework. Implementers should consult the Core optional and extension documents for additional features (e.g., cloud, easy setup).